In the midst of various worries and concerns, time passed, and the children’s elementary school entrance ceremony was just a day away.
Do-bin was no longer excited about the entrance ceremony.
The rolling stones, Kang Sae-bom and Kang Sae-byeol, registered at the Go academy yesterday. Sae-byeol begged her mom to enroll her in the art academy like Ye-na. Despite Do-bin glaring at Sae-byeol with a fierce look, it was useless.
“Ye-na, are you okay? My little sister can’t draw at all.”
Sae-bom expressed her concern, but Ye-na answered nonchalantly.
“I can’t draw either. It’s okay.”
Not even able to draw!
They both liked Go and couldn’t draw. Jeong Ye-na and Kang Sae-byeol had too much in common. Meanwhile, I like Ye-na, like Ye-na, like Ye-na…
My eight-year life filled with only Jeong Ye-na was heavy with worry. The thought that one day Sae-byeol would invade the art academy made me want to cry.
Jin-seo had no energy left to consider Do-bin’s feelings, lost in her own worries.
“Isn’t it possible that the baby could come out at any time?”
Though there was still quite some time until the due date, her belly was noticeably large. With her slender frame and a protruding belly, she looked precarious. While they had scheduled an induced labor for Friday with the doctor, it wouldn’t be surprising if the baby came out before then.
“I hope it comes out after tomorrow. I just want the entrance ceremony to go smoothly.”
Seung-kyu reassured his worried wife.
“You don’t have to go to the entrance ceremony. Ye-na’s mom will be there too.”
But Seung-kyu’s suggestion did nothing to comfort Jin-seo.
“No way. It’s Do-bin’s first day of school; I have to watch it properly. How can I leave this troublemaker to Ye-na’s mom? Ye-na’s mom is already heavy too.”
“Don’t put too much pressure on yourself. What does it matter if you don’t watch it?”
“What if something happens while I’m not watching?”
“Oh, come on.”
“Don’t say ‘come on’!”
In the meantime, Do-bin had opened the fridge, poured some milk into a cup, and took a sip before putting it back down.
“Do you know how many things there are to teach? It’s not easy raising a kid. There’s still so much to teach.”
Jin-seo, silently watching, let out a bitter sigh and picked up the cup that Do-bin had put down. Her hand moved swiftly as she wiped the circular milk stain left on the table.
“How many times do I have to teach him how to pour milk and put the cup down? He doesn’t get it with just one lesson! Park Do-bin! What did I say to do after you drank the milk?!”
Jin-seo raised her voice at the retreating figure of Do-bin.
“You’re turning eight tomorrow, and you haven’t changed at all!”
“Mom hasn’t changed either! How long has it been since you turned a year older?!”
Even though her voice rose from the repeated failures to correct his habits, the child had only learned to raise his voice instead of actually learning. Plus, with his head getting bigger, he had become quite the smart aleck. It seemed like he was secretly attending a school for cheekiness behind his mother’s back.
Pfft.
Meanwhile, her husband was secretly laughing.
“Did you just laugh?”
“Uh…? No.”
“You laughed while I was angry?”
“No, no.”
Seung-kyu stealthily moved to Do-bin’s room.
“Son.”
Seung-kyu lay down beside his son, who was staring blankly at the ceiling. Today, Do-bin seemed especially on edge.
Could it be that his mind is unsettled because the stage of his life is changing? As he gently comforted his son, Do-bin subtly complained.
“Dad, time goes by really fast.”
“Hmm?”
“Do-bin isn’t growing, but time is flying by.”
“……”
“I’m jealous of time.”
……Is our son already going through puberty?
Seung-kyu blinked in surprise at his son’s sudden sentimentality.
***
The next day, it was the children’s elementary school entrance day.
Along with Jeong-o, Jin-seo, and Guk-soon, the fathers sending their first child to school, Ji-heon and Seung-kyu, also walked to school together.
“Park Do-bin!”
Do-bin, who had left home feeling gloomy, brightened up immediately at Ye-na’s voice calling his name. The two children held hands and walked happily toward school.
The auditorium was bustling with first-grade kids and their parents. Soon, an announcement instructed everyone to sit by their respective classes. The children lined up in the provided chairs.
Ye-na and Do-bin sat side by side in front of the Class 1 sign.
“Ye-na, Do-bin!”
Sae-byeol, who was in the same class, called out to them from behind.
“Hi, Sae-byeol!”
Seeing Ye-na greet her with a bright smile made Do-bin feel gloomy again.
The child’s world was widening.
Today was also a day of overwhelming emotion for Jeong-o.
The baby who used to cry no matter how much she soothed and comforted him had grown, running around, talking, and making friends; now, he had become a student. Because of the child, the mother and father had also become parents.
Now the child would gradually be able to do more things on their own. And the mother, who once cheered and celebrated everything, would eventually feel lonely.
Seeing the child, who she had once felt proud of for accomplishing things on her own, now venturing far beyond her reach, she would inevitably feel a pang of sadness. Although she didn’t need to feel that way yet, Jeong-o found herself imagining that day repeatedly.
With tears welling in her eyes, Jeong-o glanced beside her. Ji-heon’s nose was also red. It was a moment of heartfelt emotion for her husband as well. He couldn’t have witnessed all of the child’s days, making it all the more poignant.
A normal day for all eight-year-olds. Yet, also a very special day.
But there was one mother who couldn’t fully relish this feeling.
“I think I’m feeling something… or maybe not…”
Today, Jin-seo, with her ambiguous contractions, only deepened her worries. Even though this was her third childbirth, she still couldn’t tell. All she knew was that she had to endure somehow. She thought that she couldn’t cause a commotion during the entrance ceremony, which was meant for the first graders.
After the entrance ceremony, the children moved to their classrooms. The parents who sent their kids to class received information about the parent-teacher association and left the school. After successfully watching the entrance ceremony, Jin-seo sent Seung-kyu to work and went home.
The problem arose around the time the children were supposed to come home. Jin-seo, dragging her heavy body to the school, suddenly felt sharp labor pains.
“Are you okay, unni? You don’t look so well.”
Jeong-o, who had also come to pick up her child, noticed Jin-seo’s pale complexion and asked. Jin-seo felt so burdened that she could hardly respond to the question.
“Do-bin’s mom! Are you okay? Don’t you need to go to the hospital?”
Sae-byeol’s mom, who had met her a few days ago, rushed over to support Jin-seo. Jin-seo nodded weakly, drenched in cold sweat.
Both Ji-heon and Seung-kyu were at work, unable to take Jin-seo to the hospital. Jeong-o, who was also heavy with her own pregnancy, was likely unable to take care of Jin-seo. Even if she contacted Seung-kyu now, it would take time for him to get back from work, leaving only Sae-byeol’s mom to act.
“Ye-na’s mom, could you watch over Do-bin and Sae-byeol? I’ll take Do-bin’s mom to the hospital.”
With Sae-byeol’s mom’s quick thinking, the chaotic situation was immediately organized. Jeong-o contacted Seung-kyu, and Jin-seo and Sae-byeol’s mom quickly hailed a taxi and left.
About ten minutes later, the first-grade kids rushed out after finishing their classes.
“Ye-na! Do-bin! Sae-byeol! Over here!”
Jeong-o waved her hands toward the children.
“Mommy!”
Ye-na spotted Jeong-o and ran over. As expected, Do-bin and Sae-byeol were left without their mothers and looked ready to cry. Do-bin asked first.
“Auntie, where’s our mom?”
“She went to the hospital. Sae-byeol’s mom went with Do-bin’s mom.”
“Why? Is Mom sick?”
“It seems it’s time for the baby to be born. Your grandmother is coming from the countryside, so when she arrives, you can go home with her.”
“……”
“Sae-byeol’s mom will take Do-bin’s mom to the hospital and come back right away.”
Do-bin’s face turned pale at the thought that while Sae-byeol’s mom would return, his own mom wouldn’t.
“It’s okay, Do-bin. Mom is fine. Don’t worry.”
Jeong-o hugged Do-bin tightly to comfort him.
Jeong-o took the children home. Sae-byeol’s eyes widened in amazement as she visited Ye-na’s house for the first time.
“Wow! This is the first time I’ve been in such a big house!”
“Yeah! And there’s a second floor too.”
Ye-na excitedly showed Sae-byeol around the house. While the two girls joyfully ran around inside, Do-bin remained sulky. He trudged after them with heavy steps, but then Ye-na suddenly brought out a Go board.
“Shall we play Go?”
“Sure!”
Sae-byeol cheered, but Do-bin couldn’t join in.
“No, I want to play ‘al-kka-gi’ (a traditional Korean game similar to marbles).”
“Then let’s play Go and al-kka-gi!”
Ye-na tried to persuade Do-bin, but he wouldn’t budge.
“I can’t play Go. I want to play al-kka-gi.”
“Okay, let’s play al-kka-gi then.”
Sae-byeol stepped up first. In the end, they decided to play al-kka-gi.
Ye-na and Do-bin’s match ended in a draw.
Ye-na and Sae-byeol’s match resulted in Sae-byeol’s victory.
Finally, in the match between Do-bin and Sae-byeol, Sae-byeol effortlessly pushed all five of Do-bin’s marbles away, and Ye-na looked up at Sae-byeol in surprise.
“Wow! You’re really good at al-kka-gi!”
“Let’s play again.”
Do-bin, unable to accept defeat, challenged Sae-byeol to another round, but Ye-na, losing interest in al-kka-gi, suggested a different game.
“We’ve played al-kka-gi once, so let’s play house! I’ll be the mom!”
“I’ll be the dad!”
Sae-byeol quickly chimed in, responding to Ye-na’s request.
A quake of anxiety crossed Do-bin’s eyes. How dare that Kang Sae-byeol threaten my position as dad!
“Why are you the dad? I’ll be the dad. You can be the baby.”
“No way! I said I’d be the dad first.”
As Do-bin insisted, Sae-byeol retorted as if she couldn’t lose. Ye-na, sensing the tension, suggested another game.
“Let’s not play house and draw pictures instead!”
“Yeah! Let’s draw!”
Once again, Sae-byeol readily agreed to Ye-na’s suggestion. So the three children gathered together to draw.
However, this time, Do-bin became greedy. He kept snatching the color crayons that Sae-byeol wanted to use. Before long, the crayons had piled up only next to Do-bin.
Ye-na intervened again.
“Park Do-bin, don’t take all the crayons.”
“I’m going to use this one first.”
“But this is mine. We should share nicely.”
Yet, Do-bin only returned a few colors. He tightly held onto the sky blue crayon that Sae-byeol urgently needed and absolutely refused to give it up.
As Do-bin grew greedy with his crayons, Ye-na became angry.
“If you don’t want to share nicely, you should go home and get your own crayons.”
At her words, Do-bin felt a lump of sadness in his throat.
Jeong Ye-na. You’re all I have. How could you do this to me?
Anger seeped out from Do-bin’s nostrils like steam.
“Is being pretty all that matters?”
That was the first time Do-bin had gotten angry at Ye-na.
Ye-na couldn’t help but feel hurt by Do-bin’s reaction. With tears welling in her eyes, she replied in a choked voice.
“Did I want to be pretty to be pretty?”
