Delete if problematic; no intention to demean the artist.
All content is unrelated to reality.
After finally soothing and putting little Una to sleep, my eyelids got heavy again.
Right, today is Saturday.
This is the happiest moment in the world: a morning without an alarm, slipping back under the blanket and wriggling around.
…or so I thought.
Myeongmyeong: “Nunaaa~ It’s Saturdayyy~”
Taeppung: ‘poke poke poke’
Saman: “Nuna, Saman’s hungry…”
Una baby (wordlessly flops face-down on the blanket)
Hana: “……Ugh”
As soon as the biggest youngest climbed onto my stomach, I couldn’t breathe.
Hana: “Una baby… Nuna’s getting squashed…”
Una baby: “Hiiing”
Only Ringring quietly sat by my pillow, waiting for me to get up.
…Ringring is the scariest.
In the end, by the time it was almost lunchtime, I was already exhausted after washing them all and feeding them.
When I opened the fridge to make lunch,
it was empty.
Two eggs, half a carton of milk, and a jar of kimchi I didn’t even remember buying.
The fridge that used to last me a week when I lived alone couldn’t even last two days with five of them here.
On top of that, Una baby was still wearing my T-shirt like a dress. He didn’t have a toothbrush, pajamas, or shoes.
Hana ‘…I need to go grocery shopping.’
Hana: “Guys, let’s go to the mart today~ We’ll buy clothes for Una baby too, and food too.”
Five of them: “THE MART!!!!!”
The moment we stepped into the mart, all five tried to scatter in different directions.
Hana: “Hold hands!! Everyone hold hands!!”
Myeongmyeong clutched a ball in front of the toy section and wouldn’t let go.
Myeongmyeong: “Nunaaa, buy this, pleeease~ wolves like balls!”
Taeppung sat right down inside the cart and refused to get out.
Taeppung: “I’m not getting down from here. I don’t wanna walk.”
Saman stood in front of the jelly aisle with two green bear jellies in his hands, eyes shining.
Saman: “Nuna… Saman just wants this one… just one, really…”
When the lady at the tasting corner said, “How old is this kid~ He’s tall~,” Una baby hid behind my leg and wouldn’t come out.
Without saying a word, Ringring held the shopping list and, beside me, put items into the cart one by one.
Ringring: “…Nuna, this milk’s on sale, and Una baby’s toothbrush is over there.”
While Ringring went to get the toothbrush, I secretly tucked two packs of Buldak Ghetti into the very bottom of the cart at the ramen aisle.
Ringring: “…Nuna, that’s spicy.”
I looked down under the cart and saw that Ringring had come back at some point.
Hana: “…That’s for grown-ups.” ‘…He really is a baby, right..?’
The moment I looked at the receipt in front of the register, the credit card bill flashed through my mind.
Still, seeing the five of them walk ahead, each carrying bags in both hands and looking so excited, made me smile.
Una baby, wearing the new yellow pajamas, hoisted the heaviest bag into the air and led the way.
All the way home, Myeongmyeong kept bouncing his ball, Saman shook the bag of jelly, and Taeppung, saying he didn’t want to walk, rode on Una baby’s back.
The five who had been chattering away so excitedly all went one by one to the sofa as soon as we got inside.
I tied on an apron to put away the groceries and start dinner.
Hana: “Guys, Nuna will make dinner soon~”
No answer.
Quiet kids are dangerous..?
With an uneasy feeling, I looked into the living room, and
the five of them were piled on top of each other on the sofa, fast asleep.
Myeongmyeong was hugging a ball, Taeppung was leaning against Myeongmyeong’s back, Saman was clutching the jelly bag tightly, Ringring had Una baby’s arm as a pillow, and Una baby, with that huge body of his, was wrapping them all up together.
Hana '……'
Without thinking, I took out my phone and snapped a picture.
This is absolutely my wallpaper.
I realized it while preparing dinner.
I’m the only one awake in this house right now.
Hana ‘…naturally…… it’s kid-free time.’
I quietly untied the apron I’d been wearing.
I tiptoed into the kitchen and took out the Buldak Ghetti I’d secretly bought at the mart.
Even the sound of boiling water was hushed, and the sound of mixing the noodles was hushed too.
I sat on the floor with the Buldak Ghetti topped with cheese and turned on the TV. Volume: 2.
Dinner can be made as soon as the kids wake up.
On screen was the drama everyone’s been obsessed with lately.
A scene in the rain where the main character clings to a friend who’s trying to leave and cries.
Main character: “Don’t go… please don’t go…!”
Friend: “…I’m not leaving. I’ll stay by your side forever. We’re family, aren’t we?”
Hana: “Hic… don’t go… I said don’t gooo…”
With Buldak Ghetti in my mouth, I cried along. I couldn’t tell whether I was crying because it was spicy or because I was sad.
When the drama ended, I’m Solo started.
Hana: “No, why is that person acting like that?! They need to say it, say it!!”
I shouted to myself, clapped, then hugged a pillow and stamped my feet.
At that moment, something sparkled behind me.
Five pairs of eyes on the sofa were staring at me.
I don’t know how long they’d been awake.
Myeongmyeong: “…Nuna likes that?”
Hana: “No, that th-there’s…”
The five exchanged glances.
…They had the look of a scheme in progress.
The whole rest of that evening, the five were weird.
Even while eating, they’d exchange glances among themselves, and when I looked over, they’d all pretend to be busy doing something else at the same time. Saman sneaked a spray bottle out of the bathroom, but when his eyes met mine, he slipped it behind his back; Taeppung dragged the master bedroom blanket into the living room and disappeared.
Hana '…What are they doing'
It was after we’d all eaten a late dinner and finished the dishes.
Ringring: “…Nuna, sit here.”
Ringring spread a cushion on the living room floor and had me sit on it. In front of the sofa was a stage made of blankets.
Ringring: “…Starting now, the Five Little Theater begins.”
Saman came out holding a spray bottle.
Saman: “It’s the rainy scenar-iooo.”
psh pshh
Una baby stood behind the stage holding an umbrella and played the role of a tree. Startled by the spray bottle sound, he dropped the umbrella.
And then Myeongmyeong and Taeppung stood at the center of the stage.
Taeppung turned his back and pretended to walk slowly away.
Myeongmyeong reached out in slow motion.
Myeongmyeong: “Do…n’t… go… ooo…”
The slow motion was so slow that Taeppung had already made it to the kitchen.
Taeppung: “…Hey, hurry up. I’m already gone.”
Myeongmyeong: “Don’t goooo, Taeppungaaaa!!”
Myeongmyeong ran over and wrapped both arms tightly around Taeppung’s waist. The two of them toppled onto the floor together with a thud.
Then Saman, beside the stage, really started crying.
Saman: “Huuueeng… don’t go… hic… it’s too sad…”
Ringring (softly): “…Saman, you’re the rain.”
Hana: “Pwahahahahaha!!!”
I tried to hold it in, but I just couldn’t. I clutched my stomach and rolled on the floor.
Myeongmyeong, lying flat on the floor, lifted only his head to look at me.
Myeongmyeong: “Nuna’s laaughing!”
Taeppung: “…Success, then.”
All five went “Waaah!” and clapped at the same time.
Ringring: “…It’s not over yet. Now it’s the real lines.”
At Ringring’s words, the five lined up neatly in front of me. Their faces, which had been joking around just a moment ago, suddenly turned serious.
Myeongmyeong was the first to step forward.
Myeongmyeong: “Nunaaa, when I grow up and really meet a wolf, I’ll protect you foreverr!”
Next was Saman. His eyes were already brimming with tears.
Saman: “Saman… hic… will live with Nuna forever… because we’re family…”
When it was Taeppung’s turn, he glanced up at the ceiling for no reason and tapped the floor with his toes.
Taeppung: “…I’m not leaving either. I’m staying in this house, so Nuna shouldn’t go anywhere either.”
Una baby couldn’t say anything and just grabbed the hem of my clothes tightly with his big hand. That was Una baby’s line.
Finally, Ringring spoke quietly.
Ringring: “…Then we’re all family forever.”
It turned out they had secretly prepared that after seeing me cry and laugh while watching the drama earlier.
So Nuna would have something she likes.
Hana: “……”
I ended up crying from laughing. This time, it wasn’t because of the spice or because I was sad.
That night, in the living room where the laughter never stopped, I strangely felt a chill running through me.
Hello! It’s Hiki!
If you enjoyed it, please leave a comment and a like!
