“Here, here!!!”
Jiyu said excitedly, running around. In front of the store where Jiyu was standing, there was a crepe store. An advertisement for crepes caught my eye, claiming they were so delicious that even if two people ate them, one might die without realizing it. How delicious must they be to proudly display such an ad?
“The line is long…”
I said, looking at the long line of people in front of the crepe store. Still, it seemed like we could eat them if we waited just 20-30 minutes. For extremely famous stores, waiting over an hour was common, but this amount of time was just a blink of an eye.
“Waiting is a must if you want to eat delicious snacks!”
Yumi said, waving her arms around. Jiyu chimed in from the side.
“Hana, I ate crepes with Yumi last time, and they were delicious! They’re going to be really good!”
She seemed worried that I might not want to wait and go somewhere else. As if I were a child who couldn’t wait just 20 minutes. I smiled and told Jiyu and Yumi to relax. I could easily wait this long.
And so, our group stood at the end of the line. It felt like people’s eyes were on us, but it wasn’t a big deal. In less safe countries, elementary school kids walking around like this might be dangerous, but this was Korea. A safe country. As long as we didn’t wander around too late at night, it was fine.
“Hana, what flavor crepe are you going to eat?”
Jiyu asked me. I was blankly staring at the menu, thinking. Nutella? Whipped cream? Both seemed delicious, but unfortunately, I wasn’t talented at eating a lot. I could eat a lot if I had to, but not two at the same time.
“Jiyu and Yumi, which flavor are you going to have, Nutella or whipped cream?”
“I’ll have Nutella!”
“Same as Jiyu!”
Jiyu and Yumi said from beside me. Then my choice was clear.
“Then I’ll have the whipped cream!”
It was a chance to taste both crepes. I planned to share a bite of my crepe with Jiyu and Yumi and have a bite of theirs. That way, I could taste both flavors.
As we chatted, it was soon our turn. I was going to place the order. But when I tried to order, I had to look up. The store employee was way up high. Lamenting my low vantage point, I looked at the menu.
Luckily, the menu was written in large letters, so even with my short height, it was easy to read. Or maybe my young eyes were just good. It could be both.
Looking at the female employee who was smiling at me, I started to place the order. It wasn’t as complicated as ordering at a sandwich shop.
“Two Nutella strawberry banana and one whipped cream strawberry banana, to go!”
As I said this, I handed my card to the employee to pay. I heard there was no limit on this card, so using it for snacks like this was fine.
The money I saved from daily expenses was nothing compared to what I earned. Bora said it was like a grain of sand on a beach. So, I used this card actively.
“Ah, yes! Two Nutella and one whipped cream, order received. Please wait a moment, little lady?”
“Yes!”
I could wait an hour for such a sweet and delicious dessert. Of course, it wouldn’t take that long to make the crepes.
The female employee started making the crepes with dazzling hand movements. She poured batter onto the griddle to make the outer shell of the crepe, and from the ingredient bin, she skillfully cut strawberries and bananas with a knife.
Jiyu, Yumi, and I watched blankly as they were made. Of course, being short, I only saw the employee’s hand movements. Jiyu and Yumi, being taller, probably saw the ingredients being prepared. It made me a bit jealous. Being short had no advantages. Height really mattered.
“Here you go! Little ladies!”
After a few minutes, three delicious-looking crepes were in our hands. I carefully took the crepe handed to me by the employee with both hands. Dropping it would be a disaster.
———————————————————————-
We found a bench in a spot where not many people were standing and sat down. A good spot was essential for enjoying delicious crepes. Luckily, there was a park nearby, which was nice.
Sitting on the bench, feeling the refreshing breeze and the good air, we started eating the crepes we had brought.
“Yum!”
I took a big bite of the crepe filled with whipped cream and swallowed it.
!!!!
I widened my eyes and slowly chewed the delicious, sweet crepe. With each bite, the flavors of banana and strawberry spread throughout my mouth. And the sweet whipped cream swirled around as the finishing touch.
“So good!”
I couldn’t help but marvel. A crepe this delicious! No wonder people were lining up for it. I could eat this every day and never get tired of it.
Jiyu and Yumi were also taking bites of their crepes. While mine had whipped cream, theirs had Nutella, so the sweet chocolate scent was everywhere. Maybe my nose is sensitive, but even from a distance, the chocolate aroma was intense.
I absentmindedly walked closer to their crepes. As I approached, Jiyu and Yumi stopped eating and looked at me.
“What’s wrong, Hana…? Your eyes look like a creepy uncle!”
Jiyu stared at me like I was scary. Calling me a creepy uncle was too harsh. I’m a perfect 10-year-old elementary school student, after all. Sure, if you count my past life, I’m in my mid-20s, but being called an uncle at that age hurt my feelings.
At least wait until I’m in my 30s to call me an uncle.
Anyway, I kept staring at Jiyu’s crepe. Yumi was quick to notice. She must’ve seen me eyeing Jiyu’s crepe because she held hers out to me and said,
“Hana, want a bite?”
“Thanks!”
Yes! The question I was hoping for. I nodded and leaned in to take a big bite of Yumi’s crepe. The crepe was big, and my mouth was small, so even though I took a big bite, the crepe didn’t shrink much.
Yum yum.
The whipped cream crepe was delicious, but the Nutella crepe was also amazing. The sweet chocolate flavor stimulated my taste buds. My salivary glands were going wild. I chewed the big bite of crepe and said,
“It’s so good!”
I gave Yumi a thumbs-up, and she smiled, reaching out her hand. I thought she was going to take my crepe, but no. She picked up the crumbs around my mouth.
“Hana, you’ve got some here.”
Then she took the crumbs and ate them. Jiyu’s expression as she watched us was a bit off, but I let it slide.
“Yumi, want a bite of mine?”
Life is give and take, and I’m the type to return what I receive, so I offered Yumi a bite of my crepe. Yumi nodded and took a small bite, unlike the big one I took earlier. I felt like I had acted too much like a child. I need to eat more elegantly next time… I made a firm resolution in my heart.
We had a great time sharing the crepes. Eating delicious desserts really lifted our spirits.
“Hana, see you tomorrow!”
“Bye!”
I left the place filled with happy memories, riding in Maru’s car. Jiyu and Yumi probably took the bus.
I waved to my friends through the window. Friends are truly the core of school life. Many things are important in school, but if I had to choose the most important, it would be friends. After all, you’re influenced by the company you keep.
“Hana, did you have fun?”
Maru asked from beside me.
I nodded and said,
“Yeah!”
Thinking about it, I decided to buy an extra crepe next time so Maru could have some too. Delicious things taste even better when shared.
