The movie was amazing. When the little magician Lumi defeated the villains with her magic at the end, an incredible thrill shot up from the bottom of my body. That’s so Lumi-like.
“Bora, wasn’t the movie fun?”
“Uh… yeah, it was fun.”
Bora spoke as if she hadn’t watched the movie. Every time I brought up an important scene, she said she couldn’t remember it well. It seemed like Bora couldn’t focus while watching the movie. Well, every time I glanced at her, our eyes did meet.
Was there something on my face? I went to the restroom mirror in the theater to check, but there was nothing on my face. Although, I did have some popcorn shells stuck in my teeth from eating too much popcorn.
Anyway, after the movie, I was starving. Even though I had filled up on street food earlier, maybe because I’m in my growth period, I got hungry again after just a little while.
“Bora, I’m hungry!”
“Really? Then let’s go eat together, just the two of us!”
“Okay!”
Bora held my hand and we wandered around the restaurants inside the theater.
“How about here, Hana?”
“Starlight Dish…”
Bora seemed to want to eat what I wanted. But there wasn’t a restaurant I liked. They only sold things I didn’t care for. At this point, I’d rather go back to the research institute and eat at the cafeteria there.
Then, a restaurant caught my eye.
“Bora, over there! Let’s go there!”
It was a restaurant with delicious pork cutlets. Pork cutlets are always the right choice. In situations like this where it’s hard to decide, they’re like a cheat code, offering the best option.
“Okay, okay.”
I held Bora’s hand and went into the restaurant. Sitting down, I picked up the menu and fell deep into thought. Everything on the menu looked good. I felt like I was about to get decision paralysis.
There were dozens of pork cutlet options on the menu. If there were only a few, it would’ve been easier to choose, but with so many, it made it even harder.
“Ugh…”
It felt like a waste not to try them all. The cheese pork cutlet looked good, and so did the spicy one… but in the end, nothing beats the classic. Eating the same pork cutlet every day would be disrespectful to pork cutlets, so I was stuck in a dilemma between the cheese and spicy options.
“Hmm…”
I frowned, struggling with my indecision. Maybe Bora could have the spicy one, and I could have the cheese one? That way, we could try both flavors. It was the only way.
“Bora! Which pork cutlet are you going to have?”
Still, I had to hear Bora’s opinion. I didn’t have the right to force her to choose something just because I wanted it. After hearing me out, Bora said:
“I’ll have the spicy one. Why don’t you have the cheese one?”
Bora was the best. She effortlessly solved my dilemma. I smiled and nodded. If Bora had the spicy one and I had the cheese one, all our problems would be solved.
“Okay!!!”
So, Bora ordered both types of pork cutlets from the waiter. I, being the good girl I am, set the tableware and poured water. No one is as polite and kind as me. Bora seemed touched by my thoughtfulness and even took a picture of me setting the table with her phone.
*Ahem!*
Feeling proud, I raised both hands and made a V-sign. Bora, impressed by my cuteness, covered her mouth with one hand and kept snapping pictures with the other.
For some reason, raising both hands and making a V-sign always gets a good reaction. I guess I’m just naturally adorable. If there were more kids like me, Korea’s birth rate would skyrocket.
Anyway, Bora kept taking pictures of me. Soon after, the pork cutlets arrived. I grabbed a knife and fork and started cutting into the cheese pork cutlet at lightning speed to reveal its juicy insides.
“Hyah! Hyah!”
I felt like adding some spirit to my cutting made it easier. Bora seemed to be laughing a little at my antics, but I was dead serious about cutting that pork cutlet.
“Wow!”
As I sliced through the pork cutlet, the hidden cheese inside was revealed. The stretchy cheese made my mouth water. It was as if the pork cutlet was tempting me to eat it. I couldn’t resist.
I stabbed a piece with my fork and popped it into my mouth. It was a bit hot, but bearable. As I chewed, the fantastic flavor of the pork cutlet filled my mouth. I closed my eyes…
It was amazing. That’s how delicious the pork cutlet was.
Bora, seeing me, smiled warmly and started cutting the pork cutlet in front of her. Unlike me, Bora was cutting the pork cutlet elegantly.
Should I have cut it like that too…?
I felt like I lost my dignity because of my appetite. I must have looked like a child excited over delicious food. I was so happy that I was grinning from ear to ear while cutting the cheese pork cutlet, looking like an elementary school student. And here I am, a grown man.
Feeling a crack in my pride, I decided not to repeat my earlier mistake and ate the pork cutlet with as much dignity as I could muster. I didn’t forget to try Bora’s pork cutlet every now and then. It was spicy but had a different flavor. If I had only eaten one dish, I would have regretted it, but eating two dishes made me feel better.
Unaware that people around me were watching, I was devouring the pork cutlet.
—
After filling my stomach, I started wandering around the streets in a good mood. I felt like I forgot something, but it didn’t matter. Because I was feeling so good right now!
Then, I spotted a machine. I grabbed Bora’s hand and approached it. It was a claw machine filled with delicious candies and all sorts of snacks. The kind where you use the claw to grab snacks and push them out to win.
There were already piles of snacks on the tray, probably from the many people who had tried before me. My eyes sparkled as I looked at them. If I could just get it right, I could win a handful of snacks.
“Bora, I want to try this!”
“Doesn’t look easy, are you sure?”
“Of course!”
As I said that, Bora took out a bill from her wallet and inserted it into the machine. With a cheerful tune, the claw started moving. The machine was in action.
I maneuvered the claw around, trying to find the spot with the most snacks. In these kinds of push-out machines, it’s important to grab snacks that are bulky and plentiful.
When I thought I was close enough, I pressed the button.
“Yah!”
With a lively sound, the claw descended. It opened wide, then closed, grabbing a bunch of snacks. I cheered as I watched. It felt great.
The claw returned to its original position and dropped the snacks it had grabbed.
“Wow!”
A huge amount of snacks came tumbling down. I reached into the slot where the snacks came out. With just one grab, I got a handful of snacks. Who knew such an efficient machine existed in the world… The world is still beautiful.
Bora brought a bag from somewhere. I stuffed the snacks into the bag. Holding the now full bag, I couldn’t help but feel happy. Just thinking about eating these snacks at home made me feel like I could fly.
But then, I felt like I had something else to do.
Why did I come downtown again?
“Hana, over there! Let’s go there!”
Just as I was trying to remember, Bora pointed somewhere and spoke. Turning my gaze, I saw an amazing sight.
“Wow!”
A dinosaur was moving around. A terrifying-looking dinosaur was walking down the street. The dinosaur was holding a flyer with its short arms, probably trying to advertise its fearsomeness.
As if entranced, I walked toward the moving dinosaur. It wasn’t as good as the dinosaur plushie at home, but it was rare to see such a high-quality, large dinosaur. I had a blast playing with it.
—
“It was a fun day!”
Bora took me back to the room and then returned to the office. But as Bora left, a thought crossed my mind.
‘Oh no! I forgot to talk about Lumi!’
“Ugh!”
The image of Lumi’s bromide poster flashed before my eyes.
