I am back – Chapter 196

I went to work with my older sister early in the morning.

There was a lot to do because we had left the shop empty for about a month, and it was probably covered in dust inside, maybe even more than the other stores. You know, buildings tend to deteriorate quickly if no one lives in them for a long time. I had to hurry and clean up and get the store ready for opening.

Most importantly, we had taken quite a long break. No matter how long my sister held the fort before, and even though I worked there with her for a few months, getting back to the way things were wouldn’t be easy.

I need to work hard.

*

The weather had gotten quite cold, but the subway had cranked the heater way too high, and when I took off my outerwear at the bakery, I was soaked in sweat.

The first thing I did was wipe off the dust inside the store. I mean, what store wouldn’t be like that? But since we were people who sold bread, it should definitely be cleaner than a regular store, right?

Still, I didn’t sweat too much. The heater, which also worked as an air conditioner, didn’t immediately warm up the place, and it would take a while after the warm air started blowing for the store to feel warm. Since I jumped into work as soon as I entered the store filled with cold air, it was only around the time I finished cleaning that the inside of the store gradually started to warm up.

After I had roughly finished cleaning, I grabbed a broom and went outside. The sky was still dark with not a cloud in sight, but there was a thick layer of snow that had fallen overnight.

There were already footprints on the ground, maybe about two people’s worth, not counting ours.

While my sister prepared to bake bread inside, I swept outside to clear off the ground. Luckily, there hadn’t been many people passing by, so the snow hadn’t stuck too much, and I was able to finish quickly.

I had cleared the snow, but the ground was still cold and slippery.

“Hah….”

As I exhaled, white breath rose with my gaze.

At the end of my sight was a construction wall.

The apartment construction still wasn’t finished.

*

After finishing with the snow, I went back inside. The bread was still baking, so it was too early for customers to arrive. The sun hadn’t even risen yet, and it was still dark outside.

As I entered the store, the pleasant aroma of coffee tickled my nose.

“Cold, huh? Hurry up and come in.”

My sister waved from behind the counter with a smile.

I rubbed the soles of my shoes on the mat at the entrance and stepped inside. Coming in from the cold made my nose feel a bit itchy.

“It’s really cold. I haven’t felt this kind of chill in a while.”

As I said this with a smile, my sister nodded her head.

“Right? I thought winter wasn’t that cold, but when I was over there, I really forgot the seasons.”

I quickly went behind the counter. There wasn’t any heater specifically for warming my feet, but the air conditioning/heater attached to the ceiling made it not feel too cold.

I sat on the chair I had brought to the back of the counter.

My sister slid a steaming cup of coffee toward me. The subtle aroma of coffee in the shop suddenly felt like it was right in front of my face.

“Thanks.”

As I carefully held the cup with both hands, the warmth melted the cold tips of my fingers in an instant.

I took a sip of the coffee. It was still a bit bitter for my taste.

But today, for some reason, I just wanted to drink that bitter coffee, so I decided to drink it straight without adding anything.

“…… It’s good.”

I mumbled that while quietly gazing at the desolate early morning street.

It was oddly different from sitting at a café table drinking coffee.

In front of us was a large window showing the outside of the store, and cars passed down the street visible through it. People walked by every once in a while.

The store lights were still off. If I turned them all on, customers might show up before the bread was ready.

I don’t know how long I sat there sipping my coffee.

The cup was almost empty. My slightly dazed morning head was fully awake, and the dark sky was now slowly turning a shade of blue.

More and more people began to pass by in front of the bakery.

“I’ll go check on the oven.”

My sister stood up from her seat.

I got up following her.

As I was about to bring my cup inside, my sister suddenly snatched it from my hands.

“Just sit there. A customer might come in while you’re up.”

The temporary closed sign was still hanging at the shop entrance.

Even though she said that, she probably meant that she just wanted me to rest.

While my sister went inside, I stood up and made my way to the front of the store.

I took down the paper that said, “Closed for personal reasons for a while” that was printed and stuck on there.

The ink on the paper was a bit faded.

*

As my sister brought out the bread, my stomach growled at the delicious smell.

She smiled and offered me a piece of bread.

But I couldn’t just sit there watching my sister work while I munched on bread, so I quickly shoved the bread into my mouth and got to work.

This was all stuff I hadn’t done in ages. To be honest, it felt a bit unfamiliar.

But at the same time, each time I placed a piece of bread in its spot, memories of my previous routine began to surface.

Waking up early every morning, having the meals prepared by my colleagues—

Dana loved learning new recipes, so she was the one who prepared the most.

By the time we were leaving the house, everyone would come out to the entrance to see us off. Sometimes they would come along, saying they had a place they wanted to go too.

I occasionally got messages from my colleagues. Questions like what I wanted for dinner or asking about common knowledge in this world.

At first, my colleagues, who weren’t used to Korean, later sent simple messages in Korean. They sent emoticons too.

And when we finished work and returned home, almost everyone was always gathered waiting for us.

“……”

It was a typical routine, but it felt different from before. The room probably wouldn’t be as lively now.

I guess it would become a nostalgic memory going forward.

……Now that I think about it, I’ve only been to the bakery once.

*

“Hey!”

After the morning customers had left, a familiar face came to visit us.

“Yoori!”

It had been over a month since I last saw her. Well, thinking from the adults’ perspective, it wasn’t that surprising. Some friends are rarely seen more than a few times a year, after all.

But since older sister Yoori was on maternity leave, it had been quite a while.

Still, she probably wasn’t feeling comfortable.

My sister and I hurried over to older sister Yoori.

The baby bump on my sister was much more pronounced than the first time we saw her. Now, she was obviously a very pregnant woman.

A very pregnant woman looks precarious at first glance. With her belly protruding forward, she often leaned her back slightly while walking, and she couldn’t walk fast. After all, she had a baby inside her.

Even in her thick winter clothes, the life growing within older sister Yoori could be distinctly felt.

“Oh, don’t worry. I came with my husband today.”

“Hey.”

Park Hyun-seung, who was behind older sister Yoori, greeted my sister.

“Hello.”

He then looked at me and greeted me in a light voice. I nodded my head slightly and returned his greeting.

“Come on, sit down.”

My sister quickly moved to pull out a chair at the table.

“Thanks.”

Older sister Yoori didn’t decline her help and carefully sat down in the chair, letting out a long sigh.

“Was it tough to get here?”

“Well, only people with time can come, right?”

In response to my sister’s words, older sister Yoori smiled.

Then she looked back and forth at me and my sister and asked, “Did you enjoy your trip?”

We nodded slightly at each other before simultaneously replying.

“Yes, Europe.”

Well, it was somewhat like Europe. To be specific, there wasn’t really anywhere that resembled it, but it didn’t resemble Africa, Asia, or America even a little.

“Wow, really? I went there a few times during childhood. I haven’t been since I became an adult.”

We cautiously sat in front of older sister Yoori. Park Hyun-seung also sat down with a smile on his face.

Honestly, I didn’t expect older sister Yoori to come to see us so soon.

We had just returned yesterday, and my sister went around saying hello to her friends. Otherwise, everyone would worry. Older sister Yoori, mom, and even Ga-young cheerfully welcomed us.

I thought we would take our time to meet everyone after saying our hellos… but she came right away.

We took a lot of pictures on our trip. But… how should I explain them when showing the photos?