A plan to go to the beach has been set up. Since Hana is still a young child and probably doesn’t know much about the beach, the plan had to be made by Bora, Haru, and Maru.
However, if they had known that inside Hana’s body was a 30-year-old Korean man who had lived for 20 years, they probably wouldn’t have made such a plan. After all, he wasn’t someone who knew nothing! The research institute staff thought Hana was a child who had never been to the beach. It was a natural assumption since Hana was the child they picked up at the Gate.
Anyway, a big variable was thrown into the well-laid plan. Hana said she wanted to go with her friends. The friends were Jiyu and Yumi, kids the research institute staff also knew. In the end, the trip was planned with one guardian and three children.
Maru took on the role of the guardian. She already knew Jiyu and Yumi from helping them with school commutes, and Bora and Haru had work and scheduling conflicts, so they couldn’t go. Besides, one guardian was enough. They decided not to overwhelm the kids by having too many adults around, and since Korea’s public safety is famously good, they weren’t too worried about anything happening.
After all, it’s not common to find a country where people jog alone in the middle of the night. If you tried jogging at midnight in Europe or the U.S., you’d probably be considered insane. Those places can be really dangerous.
“Heave-ho!”
Maru was busy loading luggage into the trunk. It wasn’t a sedan but an SUV, perfect for carrying a lot of stuff. The company had specially prepared the car since Hana was going on a trip. Of course, they might never use it again, but since money wasn’t an issue, they just bought it outright from a nearby car dealership. To them, it was like throwing a handful of sand on a beach.
Frankly, they could buy every brand of SUV in existence and still have money to spare.
“Hana, you don’t have to help!”
Maru said this after seeing Hana carrying a small bag. She had told Hana to rest in the room to avoid getting hurt, but Hana couldn’t resist and brought out some luggage. Of course, it was hard to scold her since she was just being helpful.
“Maru’s doing all the work, so I should help too!”
With that, Hana handed the bag to Maru, who placed it in the trunk. Luckily, the stuff Hana brought was light but bulky, so it wasn’t too much of a hassle.
The rest of the luggage was handled by the staff, so all they needed to pack were some clothes. If the staff hadn’t helped, it would’ve taken forever, considering the long route from the parking lot to the 10th floor. Just going back and forth would’ve taken at least 20 minutes.
“Should we get in the car, Hana?”
“Yeah!”
After finishing loading the luggage, Maru got into the driver’s seat. Hana quickly ran over and sat in the passenger seat. Maru checked that Hana had fastened her seatbelt and then smoothly started the car. Though she was a beginner at first, her daily practice of driving Hana to and from school had paid off.
Maru also seemed to have a natural talent for driving, as her skills now rivaled those of professional chauffeurs from big companies. Most drivers wouldn’t even dare hand her their business cards. Driving 2-3 hours every day, it would’ve been a problem if she hadn’t improved.
Vroom—
The new car’s deep, powerful exhaust sound pleased Maru’s ears. The car was full of energy, as expected of a brand-new vehicle.
“Hana, is this your first time going to the beach?”
Maru casually asked Hana, who was busy texting her friends on her phone to let them know they were leaving. Hana responded like someone who had been caught red-handed.
“Uh… yeah! It’s my first time!”
“Then you must be really excited, right? Going to a place you know nothing about is thrilling!”
“Maru’s right!”
As they chatted, they were on their way to pick up Hana’s friends. Strangely, Hana seemed to know a lot about the ocean. It was unclear where she had learned it—maybe from her phone.
They were driving on a quiet road, likely because it was a weekday. They had considered going on a weekend, but since it was school vacation and Hana had insisted on going on a weekday, they decided to go then. Maru didn’t mind either.
After all, she usually went to work on weekdays, and they promised her a day off after the beach trip. In fact, she was looking forward to playing with the kids…
It was a fantastic job that made money. It was spending time at tourist spots with celebrities and earning money. Maru also envied those variety shows on TV, but now she was earning money like those celebrities too.
“Maru! Jiyu and Yumi are waiting in front of the apartment!”
“Really? Then I guess I should make a left turn here.”
She was driving along the road as the navigation instructed. Maru had been to Jiyu and Yumi’s houses a few times when Hana went to hang out, so finding the way wasn’t too difficult. And with the navigation, there was no way she could get lost. It kindly guided her from start to finish.
“We said we’d prepare everything, so you just need to bring your clothes!”
Hana said as she spotted the faint figures of the kids in the distance. As Hana had said, the tent and food items were already prepared, so Jiyu and Yumi only needed to bring their clothes. Anything else they needed could be bought at the local mart, which they had confirmed was nearby.
Jiyu and Yumi had suitcases as big as themselves beside them. Hana waved at the approaching kids. Jiyu and Yumi also noticed Hana and waved back excitedly.
“Jiyu! Yumi!!! Long time no see!”
“Hana, long time no see! How have you been?”
Yumi responded to Hana’s greeting. It was the first time they had met face-to-face since the school vacation started, not just through their phones. If they lived closer, they might have seen each other more often, but the distance was a bit of bad luck. It took 30-40 minutes by car, and over an hour by bus.
“Hi~”
Maru also waved and greeted Jiyu and Yumi. Jiyu and Yumi noticed Maru and bowed their heads slightly in greeting.
“Hello, unnie!”
Maru didn’t know how long it had been since she last heard the word “unnie.” Seeing the kids, she couldn’t help but smile. There was something about little kids that made her heart swell with joy. Hearing their chattering voices felt healing in some way.
Maru immediately unbuckled her seatbelt and got out of the driver’s seat as soon as she saw Jiyu and Yumi struggling with their suitcases. She figured the kids wouldn’t be able to load the suitcases into the trunk by themselves. Of course, they had managed to drag the suitcases this far, but it would be easier if she, the adult, helped.
Maru stepped out, picked up the suitcases Jiyu and Yumi were holding, and skillfully loaded them into the trunk. Jiyu and Yumi clapped as they watched Maru.
“Wow! Unnie, you’re amazing!”
Yumi clapped her hands together, genuinely impressed.
“Maru unnie, you’re the best!”
Jiyu gave a thumbs-up, clearly delighted. Maru, seeing the kids’ reactions, opened the backseat door, gesturing for them to get in. Jiyu and Yumi quickly scurried inside. There was plenty of space in the car. It was quite large, not as big as a bus, but for a personal car, it was top-tier.
“Seatbelts on? Then let’s go!”
“Yes!”
Maru smoothly started driving toward their destination. Hana raised both hands in excitement, cheering. Finally, the trip was beginning. It was the most thrilling, heart-pounding moment. They say the best part of traveling is right before boarding the plane, and the same goes for domestic trips. The most dramatic moment is when everything is prepared, and you’re about to set off.
“Hana, what did you do during the vacation?”
Jiyu was curious about what Hana had been up to during the break. Since the vacation had just started, Hana naturally answered Jiyu’s question.
“I just lazed around at home!”
“Really? Did you watch the movie of the Little Magician Lumi last time?”
“Of course I did! It was so touching! I was so sad I couldn’t watch it with you and Yumi!”
Yumi chuckled slightly, avoiding eye contact at Hana’s words. It was hard to say whether she would have gone even if Hana had invited her.
