While eating, Jeongeun asked her daughter:

“Yeoul wants to go to the Grand Park this weekend. Will your schedule allow it?”

“Let’s go. I have time.”

It hadn’t been long since she started having weekends off. This was only possible because her company had finally gotten on track.

“Mom, did you go to the hospital?”

“It’s just my knee hurting. It’s because I’m getting old.”

“Getting old? You’re still in your prime. You didn’t go?”

“I’ll go next week.”

Soyu looked at her mother seriously.

“Mom.”

“Alright. I’ll go. I will.”

Afraid of being scolded by her daughter, Jeongeun changed the subject.

“Try the doenjang jjigae. It tastes decent this time.”

Soyu sighed and tasted the stew, then flinched. Jeongeun asked cautiously:

“Is it strange again today?”

“Yes. It’s sweet. Did you add sugar?”

Jeongeun was flustered.

“Huh? Was that sugar? It seemed a bit bland so…… It tasted fine to me……”

As her daughter continued eating the stew, Jeongeun tried to stop her.

“Hey. Don’t eat it.”

“It’s okay. Sweet doenjang jjigae can exist too.”

Soyu silently ate the stew with her rice. In five years, her mother’s cooking skills hadn’t improved. But after all this time, she was grateful for the meals prepared by a mother who had never cooked before. She should be thankful for whatever was served.

After finishing dinner and clearing the table, they took out the cake. As soon as they opened the box, a rich peach aroma filled the air. Excited, Yeoul wiggled his bottom. Jeongeun smiled at her grandson.

“Is this what you wanted so badly?”

“Yes!”

Soyu served a piece of cake to her mother first, then gave a portion to her son. As he was about to pick up his fork, Soyu said:

“Yeoul, let Grandma go first.”

Yeoul looked at his grandmother impatiently.

“Grandma, please eat quickly.”

“Okay. I understand.”

After taking a bite of the cake, Jeongeun smiled brightly.

“Soyu. You should try it too. It’s delicious.”

Soyu also ate the cake. The rich peach flavor was nice. While eating his cake, Yeoul got down from his chair, spread his arms, wiggled his bottom, and started dancing. Soyu’s eyes widened.

“What’s that?”

“It’s my wiggly dance because it’s delicious. Am I dancing well?”

As Soyu laughed, Jeongeun explained:

“Apparently it’s popular at kindergarten. He showed it to me as soon as he came home today.”

Now Yeoul was dancing and singing:

“Delicious. Delicious. Peach cake is delicious.”

Soyu burst out laughing. Though he was her son, he was truly adorable. She never acted like this when she was young, so he must take after his father. She looked at her mother. Her mother looked happy, clapping her hands while watching her grandson’s antics.

After her father passed away, she thought she would lose her mother too. When her mother learned about her pregnancy as her belly grew, she was even more devastated, but when the baby was born, she found a reason to live again. Soyu might have given up everything if it weren’t for Yeoul. Yeoul was an essential, precious existence for both mother and daughter. An existence she wouldn’t trade even for her life. That was her son, Jang Yeoul.

Encouraged by his grandmother and mother’s enthusiastic reactions, the child now ran around the entire living room, singing loudly and dancing. The happy and harmonious family night deepened.

⁕⁕⁕

As the May sunlight filtered through the curtains, Hyunwook’s eyelids twitched.

“Ugh…… My head……”

He pressed his temples in pain. Yesterday, he had drunk until he lost consciousness after coming home. It was truly rare for him to drink that much. Barely getting up, Hyunwook blew his breath and grimaced.

“Ugh, alcohol breath.”

Staggering to his feet, the first thing he did was open the window for ventilation. After taking a cold shower in the bathroom, Hyunwook got dressed, made his bed, and left the room. When he went to the living room, he immediately frowned. Not only was the entire living room permeated with the smell of alcohol, but there were also messy traces of their drinking session everywhere.

The Royal Salute bottle and Taeseop’s cherished liquor bottles were rolling around, and leftover snacks remained on the table. Hyunwook, who had OCD, sighed. He strode into the guest room and glared at Jinwook, who was sleeping n*ked with the blanket wrapped around him. Clothes were strewn across the floor.

“Why does this guy still sleep n*ked?”

When he pulled the blanket, Jinwook fell off the opposite side of the bed with a thud.

“Argh! Ugh!”

Jinwook jumped up and shouted:

“Ah! Sh*t! Why!”

“Get up.”

“Let me sleep!”

“You can sleep when you’re dead. Get up. We need to clean.”

Jinwook, who had been touching his head, paused and asked with an incredulous expression:

“Huh? Do what?”

“Clean. The house reeks of alcohol. Hurry up and shower.”

As his friend left the room, Jinwook’s eyes wavered. What was he saying? He checked the time. 7:00. This was prime sleeping time for him. But cleaning at this early hour? Blinking, Jinwook left the room wearing only his underwear. When he reached the living room, he stood there with his mouth open. Taeseop was also awake and greeted Jinwook.

“Did you sleep well?”

Hyunwook was opening windows and beating cushions.

“What are you guys doing?”

“Cleaning. We went to bed without tidying up, and now it smells bad.”

Unlike Taeseop’s gentle words, Hyunwook was prickly.

“Take a shower first. You stink.”

Jinwook lifted his arms and sniffed.

“I don’t smell.”

“You can’t smell it, but I can. Aren’t you going to shower?”

“Hey! It’s 7:00 right now!”

“So what! We’ll clean and then go exercise.”

Jinwook paused and asked Taeseop:

“Exercise? What exercise?”

Taeseop kindly explained:

“We go cycling every weekend morning. The bike that you left with us is still here, so let’s go together. We can have breakfast outside and then cycle.”

Looking at the calm Taeseop and Hyunwook who was focused on cleaning, Jinwook’s eyes shook severely.

“Were you guys always like this?”

Hyunwook snorted and said:

“You probably don’t remember, but we were always neat. You were the messy one. Hurry up and help.”

Taeseop patted Jinwook’s shoulder and said:

“We’ll handle the cleaning. You go shower and clear your head first. Is your stomach okay?”

“Kim Jinwook. Put some clothes on first. You look indecent.”

Jinwook looked down at himself. He was only wearing underwear. Pouting, Jinwook said:

“My body looks good. What’s indecent? Tsk.”

Jinwook went back to his room and showered. When he tried to put on his clothes, he smelled them and, still n*ked, left the room and naturally headed for Hyunwook’s room. Curses erupted from behind him.

“This crazy bastard! Where do you think you’re going! Not my clothes! Hey!”

Ignoring the curses, Jinwook entered the room, but as he was about to open the closet door, Hyunwook ran in and grabbed him.

“I said you can’t wear my clothes!”

“Ah! Let’s share! I don’t have any clothes!”

“Just wear your own! They’re yours!”

“How can I wear something that smells! We used to even share underwear when we were young!”

Hyunwook flinched and made a terrifying expression.

“Do you want to die?”

Just then, Taeseop came in and mediated between the two.

“Jinwook. Wear my clothes. I also have new underwear.”

Jinwook glared at Hyunwook and twitched his lips.

“A guy with no sense of loyalty whatsoever.”

“What does loyalty have to do with this?”

“Learn from Taeseop. How admirable he is. Showing off about clothes.”

“Hmph! How many times have you borrowed clothes and never returned them?”

“That was when we were young!”

“Habits formed at three last until eighty. I might lend to others, but not to you.”

While glaring at Hyunwook, Jinwook suddenly rubbed his eyes and muttered:

“Ah. My eyes hurt. Did I glare too hard?”

Hyunwook sighed and shook his head as he watched his friend enter Taeseop’s room n*ked. Jinwook emerged looking fresh in the underwear and clothes Taeseop had provided. He approached Hyunwook, who was busy vacuuming, and extended his arms proudly.

“Seop even let me use his skincare products. You should learn from him.”

“You’re crazy. Clean up.”

“I hate cleaning. Why should I clean when I don’t even do it at home?”

Hyunwook looked at Jinwook with empty eyes and said:

“I guess you don’t want to stay here for the weekend? Want to go home right after breakfast?”

Jinwook immediately changed his stance.

“I’ll do it. Where’s the mop?”

As Jinwook pretended to look for a mop, Hyunwook gloated:

“Opportunist. How have you not changed at all?”

“People die when they change. Seop, I’ll handle the mopping.”

Taeseop smiled and said:

“We have a robot vacuum cleaner, but Hyunwook is deliberately doing this. Hyunwook, let the robot do the cleaning and let’s go out. I’m hungry.”

Ignoring Jinwook’s glare, Hyunwook put the vacuum cleaner back in its place and said:

“Shall we do that then?”

Jinwook opened his mouth and gave a hollow laugh, but Hyunwook paid no attention.

After eating breakfast at a nearby soup restaurant, the three men got on their bicycles. Jinwook, wearing a helmet, asked:

“Where are we going?”

Taeseop said:

“The Grand Park.”

“Won’t it be crowded?”

“It should be fine at opening time. Let’s do one lap and come back. Follow me well.”

“Yes, yes.”

When Jinwook readily agreed to Taeseop’s words, Hyunwook picked a fight:

“You listen well to Taeseop.”

“Of course. Taeseop isn’t as difficult as you.”

Hyunwook got upset.

“I’m difficult?”

“Wow. You know yourself well. That’s a good attitude. People always need to be objective about themselves.”

As Jinwook set off first, Hyunwook gave a hollow laugh. Taeseop smiled and started pedaling.

“Let’s go.”

Hyunwook also set off, glaring at Jinwook who was ahead.