Chapter 42

“How is it? How is it? Not bad, right?”

I struck an exaggerated pose and proudly showed off my Rash Guard to Ha-yeon and Yoo-in-a. Of course, it was a cheap one, but still, it was a pretty decent Rash Guard.

“Mommyyy…”

“Ma’am…”

But the reaction was the complete opposite of what I expected. Ha-yeon and Yoo-in-a tilted their heads and looked at me as if there was something seriously wrong. Their expressions seemed to ask, ‘Where did you even find this?’

I couldn’t understand why. I made a slightly awkward face and said, “What’s wrong? I like it…”

I quickly adjusted the sleeves of the Rash Guard and smoothed out the fabric. Honestly, it was a bit tight around the chest, but I was quite satisfied with the design that covered my whole body. It was much better than wearing a tiny piece of fabric like a bikini. ‘This is practical and neat!’ I convinced myself and straightened my back again.

“Yoo-in-a…”

“Yeah, Ha-yeon…”

Ha-yeon and Yoo-in-a exchanged glances and then looked at me. I tilted my head and looked back at them. They both shook their heads and said in unison, “Mom, it doesn’t suit you.”

“I think so too.”

“Why are you saying that, Ha-yeon, Yoo-in-a? I don’t think I’ve neglected my figure.”

“We’ll bring you a swimsuit to wear!”

My weight was perfectly normal. I took care of myself. Sure, having a large chest was a bit inconvenient, but was this swimsuit really that bad? I started wondering if I should try on a different one. Of course, I was thinking of another Rash Guard, not a bikini.

But my thoughts came to a halt when I saw the swimsuit Ha-yeon and Yoo-in-a brought.

“That… that’s…”

It was the bikini I had seen earlier. A bright red bikini with an intense color. It felt like the bikini in my hand was asking me, [Are you really going to wear me?] I couldn’t answer that. How could they expect me to walk around in this!

I stammered as I spoke to Ha-yeon and Yoo-in-a. It was my small act of resistance.

“Isn’t this too much, Ha-yeon, Yoo-in-a?”

“It’ll look great on you, Mom!”

“If you wear this, ma’am, it’ll be a total reversal of your usual style! You always dress so plainly!”

Come to think of it, Ha-yeon and Yoo-in-a were both characters who played very important roles in the story, so they were extraordinary compared to others. It was clear they had intelligence beyond their kindergarten age.

Ha-yeon and Yoo-in-a weren’t ordinary kindergarteners. They were on a whole different level.

And to think they even brought this swimsuit for me to try on… I looked at them with trembling eyes, clearly not wanting to wear it. But Ha-yeon and Yoo-in-a were adamant.

“Mom, we’re counting on you!”

With that, Ha-yeon slammed the fitting room door shut as if a mission had been accomplished. I was left staring at the bikini in my hand. The bright red bikini seemed to mock me, [Do you dare wear me?]

I took a deep breath and prepared to change. I couldn’t resist Ha-yeon and Yoo-in-a. I thought there wouldn’t be any difficulty in putting on the bikini. Outside, I could hear Ha-yeon and Yoo-in-a talking, though it was muffled since I was inside the fitting room.

The fitting room was brightly lit, revealing everything starkly. My reflection in the mirror already looked a bit worn out, but I clenched my teeth and stared at the bikini. ‘It’s no big deal. Just put it on.’ I tried to comfort myself as I struggled to separate the top and bottom.

The bottom was easy. Just put my legs through the holes and pull it up. It was a bit uncomfortably thin, but still within expected limits. The problem was the bikini top.

I stared at the piece of fabric with a puzzled expression. How was this supposed to cling to my body? The thin straps tangled together made it look like a complicated puzzle.

“Ugh…”

A short sigh escaped my lips. My reflection in the mirror seemed to say, ‘What am I supposed to do with this?’ I held the fabric against my chest and felt a bit pathetic.

‘If I tie the straps like this, will it work?’

I started tying the straps, but they didn’t listen to me. My reflection looked like a child struggling to put on clothes. The tied straps easily came undone, and the fabric seemed too small to cover my chest.

‘What was the designer thinking?’

Outside the fitting room, Ha-yeon and Yoo-in-a’s voices could be heard.

“Mom, are you not done yet?”

“Ma’am, we really want to see you in the swimsuit…!”

I sighed again and shook my head. The fitting room suddenly felt stuffy. The small space was lit by hot lights, and the tiny fan spinning didn’t help the stagnant air.

The Rash Guard hung on the hanger, quietly shimmering under the bright lights. Looking at it, I had a different thought.

‘That was so comfortable…’

My hands were still wrestling with the fabric. I tried to tie the bikini top straps with one hand while pulling with the other, but the straps slipped away as if playing a trick on me. ‘I wish someone would come and teach me how to do this.’ I lamented internally as I picked up the straps again.

After fumbling around, I finally managed to put it on.

“Mommyyy!”

“Ma’am, are you okay? You’ve been in there so long…!”

Outside, Ha-yeon and Yoo-in-a were making a fuss. I realized I had spent way too much time trying to put on the bikini.

I opened the fitting room door and showed them my bikini-clad self.

“Wowww!”

“It really suits you!”

Ha-yeon and Yoo-in-a clapped and marveled. Seeing their reaction, I felt a bit proud. But I had to say something.

“Ha-yeon, Yoo-in-a! I’m not buying this! It’s too revealing.”

As I said, the bikini was way too small. One wrong move and everything would be exposed.

“Heeeng…”

Ha-yeon and Yoo-in-a looked at me with gloomy expressions. But some things just couldn’t be helped. Ignoring their pitiful looks, I tried to say something else.

“Uh…?”

But I made a mistake. I hadn’t tied the bikini top straps properly, and that was the problem. The piece of fabric covering my ample chest fell to the floor.

I froze instantly. This unbelievable thing had happened. The bikini top fell to the floor in slow motion. Time seemed to stop, and in the silence, Yoo-in-a’s exclamation brought me back to reality.

“Ah!”

At that short but intense sound, I reflexively slammed the fitting room door shut.

“Sorry… kids…!”

I shouted hurriedly from inside, but the damage was done. My face was burning. My hands were trembling, and my heart was racing. How could I show such an embarrassing sight to the kids! My mind was a mess, filled with self-reproach.

Outside, the two kids were talking.

“Yoo-in-a, did you see that?”

Ha-yeon’s voice sounded a bit cold.

“No! I really didn’t see it! Probably… didn’t see it…?”

No. She definitely saw it. Yoo-in-a was lying.

Hearing that made my heart tighten even more. Sitting on the floor, I picked up the bikini top and tried to tie it again, but my trembling hands kept tangling the straps.

“Why did I even agree to try this on…”

I lamented to myself, groaning.

I tied the straps tightly again and took a deep breath. [It’s okay, it was just a mistake. I’m human, and things like this can happen.] I comforted myself and slowly opened the door.

Outside, Ha-yeon and Yoo-in-a were standing with worried expressions. When I peeked out, they smiled brightly and said, “Mom, it’s okay, it’s okay!”

“We were really surprised! But, um… let’s just pretend we didn’t see it!”

Yoo-in-a scratched her head awkwardly and smiled.

Their kind reactions made me smile, and I bowed my head.

“Ah, kids, I’m really sorry. I was so embarrassed… How could I make such a mistake…”

“It’s okay! Mom, the swimsuit looked great on you.”

Yoo-in-a nodded in agreement.

“Right. And, we won’t remember what just happened. Promise!”

I laughed, relieved by the kids’ pure consideration.

“Alright, got it. But this bikini is way too revealing, so let’s not buy it!”

“Okay~!”

The two kids nodded in unison. This bikini was officially off the shopping list.