[On the blue hill~ with a backpack~ under the golden sun~]
I picked a song to get into the travel mood. Maru connected her mobile phone to the car, so we could play music. I chose a song that seemed perfect for the trip. But I thought the kids would sing along, and their reaction was unexpected.
“What song is this, Hana?”
I was shocked that Jiyu and Yumi didn’t know this famous song. Either I’m too old, or this song, which came out in the 80s, is just unknown to kids born in the 2010s. I’m from the 2000s, but I’ve heard this song a lot. It’s one of those must-listen songs when you’re on a trip.
“You don’t know this song, Yumi?”
“Nope. First time hearing it!”
Maru, who was driving, chimed in, surprised.
“This is a song our generation knows. How do you know it, Hana? I thought you wouldn’t know anything about songs like this.”
I made the mistake of casually playing the song, thinking it was familiar. But I had an excuse ready to smoothly handle the situation.
“I picked it from a travel playlist, Maru.”
“Really? Well, ‘Let’s Go on a Trip’ is a good song for traveling!”
“Do you know this song, unnie?”
Jiyu asked curiously. It seemed there was a generational gap between me and the third-grade kids. I often felt out of sync when talking to Jiyu and Yumi. Maybe I’m getting old, but thankfully, over time, our tastes and vibes started to align. I guess you could call it adapting.
“Yeah! If we didn’t know this song, we’d be considered spies! When I hung out with seniors in college, this song always played. It’s been remade a lot, so it’s pretty famous!”
Maru turned up the volume. Soon, the car was filled with lively beats and drum sounds. It’s hard to find a song as exciting as this for a trip.
“The song is fun and nice, right?”
Yumi seemed to enjoy the song too. Good songs transcend age and taste. Relieved, I started playing songs from the top of the charts. I didn’t want to mess up and make Maru suspicious. Even though I’m an adult, she probably wouldn’t believe me anyway.
Our car smoothly cruised down the highway. Since it was a weekday, the highway was wide open. Watching the cars speed by made me feel refreshed. It wasn’t like those jam-packed roads during holidays.
—
We were about to arrive at the West Coast beach. As soon as we reached the destination, Hana quickly got out of the driver’s seat. The hot sun and intense heatwave bothered her.
“Ouch, it’s hot!”
Hana quickly ran to the shade, unable to handle the scorching sunlight. Maru watched her and said,
“Hana, you need to put on sunscreen!”
She had already applied some before leaving, but Hana hates putting on cosmetics, so she didn’t use much. Maru planned to slather sunscreen all over Hana’s face, arms, and legs. If Hana’s fair, translucent skin got sunburned, Maru would feel terrible. Plus, children’s skin is delicate, and exposure to such strong sunlight could cause skin problems. The summer sun was that intense.
“Ugh!”
Hana was caught by Maru and had sunscreen applied. Maru pinned Hana down with her legs and used her free hands to rub sunscreen on Hana’s face. Behind them, Jiyu and Yumi got out of the car. After successfully applying sunscreen to Hana, Maru turned to look at Jiyu and Yumi.
Jiyu and Yumi felt the murderous intent in Maru’s eyes and tried to run, but it was too late. Maru applied sunscreen to them too. The kids’ skin was precious, and she couldn’t let it get damaged. If their skin peeled because they didn’t use sunscreen, Maru wouldn’t be able to face Jiyu and Yumi’s parents, who had entrusted her with their care.
Originally, taking Jiyu and Yumi on a trip required their parents’ permission. If it were just kids traveling alone, the parents would’ve objected. But since there was a guardian, and that guardian was an employee of the famous Starlight Guild, it was fine. A corporate employee from a big company would be capable, and since the employee was also a woman, there were no concerns about inappropriate behavior. In fact, it was even better.
It was an opportunity to leave good memories for them.
The only thing to prepare was clothes, so there were no extra expenses. It was like giving the kids a free trip to the beach. And since they were going with friends, there was no reason for the kids to dislike it.
So Jiyu and Yumi’s parents didn’t hesitate and allowed them to go.
“Kids! Wanna rest in the shade?”
Maru started unloading the trunk. Even though it was a weekday, the beach was crowded. Probably because school vacation had started. There were a lot of kids, as if families had come together.
Maru saw the tents spread out on the beach and decided to change plans. She had planned to pitch a tent and sleep, but seeing the situation, it didn’t seem easy. So, Maru rented a nearby pension.
The method was simple. She called the company and said she had already reserved a pension. She probably thought it might come in handy. Since money wasn’t an issue, she booked it in advance, thinking it’d be nice if they needed it, and if not, no big deal.
“Wow!”
“Hana, come here! It’s the sand boss!”
The kids, already forgetting about resting in the shade, started running on the sandy beach. Seeing this, Maru smiled. Seeing Hana mingling with the kids, she looked her age. Kids really show their true colors when they’re with friends.
When she was in the building, she felt like she was watching a bunch of unemployed people. Of course, it was vacation, but seeing them lounging around all day made her think that. Though, considering what Hana does, calling her unemployed wouldn’t be fair.
Hana supports hundreds of thousands of people. If Hana disappeared overnight, the number of people thrown out on the streets could fill dozens of soccer stadiums. That’s how important Hana was. Think of her as the core of Starlight Food. If Hana disappears, Starlight Food disappears too.
Anyway, while Hana and the kids played on the sandy beach, Maru quickly started moving the luggage. There wasn’t much luggage. Since it was just a one-night trip, and they planned to buy anything they needed at a nearby mart, they packed lighter than usual. But since it was a bit far to walk, Maru quietly called Yumi.
She couldn’t fully trust Hana, who was a bit scatterbrained. Yumi saw Maru’s gesture and came over. Among the three, talking to the more mature Yumi felt more reassuring. Maru whispered to Yumi, who had come closer.
“Yumi, I’m going to drive to the pension and come back, so take care of Jiyu and Hana, okay? Don’t let them wander off, and if they do, make sure to contact me.”
Yumi nodded at Maru’s words.
“Okay, sis. I’ll do as you say!”
Hearing Yumi’s response, Maru felt relieved. After getting Yumi’s confirmation, Maru drove off to the pension. She planned to drop off the luggage and come back. Yumi watched the car drive away.
Then she turned her head and went back to where Hana and Jiyu were. The two would probably disappear if she didn’t keep an eye on them. In this vast sandy beach, getting lost was highly possible. Of course, they had mobile phones, so they could contact each other if needed.
“Let’s build a sandcastle!”
Hana said while gathering sand. She seemed fully prepared to build a sandcastle. Jiyu helped too. Seeing the two like this, Yumi felt reassured. At least if they were building a sandcastle, they wouldn’t be running around. Yumi felt like she was babysitting. Hana and Jiyu were just so unpredictable.
So Yumi decided to keep building the sandcastle until Maru returned.
