Chapter 162

After ordering free chicken for dinner, Shiyeon’s birthday ended on a fulfilling note.

Autumn was already giving off a winter vibe, chilling the world.

“Echuu! Ugh….”

Suddenly changing weather seemed to leave my body unsure of how to respond, resulting in a trivial sneeze accompanied by a slight runny nose.

Sniffling, I swallowed the mucus that quietly dripped down my throat.

Perhaps due to the recent fluctuating weather, my nose itched and I sneezed, even though I wasn’t actually sick.

News reports mentioned the flu going around, and it was about time to get a vaccination….

‘How bothersome.’

The distance to the awkward hospital, which was too close for a car ride but too far to walk, felt unbearable.

Lazy feelings enveloped my entire body, forcing me to curl up further under the blanket.

When it was hot, I disliked stepping outside, but now that it was chilly, I likewise didn’t want to go out.

Even while under the blanket, my hands and feet felt cold and fidgety.

‘If I stay like this, I might turn into a bug.’

Thinking that I needed to move to warm myself up, I pushed aside the thin blanket and slowly wandered around the house.

Rubbing my chilly arms, the first place I headed was the vacant master bedroom.

When I flung open the wardrobe that had about four sections along its wall, instead of seeing hanging clothes, I found winter bedding.

Diving my arm deep inside, I embraced its fluffiness, pulling it out.

Naturally, after taking out my share, I made sure to grab one for Shiyeon as well.

The soft sounds of breathing could be heard from both Shiyeon’s room and mine.

Then, I dragged the thin blanket, which I had used diligently throughout the summer but was now untouched, and crammed it into the washing machine.

I also took off the mat I had spread over the mattress and vacuumed it once.

The removed mat then joined the laundry, and with a rumbling sound, the summer bedding began to spin vigorously.

“Haaah.”

After pressing the washing machine button, I let out a long yawn while scratching the back of my neck with my short nails.

By the time the bedding laundry was finished, Shiyeon would wake up, and I thought about giving it another spin while planning out my relaxing weekend before flopping down onto the fluffy blanket.

The thick blanket sank down, offering immense softness.

Pushing away the thought of taking another nap, I fiddled with my smartphone, which is a surefire way to wake up.

An incoming call icon, with a red number 2 displayed on the lonely green phone icon.

Checking belatedly, I saw that the two missed calls were both from Senior Jiun.

I usually keep my smartphone on silent by habit, so even if a close person calls, I often miss the call.

There are ways to set the phone to vibrate only, but the few minutes it takes to adjust the settings seems too bothersome.

It was my fault for not answering, and out of guilt, I decided to call back first.

“Hello? Oh, Mary.”

“Yes, I was just about to call. I had it on silent.”

“Ugh, I told you to take it off silent.”

“Ah, yes… did you have a good Chuseok?”

Instead of a definitive answer, I diverted the conversation with a casual remark.

“I was about to talk about that, but you didn’t answer the phone.”

Senior Jiun seemed frustrated on the other end, mentioning we had wanted to discuss our experiences but couldn’t connect at all.

The questions about whether I visited my maternal or paternal relatives synced perfectly with the phone that had been on silent.

It was like stepping back to avoid a snake but stepping on a lion’s tail instead.

In a situation where I had no words, I kept my mouth shut, only to hear her voice continue from the other end.

“So, did you and Shiyeon have a good time? Did you do anything special this year?”

It was a conversation that only people familiar with each other could have.

The question about ‘doing something special’ referred to the competitive game of rock-paper-scissors over food.

Proudly recounting Shiyeon’s achievements during Chuseok, I spoke excitedly.

“Shiyeon won rock-paper-scissors multiple times and got extra ribs and pancakes!”

“Lucky! We brought back some leftover side dishes from our maternal side, but now you don’t need any from us.”

Then, Senior Jiun suddenly claimed that they wouldn’t have to share their leftovers.

A feeling of dread flooded my mind, thinking I might have misspoken.

“Excuse me? The more side dishes, the better!”

Mumbling, I longed for the side dishes that were now on the other end of the line….

“No way, you all need to think about your weight.”

“Cheh.”

With Senior Jiun’s firm statement about considering weight, all I could manage was a sulky click of my tongue.

If they didn’t want to offer, they should have kept quiet; it felt like I received something only to have it taken away.

Regardless of her not sharing, there was nothing I could do.

As we talked about Juwon’s bragging and events from Chuseok, suddenly the call time exceeded five minutes.

Juwon had been quite popular both with my paternal and maternal relatives.

After listening to her for quite a while, it was time for me to subtly change the subject.

“Oh right, have you heard the news?”

“Huh?”

“The Minister is retiring.”

I thought of the Minister’s retirement news and shared it with Senior Jiun.

The Minister had served during Senior Jiun’s tenure, so it was unavoidable to be familiar with their face.

Even if they liked it or not, they were bound to know, and when they heard the news for the first time through me, Senior Jiun replied in surprise.

“Really?! I need to contact them sometime… do you know when?”

“They didn’t say when they are retiring, but they mentioned this holiday would be the last time seeing them…”

“Then that means they’ll retire before February next year… got it, thanks for letting me know.”

“Yes, I’ll hang up now—”

I gently tapped the black smartphone screen.

Pressing the long red button to end the call, I stretched out widely.

At that moment, the air rushed in a whoosh, and Shiyeon emerged from the room, blinking with half-open eyes as she pushed the door.

“Yawn… who was that?”

Having just woken up, Shiyeon seemed to have heard my call with Senior Jiun, letting out a long yawn while asking who the person on the other line was.

I mentioned the name while directing her attention to the pile of blankets and mats at the door.

“Senior Jiun, there’s a blanket at the door, right? Bring the summer ones out and swap them for the winter ones.”

“Uh-huh….”

Shiyeon, with drowsy eyes, obediently responded, following my instructions.

Looking at the clock, it was 11:38 AM, a time that was too late to call my first meal breakfast.

It was at least between breakfast and lunch, or simply lunch.

After hanging the recently washed blankets and mats on the drying rack in the master bedroom, I quickly tossed in the blankets and mats that popped out from Shiyeon’s room into the washing machine.

Before long, the chill that had settled in my body began to fade, leaving behind only a clear mind.

Nevertheless, doubting my future self, I reminded Shiyeon as a precaution.

“Shiyeon, you need to remember to get your flu shot tomorrow, okay?”

“Uh-huh….”

Her response was a soft mumble that seemed to trail off, but still, Shiyeon answered.

Since the hospital is closed on weekends, it was only natural that things were pushed to tomorrow.

The next day, after school, the Shiyeon I spoke with was a complete 180-degree change.

In the middle of the road, she started hugging the pole like a pillow, refusing to budge.

“I don’t want to go to the hospital.”

“You have to get it so it will be done.”

I could compromise over petty whining or childish tantrums, but when it came to health, there was no negotiation.

Standing resolutely beside her, she kept sneaking glances while refusing the shot.

You’d think a first-year middle schooler wouldn’t be afraid of shots, but there was a valid reason behind it.

The trigger was from the summer of sixth grade—not that long ago.

A small cavity formed in Shiyeon’s mouth due to neglecting her brushing, resulting in a trip to the dentist for treatment.

Lured by the sweet phrase “anesthetic treatment,” Shiyeon readily nodded in agreement….

“The flu shot only hurts a little in the arm.”

Those who have experienced the anesthetic injection in the gums know that….

While it might be bearable afterward, the moment it’s administered, it hurts like hell.

Since that incident, Shiyeon became fearful even of shots that she used to take without issue.

It resulted in needing to coax her all the way to the hospital, even at just first-year middle school.

‘She couldn’t avoid cavity treatment….’

Like a legendary sword stuck in a cartoon story, Shiyeon was firmly clinging to the pole.

Ignoring the onlookers, she was glaring at us.

Trying to forcibly pry her away would only ensure she wouldn’t cooperate all the way to the hospital.

With no other options, I decided to pull out my ultimate tactic.

“Fine… do whatever you want. Get the flu or don’t, I don’t care.”

After taking a deep breath, I said it and began walking towards the hospital.

The parents’ ultimate strategy from the 2000s – “X is alive at the mart, so mom is going.”

At that time, parents used this strategy to teach their children that throwing a tantrum wouldn’t solve everything, but in my case, it was for health.

The key was to not look back.

Since I had spent so little time with Shiyeon that I had never employed this tactic, it turned out effective.

“…….”

Without a word, Shiyeon followed closely behind, grabbing my sleeve.

Her face twisted in a way that threatened to burst into tears, destroying her pretty appearance.

While I let out a sigh of relief inside, I spoke up a bit brusquely.

“Why are you complaining when you said you didn’t want the shot?”

“…No.”

Only after Shiyeon completely surrendered did I hold her hand tightly and say.

“I’m only saying it so you don’t suffer, you understand?”

“…Yeah.”

“Good job, my little puppy.”

As I patted her behind playfully while pulling Shiyeon close, she replied with a face that was a mix of wanting to cry and laugh.

“Puhuh, I’m not a puppy!”