Vol. 3 Chapter 73 – Side Story 2: Cooing, Cookie Part 5  

Translated by Springlila

“Wahhh… Amazing.”

It wasn’t my voice. It was an exclamation from Dae-ryong, who was standing between Lim Dae-han and me. This was a land of adventure and mystery where I, Lim Dae-han, and Dae-ryong stood side by side. Exciting songs were played, and people couldn’t stop laughing. I looked at the amusement park in front of me, which resembled a castle. Dae-ryong, who was holding my hand, wrinkled his nostrils and pressed his lips together.

He was usually a quiet child, but today he became very energetic. Because he wanted to run, his feet kept getting ahead of us. He was a child who didn’t normally expend so much energy, but today he was trying to pull us recklessly, which was embarrassing. Lim Dae-han strengthened the hand that held Dae-ryong. Then Dae-ryong stopped to his feet and turned to face me. He closed his eyes and looked up sadly. But I couldn’t help myself. There were not only a few children his age at the amusement park, and it would be disastrous if he got lost. It wasn’t a playground in front of the house, and it was too wide.

I made eye contact with Dae-ryong.

“… Dae-ryong, you have to go hand in hand with your brothers.”

“Yes…”

Dae-ryong quickly lost strength when I took Lim Dae-han’s side. Unfortunately, there was nothing I could do. Dae-ryong wiggled his little hand and tightly gripped Lim Dae-han’s hand. He clearly gave me strength, but he no longer had the ability to pull us like before.

I bought a free pass, but there was nothing Dae-ryong could ride. Even on rides with children lined up, he did not reach or exceed the 110 cm limit. What was it like visiting an amusement park when you were 107 cm tall? He could have been a little taller in sneakers, but he couldn’t.

“…”

Dae-ryong, who still desired to ride a thrilling ride in his own way, eventually collapsed on the bench because he couldn’t. Lim Dae-han approached such Dae-ryong, clasped his hands behind him, and shook his body from side to side. I sat next to Dae-ryong and brushed his hair, which had sunk in.

“Dae-ryong…”

Dae-ryong nodded, his chin tucked tightly. I wasn’t sure whether his cheeks were puffy or fat. It resembled a soft sticky rice cake.

“You can ride on the merry-go-round.”

“…Okay.” “Would you like to ride the merry-go-round with your brothers?”

I took hold of Dae-ryong’s small hand and tilted my head and asked. Lim Dae-han also tilted his head. Dae-ryong grabbed my finger and released it. I raised my hand and touched his cheek as if I was playing with my hand. It was also soft.

“Dae-ryong.”

Lim Dae-han called Dae-ryong. His legs were swinging out on the bench. Dae-ryong looked up at Dae-han just then.

“Let’s go on the merry-go-round.”

“Yes?”

“If there are a lot of people waiting, I will carry you, so let’s go.”

He then knelt in front of Dae-ryong. Dae-ryong, who was sitting on the bench, got up and walked down to the ground when he spread his arms out. He walked in a short stride to Dae-ryong and Lim Dae-han, who hugged and raised Dae-ryong. He then approached the merry-go-round, where people were lining up, without hesitation. I also kept up with Lim Dae-han.

I wasn’t bored even while waiting in line. Dae-ryong was in Lim Dae-han’s arms when he came down to the ground and begged me to carry him again. I said it was fine for me to carry him, but Lim Dae-han hugged Dae-ryong while looking up and down my body. He had to be laughing at me.

I nodded my head and hummed the song that was playing. Because there were so many people riding at the same time, the wait was brief. Lim Dae-han took a step back when it was our turn to ride.

“You two go ride.”

Dae-ryong, who was holding Lim Dae-han’s pants, looked up at me without saying anything, which I believe was due to his shyness. I alternated between watching Dae-ryong and Lim Dae-han. Lim Dae-han bit his lower lip, then bowed his head and covered his eyes with his hand.

Dae-ryong insisted that the three of us ride together, so I took Dae-ryong and rode it, and Lim Dae-han climbed on the back. To be honest, I was embarrassed. People laughed as they passed by because Dae-ryong had said that the three of them wanted to ride together at one point.

Dae-ryong was held in my arms and waved to people he didn’t even know. “Hyung, look over there,” he said, taking my hand in his. “Over there, hyung…” To be honest, I was a little shy because I was already 19 years old young man. I looked back slowly. Lim Dae-han was unable to even raise his head. He was just holding on to the pole that turned the wooden horse with his ears dyed bright red and his lips curled up.

“…”

“…”

My eyes met Lim Dae- han’s. The unrealistic, fantasy-like atmosphere of an amusement park returned to me. Lim Dae-han, who came to the amusement park for me and Dae-ryong while trying not to die of shame, was someone I liked. I smiled as I waved my hand at Lim Dae-han. Lim Dae-han, who was holding the pillar, slowly let go. He then smiled as he looked at me.

When we finally got off the carousel, Lim Dae-han appeared and held Dae-ryong.

“Stand in the front. Let’s take a picture.”

It wasn’t a recommendation, it was almost like a command. Dae-ryong, who was holding my hand, said, “I want to pee…”

“Dae-han, Dae-ryong wants to go to the bathroom.”

“Take a picture, then go.” “Okay…”

Dae-ryong took my hand and led me to the front of the merry-go-round. Lim Dae-han pulled out his phone. “I’ll take the picture.” One, two, three… Following the counting, I heard the sound of taking pictures. Dae-ryong gripped my hand firmly. “Once again.” When I was younger, I didn’t want to take pictures on family vacations, but Dae-han was like my parents at the time. Dae-ryong said he needed to use the restroom, but instead clings to my leg and draws a V on his face.

“Dae-han, you take it too.”

He shook his head when I proposed to him. What the hell? He doesn’t want to take a picture, but he wanted that us do so. I handed Dae-ryong over to Lim Dae-han and asked the girls my age as they passed by. It was just because they were passing by.

“Excuse me, can you take a picture for me?”

“Oh…”

They cast a glance at Lim Dae-han. She then nodded and smiled awkwardly. I approached quickly, and the three of us stood together. We took a couple of pictures and took my phone awkwardly and shyly. Dae-ryong twisted his legs after he and Lim Dae-han took a few pictures together.

“Hyung, I… pee…”

“Ah.”

Lim Dae-han embraced Dae-ryong and lifted him up. He could hold him and go to the bathroom faster than he could match Dae-ryong’s stride. I followed Lim Dae-han and sat on a bench near the restroom. I breathed deeply. In the front, there was a photo booth that took pictures with stickers. A couple came out from a small booth. They laughed as they looked at their pictures together.

“Haaa…”

It was tough.

Physical exhaustion was no joke. I sat motionless, my body drooping. I was curious about how my parents traveled with my brother and me. It was extremely difficult. Of course, it was nice to see Dae-ryong smiling and enjoying himself.

Dae-ryong and Dae-han came out from the bathroom at the same time. Despite seeing me, the two entered a toy store without approaching me. Then they disappeared for a while. Of course, it would have been nice to have had a little more time to rest, but wouldn’t it be too much if they didn’t come out?

The two appeared as I was leaning toward the toy store. Dae-ryong let go of Lim Dae-han’s hand and ran to me with a short stride.

“Hehe…”

Then he smiled shyly and held out a bunny ear headband to me. Dae-ryong was wearing a tiger ears headband. Lim Dae-han secretly hid what was in his hand.

“What are you?”

Lim Dae-han extended his headband in front of me after hearing my words. It was a bright red ribbon headband. Dae-ryong was excited and shouted that he had chosen it. Why did Dae-han hyung act like that? I wanted to ask, but Dae-ryong’s cheeks were too adorable, so I stroked them a few times.

“Do you want to wear this and take a picture in that?”

Lim Dae-han frowned when I pointed to the sticker photo booth with my hand. Dae-ryong remained motionless because he didn’t know what it was. “I’m taking pictures,” he replied, smiling as he pretended to hold a camera in both hands.

I simply wore a bunny headband with large ears. I lifted my chin and pointed to Lim Dae-han. Lim Dae-han frowned while wearing a ribbon headband. They didn’t seem to fit together well, and they seemed to fit together strangely.

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