Thus, the cruel and harsh notification reached Gomteng.
According to that sea snake, mascots couldn’t fly around so quickly unless they were nearby.
Something about a magnet in a racing game? Or whatever.
In the end, Gomteng couldn’t return until that night was over.
Anyway, due to the aftermath of Children’s Day, which was a red day floating between weekdays, I lazily got out of bed to the sound of my alarm.
A day heading to school with my empty pockets for the first time in a while.
Thanks to that discreet agreement, there was no concern about a monster appearing in broad daylight…
But there was that strange crocodile incident, so I just carried it with me.
Since we had no mascots on our side… if a monster did show up in the open, it would just be up to Siyeon to handle it.
Right after the assembly ended, a conversation began among the students who received their smartphones back.
“What did you do yesterday?”
“What do you mean, I just hung out.”
I answered indifferently, as if questioning why they would even ask that.
Since yesterday was Children’s Day, the topic of conversation shifted to what we did over the holiday.
I was sucked into the girls’ conversation without a chance to escape.
“Oh, oh! Did you know?”
“What is it?”
“They say Hee-jun in Class 5 is dating Eun-bi in Class 7.”
The conversation that had started on what we did over the holiday had now moved on to relationships in other classes.
For reference, I didn’t know either of their names.
Regardless of my interest, the girls clustered around their desks, hunched over like they were sharing a secret.
“Oh really? Who said that?”
“A friend from the next class told me. They saw them holding hands going home.”
I might as well have been sitting still, but they didn’t seem to have any intention of hiding their conversation.
More importantly, holding hands while going home?
Unless they were siblings, that definitely sounds suspicious.
Wait, is it suspicious even if they are siblings?
“Is Mari dating Taehyun?”
As the conversation flowed well between one girl sitting in the back and my desk partner beside me, inexplicably, the topic turned toward me, who had no interest in others’ relationships.
What are they talking about out of the blue?
I couldn’t ignore this conversation, so I turned halfway around in my seat, rested my arms on the back of the desk, squinted an eye, and said,
“…What nonsense is that?”
“You always go back with those boys.”
“Because Taehyun lives in a different floor of the same apartment.”
“Ahh—”
Maybe the girls were concerned about that, as they accepted the reasoning with a sigh and returned to their own discussions.
Then, as if they had just thought of it, my desk partner Seo-hyun suddenly turned her head to look at me and reopened the discussion.
“What about Siyeon? Doesn’t she have a boyfriend?”
“Go ask her yourself; the answer is obvious, though.”
“Alright, Siyeon!”
At the suggestion to ask her directly, Seo-hyun jumped up and headed toward Siyeon’s desk in the distance.
As Seo-hyun left her seat, the girl from the back, Ha-yun, asked,
“Does Mari not want a boyfriend?”
“Why should I?”
Rather than outright rejecting the idea, I subtly responded to the question.
A boyfriend? Absolutely not.
In fact, the concept of gender has long since faded.
Even when I see well-dressed young idols dancing, I think ‘Oh, he’s good-looking’ with a male perspective.
When I see a female celebrity dancing on stage with full makeup, I think ‘Oh, she’s pretty’ with a female perspective.
Maybe it’s because I already feel a distance from reality, but I end up viewing both genders from a same-sex perspective.
Neither party feels like the opposite sex.
I wonder how many people can understand this inexplicable sensation?
At least someone with a rare condition related to hormones, perhaps.
Hearing my answer to the question, Ha-yun continued as if feeling somewhat disappointed.
“If Mari put on some makeup, she’d be super pretty because of her good face.”
“Forget it, makeup my foot…”
Even when they praised the original for looking good, I waved my hand dismissively, resting my elbow on Ji-ho’s desk, which smelled faintly of smoke.
It goes beyond the issue of gender; I just find it bothersome.
Naturally, I can’t be bothered with appearance management since there’s not really a guy I want to impress.
As I chatted with Ha-yun, Seo-hyun flittered back to her side of the desk.
“Siyeon also said she has no boyfriend.”
Seo-hyun reported back on that without a hint of hesitation.
Ha-yun sighed dramatically at Seo-hyun’s abruptness, her expression frosty.
“Ugh, do you really think asking will get a good answer?”
“With her going to academy these days, she probably doesn’t even have time for that.”
“She could find a boyfriend at the academy, you know?”
After informing her as an older sister, saying she wouldn’t have time with drawing classes, Seo-hyun countered by pointing out that she could meet someone there.
Her rebuttal wasn’t entirely wrong, so I pondered while poking at my chin with my finger.
Siyeon with a boyfriend? I can’t imagine it.
If she did, I hope he doesn’t have tattoos and doesn’t smoke or drink.
Just a small hope along with the passing days.
May brings numerous events.
Just days after Children’s Day, Parent’s Day quickly follows.
After that, there’s Teacher’s Day.
In many ways, it’s a day that requires attention to relationships, even for elementary school students.
And then came May 8th, Parent’s Day.
“Does everyone know what day it is today?”
That day, the teachers distributed smartphones a bit longer, and during assembly, they gathered the students’ eyes for a light event.
A question about what today was.
Since three days ago was May 5th, Children’s Day, today was the day when not knowing results in trouble.
“It’s Parent’s Day—”
“Oh, right. Why not send your parents a message saying you love them? The first three to get a reply will get 5,000 won each.”
To motivate the students in the middle of puberty who might not be keen, the first three to reply would win cash.
Even the boys in the back who were busy playing games ignored the teacher’s words and, thinking it might be worth it, sent messages to their parents for a pack of cigarettes.
Compared to students with clear targets, Seo-hyun and I were still stuck.
Should I send a message to Ji-eun unnie or just chat with Siyeon?
“Raise your hand if you got a reply.”
“I got one! Meee!”
Unexpectedly, the fastest reply came from one of the smokers seated at the very back.
“Mom, I love you—!”
He dashed to the front, shouting with exaggerated gestures.
Laughter from the other students filled the classroom in response to his ridiculous antics.
With that money, he could buy a pack of cigarettes.
Just when I couldn’t press the send button for the message to Ji-eun unnie, a message notification slid down from the top of my phone.
[Who to?]
[Have you sent the message?]
[(I sent an emoticon.)]
As the first message faded, the second and third followed in quick succession.
The only person I was in conversation with like this was Siyeon.
I pressed back to open the chat with Siyeon, revealing what looked like her last message: a carnation emoticon.
An emoticon of a bear popping out from within a carnation.
I wondered why she chose that particular bear among all the carnation options, but I quickly sent back the same emoticon without dwelling on it.
[Why]
[Not sending it to your sister?]
Two short messages sent one after the other.
With every tap, my “1” icon disappeared, and a reply message came right back.
[Sending it to her too]
[First one’s for Mari!]
“Teacher, me—!”
As I was chatting with Siyeon over the messenger app, the third 5,000 won went to Sunhyuk.
As soon as the three first arrivals were done, some kids who wanted to play around started jokingly complaining loudly enough for the teacher to hear.
“Ah, mom, I hate you! My cigarettes!”
“Hehe.”
As if the entire classroom, including the teacher, knew he smoked, they filled the room with laughter.
Since Ji-eun unnie had the amusement park outing for Children’s Day, I sent her cake and coffee gift icons that suited the vibe of Parent’s Day.
At the end, I made sure to include a carnation emoticon as well.
After sending the message, I returned to my original agenda and submitted my smartphone.
During the first class, the only thought in my head was to be good to my parents, and during break time, I clung to Siyeon’s backrest, playfully pinching her cheeks from behind.
“Why, why?”
“Just feelin’ grateful, that’s all.”
“Ugh…”
While Siyeon groaned in a playful protest to my cheek-pulling, she only held onto my wrist and didn’t think to pull away.
It seemed like she was saying no, but she was actually just appealing how shy she felt in front of her friends.
Having received enough satisfaction from Siyeon, it was now time for me to share that joy with others.
I rested my shoes on the chair leg, raised my height just a little, and leaned my face over Siyeon’s head.
“Should I buy a carnation on the way home?”
“For your sister?”
“Correct.”
As she tilted her head upward, Siyeon easily got the answer right.
Paper carnations were something given in elementary school, and with Parent’s Day, many flower vendors were out nearby looking to catch the students’ pocket money.
What does it matter if the flowers are expensive or wilted and just get thrown away? It’s the thought that counts.
Every year on May 8th.
A special day for us, as our family expanded from two to five.
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