Chapter 6: The Promise of Winter: A Snow Day with Ji-eun

I returned home after finishing work.
As I was going up the stairs, the grandfather was outside.
“Ah, are you coming now?”
“Yes. Ah, thank you for lunch. It was delicious.”
“Hoho. I’m glad you liked it. Are you on your way back from work?”
“Yes.”
The grandfather was looking at me with a kind smile.
“It’s hard work while you’re still a student. It’s time to study hard.”
“No. Honestly, I don’t think I have much talent in studying.”
“Is that so? You seem very bright to me.”
“Thank you for the compliment. But… I’m not good at studying. I barely keep up with class.”
The grandfather smiled kindly again at my words.
“Thank you for playing with my granddaughter today. When I came back from work, my granddaughter kept talking about what she played today. I was happy to see my granddaughter so excited after a long time. Thank you very much.”
“No… it’s not something to be thanked for… But… is the kid alone every day? I know it’s rude to ask, but the mom or dad…”
“Ji-eun’s parents passed away in an accident before she turned four. I’ve been raising her ever since.”
“Ah…”
I expected it to some extent, but hearing it directly made my heart ache.
“Do you live alone too…?”
“Ah… yes. My mother passed away in the summer. And my father is as good as gone.”
The grandfather’s eyes widened at my words.
“Ah… I see… I shouldn’t have asked…”
“No. I brought it up first anyway… Is the kid asleep?”
I quickly changed the subject.
“She fell asleep earlier than usual, probably because she played a lot today.”
“She was very energetic.”
“She talked about you all day today.”
“Nothing bad, I hope?”
“Not at all. She said she was happy to have an older brother.”
“Haha…”
I couldn’t help but feel a little burdened.
“If Ji-eun bothers you too much, tell me. You can’t keep being inconvenienced.”
The grandfather said with a kind smile.
The way he said it so casually made me want to take care of him more.
“No. I actually had fun too. It’s okay sometimes.”
“Hoho. Okay. Do as you please.”
“Um, is Ji-eun usually alone at home then?”
“Unfortunately, yes. But it’ll be better once she starts school.”
The thought of that young kid playing alone at home made my heart ache.
“May I ask what your work schedule is like?”
“Huh? Monday, Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday are day shifts like today, and Wednesday and Thursday are night shifts. But why do you ask?”
“It’s nothing. Go inside, it’s cold.”
“I’m sorry for keeping you, a tired person, for so long. Go inside and rest.”
“Yes. Good night.”
“You too, sleep well.”
After the grandfather went inside first, I also returned home.
“Mmm…”
I washed up and lay down on the electric blanket and thought for a while.
He works day shifts on Monday, Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday, so he goes out in the morning and comes back in the evening…
He said he works night shifts on Wednesday and Thursday, so like last time, he goes out at night and comes back the next morning.
Then, during that time, the kid is alone at home… that kept bothering me.
She’s only eight years old.
And she doesn’t have any friends because she just moved in.
Wouldn’t she be lonely? Wouldn’t she be sad? I had unnecessary thoughts.
It could be meddlesome.
No, it is meddlesome.
Maybe it’s just for my own satisfaction.
Still, even I, at eighteen, sometimes feel lonely when I’m alone at home.
But there’s no way an eight-year-old kid wouldn’t feel lonely when she’s alone at home.
“Haa… I don’t know. Whatever happens, happens.”
I picked up the phone next to my pillow and called the manager.
After a few rings, the manager answered the phone.
-Hello?
“Ah, Manager, I have something to tell you. About the waitering we talked about last time. Can I just deliver in the evenings on Monday, Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday like now, and instead of delivering on Wednesday and Thursday, can I just wait tables from day to evening?”
-Mmm… I think it’s possible? But why suddenly?
I hesitated for a moment at the manager’s question.
I couldn’t say it was because I was worried about the kid next door.
“I think I’ll be too tired. I have to study too.”
-Okay, okay. I understand. Tomorrow is Sunday, so take a good rest and see you on Monday?
“Yes. Thank you.”

<2>
It was Sunday morning, which should have been a happy day.
“Giant Oppa-aa-aa-aa~!”
It was the kid next door, who came to wake me up without fail this morning too.
I moved the blanket aside, got up, and opened the door.
“Kid… I wake up on my own, you know? Don’t shout so loudly in the morning.”
“But Oppa never opened the door before I came.”
“You come too early… Don’t people sleep in during vacation?”
“I won’t sleep in like Oppa. Grandpa said to eat! Come quickly!”
The kid said that and went back to her house.
“That…”
I went into the house next door, and the grandfather was serving rice in bowls.
“Ah, you’re here? Have some breakfast.”
“I’m sorry to keep getting free meals like this…”
“What’s the big deal about serving one more bowl of rice? Come on in.”
I went into the room, and the kid was setting up the table.
It was a very light table for me, but it seemed very heavy for the kid.
Her struggling was a little cute.
“Want some help?”
“I can do it alone…!”
In the end, she set up the table herself and looked at me with a proud face.
“See?”
“Yeah. You’re amazing.”
Soon, the grandfather brought stew and side dishes.
However, the rice in front of me was piled high.
“I can’t eat this much…”
“Aren’t you at a growing age? Eat a lot.”
“Yes. I’ll eat well.”
I couldn’t refuse the grandfather’s kindness.
“”
“Can I grow up like Oppa if I eat a lot of rice too?”
“I don’t think so. I’m already 180cm tall. It’ll be hard to be as tall as me.”
“Then how tall can I grow?”
“If you’re over 160cm, you’ll be considered tall among girls? I don’t know. You’re still a kid.”
Ji-eun puffed out her cheeks and looked up at me as I teased her.
“I’m not a kid. You always call me a kid.”
“Sorry, sorry. It was a joke.”
“Don’t call me a kid.”
“Then what should I call you?”
“Ji-eun! You should call me Ji-eun.”
“What if I don’t?”
“I’ll keep calling you Giant Oppa too.”
She really hates being called a kid.
“Okay. I’ll call you Ji-eun.”
Ji-eun smiled brightly and nodded at my words.
“Now now, stop fighting and eat your food.”
“”
“Yes~”
After I finished the mountain of rice, I cleaned up with Ji-eun.
We cleared the table together, washed the dishes, and came back to my house.
But…
“Why are you following me to my house?”
“Why? Is it not allowed? We’re friends now.”
“”
“Since when…? But why are you speaking informally?”
“Because Jihoon Oppa is going to call me Ji-eun now! If you call me by my name, we’re friends!”
What’s that?
But she went from Giant Oppa to Jihoon Oppa right away.
“What do you usually do at home, Oppa?”
“I told you, I sleep?”
“Do you only sleep?”
“I want to.”
“Oppa, Oppa. It’s going to snow tonight!”
“So what.”
I have a bad feeling about this.
“Do you want to have a snowball fight tonight?”
“You’ll catch a cold, just stay at home-”
“I’ve never had a snowball fight before! I want to!”
Damn it.
Making my heart weak…

<3>
Thwack-
“Ahahahaha! Oppa got hit-!”
Ji-eun’s cheeks were red from the cold, but she was smiling happily.
But my only jumper was covered in snow.
“I can throw too, right?”
“I’m going to avoid Oppa’s-!”
As soon as Ji-eun finished speaking, I threw a snowball.
White snow spread across Ji-eun’s clothes, who had confidently said she would dodge it.
“You’re terrible at dodging.”
As I smirked, Ji-eun started throwing snowballs with fire in her eyes.
In the end, both my and Ji-eun’s jumpers were covered in white snow.
It was a fierce snowball fight, enough to make us sweat even on a cold winter day.
“I’m tired… Let’s stop now.”
“Then let’s make a snowman!”
“You have so much energy…”
“Hehe. Thank you.”
Ji-eun sniffled and smiled bashfully.
I quickly made a snowball because it seemed like she’d catch a cold if we continued.
“We’re only making it for a little while, okay?”
“Okay! Oppa, make the body! I’ll make the head.”
Ji-eun and I rolled the snowballs together, making them bigger.
When the snowballs, gradually increasing in size, became too heavy, I straightened up.
“Let’s put it on now.”
“I’ll try to lift it!”
“It’ll be heavier than you. But try it.”
Ji-eun tried to lift the snowball with all her might, but it was no use.
“Lift it… Oppa”
“Pfft- Okay… Step aside.”
I placed the snowball Ji-eun made on top of mine.
Ji-eun smiled brightly when she saw the huge snowman that was much taller than her.
“Wow…! Oppa, wait!”
Ji-eun collected small pebbles and twigs from all over the playground.
“Oppa! Lift me up! I’ll make the snowman’s eyes!”
“Hurry up and grow taller.”
“Hurry~!”
I lifted Ji-eun up, and she made the snowman’s eyes, nose, and mouth.
And after making arms with twigs, she smiled proudly.
“Hehe. The snowman is pretty~! It looks like Oppa!”
“What did you say?”
“Why~ It’s exactly like Oppa~”
“Yeah. Well, if you like it…”
“Yes! I love it! Let’s make a snowman again next year!”
“We’ll see. Let’s go inside now. You’ll catch a cold.”
“Why~ Let’s do it next year too~”