Chapter 45

“Ahem, ahem…!”

I awkwardly coughed and sat down under the shade of the parasol to rest. It was like an oasis in the scorching sand beach where I could catch my breath for a moment. But my mind was far from resting. The recent incident kept replaying in my head, making my face burn. On top of that, I had just been hit on by a stranger, and Ha-yeon had saved me from the situation.

If Ha-yeon hadn’t been there, I couldn’t imagine what would have happened. Even if I had refused, would those guys have backed off so easily? Wouldn’t they have been more persistent in asking for my number? Not that they looked bad or anything.

But honestly, hitting on someone isn’t inherently wrong. If men didn’t make the first move, modern society would collapse within 100 years, I’m sure of it. If no one confesses, no couples would form, leading to a surge in unmarried people, and eventually, children would go extinct because no one would be having babies.

The shadow of the parasol enveloped me, but the hot air around me was still palpable. The sand had absorbed the sun’s heat, and even the mat beneath me felt warm. Strangely, the moderately hot and cozy sand gave me a sense of comfort. In the distance, the sound of waves and people’s laughter blended together, creating a scene that felt like the heart of summer.

Anyway, leaning against the parasol’s shade, I kept watching Ha-yeon and Yoo-in-a play. Kids can dart off somewhere in the blink of an eye, so I had to keep an eye on them.

As long as they didn’t go beyond the fence set up by the beach, there wasn’t much danger. Plus, there were lifeguards patrolling the sand beach, keeping an eye on the swimmers.

And on top of that, they were wearing life jackets, so unless some really unlucky accident happened, there shouldn’t be any danger. I mean, would something dangerous really happen on a trip like this? With that thought, I flopped down. There was a mat underneath, but the sand was still warm.

It must have been because the sand had been baking under the sun for a long time before we set up the parasol.

“Mom!!!”

“Auntie! Come play with us!”

Ha-yeon and Yoo-in-a were swimming and playing without a hint of exhaustion. I lifted my head and looked at them.

“Auntie needs to rest a bit!”

With my not-so-steel-like stamina, keeping up with the kids was exhausting. It was nearly impossible. Ha-yeon and Yoo-in-a seemed to have infinite energy.

“Hmph…”

I pulled out a beverage from my bag. As soon as I opened the can with my sweaty hand, the fizzy sound was refreshing. Taking a sip, the cold carbonation cooled me down as it went down my throat. On a hot day like this, a cold drink was the best. Luckily, the other drinks in my bag were still cold.

I closed my eyes for a moment, trying to enjoy this brief rest. I was tired. From preparing early in the morning to bringing the kids here, it had already been exhausting. Plus, playing in the water earlier had doubled my fatigue. This short break on the sand beach, feeling the breeze, was my little reward.

But I had to open my eyes. Two kids, dripping wet, had appeared beside me. Ha-yeon and Yoo-in-a leaned in close and asked simultaneously.

“Mom, are you sleeping?”

“Auntie, you promised to play more! Get up!”

I lifted my heavy eyelids and looked at them. My face clearly showed “I give up,” but the kids’ eyes were bright and sparkling. Knowing that complaining about being tired would be useless, I finally raised my hands in surrender.

“Alright…”

I declared my surrender. Ha-yeon and Yoo-in-a exchanged mischievous smiles and promptly plopped down next to me. Their wet swimsuits had sand stuck all over them, but that was the price to pay for enjoying the moment with the kids. I glanced at them and said.

“Kids, I brought some cold drinks. Have one each.”

“Okay!”

“Wow, I was so thirsty. Thank goodness!”

Ha-yeon and Yoo-in-a grabbed the drinks from the bag and started gulping them down. Their faces lit up as they enjoyed the cold beverages. Watching them, I thought coming to the beach was a good idea. Taking trips like this every now and then wasn’t so bad. Before Ha-yeon started kindergarten and before I took on part-time jobs, we couldn’t afford to go on trips because of money and other issues.

But now things were different. I had a steady income, and more importantly, I could see Ha-yeon maturing more and more. Like the saying “a child-adult,” Ha-yeon was showing more grown-up traits. Just last year, she loved childish pranks, but now she seemed much more mature. I was worried that in another year or two, her childlike innocence might disappear.

Kids should act their age; seeing a child act too mature felt a bit awkward. Not that Ha-yeon was doing anything wrong, though.

As I chatted with Ha-yeon and Yoo-in-a, enjoying the view of the beach, Ha-yeon suddenly rummaged through the bag and pulled something out.

“Huh?”

What Ha-yeon pulled out was suntan oil. She tilted her head, curiously examining the small bottle.

“Mom, what’s this?”

Since the suntan oil was labeled in English, Ha-yeon couldn’t read it. I explained to her.

“It’s suntan oil. It’s a cosmetic you use to tan your skin under the sun for a healthy skin tone.”

“Really?”

Ha-yeon turned the bottle around, fascinated. Then her eyes sparkled as she said.

“Mom, let’s tan!”

“You know what tanning is?”

“Yeah! I saw it on TV. People lie under the sun and put this on!”

Yoo-in-a, who had heard Ha-yeon, quickly chimed in.

“Auntie, I want to try tanning too! It sounds fun.”

Though flustered, I couldn’t resist the cute demands of the two kids and finally nodded.

“Uh… okay. But you can’t lie down for too long! Tanning for too long isn’t good for kids’ skin. Just a little taste, okay?”

“Okay!”

Ha-yeon and Yoo-in-a prepared to apply the suntan oil. They looked at me with serious expressions, as if they were about to do something big, but their eyes sparkled with curiosity and mischief. Seeing them like that, I couldn’t help but smile. They were just too cute and lovable. Knowing the dangers of tanning, I gave them a firm warning.

“You absolutely cannot take off your swimsuits! Just do a little on your backs! And no staying out too long! We agreed to just a little, right?”

Kids’ skin is sensitive, and I didn’t know what would happen if they were exposed to the sun for too long, even with suntan oil. So I gave them a strict warning. But whether they were listening or not, Ha-yeon and Yoo-in-a were looking at me with sparkling eyes.

Seeing them like that, I felt my energy draining. I grabbed the suntan oil bottle and positioned myself between the two kids. They proudly lay down and looked at me.

“Alright, I’ll apply it now! It might feel cold, but you’ll have to bear with it!”

As I said that, I started squeezing the suntan oil onto Ha-yeon and Yoo-in-a’s backs. As soon as the oil touched Ha-yeon’s back, she shivered.

“It’s cold!”

“Heehee!”

Ha-yeon and Yoo-in-a giggled as they let me apply the oil. I carefully spread the suntan oil on their backs. Once I was done, I slightly moved the parasol blocking our sunlight.

The hot sun directly hit Ha-yeon and Yoo-in-a. But they probably didn’t feel much. Tanning isn’t painful or prickly like torture. As proof, Ha-yeon and Yoo-in-a showed no reaction.

“Hmm…”

I watched them from under the parasol’s shade. Come to think of it, I had brought the suntan oil for myself, but now Ha-yeon and Yoo-in-a were using it…

“Mom! When you tan, I’ll apply the oil for you!”

“Auntie…! Can I apply it too?”

Ha-yeon and Yoo-in-a both insisted on applying the oil first. Hearing them, I nodded.

“Sure. Ha-yeon and Yoo-in-a can apply it!”

About 20 minutes later, I told them.

“Tanning time is over!”