Chapter 224 – 224 – Happy Mother-Daughter-Sister Rice Bowl (2)
6 AM.
“Ugh… ah.”
Yoon Na-eun let out a soft groan, stirring awake.
A small room.
Looking out the window, she saw the landscape was still slightly dark.
But unlike the outside scenery, her body and mind felt incredibly refreshed.
“Keuheung…”
Rustle-
Getting out of bed and tidying up her bedding, Yoon Na-eun stretched lightly and headed to the bathroom.
Lately, she had been feeling like her condition was improving remarkably day by day.
No, ‘improving’ wasn’t enough to describe it.
Just a few months ago, she could feel her body getting more tired with each passing day, but recently, it was the opposite.
With each day, her mind was getting sharper, her body lighter, and her spirit clearer.
Looking in the bathroom mirror, she saw her younger self’s face. Her skin had become very clear, and the wrinkles that had appeared a few years ago had disappeared again.
“What’s really going on…”
Yoon Na-eun touched her face.
The women working at her gukbap restaurant often joked that she was getting younger and rejuvenating, but now she realized it wasn’t a joke, but the truth.
After washing her face in the bathroom, Yoon Na-eun looked at herself in the mirror again.
Smile-
For the first time in a while, she smiled brightly at herself in the mirror.
A very beautiful and radiant smile came from her reflection.
‘Me, I’m being ridiculous…’
Realizing that she was acting out of character for her age, Yoon Na-eun shook her head with a slightly flushed face.
She quickly dried her face with a towel and came out of the bathroom.
Thump-
Beep-
She sat on the sofa in the living room and turned on the TV as usual.
[I like you! Love has nothing to do with age… don’t you know?]
As expected, it was early morning, and some strange drama was playing.
Yoon Na-eun chuckled as she watched the drama.
Normally, even if she woke up this early, she would have to get ready for work and leave the house soon, but now that she was on vacation, she didn’t have to do that at all.
That psychological comfort was very nice.
‘Come to think of it, I’ve been working too much…’
Waking up early to go to work, and only getting off work late at night.
Although people were nice to her, working over 12 hours almost every day was bound to exhaust her body and mind.
Even though she received extra pay and had weekends off, sometimes they would ask her to come to work even on her days off.
Two days on the weekend were hardly enough to soothe her tired body and mind.
Above all, the psychological stress of not being able to do much for her beloved daughters also played a part.
She had been living like that for almost 20 years, so now she felt like she wanted to rest a bit.
‘Still, it’s a relief these days.’
Her body and mind were tired and it was very difficult, but things had gotten much better recently.
Not only was her condition improving, but more than anything, her two daughters were doing so well.
It felt like she was being rewarded for all the hard work she had done.
Her eldest, Yujeong, was now a cafe manager and was earning a much higher salary than she was, and Dajeong’s manga was winning awards in competitions.
And at the center of it all was the cafe owner, Cheon Jin-hyeon.
He was the one who hired Yujeong and paid her a lot, and he was also the one who helped Dajeong draw her manga in a comfortable and good environment.
She heard that he even connected her to the BGM for her manga through his connections, and she couldn’t be more grateful.
After meeting him in person and talking to him, she thought he was a very mature and upright person.
She could trust him enough to leave her two daughters’ lives in his hands.
Of course, that didn’t mean there were no problems at all…
Squeak-
“Uwoong, haaam…”
“Yujeong-ah, Dajeong-ah. Are you awake?”
“Haaam… Ah, Mom. Did you sleep well too?”
“Of course, I slept well. You woke up early today?”
Her two daughters woke up at the same time and came out of their rooms, yawning.
How could they have grown up so beautifully?
“Yeah. I have to go out for lunch later, so I’m going to draw some manga beforehand.”
“I’m going out with Dajeong too. I’ll get some things done before that.”
Yoon Na-eun asked at her two daughters’ words.
“Are you going to see that owner again today?”
“Yeah.”
“Yep!”
Her two daughters nodded at the same time in response to her question.
‘As expected…’
Yoon Na-eun swallowed a complex feeling inside as she watched them.
The problem was that, no matter how she thought about it, her two daughters seemed to like the cafe owner at the same time.
She had felt it when talking to her daughters normally and when they went on movie dates, but now it was really certain.
Of course, as someone who had met the owner herself, there was no reason to stop her daughters from dating him.
In fact, it was something to welcome, but… that was only if it was one person, but if it was two, it became a bit complicated.
At first, she briefly thought that it was possible for them to like one man as if they were competing. However, after thinking about it carefully, her thoughts changed a bit.
Yujeong and Dajeong had recently become closer, and she worried that if it turned into a love fight, their relationship could be ruined in an instant.
And that wasn’t all.
If they were both rejected, they could at least comfort each other, but if he sided with one of them, one of them might be greatly hurt and frustrated.
Fortunately, her two daughters were still naive, so it didn’t seem like they had made much progress.
They hadn’t had the time to date because they had been working so hard until now.
However, Yoon Na-eun had a slightly uneasy feeling, thinking about what might happen in the future.
While she was worrying about the two of them, Dajeong, who had finished washing her face and brushing her teeth, opened her mouth.
“But Mom, you know.”
“Yes, honey. What is it?”
“Do you want to go out with us today?”
“Together?”
Yoon Na-eun tilted her head at her daughter’s sudden suggestion.
“You’re going to see that owner, right?”
“Yeah, that’s right. Hehe.”
“Wouldn’t I be in the way if I go with you?”
It was obvious that today wasn’t for drawing, but for dating.
It was the same yesterday.
Even though it wasn’t Yujeong’s day to work at the cafe on Saturday, Dajeong and Yujeong went out together and came back at the same time.
“No way, you’re not in the way at all! And Mom, you said you’d buy us something delicious if we brought Jin-hyeon oppa. Let’s do that today!”
“Hmm… still, it’s too sudden. Wouldn’t that oppa be troubled if I go?”
“No, it’s okay. Oppa said he wanted to talk to you more too.”
He said he wanted to talk to me?
“That oppa did?”
“Uh, uh? Yeah. Ah, anyway! It’s okay if Mom comes. It doesn’t matter at all.”
“Is that so…?”
“Ah, if you’re worried, I’ll call oppa beforehand. How’s that?”
“Ah, okay. That would be good.”
She was going to refuse because it seemed like she was interfering with her daughters’ date, but Dajeong’s claim was firm.
When she nodded, Dajeong immediately took out her phone, pressed 1, and made a call.
“Ah, oppa! Yes, hehe. Did you sleep well? That’s today…”
Even though the phone had only been ringing for a short time, the other person answered right away.
Dajeong spoke in a voice full of nasal tones. The happy smile on her face didn’t disappear throughout the conversation.
She hadn’t even gotten to the main point yet, but Dajeong laughed and talked for about 15 minutes.
‘She must really like him a lot.’
When the call got longer, she said, “Mom, just a moment?” and went into her room, and even inside the room, she could still hear the sound of her talking on the phone.
“Hey, hey, let me talk to him too. Huh?”
“Unnie too? Yeah, should I? Hee, just a moment. Oppa! Unnie wants to talk to you. Yes, yes. Here.”
“Ah, thank you.”
Yujeong even joined the call in the middle, and of course, her voice also sounded very happy.
Could they be that happy?
Yoon Na-eun smiled softly as she listened to her daughters’ laughter in the living room.
She was happy just hearing her two daughters’ cheerful voices.
But, strangely.
Suddenly, as she was reminded of herself watching TV alone in the living room, she felt a slight loneliness.
‘Ah.’
Why all of a sudden…
Yoon Na-eun shook her head, trying to shake off the sudden feeling of loneliness.
Maybe it was because she had been working and then got a vacation.
Before, she had been too busy to feel lonely, but now that she was on vacation, maybe that was why.
Yesterday, she had been home all day, but her two daughters had gone out on a date all day and then came back, so maybe that was why…
‘No, let’s not think about it.’
Yoon Na-eun shook her head.
She wasn’t lonely as long as she had her two beloved daughters.
But…
‘What if my daughters get married and have kids later?’
Her daughters couldn’t stay by her side forever.
The day would come when they would marry the people they loved and start their own families.
When that happened, they would naturally leave her.
Then, would she really be alone?
‘Ah.’
Just as her heart began to ache at the thought, Dajeong suddenly burst open the door.
“Mom!”
Slightly surprised, she looked at Dajeong, who said with a bright smile.
“Oppa said it’s okay if Mom comes too!”
“Oh? Oh, is that so…?”
“Yep!”
“What time are you meeting?”
“11:30! We’re meeting in front of the cafe. Hehe.”
Dajeong was smiling brightly.
Yoon Na-eun looked at her daughter and tried to erase the worries about loneliness again.
