Chapter 196

"What's so funny? Stop laughing."

Jaegyeom and Yoon Taehee returned to the car with snacks. Yoon Taehee had been chuckling non-stop on the way back, causing Jaegyeom to squint at him.

'Sir, smoothies are cold drinks, so they can't be served hot...'

In Jaegyeom's hand was a cold strawberry yogurt smoothie, evidence that he had been caught not knowing what a smoothie was. If Yoon Taehee hadn't provoked him by teasingly asking, "Do you know the cafe menu?" this wouldn't have happened.

Yoon Taehee was still chuckling.

Seriously, did he swallow helium or something?

Jaegyeom felt irritated. Annoyed by Yoon Taehee's shoulder-shaking laughter, he clenched his fist and punched his arm.

"I said stop laughing."

"Ow." Yoon Taehee clutched his arm, playfully exaggerating his pain.

"Did you buy something for me too?"

Just then, Shin Jihye, who had been lying in the back seat, removed her eye mask and asked in a drowsy voice. Jaegyeom handed her the snacks from the bag and the drinks in the carrier.

"Why did you buy so much? I only needed walnut cookies."

"The rest is for me to eat."

Jaegyeom mumbled, scratching his cheek.

"You're going to eat all of this? Have you been starving for days?"

"No, I haven't..."

"What... Is your dream job to be a competitive eater?"

"What's that..."

Yoon Taehee, having shaken off his remaining laughter from Jaegyeom's punch, started the engine again. There was no time to waste. They needed to hurry to catch the ferry.

The black sedan left the rest area and returned to the highway.

In the smooth ride, Jaegyeom started with the baby potatoes. After exchanging a few words with Jaegyeom, Shin Jihye put her eye mask back on and began to snore. Jaegyeom stabbed a potato with a disposable fork. He popped it whole into his mouth.

The buttered baby potato was delicious and savory.

"Is it good?"

"Yeah."

"Let me try some."

At Yoon Taehee's words, Jaegyeom picked out a reasonably sized potato and stabbed it with his fork.

As he was about to hand the fork to Yoon Taehee, Yoon Taehee casually opened his mouth, saying "Ah," as if asking to be fed. Jaegyeom's hand holding the fork flinched.

Well, since he's driving, it's better to feed him...

Although it felt slightly awkward, Jaegyeom fed Yoon Taehee the potato.

"How is it?"

"Mm, it's good."

Jaegyeom secretly watched Yoon Taehee's jaw muscles move as he chewed.

"Can I have one more?"

"No, it's okay."

As expected, Yoon Taehee had a small appetite.

After finishing all the baby potatoes, Jaegyeom took out a hot bar of fish cake. The hot bar, which he had bought with ketchup already applied, looked very appetizing. Jaegyeom stared at it before taking a big bite. The combination of the chewy fried fish cake and ketchup was very satisfying.

"Is it good?"

"Yeah."

Jaegyeom brought the hot bar he was eating close to Yoon Taehee's mouth. It was an invitation to try it. Just as Yoon Taehee slightly opened his mouth to take a bite, the car suddenly shook. At the same time, Jaegyeom's hand holding the skewer jerked, smearing it all over Yoon Taehee's mouth. It happened in an instant.

Yoon Taehee turned his head to look at Jaegyeom with a bewildered expression. Because the fish cake had been generously covered in ketchup, Yoon Taehee's nose and chin were now smeared with it.

"..."

"..."

As Jaegyeom looked at Yoon Taehee's blank expression and ketchup-covered face, he burst into laughter without realizing it. He threw his head back and let out a loud "Hahaha!"

The more he looked, the funnier it became, and Jaegyeom roared with laughter, still holding the hot bar. Yoon Taehee stared at the laughing Jaegyeom. He had never seen him laugh like this before. The boy laughing with his face scrunched up looked just his age.

"Wipe it off."

"It's a waste, just lick it off."

"What? Lick what off...?"

Yoon Taehee, who had been dumbfounded, finally let out a chuckle. Seeing Jaegyeom laugh made him want to laugh too. The two laughed like awkward boys, looking at each other and giggling. Earlier, it was Yoon Taehee who kept laughing, but this time it was Jaegyeom who couldn't stop.

In the end, Yoon Taehee found a wet wipe and cleaned the ketchup off his chin himself.

Jaegyeom, who had been giggling non-stop, slightlv opened the passenger window to try and stop laughing. The scenery rushing by revealed unnamed mountain ridges.

A pleasant breeze rushed in through the gap in the window.

Even though he deliberately turned his gaze outward, he kept finding himself chuckling. When Yoon Taehee was laughing at the rest stop, Jaegyeom had wondered why he was laughing so much over nothing.

But now, in this moment, Jaegyeom could understand why Yoon Taehee had laughed like that.

As he felt the breeze, Jaegyeom suddenly noticed his heart pounding. For some reason, he felt elated and excited. This sensation, long forgotten, felt familiar yet strangely new.

It was the feeling of 'enjoyment'.

Jaegyeom was enjoying himself right now.

***

After driving for a long time, they finally arrived in Yeosu.

As soon as they reached Yeosu, located at the southern tip of Jeollanam-do, a faint scent of the sea could be detected. Shin Jihye, who had slept well and woken up, was now wide-eyed, looking out the window. She lowered the window and sniffed the sea air. Her eyes sparkled with a strange vitality and energy.

Yoon Taehee drove straight to the Yeosu Coastal Ferry Terminal. Fortunately, they arrived in time for the ferry. After parking the car in the Yeosu port parking lot, Yoon Taehee took out the luggage and wheelchair from the trunk. Since they couldn't take the car to the island, they had no choice but to leave it in the parking lot for a few days while they visited the island.

With the sea right in front of them, seagulls were flying in the sky, and the salty sea breeze was distinct.

Yoon Taehee opened the back door and unfolded the wheelchair, placing it close to the car. Shin Jihye grabbed the car door handle and plopped herself onto the wheelchair. Her legs were carefully covered with a blanket.

The three headed into the terminal to board the ferry.

Yoon Taehee carried all the luggage. Despite carrying two bags and pulling a carrier, which must have been heavy, he showed no signs of strain.

Jaegyeom followed behind Yoon Taehee, pushing Shin Jihye's wheelchair.

The three boarded the ferry heading to Geoyeo Island.

To reach Geoyeo Island, they had to pass through several other islands, which would take about two hours. For Jaegyeom, who was seeing a large ship in person and boarding one for the first time, everything was fascinating. He turned his head this way and that, looking around curiously.

Booo~

With a loud horn blast, the ferry began to cut through the waves.

The mainland gradually receded. Jaegyeom stood at the ship's railing, gazing at the vast expanse of sea and blue sky. Standing in the middle of the ocean, looking at the wide sky, a strange resonance spread like a wave through his usually calm heart. Before he knew it, a smile had formed on Jaegyeom's lips.

After staring at the sea in a daze for a long time, he suddenly turned his gaze.

He heard a commotion from somewhere. Looking towards the noisy area, he saw a group of people feeding seagulls at the opposite railing. They were holding shrimp-flavored crackers. When they stretched out their arms with the crackers, seagulls swooping around the ferry would snatch them away.

The people squealed and eagerly offered more crackers to the seagulls.

Jaegyeom watched the scene with curious eyes.

"Want to try?"

Just then, Yoon Taehee, who had been with Shin Jihye, approached and asked kindly.

"I'm good."

Jaegyeom shook his head, quickly putting on an indifferent expression. At that, Yoon Taehee disappeared somewhere without a word, only to return shortly after with a bag of shrimp crackers.

When asked where he got them, he said there was a shop inside the ferry. Jaegyeom reluctantly took a handful of shrimp crackers.

Jaegyeom held out his hand with the shrimp crackers over the railing. Instantly, a seagull snatched the cracker away. His eyes widened as he exclaimed,

"Whoa!" and then looked at Yoon Taehee as if to say,

"Did you see that?"

"Whoa! Oh! Its beak touched my hand!"

Jaegyeom grabbed his own hand and spoke with unusual excitement.

Jaegyeom, who had always appeared listless and indifferent, was now vividly animated. Yoon Taehee stared at him, as if entranced by this sight.

"..."

With a slightly flushed face, looking down at his hand in amazement, he looked just like a young boy. The lively appearance of the boy left an indescribable impression on Yoon Taehee. The feeling of being alive and breathing. Your soft hair flutters in the sea breeze. Yoon Taehee suddenly felt a tightness in his chest.

Just then, Jaegyeom rushed towards Yoon Taehee.

With quick movements, he placed a shrimp cracker on top of Yoon Taehee's head. A seagull, spotting the food, swooped down. As Yoon Taehee reflexivelyjerked his head back with surprised eyes, Jaegyeom burst into laughter, his face scrunching up.

"I'll get a bald spot."

"Just cover it with charcoal."

Jaegyeom looked extremely happy.

Everything was a first for him - riding a ferry, going to an island, feeding seagulls, being in the middle of the ocean. He thought he should tell the kids everything when he got home. He wanted to ride a ferry again.

Next time, it would be nice to come with Mesani and Jeongju.

As he thought this, Jaegyeom paused unconsciously.

Next time.

Again next time.

At some point, Jaegyeom had naturally started looking forward to 'next time'.