90 – (Side story) Endless spring days
Six years have passed since I faced a situation where I did not know whether it was a fantasy, a dream, or a miracle.
Those years, which can be said to be short for me who lived in the 1990s, are so warm and happy.
The time to be with the father I thought I would never see again,
This life where you can see the happy smile of your mother who cried and drank every day.
And I feel so warm and happy in this world where the curse that destroyed my family is gone.
In such a world, I live in gratitude every day.
Thinking of that, enjoy the warm spring breeze under the cool shade of trees that block the sun.
While enjoying such a leisurely and happy time, I heard the sound of footsteps.
Turning my head toward the sound of those footsteps, my younger brother, who was born with memories of the previous life like me, caught my eye.
“Hey. Isn’t it time for class?”
Having sold all the cuteness of the past, I realized that this leisurely time was over.
“It’s off.”
“Dad would be very happy if he knew.”
“Then don’t tell me.”
“why me?”
“Do you want to see Daddy disappointed?”
“It is not.”
My younger brother said so and sat down next to me.
“narrow.”
“What is narrow? Both of us are the size of a pea, so it’s spacious.”
“You are the only one the size of a pea.”
“This is bullshit again. Did you get senility before you died?”
“I lived a very clean life without it.”
“Then stop talking nonsense.”
“I’m not talking bullshit, I’m just telling the truth. kid.”
“As a map kid.”
“He’s a bigger kid than you. forever.”
“Yeah, yeah, that was great.”
“I was pretty good.”
“Ugh, how did such a strange guy come from father and mother?”
“I will.”
As usual, we were talking when we heard footsteps.
“Who is coming?”
I couldn’t tell anyone about our conversation, so I immediately warned my younger brother. Then the younger brother changed his tone.
“Brother, what shall we do?”
It feels strange to hear a boy who calls me Ya, let alone Oppa, when we are together, saying that he has lived longer than me. It’s a strange feeling like bugs crawling up your body, but you endured it and said it like a child.
“Um, well. What does Ellie want to do?”
“Um, anything with you is fine.”
I felt sick to my stomach at those words, but I held it in because the footsteps were getting closer. While holding back like that and talking like they did when they were children, the owner of the steps appeared. A small girl with brown hair like her father and eyes like her mother appeared, holding the doll with both hands.
“Brother, sister.”
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Lucy, the youngest child we hadn’t seen in the previous life, came calling us. Then the younger brother ran and hugged the youngest.
“Did you come because you wanted to see our youngest sister?”
The youngest did not answer, but nodded quietly.
“As expected, our maknae, he’s cute because he’s different from anyone else.”
I wanted to shoot my little brother who said what I wanted to say again, but I held back because I didn’t want to show that in front of the youngest.
“Maknae, what do you want to play with your sister?”
“Flower viewing.”
“Okay, let’s go flower viewing with my sister.”
The younger brother said that and tried to walk holding the youngest’s hand, but the youngest pulled the younger brother’s sleeve.
“Why?”
“I think it would be nice to go with you too.”
Annoyance passed across the younger brother’s face for a moment at the youngest’s lovely words.
“Hmm, oppa is very busy, so it must be difficult.”
“I’m not busy.”
Denying his younger brother’s nonsense, he stroked the youngest’s head. Then his younger brother came over and whispered.
“Don’t be rude and get out of here.”
I ignored the words of that little brother.
“Let’s go, Lucia.”
Saying that, I moved at the speed of the youngest. In the process, I kept feeling the stinging eyes of my younger brother, but I ignored it because it wasn’t important. After ignoring his younger brother’s gaze, I arrived at a garden full of the scent of spring.
We walked through the garden, which was much larger than in our previous life, looking at the flowers and indulging in the scent of spring.
While having such a warm spring-like time, the youngest put a flower crown on his younger brother. Then the younger brother smiled broadly and hugged the youngest.
“Thank you Lucy! After all, the youngest is the best. It would have been nice if there were two youngest instead of older brothers.”
I sighed when I saw my younger brother who didn’t even want to hide his true feelings in front of Lucy, but I let it be because he liked it so much.
That’s how I watched the ironic look of my brother who was over 90 years old and the youngest who had just turned 4 years old. Doing so warmed my heart and let out a smile. After laughing at such warmth, I thought of my foolish son.
“I hope you’re doing well.”
I muttered so quietly, but I couldn’t hear an answer. Instead of an answer, the spring breeze just blew. Feeling such a warm spring breeze, I just believe that my foolish son is doing well.
When I was reminiscing about the lingering feelings and happiness of my old life, the youngest came to me with a wrought-iron flower crown. I smiled at the cute maknae’s behavior and leaned down. Then the youngest, with his small hands, placed a crown on me. I stroked the head of such a cute and admirable maknae.
“Thank you, Lucy.”
The taciturn Lucy smiled in response. Such a youngest is warm and cute.
“Lucy is too nice to wear. You don’t have to give it to an older brother like that.”
“Unlike anyone else, Lucy is too kind.”
Saying so, he stroked the youngest’s head again. While doing so, I felt a stinging glare, but I ignored it as usual. As I ignored it, my younger brother came over and hugged Lucy.
“Don’t pet Lucy because she’s mine.”
“You sound like a child.”
“Because it’s a child.”
I felt like I would frown at the absurd remarks of a 90-year-old old woman, but I held back because I didn’t want to show it to the youngest. While I was barely holding back my younger brother’s absurd remarks, I felt someone’s presence behind me. The warmth embraced me along with that gesture of presence. A warmth that is so familiar and missed every time.
“My lovely cubs, you were playing well together.”
“Honey, it seems so out of hand.”
“These pretty girls are my children, but it’s strange that they can’t make ends meet.”
I heard the warm conversation between my father and mother, and the warmth that embraced me left and I hugged my younger brother and youngest once. My father, who hugged us every once in a while, looked at us with a smile. The younger brother ran into his father’s arms and hugged him.
“Dad, I played with my brother and the youngest today while viewing flowers.”
“Yeah, that must have been fun.”
“Yes!”
Seeing his younger brother become an innocent child in front of his father makes me laugh.
“Dad mom. Look at this, it’s a wreath made by Lucy.”
“Lucy made this?”
“Yes!”
“My Lucy, you have good dexterity.”
Saying so, the father patted the youngest on the head. Then the youngest blushed slightly and smiled.
“Lucy looks like you and has good dexterity.”
Mother said so and took the youngest child in her arms.
“I think so.”
“Hmm, should I join an embroidery teacher later?”
“You’re still this young, let’s think about that later slowly.”
“Ah, we need to quickly decide on the children’s education.”
While the parents’ conversation was continuing, the younger brother approached and whispered.
“Hey, what’s your mother saying?”
I shook my head at the words of my younger brother. Then the younger brother frowned.
“He’s an old man with no conscience.”
“The one who has lived longer than me.”
“So, young bastard, did you think of calling me sister now?”
When I frowned at my younger brother saying such absurd things, he gave me an annoying smile that didn’t match his age. When I was about to say something to my younger brother, the arrow of the conversation my parents were having headed towards us.
“Evan, Elijah, what do you think?”
When I was flustered as I hadn’t listened to my parents’ conversation, my younger brother wore a mask again and answered.
“I don’t know about Ellie.”
Hearing the 90-year-old hag answer by calling her name made me feel sick to my stomach.
“Then what do you think of Evan?”
“I don’t know either.”
My mother asked me, but since I didn’t know what to ask, I gave the same answer as my younger brother.
“You’re not old enough for kids to care about that yet.”
“Still, it’s good to start training early.”
“Honey, it’s okay to slow down your education.”
“still.”
“We can help by your side.”
“It doesn’t.”
My father and mother looked at each other and smiled after that conversation. It was so warm to see the figure that I hadn’t seen in my previous life.
“So let’s talk about this when the kids are a bit older.”
“Okay, let’s do that.”
After a conversation that seemed to be related to our education, my father and mother looked at us.
“Hey kids, what do you want to do and play with mom and dad?”
“Go out!”
At the father’s question, the younger brother raised his hand and shouted. Father and mother looked at such a younger brother with warm smiles.
“So, Elijah, do you want to go on an outing?”
“Yes!”
“Evan, Lucia, how about you guys?”
“I like it.”
I replied and looked at Lucy in her mother’s arms. Lucy nodded her head with expectant eyes.
“Yeah, let’s go on an outing after a long time.”
“Yes!”
A warm family time continued with the exciting voice of the younger brother, who seemed to have been consumed by his mental age.
As I savored the time, I expressed my gratitude in my heart for this miracle, whether it was a fantasy or a dream.