Maru, who came dressed like that, thought it wouldn’t be a good example for the kids to stay in that state. So, she went upstairs, changed her clothes, and came back. Jiyu and Yumi didn’t seem to care much, but Hana’s overly dramatic reaction made it unavoidable. Of course, Maru thought about staying in her original outfit just for fun, but she decided it wasn’t necessary.
“Kids, let’s eat sashimi!”
A few hours after eating rice, it was time to enjoy the fresh sashimi they had brought directly from the seaside. The kids’ eyes lit up as soon as Maru took out the sashimi, and they rushed over. Maru set up the sashimi and prepared the dipping sauce, which was absolutely essential. Some foodies might say dipping sashimi in sauce ruins its natural flavor, but for Maru, an ordinary person, sashimi without sauce was just a chewy piece of meat with no taste. It wasn’t savory like meat, nor did it fill you up. Maru thought that without the sauce, sashimi would be a food she’d never eat. Of course, that was just Maru’s opinion. Good sashimi had its own natural flavor and paired well with things other than sauce.
“Cheers!”
Maru prepared the chopsticks and sashimi. Jiyu, Yumi, and Hana sat down and started eating. There was plenty of sashimi, so the kids wouldn’t run out. In fact, there was so much that they wouldn’t be left just sucking on their chopsticks.
“It’s delicious!”
“So tasty!”
Jiyu and Yumi skillfully picked up the sashimi with their chopsticks and started eating. Hana, not wanting to fall behind, ate at an incredibly fast pace, as if she was afraid someone else would come and steal it. Watching the kids, Maru walked over to the fridge and took out some beverages. She also grabbed the wine she was going to enjoy.
“Whoa!!!”
Jiyu and Yumi’s eyes lit up at the sight of the drinks, but Hana’s eyes sparkled when she saw the wine Maru was holding. She hadn’t had alcohol since the last time she drank beer. Hana knew exactly what kind of drink went well with sashimi, so she couldn’t take her eyes off the wine. Of course, Maru ignored Hana’s gaze and prepared the drink glasses. Hana could only have a beverage. The wine was for Maru alone.
“Who wants a drink?”
“Me!!!”
“Me too, unnie!”
Jiyu and Yumi held out their cups and received the drinks Maru was holding. But Hana hesitated before taking hers, as if she wanted something else. Maru didn’t even glance at Hana and just poured her a drink. Hana sat there, looking dejected at the drink in front of her.
Maru didn’t understand why Hana liked alcohol so much. She remembered the time Hana secretly bought beer, and that was probably the only time Hana had ever tried alcohol. Yet, strangely, Hana kept wanting to drink. Maru placed a wine glass in front of herself and poured some wine. The deep aroma and rich flavor of the wine stimulated her taste buds.
This was the wine Kim Sehee had given her as a gift. It wasn’t even on the market yet. Maru’s eyes widened as she looked at the wine she had just tasted. It wasn’t some million-dollar wine, but it was so delicious that it didn’t make sense. Even though it probably hadn’t been aged for long, it had this level of flavor…
She wondered what it would taste like if it were aged for several years like other wines. If a wine that had been aged for less than a month tasted this good, the wine industry would definitely be shaken up when it was officially released. At the very least, Starlight Wine would reign as king in the Korean market. The price was reasonable too, so there was no reason not to buy this Starlight Wine.
“Do you really want to drink it that badly?”
Hana was staring intently at the wine glass Maru was holding. Seeing Hana’s expression, Maru smiled and made a decision. After all, it was just one glass of wine, and since she was in charge, wouldn’t it be okay to let the kids have a little? Maru remembered how adults used to let her have a sip of alcohol when she was young.
“Everyone, just one glass, okay?”
Saying that, Maru filled the kids’ glasses about a third of the way with wine. She thought about filling them halfway but decided that might be too much for the kids. The kids gasped in amazement at the wine in their glasses.
“Wow, the color is so pretty!”
“Right? I don’t think Mom’s wine was this color!”
As I gazed at the wine poured into the glass, I couldn’t help but marvel. Of course, Jiyu and Yumi had seen their parents drink wine before, so they knew a bit about it. But this was the first time they had seen wine with such a beautiful color.
“Ooooh!”
Hana trembled as she looked at the wine in front of her. Ever since she got scolded for sneaking beer last time, she had been living a life far removed from alcohol. Maybe that’s why the wine Maru gave her felt so precious now.
“Cheers, let’s cheers!”
Maru raised her wine glass and toasted with the kids. It was a celebration of the safe and fun trip they had today. Even though they had to head back tomorrow, they had enjoyed themselves today, so it didn’t matter.
The kids sipped the wine in their glasses. Only Hana downed hers in one shot.
“Wow, it tastes just like grape juice!”
“Right? I thought adults said alcohol was bitter, but this is super sweet!”
Jiyu and Yumi, who were trying wine for the first time, were captivated by the unique taste of Starlight Wine. Since they had never tried other wines before, it might have been a bit of a bad thing to start with Starlight Wine. Now, they would inevitably compare every other wine to this one. Unless they drank the same Starlight Wine again, they would feel the stark difference in quality.
“Ahhh!”
Hana let out a sigh of admiration as she drank the wine. Seeing this, Jiyu and Yumi laughed and teased her.
“Hana, you look just like an uncle right now!”
“Yeah, like our uncle when he drinks!”
It was the first time Jiyu and Yumi had seen Hana drink, so they laughed at her unique gestures. Of course, Hana didn’t care about the kids’ reactions. This was the taste of adulthood, something kids wouldn’t understand.
“But it’s a bit bitter!”
“Yeah, I still think beverages are better than alcohol!”
That was Jiyu and Yumi’s review of Starlight Wine. No matter how sweet the wine was, the unique disinfectant-like smell and bitterness of alcohol couldn’t be erased. Hearing this, Hana crossed her arms and muttered.
“After going through so much hardship, it just tastes like a sweet beverage…”
Hana mumbled something, but the kids didn’t catch it. Maru, sensing something was off, quickly hid the wine in the fridge. She had already had her share, so it was better to keep it out of the kids’ sight.
“Ah, Maru! Can’t I have just one more glass?”
Seeing Maru put the wine in the fridge, Hana grabbed her sleeve and pleaded. But Maru was firm. She had heard about the time Hana got drunk on beer and caused a scene with Bora and Haru, so she couldn’t let Hana drink any more.
And to make sure Hana couldn’t sneak any wine in the middle of the night, Maru placed it on the very top shelf of the fridge, out of Hana’s reach. No matter how much Hana liked alcohol, she wouldn’t wander around at night just to get the wine.
“Kids, let’s start cleaning up and get ready for bed!”
“Okay!”
Hana reached out for the wine, looking disappointed, but seeing Maru’s firm stance, she gave up. Jiyu and Yumi, already in their pajamas, brushed their teeth and headed upstairs. Maru planned to tuck Hana, Jiyu, and Yumi into the big bed on the second floor. She would sleep on the couch downstairs. With the air conditioner running full blast, she didn’t have to worry about the heat.
“Alright~ Good kids should go to bed early~”
Even though it was almost dawn, the kids, having played hard since morning, fell asleep as soon as they hit the bed. Maru smiled as she watched them and headed downstairs. She hoped this would become a good memory for them.
