Chapter 5 …
Looking around, Eonnyeon spoke first, while Bokhee took care of Choa.
“Let’s go, Baby Choa. You must stay right behind me so we’re not seen.”
“Okay! Got it!”
Carrying small bundles on their shoulders to avoid being noticed, they tiptoed carefully, moving stealthily.
With a sense of determination as if they were special operatives sent on an impossible mission!
Tip-tap. Ta-ran. Tap. Tap. Follow—.
They ran, hid, climbed over walls(?), and sprinted with all their might… and after various twists and turns, finally—
“There! There it is!!”
They had arrived at their destination!
“This is amazing! What a perfect spot. Baby Choa, over there. You can see the whole Myeongju area from here.”
The three of them, having left the annex and climbed a small hill, settled under the shade of a large tree.
From this vantage point, with colorful mountains and Myeongju’s houses in full view, they enjoyed a moment of freedom.
First, they spread out thick cloths and made a comfortable spot for Choa to sit. Then, brimming with excitement, Eonnyeon began chattering away.
“Look, Baby Choa—see the pretty flowers and smell the breeze. Over there they’re growing jujube trees, and if you go that way, there’s the blue sea.”
A pleasant outdoor breeze brushed against Choa’s cheeks.
“Phew-ha, phew-ha! I can smell the fields and the sea!”
Seeing such an open landscape for the first time, Choa’s eyes sparkled like jewels.
“Baby Choa, close your eyes for a moment!”
Eonnyeon weaved a ring of clover for Choa’s hand, and Bokhee discreetly pulled out the daenggi (traditional hair ribbon) she had prepared.
“Happy sixth birthday, our Baby Choa.”
“What’s this?”
Choa’s eyes widened with curiosity as she sniffed the clover with her tiny nose and ran her hands over the daenggi.
“It’s so pretty and soft! Bokhee and Eonnyeon use this to tie their hair when cooking too!”
“That’s right. This daenggi is made from silk much finer than ours. From now on, we’ll braid and tie your hair with this.”
“Thank you! Bokhee, Eonnyeon, thank you for staying with me!”
“Aw!”
Choa hugged them tightly, and both of them blushed and laughed.
From then on, Choa, full of happiness, explored, touched, smelled, and tasted everything, enjoying the outdoor play.
Of course, at one point,
“Ugh, eugh!”
“Baby Choa! Don’t eat dirt—it’ll make your tummy hurt! Spit it out, quick! Here, here, spit, spit!”
Though the dirt tasted awful!
“Yuck… eugh!”
“See? Why would you eat that! Can’t live like this, really!”
“Ugh, Choa, that’s quite the bitter life lesson.”
“What did you say? Hahaha!”
A gust of laughter swept through Choa, Eonnyeon, and Bokhee.
“Now, look, Baby Choa.”
Suddenly, Eonnyeon pointed to the grass, guiding Choa there.
Choa widened her eyes and turned her head in every direction to follow.
“This is a wild raspberry flower. This is clover. Even if they’re all white, they’re all different.”
Beneath the flowers, a bright red fruit glistened enticingly.
“This is a strawberry.”
Eonnyeon plucked it and gently placed it into Choa’s mouth.
At first, the texture was soft. Then came a tangy, sour zing, followed by a subtle sweetness that hit her senses.
Choa’s eyebrows scrunched slightly in delight.
“How does it taste?”
“Ah! It’s a little sour, but…”
Her eyes lit up.
“Mmm, it tastes like it could turn into something really delicious!”
Ding-ding-ding…
In that instant, ideas for dishes using strawberries flashed through Choa’s mind.
“Something that could become delicious?”
“Yes. It’s on the tip of my tongue… hmm…”
Eonnyeon and Bokhee watched Choa’s sparkling eyes as she imagined different things, narrowing their eyes in curiosity and tilting their heads.
‘Well… it’s probably nothing.’
They soon shrugged it off.
‘Still, how can our Baby Choa be this cute? I wish I could paint this scene and preserve it.’
Eonnyeon picked up a twig and traced Choa’s shape on the ground with a gentle smile.
“Now, let’s eat!”
At that moment, Bokhee, having just finished setting up the lunch, called to Choa and Eonnyeon.
Excited, Choa flapped her arms and hopped toward the lunch.
“Food!!! Please!!”
Seeing her tiny hands reaching out, Bokhee picked up a triangle-shaped rice ball to hand over.
“This is made by Choa!”
Choa wanted to eat what she had made herself, pointing with her hand.
Bokhee reluctantly handed the triangular rice balls to Choa.
“Alright, now, try it.”
“Yum!!”
Choa immediately took a big bite.
“How does it taste, Baby Choa?”
“Delicious… nom nom.”
Choa smiled widely, happily chewing her rice balls, filling her cheeks.
‘Truly amazing…’
While Choa busily ate, Bokhee quietly observed the neat triangular rice balls made by her small hands.
“Try making them again, just once more.”
“Again?”
“How can the size and shape be so uniform? And she makes them faster than us…”
Choa’s tiny hands repeatedly molded the rice, and it was hard to believe such an innocent child could make them so perfectly.
‘Our Baby Choa… is she a genius?’
Eonnyeon glanced at Choa with a doubtful look, then chuckled at her own thoughts.
‘Just making nurungji snacks and rice balls… am I overthinking it?’
She picked up one of Choa’s triangular rice balls and popped it into her mouth.
“Hmm?!”
The next moment, her eyes widened in surprise.
‘The taste… is subtly different.’
She had thought it only looked pretty, but the flavor was slightly different. Bokhee’s rice balls were a bit compressed, but Choa’s retained the texture of each individual grain.
“T-tastes really good…!”
Eonnyeon exclaimed in genuine admiration.
Bokhee looked at her, and Eonnyeon swallowed with a delighted expression.
“The rice balls Baby Choa made are incredible. The grains… the grains… Wait, you try it too.”
Eonnyeon quickly fed one of Choa’s triangular rice balls to Bokhee.
Bokhee’s eyes widened as well.
“Mm!”
“Delicious, right? Delicious!”
“Mmm!”
Bokhee could barely speak, covering her mouth, while Eonnyeon stomped her feet in excitement.
Bokhee stared at the rice ball for a moment, then suddenly asked Choa,
“By the way, Baby Choa, why did you make them triangular?”
“So they fit perfectly in your mouth. Easy to eat!”
“…!”
A mix of admiration and astonishment crossed Bokhee and Eonnyeon’s faces.
‘She even thought about how to eat them? She’s only six!’
‘Our Baby Choa really might be a genius.’
While they marveled, a small, cute sound came from somewhere.
“Chirp chirp—”
Baby chicks.
“Huh? What’s that sound?”
Bokhee turned her head and saw a flock of yellow chicks approaching through the grass.
