Until the promised day arrives, I continued to exercise regularly.
I wasn’t going to exercise all the way to the United States, and even if I couldn’t achieve noticeable results, I thought it was important to establish a habit.
Basically, on weekdays, after school ended, I would use my bag as a suitable weight, run a few laps in the park, and return home.
Shiyeon, who had become accustomed to living with a computer and a smartphone, would occasionally rebel, but…
“Aren’t we going to the United States?”
“How unfair…”
Every time, I would mention the trip, and even if it was crude and childish, the exercise continued.
Of course, I sometimes wondered if it was excessive to work out after returning from school and before dinner…
“Oh, I don’t want to! I’m not going to the dojo!”
“Not again! Don’t make it hard for Mom!”
“Ugh…”
“Dad, can we skip English academy today?”
“If Mom finds out, we’re in big trouble.”
Near the main gate, listening to the conversations around, I didn’t think that at all.
As soon as class ended, students grabbed by Mom or Dad’s hands at the school gate looked like cows or pigs being led to the slaughterhouse as they climbed into sedans or vans.
Compared to that, just taking a short walk in the park after school was nothing.
‘Oh, right.’
With that rationalization in mind, as I stepped out of the school gate, a sudden thought struck me.
Travel… that is, the application for the field trip had to be submitted at least three days in advance.
In other words, it meant we had to submit it to our homeroom teachers today.
I had already completed mine, and the only one left was Shiyeon.
While crossing the crosswalk at a leisurely pace, I asked her.
“Did you give your application to the homeroom teacher?”
“Yeah, she said she was envious of us going to the United States.”
Thud, thud.
Shiyeon’s light footsteps and jumps only touched the white parts of the crosswalk.
It seemed like a game of stepping on the white lines for no reason had begun.
After crossing the crosswalk, the next game started: not stepping on the gold bricks on the pavement.
By the time we set foot in the park, that game had somehow ended, and running with our bags began instead.
Counting the rhythm as we ran ahead was a given.
“One, two, one, two, one, two.”
With our bags containing notices and notebooks and wearing padding, we ran.
Getting tired faster than usual was, in a way, expected.
Still, somehow managing to run a complete lap around the park that fit our goal, I let out a satisfied and refreshing sigh.
“Phew!”
“Uheek.”
Upon reaching the goal point, Shiyeon let out a weird breath mixed with a sense of achievement.
Anyway, the feeling that our skills were improving day by day reminded me that just two days ago, I had walked from the distance that looked like a dot.
The fact that I could run all the way here while carrying my bag in just two days was a satisfying achievement.
It was too cruel to restrict food at this age, so if I didn’t limit what I eat, moving my body was the best option.
Once the travel opportunity runs out after returning from the United States, I planned to threaten to limit our food even more then.
“Let’s go home now!”
I grabbed Shiyeon’s sweaty hand as she panted and pulled her back into the park.
I needed to increase our activity level somehow to lose weight.
The reason I deliberately designated the destination to be as far from home as possible, at the opposite side of the park entrance, was also for that reason.
We crossed the park and headed toward the entrance closer to home.
Even in mid-winter, I could see grandfathers and grandmothers who had come out for a walk with their dogs or just sat chatting on the park benches with nothing to do.
“Look, a dog!”
‘A dog…?’
Waving the slippers in her opposite hand, Shiyeon pointed in a direction with her finger.
There was a gigantic dog that could hardly be called a puppy walking gracefully.
Was the person walking the dog or was the dog walking the person?
I vaguely remembered the breed of the dog.
With a face that looked like it was smiling and gleaming white fur.
It must be the Great Pyrenees, right?
I remembered seeing them often on some variety show.
Just charging forward would make an adult man collapse to the ground with its physique.
As I thought we were almost at the park entrance, I noticed the outdoor gym equipment around.
Seeing those metal contraptions made Shiyeon rush ahead.
She didn’t know how to use them properly, but she climbed onto a round disc and somehow grabbed the handles that were just at eye level and spun around.
Even though she was a big dog, I felt like joining in that playful action.
As I got closer to where Shiyeon had rushed ahead, she naturally got off the gym equipment and stuck to my side.
I wanted to join her, but just hold on a bit longer.
“I’m back!”
“I’m back!”
As soon as we stepped into the entrance of our home, I saw a familiar pair of shoes.
Now it had become habitual to call out my return as soon as I entered, so I spat out the casual greeting into the air.
As always, my older sister Jiun was there to greet us.
“Oh, you’re back? What should I make for dinner?”
“…Something that’s delicious and won’t make us gain weight?”
“That doesn’t exist.”
“Then just something delicious.”
After that short conversation, which felt like a skit with my sister, I took off my sweaty clothes, inappropriate for the warm house with the boiler running, and immediately tossed them into the laundry basket.
I entered the house tossing the Gomtaengi, who had been pretending to be a doll within my clothes, onto the cushion.
The thrown Gomtaengi flew toward the cushion and then, just then, hit an unexpected path, hanging in mid-air.
Then, slowly gaining momentum, it drew closer to my ear and spoke.
“Are we really going to America?”
“Why, are you unhappy about it?”
It seemed like a question filled with some anxiety.
Was he worried about what would happen to Incheon while we were away?
Despite that brief worry, he spit out a sentence formed from words I hadn’t imagined.
“I was just wondering how to speak to the crooked lettered, flat-nosed characters.”
“Your speech is getting worse…”
In that brief moment, this crazy Gomtaengi mixed two different hateful expressions.
As if accustomed to such nonsense, Jiun turned her body like it was nothing and said not to worry about that part.
“Don’t worry, anyway, it’s not like you’ll be traveling alone or just the two of you… You probably won’t use English as much as you think.”
“Oh, really?”
“Yeah, and since you’re going along with the uncles on their overseas study schedule…”
Pausing for a moment, Jiun seemed to contemplate our schedules in the U.S.
Proving that there isn’t anything special about politicians’ overseas studies, she casually explained without going into lengthy detail.
“You’ll just have to follow where the uncles go, have fun, and take pictures.”
“Really.”
In response to Jiun’s bland prediction, I gave an interesting sigh.
After all, Shiyeon and I would be mere accompaniments on the trip.
Even if it would be difficult to wander freely, she added that we would just return without needing to converse, only writing in Hangul.
Just think of it as a sightseeing package tour to America with politicians, enjoy, and take pictures diligently.
The promised Thursday began with school absence.
I got in the car and headed to the airport in Seoul, where politicians gathered, waiting for flight time from early morning.
Children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult.
Unfortunately, Jiun wouldn’t be joining us on this trip.
It was truly a vacation of the nine days we each had.
“Are you really sending just the two kids? They’re not even twelve yet?”
“It’s fine, just don’t leave Shiyeon alone. Besides, Mary will stick with her all the time.”
“I’m going with you as you requested, but if anything happens, you can’t grab us by the collar and drag us around, okay?”
“It’s okay, just let us take lots of pictures… and while you’re having fun, just show us around here and there.”
A conversation at the airport in Seoul between a middle-aged man and Jiun.
As various stories were exchanged, we pretended we didn’t hear anything, waiting in turn for our chance.
Passing through an unfamiliar gate, we entered the plane via the passage.
Although it was still long before the departure time, the uncles guided us to board first.
It turned out to be business class, as I had only heard about it.
Shiyeon and I sat in two adjacent seats according to our assigned numbers, while the other uncles disappeared from view.
‘Cool.’
I couldn’t help but admire the space that looked distinctly different from the regular seats.
Yeah, the assigned space was different from the start.
Unlike the ordinary seats like on a high-speed bus, there was a generous amount of space, almost like a huge bathtub carved out beside us.
Of course, the seats could recline enough to lay down, and meals were served with gourmet options, plus snacks were available whenever we wanted.
It was a realization that people indeed have plenty of money to spend.
“Look, Mary!?”
Shiyeon was moving the seat back and forth.
If we had done this on a bus, we might have been scolded, but for our small bodies, there was more than enough space.
Inside a small pouch already placed in the seat were earplugs, an eye mask, lotions, and creams—items for detailed care available for purchase at a convenience store.
Some time passed, and it was time for the plane to take off.
Announcements about airplane mode and other instructions related to smartphones passed.
The scenery outside the window began to move slowly.
What was passing by the window at a walking pace gradually sped up, and the bizarre sensation of the plane lifting into the air reverberated through my body from my butt.
Something felt thrilling.
“We’re off!”
“Whee!”
The plane began to fly through the sky.
Just as excited as before, I found myself filled with anticipation while calming down Shiyeon, who was buzzing with excitement, as we watched the scenery outside the window.
