A sense of unfamiliar crime talent was palpable from the familiar older sister Jiun.
On weekends, without a destination, I merely lay on the living room floor, fiddling with my smartphone.
It has already been two years since the magical girl meetup was realized.
Around the middle of the pandemic, a ‘gathering of more than five people prohibited’ regulation was established, and in recent times, there was nothing that could be called interaction.
In the world, they say vaccines are utterly useless, while in other countries, they talk about herd immunity.
As this ambiguous situation continued, changing masks became a mere formality…
If one gets infected, so be it, or maybe not…
Since the majority of society’s perception is like this, naturally, the ban on gatherings of more than five people and social distancing has become a nominal and ineffective policy.
“Shiyeon, what should we eat for lunch?”
“Mmm… Gimbap!”
Shiyeon, who was sitting in front of the computer, answered without taking her eyes off the screen.
These days, Shiyeon’s interest is computer games.
Among them, she enjoys playing several casual mobile games on the computer.
Why play games that can be done on a smartphone on the computer?
It’s an emotion I, an old uncle, cannot understand.
In contrast to the competitive RPG scene that is now a daily routine, she prefers healing games like farm management that can be enjoyed leisurely without competition.
Filtering out collection-type and RPG games, there was no need to obsess over the computer, and naturally, it became Shiyeon’s domain.
Wondering why the games she used to enjoy suddenly became boring, she had distanced herself from them since a certain point.
“I’m back-”
With the mechanical sound of the door lock beeping, Senior Jiun entered the house.
Whether it is a weekday or a weekend, Jiun’s workplace is our home.
As if she had been waiting, I lay in the middle of the carpet, rolling around and looking towards the long corridor where Jiun was entering.
“I’m planning to order gimbap, what do you want?”
“Eat among yourselves, I’m on a diet…”
However, the response that came from Jiun was the words about being on a diet, along with a sealed container popping out from her small handbag that she always carries.
Inside was nothing that looked appetizing, just some green vegetation that seemed totally tasteless and cherry tomatoes.
Calories determine the battle power of flavor, but that’s the life I lead, restricting it.
As I gazed at the plastic container with a pitiful look, Jiun opened the container and, as if reaching enlightenment, crunched on the cabbage with her chopsticks and said.
“I’ve gained so much ever since I quit being a magical girl, you guys be careful too….”
“…Yes.”
That dejected look of her.
For some reason, it didn’t feel like someone else’s issue, so I answered while still fiddling with my belly, which was still normal.
Pinching with my thumb and index finger, just beyond the limits of my fingers.
I had seen somewhere on the internet that women are more prone to gaining weight than men.
‘…I should be fine, right?’
Just as I was worried about the weight, Jiun, still crunching her vegetables, threw a question my way.
“Oh right, you know the meetup is starting again this year, right?”
“Pardon?”
‘What is this again?’
I let out a startled, short sound at the sudden news of resuming the meetup.
I glanced over at Gomtaengi, who should have informed me about this earlier.
“Oh, I forgot.”
As I met the gaze of the one munching on potato chips, who had been listening to our conversation, they stopped munching and said.
Immediately getting up, I grabbed the head of the one lying on the cushion.
With chip crumbs and the scattered scream of the doll.
“Gahaaa!”
“When are you going to stop getting hit and act properly, huh?”
After tossing Gomtaengi into the air like a soccer ball, I kicked the doll against the wall with a harsh soccer kick, making a thud sound.
Now, even this has become part of daily life.
Back in first grade, I used to stop Shiyeon, but now she calmly holds onto the computer and scarcely pays any attention.
Watching her hit the mascot, which made Jiun uneasy at the beginning of our meeting, Jiun calmly fiddled with her smartphone and continued to eat her salad.
After all, both of them know this little one is asking for it.
Only after thoroughly beating the potato chips Gomtaengi had eaten did I finally ask a belated question.
“What’s the date?”
“Ugh, next Saturday….”
A brief announcement from Gomtaengi, who was clutching its stomach after spilling the pile of snacks.
Upon hearing the answer, I picked up a vacuum cleaner to sweep the snack crumbs scattered on the floor.
The vacuum cleaner emitted a loud sound while operating.
The sounds of the crunchy snacks being sucked into the vacuum overlapped.
As the vacuum cleaner, which made a majestic noise while sucking up the dust on the floor, clung to the wall to rest, the doorbell rang perfectly in sync.
It seemed the order made via the app had arrived.
Now, I could reach the doorknob without tiptoeing; I felt I had grown taller.
“Enjoy your meal-”
“Thank you!”
As I surprisingly accepted the bag from the deliveryman, who was waiting at the door with gratitude, I stepped into the house.
As soon as I held the bag, a strong aroma of tteokbokki and fried food wafted out.
Gimbap means snacks, snacks mean tteokbokki, and tteokbokki means fried food.
Although I left out sundae since Shiyeon hates it.
At home, there is only a computer desk and a low table that also serves as a desk.
“Guuuh…!”
After placing the delivery bag full of food in front of the salad, Jiun’s expression gradually twisted in agony due to the rising smell.
However, this was the only table in the house to eat something.
Feeling sorry, I handed over a neatly wrapped gimbap and said.
“A gimbap should be okay, right?”
Gimbap is a healthy dish that could even be eaten by vegans, if you exclude the ham and egg meant for gimbap.
In Korea, a country where slightly improved versions of treats like seafoodless or meatless pajeon, noodles, and tofu can be deliciously eaten with plenty of vegetable fillings.
However, Jiun stubbornly refused and said.
“Carbohydrates, we can’t have carbohydrates….”
She had tightly pursed lips and her pitiful chopstick skills were heartbreaking.
But Shiyeon was still far from being on a diet.
After finishing the game on the computer and pushing back the chair, Jiun, who was on a diet, plopped down in front of the delivery food without any consideration.
As the bag unraveled, the intense smell of tteokbokki and the greasy scent of fried food wafted up.
Even the gimbap, filled with colorful ingredients, may not smell distinctively.
“……”
In the end, without saying a word, Jiun stood up and fled upstairs with the container filled with salad.
Shiyeon, who found this behavior strange, innocently asked, without a hint of malice.
“Why isn’t unni eating?”
“She said she’s on a diet; let’s eat before she does.”
“Okay.”
At this age, there’s still no worry about diets or gaining weight.
Will there come a day when Shiyeon or I can empathize with that pain?
As I picked up a neatly cut piece of gimbap with my chopsticks, I looked at Jiun chewing her salad upstairs and thought about it.
Even ordering just one or two delivery foods that would have been more than enough for first grade, now in fourth grade, our portions had definitely increased.
A creeping, uneasy shadow coming that I might not have my share left.
The mascots, which I used to employ for cleanup duties, now even complain that there’s nothing left whenever delivery food arrives.
“Is there nothing left?”
“I don’t think so.”
“Eh….”
Looking at the appropriate amount of food, I said firmly.
Of course, Shiyeon’s mascot was sitting quietly without complaints, but only Gomtaengi was acting out.
This little one, who has nothing to eat yet insists on joining the table, even though it’s not a special day.
These days, it feels like beating them doesn’t help at all.
“I bought you snacks, what’s wrong with you?”
A mountain of snacks piled beside the cushion.
My kindness that I handed out to mascots who didn’t necessarily need to eat anything.
But Gomtaengi waved its hand and replied sullenly.
“I just threw it all up, and how can a person survive only on snacks?”
“You talk like a person.”
Seeing a moving doll claiming that a person can’t survive only on snacks, I considered giving it a solid smack but decided against it.
The saying that kindness begets entitlement was exactly about this situation.
The bold attitude displayed by Gomtaengi was so outrageous that I turned my head and shouted upstairs.
“Unni, isn’t there a system for changing mascots?!”
“Unfortunately not.”
But the reply that came back was ‘there’s no such thing.’
At those words, Gomtaengi became more vigorous, placing its hands on its waist and puffing out its chest.
“No way, no way! Aaaaah!”
Shouting out some strange internet meme it must have picked up from somewhere, Gomtaengi.
In the end, I decided to prove my anger by ripping its head off after several years.
I vowed never to pull it out again… Oh, the hell’s grip!
“Grahhh!!!”
