The massage device I pulled out of the box had a slight curve, similar to a showerhead.
After reading the instructions a few times and explaining how to use it, Siyeon urged me to sit down with the massage device tightly gripped in both hands.
Following the instructions I had just imparted, I pressed the button, and the device began to vibrate with a mechanical sound.
Dududududu, the vibration shook through my entire body.
“Is it refreshing?”
“Ahhhh, it feels amazing!”
I enjoyed the vibration with a relaxed expression, like an old man, in response to Siyeon’s question.
Kids’ bodies wouldn’t have any stiff muscles, but anyway, when I adjusted the vibration to the weakest setting, it was still bearable.
The vibrations making my head shake up and down felt oddly amusing, and I thought it would be nice to do this when I don’t want to think at all… right?
It was my money, after all, but Siyeon had chosen this gift for me with pure childlike innocence.
Wondering if there was anything I could do to match the Christmas spirit, I asked softly without turning my head, keeping my gaze straight ahead.
“Don’t you want anything else, Siyeon?”
“No… I don’t!”
Her answer came after a brief pondering, bright and firm.
The kid is too good-hearted and, even without any desires, it’s still worrying.
Even if she says she doesn’t want anything, forcing her to accept something would just be an unwanted gift.
Ultimately, turning my gaze from the toy-like items, the thought that came to mind was simply food.
Still feeling the vibrations reverberating through my body, I turned my head and asked.
“Shall we go buy a Christmas cake then?”
“Cake!”
Upon hearing that there was nothing else she desired, Siyeon’s eyes sparkled with excitement, unlike her earlier indifference.
A cake that, without anyone’s birthday, wouldn’t normally be necessary.
Let alone celebrating Christmas, which I thought of as just another holiday.
It was something that had never happened in my previous life, but seeing her react like this, I couldn’t just ignore it.
I wanted to do something for her because I felt proud of her.
I decided to show my sentiment for the two mascots lazily lounging around the room by playfully nudging them with my foot, signaling them to hurry up and join us.
“If you guys want anything too, come out quick.”
“Really?”
“Wait, are you actually buying something for us?”
“Since it’s Christmas, I’m feeling generous.”
“Yay!”
As soon as I dropped those words of approval to them, they squeaked joyfully and dove into their coat pockets.
I helped Siyeon quickly put on her coat while taking out my thick outerwear hanging on the coat rack.
We turned off the lights at home and headed straight for the franchise bakery.
The prices are ridiculously high, but since there isn’t a decent bakery selling proper cakes nearby, there’s really no choice.
I heard there might still be places selling three bags of bread for 3,000 won, but…
There’s certainly nothing like that around our house.
Anyway, if we’re talking franchises, there’s a bakery about three or four shops down.
Entering the bakery, I looked at the familiar logo sign.
There were cakes displayed near the checkout counter in the cold fridge and a showcase steaming with white vapor.
Also, a few bags of bread that looked like they came straight from a factory, and various types of bread laid out in the middle without separate packaging.
All around, just breads, breads, breads.
Of course, if I looked around a bit more, I could see cookies, ice cream, and jams to spread on the bread.
First, I decided to order the cake last.
For now, I’d pick out what the mascots wanted to eat first, and then choose the cake last at the checkout.
“Japchae croquettes, spicy chicken croquettes, moist cheese bread, sweetened cream sandwich, garlic baguette….”
“Chestnut bread, corn bread, brown rice bread….”
While holding the mascots in my pocket tightly, I looked at Siyeon and recited the names of the baked goods as we moved along.
Why were we suddenly so caught up in reciting the names of the breads?
“Egg tart….”
As I said “egg tart,” the Gomteng tapped my hand inside the pocket.
In response to that signal, I picked up an egg tart from the small bag.
This was how we bought something for the mascots.
Since they can’t exactly pop out of my pocket and ask me to buy something, I had to come up with clever ways to provide them with some benefits.
And it’s still working quite well for me.
“Have you picked something, Siyeon?”
“Yep!”
Gomteng picked the egg tart, while Siyeon’s mascot chose the soft cheese bread.
Both were soft bread types that made one think of a sip of milk.
Anyway, with snacks for the two mascots in hand, it was time to head to the checkout counter and choose the cake.
Various shapes of cakes filled the display case to align with the Christmas season.
Having already eaten chocolate cake last time, I wanted to avoid another chocolate cake for the second round…
But ultimately, I left the decision entirely to Siyeon, asking her.
“What kind of cake do you want?”
“Hm….”
Her sound of contemplation continued much longer than when pondering about items she wanted.
A cake shaped like Rudolph’s face, a white cake decorated with Santa riding a sleigh.
Among other cakes themed with Christmas, it must be quite a dilemma to choose just one from these colorful options.
“What kind of cake would you like?”
“This one! Sweet potato!”
When asked by the clerk in the middle of her pondering, the bright answer finally came out.
‘They had a sweet potato cake?’
Only then did I notice the cake covered in pale yellow powder.
Amidst what seemed to be solely white cream cakes and black chocolate cakes, it stood out with its unique yellow hue.
Since Siyeon loves sweet potatoes so much, it seemed to be a straightforward choice.
Typically, it’s a mild flavor that parents who dislike overly sweet treats would also enjoy.
Anyway, since she picked what she liked, I let her keep it.
The clerk skillfully packed the cake into a specialized box.
“That comes to a total of 35,000 won.”
After taking my card out of my wallet and placing it at the checkout, I finished the transaction.
Then, I handed Siyeon the relatively light cheese bread and egg tart, while I took the cake.
Even though Siyeon was shaking the hand caught in hers, my other hand holding the cake remained steady.
Returning home with the cake, which was comfortably secure, I placed it right on the low table that also served as the dining table.
The egg tart and cheese bread I took out of my coat were also placed on the table, and since it wasn’t a birthday cake, there was no need for any celebrations; we dove right into tasting.
‘Sweet potato cake….’
Focusing on the cake, which seemed familiar yet new, I took a plastic bread knife into my hand.
I directed it into the center of the cake and cut through the soft, sponge-like texture with a flick of my wrist.
The golden power dusting the top of the cake scattered around, getting messily all over the plate it had been sitting on.
Since it wasn’t all that big of a cake, it was a size we could easily finish in a day, even with the mascots joining in.
It’s the end of the world that a cake the size of three kids’ palms was 25,000 won.
Anyway, delicately sliding the knife under the cake from the bottom, I placed a piece onto the plate and held it out to Siyeon.
One piece, another piece, and yet another piece.
As I continued to serve one piece each onto four plates, half the cake had already disappeared from the originally eight slices.
With skillful movements, various plates filled the small table.
After a short clap twice, I awkwardly announced the beginning of the cake tasting.
“All right, let’s eat!”
“Thanks for the meal!”
The cake, which was soft enough to cut even with a plastic knife, surely wouldn’t resist being severed with a metal fork.
Ignoring the crumbs of the caster sugar dropping off, I shoved the yellow cake into my mouth.
While the bread wasn’t overwhelmingly abundant, the sliding cream and sweet potato mousse tucked in the edges mixed quite pleasingly in my mouth.
Not overly sweet like chocolate and not slathered in cream like regular cream cakes, it offered a satisfyingly mild sweetness.
I was satisfied, but what did Siyeon think?
When I looked up, she—
“Delicious!”
—smiled happily, saying it was tasty without me even asking, as she continued to dig in with her fork.
Right, as long as you’re enjoying it, that’s all that matters.
A big smile broke out on my face, and without needing to ask, I checked back once more.
“Is it good?”
“Yes! It really tastes like sweet potato!”
Even the mascots, who usually don’t share a meal, gathered around the table to enjoy the sweet potato cake together.
Though, a couple of pieces remained behind, so the leftover cake was boxed up and went straight into the fridge.
What remained could easily be treated as a snack after meals either tomorrow or the day after.
Having filled our bellies with cake, nothing felt better on the afternoon of the 25th when wanting to do nothing.
I yawned lightly and opened the curtains to find snowflakes, which had not fallen until we went to the bakery, softly beginning to cover the world.
“It’s snowing.”
“Snow?!”
As I exclaimed about the rare sight of a white Christmas, Siyeon sprang up from the floor, which she had been sitting on, excitedly.
To me, who had lost my childlike wonder, snow from the sky looked like garbage, but to Siyeon, it must still seem like a playful delight.
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