The training ground outside the house had been cleaned by the staff a little while ago, making it ready for use at any time.
Hearing this from my mother, I decided to head to the training ground.
Then it happened.
“I want to train with you too!”
“Ye-eun, you too?”
Do-yeun, who had been quietly observing the situation, stayed in her place. But Ye-eun suddenly raised her hand. Judging by the way she was bouncing up and down, it seemed that if I refused, the entire house would soon be filled with her tears.
“Um…”
My mother appeared to have similar concerns. She seemed to be contemplating something. After a moment, she turned to me, seeking my opinion.
‘I can’t help it,’ I thought.
It would be exhausting if Ye-eun whined and became teary-eyed. I decided to humor her and sought Yeon-ha-neul’s approval.
“Ha-neul, is it okay if Ye-eun joins us?”
“Yeah, I’m fine with it. I’d like to play with Ye-eun too!”
“Then it’s settled. Ye-eun, you’ll need to stay quiet and practice alongside Ha-neul without disrupting her training, okay?”
“Yeah! I can do it quietly!”
Thanks to Yeon-ha-neul’s understanding, Ye-eun was allowed to join.
We decided to head to the training ground once we were ready.
“Let’s change our clothes and meet outside. Do you know where the training ground is?”
“Yeah, I saw it on my way here. But where should I change my clothes?”
“Sis, Ye-eun needs to change too, so let’s go to her room.”
“Sister! Come here! Let’s go to my room! Mongshil is in there too!”
“Huh!? Wait…!”
“She’s really something…”
Before we could stop her, Ye-eun grabbed Yeon-ha-neul’s hand and bolted upstairs. My mother and I shared a laugh as we watched them disappear. Then, I headed to my own room to change clothes.
― “Sister! This is Mongshil!”
― “Wow, she’s really gentle.”
Ye-eun’s room was next to mine, and her excited voice carried through the walls. I could hear Yeon-ha-neul’s voice chiming in now and then.
‘They seem to be having fun,’ I thought.
I had no idea what they were doing in there, but while changing into my training clothes, I heard rustling and shuffling sounds from the next room.
― “Hey, where are you touching… Gyaak!”
‘… What on earth are they doing?’
Yeon-ha-neul’s startled cry piqued my curiosity, but I decided to leave it alone.
After getting dressed, I stepped outside to wait for them.
“Mongshil, I’m going to train now,” I said to the overly excited dog, who seemed eager to join me.
Unfortunately, the newly heightened enclosure kept Mongshil from escaping, no matter how enthusiastically he tried.
‘What should I start with? I’ll let him run around the training ground to warm up first,’ I planned, thinking ahead.
Soon, the two of them appeared.
“Sorry, we’re a bit late,” Yeon-ha-neul said, looking apologetic in her gym uniform.
“We’re here!” Ye-eun chimed in cheerfully.
“What took you so long?” I asked.
“It’s because of Ye-eun…”
That answer was enough. It was clear she’d been caught up in Ye-eun’s antics. I nodded in understanding and decided to start the session.
At that moment, Ye-eun spoke up again.
“Oppa! Did you know?”
“Know what?”
“Ha-neul is really amazing! I saw her change—”
“Ye-eun, you don’t need to share that!”
Before she could finish, Yeon-ha-neul clamped a hand over Ye-eun’s mouth, cutting her off.
I stared at them, momentarily speechless. Yeon-ha-neul met my gaze with a sheepish smile.
“What’s wrong? Are we starting or not?” she asked, trying to change the subject.
“…Alright, let’s begin.”
“Woof, woof!” Ye-eun barked in agreement, clearly mimicking Mongshil.
Sensing the implicit message to let the subject drop, I moved on and started the training.
First, we completed ten laps around the training ground.
‘She’s running better than I expected.’
Maybe it was because she was Ain. Despite running behind me, Yeon-ha-neul kept up a steady pace and showed impressive athletic ability.
I was confident in my ability to exercise, but I didn’t realize how hard it would be to use muscles I didn’t normally engage.
“Ugh…”
Yeon-ha-neul groaned as she rubbed the back of her thighs after hours of training.
From my experience, I knew that by tomorrow morning, her butt and legs—strained from squats—would feel bruised and sore.
“You did well for your first time. Next time, let’s try increasing the weight to 40.”
“…Are you serious?”
“If it doesn’t work out, you can lower it. But you need to aim that high if you want to become a hunter.”
“….”
Forty kilograms of squats?
That weight wasn’t far from her body weight. Yeon-ha-neul glared at Do-gyeon-woo, hoping he was joking. She just wanted it to be a joke.
She decided to wash off the sweat from training before heading home.
Just as she was about to leave, Do-gyeon-woo’s mother stepped out of the kitchen.
“I’ve prepared dinner, so wash up and eat before you go. You must be starving after all that training, right?”
Surprised by the unexpected offer, Yeon-ha-neul waved her hands.
“No, I’m fine! I can eat at home.”
She didn’t want to impose any further. Even after repeatedly refusing, she couldn’t win against Do-gyeon-woo’s mother.
“You don’t have to refuse so much. If I send you home without dinner at this late hour, what would your family think of me? Do it for my sake—eat before you leave.”
“…Thank you.”
“Yes! Sister! Let’s eat together!”
Do-gyeon-woo’s mother had a warm and affectionate demeanor, which made it hard to refuse.
Yeon-ha-neul bowed slightly and followed Do-ye-eun to the bathroom.
‘This house is so luxurious…’
At the daycare center, there was only a shower room. But here, they had a large bathtub, like the ones she had only seen in dramas.
As she soaked in the warm water, she felt like she had stepped into a scene from a drama.
It wasn’t that big, but for someone who rarely got to enjoy a bath, it felt extravagant.
“Eight! Eight!”
“Wow, Ye-eun, you…”
At that moment, Do Ye-eun sprayed water, pulling Yeon-ha-neul out of her reverie.
Feeling playful in the warm water, Yeon-ha-neul quickly responded to the joke. Taking care of kids her age at the daycare center was part of her daily routine, so it wasn’t hard to bond with her.
However, Ye-eun had more energy than most kids, requiring Yeon-ha-neul to keep up with her boundless enthusiasm.
On the other hand…
‘Even though she’s so young, she must be from a prestigious family to be able to train like that.’
Ye-eun wasn’t just energetic; she had remarkable stamina. For a seven-year-old, completing training comparable to her own was impressive.
Still, in moments like this—splashing water and giggling—Ye-eun acted her age.
“Eight! Eight!”
“Eight! Eight!”
The playful splashing continued.
After washing up and playing with Ye-eun, Yeon-ha-neul stepped out of the bathroom.
By the time she joined the dining table, Do-gyeon-woo had already bathed and was sitting there. She sat down next to him.
“Mom, where’s Dad?”
“Dad said he’s working late, so he’ll eat outside.”
Yeon-ha-neul listened to the family’s conversation as they ate shabu-shabu.
It was her first time having shabu-shabu, a dish she had only seen in dramas.
‘This is amazing!’
At the daycare center, shabu-shabu wasn’t practical—it needed to be cooked fresh at the table. But now that she was trying it, she was captivated by the way the flavors of meat and vegetables blended together.
The dish left a strong impression on her.
“There’s more, so eat as much as you like. I’ll add kalguksu and fried rice later,” said Do-gyeon-woo’s mother.
“Wow, really?”
“Everyone in this house eats well,” she said with a smile.
“Mom! More meat, please!”
Oh my… Kalguksu and fried rice too?
Shabu-shabu was truly a perfect meal. Yeon-ha-neul’s heart fluttered with excitement.
Then, Ye-eun called out to her.
“Come on, sis!”
“Huh? Oh, thank you.”
Her plate was empty, and Ye-eun used tongs to place food on it.
Ye-eun’s kindness caught her off guard.
“Wow, this is delicious.”
Perhaps because someone else served it for her, the food tasted even better. She savored every bite of the carrots, lettuce, mushrooms, and meat.
“Ye-eun, why are you only taking meat for yourself and giving Ha-neul the vegetables?”
“Huh? Did I?”
“This kid… From now on, eat whatever Mom gives you!”
“Mom is the devil…”
“Then are you the devil’s daughter?”
The two continued to bicker playfully.
Meanwhile, Yeon-ha-neul silently enjoyed her food.
‘Ye-eun doesn’t eat vegetables well. She doesn’t know how delicious they are.’
She thought this to herself as she finished her plate.
At that moment, Do-gyeon-woo reached out.
“Here, eat some meat too.”
“Huh? Oh…thank you.”
He used the tongs to place some meat on her plate.
Yeon-ha-neul couldn’t help but smile.
Somehow, food given by others always tasted better.
That evening, after a satisfying meal, she returned to the daycare center in the car driven by Do-gyeon-woo’s mother.
“Ha-neul, you’re back! Did you have fun?”
“Yes, I had so much fun! And I tried shabu-shabu for the first time at my friend’s house—it was amazing!”
She smiled brightly, her mind already thinking, I want to eat shabu-shabu again.
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