“Hana, why are you turning your back and washing?”
Hana was sitting in the bathtub, quietly turning her back while Yumi and Jiyu were washing. For some reason, she felt like turning her body here would make her a criminal. Fortunately, Jiyu and Yumi didn’t say much about Hana’s strange behavior. She was always a bit peculiar anyway. After confirming that Jiyu and Yumi had finished washing and left, Hana started washing herself.
After finishing washing, Hana and the group changed their clothes, put on slippers, and walked to the middle of the garden. It was now dark, and the sky was pitch black. However, the garden was lit by bright streetlights, so there was no trouble seeing. They walked as if entranced towards the smell of meat.
“Smells delicious…”
Maru had already started grilling the meat. The table was set, so all they had to do was go and eat. Maru smiled as she saw the kids approaching.
“Kids! The meat is almost done, just wait a bit!”
“Okay!”
Holding spoons and chopsticks, Jiyu stared intently at the grill. It was like the eyes of a hawk eyeing its prey. The sizzling sound and the aroma of the meat cooking were incredibly satisfying. She understood why, when grilling meat, it wasn’t just the taste but also the sight that was enjoyable. Just looking at such delicious meat was a satisfying scene, as if she had already eaten three meals without even tasting it.
“What kind of meat is this?”
Yumi, with chopsticks in her mouth, asked Maru. Maru smiled and answered.
“This is Hanwoo ribeye! Not something you can easily find anywhere~”
“Ribeye!”
Since it was the company’s money, Maru was bold. She had bought a lot of meat that she wouldn’t normally even look at. If it weren’t for the company outing, it would have cost a month’s worth of food expenses. It was that expensive. Everyone knew that.
The ribeye looked even more tempting as Maru flipped it with her tongs. The pink meat was now turning a delicious brown. Experts say they can tell if it’s ready just by the color, but we didn’t have that ability. However, we had a more accurate sensor.
“Let’s eat!”
“Wow!”
As soon as Maru gave the okay, the chopsticks started moving in a dazzling display. It was like a sword dance, with chopsticks flying everywhere. Hana was the first to eat. As soon as Maru gave the signal, Hana moved her chopsticks with lightning speed and started eating the ribeye.
The taste of the beef, dipped in just the right amount of seasoning, was extraordinary. This must be heaven. Hana, with her cheeks full, smiled happily as she chewed the ribeye. It felt like the meat melted in her mouth as soon as she put it in. The quality of the meat was so good that Maru must have gone through a lot to get it.
“It’s delicious!!!”
“It’s amazing, sis!”
Jiyu and Yumi’s reactions were intense. Since they didn’t usually eat at buffets with Hana, they weren’t used to such delicious food. Even Hana, who ate gourmet meals every day, found it delicious, so it was hard to imagine how stimulating it was for kids who only ate home-cooked meals. Hana also showed her appreciation by skillfully using her chopsticks.
As soon as the meat on the grill was cooked, the kids competitively grabbed the beef without a word. Maru laughed as she watched them. It wasn’t like they had been starving for days, but they were eating so competitively.
But from the kids’ perspective, it made sense. They had only eaten breakfast and skipped lunch because they were playing at the beach. Kids in their growth period suffer from extreme hunger if they miss even one meal, and since they had almost missed two meals, it was no wonder they went crazy at the sight of meat.
“Kids, there’s plenty of meat, so eat slowly~”
“Okay!”
The kids, mumbling with their mouths full, were adorable. It made her understand why parents pass food to their kids when eating out. Just watching them made her feel full. Seeing the kids happily eating filled her heart with pride.
“Sis, ahh!”
Yumi, noticing Maru was busy grilling, handed her a wrap made with meat. It was to consider Maru, who couldn’t eat while grilling. Seeing Yumi’s action, Jiyu and Hana also competitively made wraps and fed Maru. Maru hurriedly said as she saw the kids making wraps for her.
“Don’t worry about me, eat a lot, kids! I think I’ve eaten enough and don’t need to eat anymore!”
Even just wrapping the ssam felt like I had already eaten ten servings. Maru’s plan to leisurely grill the leftover meat after the kids finished eating went down the drain. She had no idea they would wrap so much ssam for her. Despite just sitting there and being fed by the kids, she already felt full. Well, considering how much she had eaten, feeling full was only natural.
Maru wasn’t a big eater to begin with, but she couldn’t refuse the kids’ heartfelt effort to wrap ssam for her, so she ended up eating a lot. At this rate, she’d have to eat dessert too. Thankfully, when Maru politely declined more ssam, the kids naturally started eating themselves.
As they changed the grill plate, they switched from beef to ribs. Hana’s expression changed dramatically. Maru had a good sense of timing, introducing ribs just when things were getting a bit heavy. Hana eagerly watched Maru grill, hoping the ribs would cook quickly.
“Ribs! Ribs!”
Hana was running around Maru. You’d think she was over the moon. Were ribs really that great? Beef is more expensive, but Maru often couldn’t figure out the kids’ tastes.
As the ribs sizzled deliciously on the grill, the kids’ chopstick skills became even more dazzling. As soon as Maru grabbed the ribs with tongs and cut them with scissors, the kids snatched them up. With three growing kids together, the mountain of meat was already disappearing. Their stomachs, having only eaten one meal since morning, were truly impressive.
As the night deepened, the meat continued to cook. Eventually, some kids were so full they couldn’t even move.
—
After cleaning up the trash and putting away the dishes and utensils, I went to the room. Maru said she’d handle the dishes and just left them soaking in water. Jiyu and Yumi were sprawled on the sofa like towels. The side effects of eating too much meat.
“My stomach’s so full…”
“Mine too…”
They turned on the TV and blankly waited for their stomachs to settle. Just then, the bathroom door opened, and Maru walked into the room. She was only wrapped in a towel. While Jiyu and Yumi probably didn’t think much of it, my face turned bright red.
No matter how carefree Maru was, I didn’t expect her to show up like this! Of course, outwardly, it was just three elementary school kids, so it wasn’t a big deal. And with no boys around, just three girls, Maru had no reason to be cautious.
“Feels so refreshing~”
Maru, her hair still damp, walked toward me.
Then Jiyu looked at Maru and said, “Unnie, your chest is huge!”
Pfft!
I almost spat out the water I was drinking. But there was no inappropriate intent in Jiyu’s words. She was just innocently stating what she saw. Jiyu probably didn’t even realize if she had said something wrong.
Well, it’s not like it was a big deal between the same gender. Girls sometimes touch each other’s chests or talk about it, right? That’s probably why Maru didn’t react much to Jiyu’s comment. If a guy had said that, though, he’d definitely get slapped. Unless it was her boyfriend, that’s not something you should say.
Maru calmly replied to Jiyu, as if she had expected the conversation.
“Jiyu, you’ll grow up to be like me someday.”
“Really? It seems like it’d be heavy…”
Jiyu said while touching her own chest. Right now, Jiyu was as flat as a board. Of course, who knows how things might change as she grows older. Most elementary school kids start showing signs of puberty as they reach the higher grades.
Me, Jiyu, and Yumi were still just little kids. We didn’t look like we’d turn out like Maru anytime soon. But who knows about the future? Maybe in a few years, we’ll start seeing some changes.
