Three Peaches (2)

What could be Hwangdo's favorite food?

"Hmm, hum hum~"

Hwangdo, who was sticking close to me with her arms crossed, immediately made cute eye contact upon feeling my gaze.

"What, brother?"

"Do you have a favorite food?"

As an adult, Hwangdo would make a fuss about anything I did for her, making it hard to tell what she really liked to eat.

More of a type who enjoyed cooking for others rather than eating herself?

I knew her tastes well enough to consider skewered chicken, but somehow, it felt wrong to just offer that when we've gone out to eat.

"Ummm~"

Hwangdo stroked her chin with her finger.

"Ah!"

She uncrossed her arms, made a fist with one hand, and placed it on her palm with a 'thud'.

"Food to eat with brother Dowon?"

"..."

This mischievous little thing.

I was just as consistent as a tree.

While patting Hwangdo's head that clung to my right arm, I finally thought of a restaurant.

"How about a buffet?"

"A buffet? There's no such place in Dowon…"

"Of course, we have to go outside."

"Wow! Outside!?"

Hwangdo's eyes sparkled at the mention of going outside.

Even though she's smiling broadly, the corners of her mouth quivered with excitement.

"Are we really going outside?"

"Of course~"

"Brother, I love you!"

-Wow!

Hwangdo screamed in delight and hugged my waist tightly.

Nothing was more satisfying than seeing someone happy with their gift, and that's exactly how I feel right now.

"But going outside will take a while… Is it okay not to tell the sisters?"

There's always a way.

It's been a long time since I memorized various coordinates outside while helping with Hongyeon's tasks to make going out easier.

I straightened Hwangdo's hair and summoned my magic.

"Brother?"

"Close your eyes and count to 10."

"Why?"

"Then you'll be at the outside that you like."

Taking my word for it, Hwangdo covered her eyes with her hands and began to count.

"It's less dizzying if you cover your eyes."

I gently wrapped my right hand around her eyes to ensure she wouldn't remove them.

"One, two, three…"

Spatial magic.

I demonstrated the magic I had learned from Hwangdo to her.

-Flash!

The sensation of floating. Hwangdo was surprised and shook her shoulders.

When I wrapped my hands around her trembling shoulders, she finally stopped shaking and seemed to calm down.

"Is it done, brother?"

"Now you can open your eyes."

Hwangdo muttered with anxiety in her voice and slowly removed her hands covering her eyes, like the moon emerging from behind clouds.

The sight that unfolded before young Hwangdo's eyes must have seemed magical to her.

"Wow!"

Dirt floors transformed into blocks.

Brightly blooming peach flowers turned into street trees.

The faint smell of the city and the sound of car horns filled the air.

For Hwangdo, who had spent her entire life secluded in the mountains with little exposure to the outside world, the real cityscape was a sight to behold.

"How is it?"

Hwangdo couldn't say anything and just opened her mouth wide, observing the cityscape, flapping her hands like a penguin searching for its mother.

"...Brother."

Gulp.

Hwangdo swallowed her saliva. A drop of sweat rolled down her cheek, and her pupils scanned the surroundings rapidly.

"I, I want to go to many places."

"Then we should go."

"There are so many things I want to buy, that…"

"I'll buy them for you."

"Really? But-"

"Let's eat first and then take our time looking around."

Hwangdo, as if she had met the savior of her life, looked at me with clasped hands and a face full of awe.

"…I have nothing to give to brother."

"It's okay, you'll give me enough later."

"Really?"

In fact, I had already received a lot.

The value of the magic I learned from Hwangdo alone was worth billions.

I'd feel guilty if I didn't pay her back in this way.

'But does my action now affect the present, and will I remain in Hwangdo's memory?'

Suddenly curious, I quietly called upon the World Tree of Time.

[....]

No answer. Well, it's a sensitive topic, so I should be careful with my words.

I shouldn't have asked. Sorry.

I snapped out of my reverie and led the way to a restaurant I had seen before.

-Tap, tap, tap!

Left foot, left foot, right foot. Right foot.

I ran with a hop-skip pattern, changing feet mid-way, something I often did when I was younger.

Hwangdo followed the path I took.

Since Hwangdo and I were dressed in casual clothes suitable for Dowon, some passersby gave us curious looks.

"That outfit is so pretty… It's just like what I saw in a magazine."

Despite those gazes, Hwangdo only had eyes for me and the city.

-Tap tap.

This time, Hwangdo tugged on my arm and squealed.

Pointing ahead, there was a fountain shaped like a tree.

"Brother, look at that! That fountain!"

A fountain where water poured out from knots.

The tree's shape was sculpted so explicitly it could remind one of a female body.

"Wow… that's a bit risqué."

"Risqué?"

"Oops! You don't like such jokes?"

Men went crazy for it.

I've always been confident, but Hwangdo could surely attract a good man without my help.

Of course, when that man's time comes to die was another question.

"No, well, I do like mildly risqué jokes."

"Then, does brother also look at those magazines?"

Those magazines? Was she referring to Maxim or something similar?

I had never seen an adult magazine in this world.

At most, I glanced at the covers while passing by.

But… why did this conversation turn out this way?

I was about to say I've seen them, but then I realized the topic was strange and closed my mouth.

'What kind of conversation am I having with a minor?'

Fortunately, we arrived at the restaurant, and I could divert Hwangdo's attention elsewhere.

"Table for two? I'll show you to your table."

After finding a seat in the restaurant, we began picking out food on our plates.

Hwangdo insisted on trying everything, claiming all her desired foods were here.

Could she really finish all that?

Hwangdo, unable to control herself, spread out food five times her size on the table.

Chicken, pasta, fried rice, pizza, steak, French fries, and even ramen, which she usually doesn't eat.

"I really wanted to try cola, lots of it."

"Really?"

-Glug glug.

Hwangdo sipped the cola through a straw, shivered, and then hit the table.

"Wow…"

The fizzing carbonation caused quite the excitement.

Next, she savored a piece of chicken.

"Mmm!"

A nasal hum came out.

Next was the pizza. Biting the triangular edge and stretching her hand outwards, the hot cheese pulled along.

"Ugh~!"

An immediate reaction burst forth.

Judging by the speed of eating, it seemed she wouldn't last long. Watching her meal with this thought, Hwangdo's appetite was extraordinary.

"It's really delicious, brother. Try this too!"

"Uh, okay."

Was the modern Hwangdo pretentious?

She had already cleaned out a bowl that was about twice the size of my face.

Eating so graciously and speaking so prettily, I ended up forgetting my meal and watched the foodie Hwangdo's mukbang as if it were a direct cam.

-Meow meow!

As if hearing such sound effects in my head.

The meal ended really intensely and quickly, as if a typhoon had passed.

"Phew."

Hwangdo, having emptied about three plates, smiled contentedly. Then, belatedly noticing my gaze, her face turned red with embarrassment.

"Was it… strange? I haven't eaten much of this kind of food."

"Not at all."

I was surprised, but that was about it; the rest was rather amusing.

"Really?"

"Yes, really really."

Pulling out a tissue to wipe the spaghetti sauce from Hwangdo's mouth, her cheeks turned even redder as she blinked.

"…Do you do this for other people too?"

"Only for you guys. Why?"

"You've had a lot of trees, haven't you?"

Trees should be referred to as women, was that what she was referring to?

I honestly answered, placing the used tissue where Hwangdo couldn't see.

"One. No, maybe two? What about you?"

I knew she hadn't, but I asked to probe her thoughts. Hwangdo shrugged her shoulders as if it were obvious.

"I haven't met anyone yet."

"Really? At your age, kids outside are usually dating a lot."

Dowon might not, but outside, whether in the world I lived in or this one, precociousness was the norm.

Dating was something even lower-grade elementary students did. In fact, my cousin had his first experience in elementary school. If you look closely, there are many students who have had experiences in middle school.

By high school, the somewhat wild kids all had experiences.

Talking about college would just be a pain.

"I'm going to date only the person I'm going to marry."

"Is that how everyone does it in Dowon?"

"Yes. There are those who… date several people, but honestly, I don't like it."

"Cough, cough."

Dating several people?

I'll take that as two-timing.

Hwangdo's precociousness had already crossed the line into licentiousness and debauchery, which I was well aware of.

It's sad to know that it started from this age.

"I hope it goes well."

"It has to go well! It's my destined person… Surely they're born somewhere, right?"

"Choose carefully, don't get hooked blindly."

"I know everything, okay? There are things you don't know that I do."

So, the one who carefully chose ended up attacking me in my sleep due to her lust.

Recalling that time made my head dizzy.

I sipped my cola, exhaling a sigh just with my breath.

"How was your dating experience, brother?"

Hwangdo, interested in the conversation I initiated, still sipping her cola, made me think.

'Dating.'

The fact that I refused Jin Dallae still lingered in my mind, upsetting me.

Maybe I should tell her about my first dating experience.

It was necessary to explain the cruelty of dating to Hwangdo, whose head was filled with pink thoughts.

"When I was in college, I was really introverted and shy."

"Herbivore? No, you're definitely a nerd!"

"…Let's go with that. Back then, I really had no social skills. I couldn't do anything even at OT or MT. But this girl kept talking to me."

"Kyaaak! And then?"

Like a middle school girl excited to hear her teacher's dating story, Hwangdo laughed cheerfully and urged for the next part.

"What do you think the characteristics of the 'nerd herd' were? If a decent-looking girl talks to them, they fall for her. And in dating, usually, the one who likes more loses."

"That's true."

I was the one who received the confession. Or did I?

Despite using all sorts of means to show my interest, she ended up confessing because I was too timid.

"But we haven't known each other for long. How much can we really know about each other? We just met because we found each other physically attractive and had some hobbies in common."

"Shock!"

Hwangdo's face was filled with anxiety.

Seeing such a reaction made telling the story somewhat amusing.

"That's how the relationship started."

The problem began from there.

"I was always a homebody, so I was awkward in conversation and on dates with girls. At first, she found it cute and liked me, but over time, it seemed like she was getting bored from her perspective."

No matter how eloquent one might be, as time passed and the novelty wore off, it's natural for a relationship to fade if one lacked experience with women.

"The frequency of our dates decreased, and our relationship grew distant. Eventually, I became desperate."

"Oh my…"

We never ended up in a serious relationship.

That's a story for another time, with its own set of problems.

"Clinging to her… Was I just a pushover? It ended with a ghosting breakup."

I didn't bring up the military service here.

There's much more to the story between the lines.

I couldn't speak for others' first relationships, but mine wasn't filled with good memories.

Maybe if I had done better, she might have shown more interest, but now it doesn't matter.

"Do you understand?"

"Sniff. Brother, that's so sad."

"What's there to be sad about?"

"What about the second one?"

The second one…

Since it was a mess from the start, I decided to spare the details.

"Putting that aside, the advice I want to give you is this."

"What is it?"

"Don't give everything up for someone you like."

Everyone knew this, but some didn't.

I was one of them.

"Put yourself first."

"…I'll remember that."

Hwangdo nodded seriously.

Did she really understand my words?

As I stacked the empty plates, I recalled the adult Hwangdo in the current timeline.

"Don't forget."

"Yes, yes!"

"Your life is the most important."

Just in case, I emphasized it again.

I might have stressed the importance of her life unintentionally.

Hwangdo seemed not to grasp my true intentions, but I wanted to say it for my own satisfaction.

With that warning out of the way… let's go buy a gift for Hwangdo.

Finally, after placing the cola glass next to the plate, we got up from our seats and left the restaurant.