371. Time goes by (16)

Shi-hyun was home, and I felt so at ease. There was nothing to worry about... It was fun being together, just good. Of course, there was one person who didn't welcome it. "Shi-a-yah, play games in moderation." "Help your mom out a bit when you're home." "Help hang the laundry together." "Clean your room by yourself." "Even if you don't study, at least read a book." "While you're out with your friends, run some errands." She was just dying to pick on her. Shi-a couldn't say anything and had no choice but to endure it. "Leave Shi-a alone." "Leave her alone, you say?" "Yeah." Shi-hyun seemed bothered, but... I just forced her to accept it. "There's no point in talking, she won't listen anyway, and we'll only hurt each other's feelings and make our relationship worse." Shi-hyun became quiet. "There's no need to play the role of the hated one." "Okay." I tried every day for Shi-hyun, who was at home. I bought food and supplements that would help her bones heal well, and I stayed by her side so she wouldn't be uncomfortable. The kids looked at me with strange eyes. Well... Shi-hyun could do most things with just one arm, so it must have seemed like I was making a fuss. Still, I wanted to do everything I could for her. "Shi-hyun-ah, is there anything uncomfortable?" "No, let's just rest together." "Nothing? Then I'll go do some grocery shopping." Trying to prepare three meals a day, breakfast, lunch, and dinner, was overwhelming. Shi-hyun ate so much that I had to go grocery shopping once a day. "Then let's go together." I stopped Shi-hyun from getting up. "Where do you think a patient is going? Just stay put." I stopped Shi-hyun, who was trying to get up. And I quickly went out alone. I think Shi-hyun shouted something, but I ignored it. I came to the supermarket to buy groceries and wondered what to buy. "Meat, after all?" Eating heartily would speed up recovery, right? I went to the butcher shop and chose various kinds of beef. I bought a total of 12kg, and the butcher looked at me with a surprised expression. After buying the meat, I also picked out vegetables to eat with it, and I also put some spring cabbage in my basket. "Spring cabbage should be seasoned...." I also bought steak sauce and butter. I should grill steak and just grill beef, and prepare a variety of things. After paying, I came out of the supermarket and Shi-a was waiting next to the car. "Shi-a-yah?" I clearly came out alone, so why is Shi-a here? If she came out to meet a friend, there was no reason for her to be next to the car. "Ah, Mom." "Why are you here?" I couldn't understand why the child who should be at home was here. "Dad kicked me out." Could it be!? Did he nag Shi-a again because I wasn't there? And Shi-a, unable to bear it, left the house? "Dad did?" "Yes, he told me to help Mom... You've already done all the grocery shopping." I went over and touched Shi-a's cheek. It was very cold, probably because she had been outside for a long time. The supermarket was relatively close, but it would have been quite cold if she had walked. "Go inside the supermarket." "It's a big deal if we get separated." "You could have called...." "Ah!" Shi-a was embarrassed and avoided my gaze, smiling slightly. I was more worried about Shi-a's body than anything else. "Let's go home quickly." I immediately put Shi-a in the car, loaded the luggage, and headed home. When we arrived at the parking lot, Shi-a said she would carry the luggage herself, but I refused. After all, I was stronger, and this was light. Shi-a pressed the elevator button or opened the door for me, taking the place of my handless self. When I got home, I threw the luggage in the kitchen and immediately went into the main room. When I opened the door forcefully, Shi-hyun, who was startled, dropped her cell phone. "You're already here?" "Why did you send Shi-a away?" "Because she's only at home...." I glared at Shi-hyun. "Why do you torment your daughter so much?" I sat next to Shi-hyun and pressed her forehead. "I'm just telling her to move around a bit...." "Ugh, what if Shi-a says she doesn't want to see you later?" Shi-hyun didn't say anything. I was angry and slapped Shi-hyun's forehead with my palm. "If you do that again, I won't see your face." "Okay...." I sighed, seeing Shi-hyun dejected. I understand why Shi-hyun is strict with Shi-a. She's the eldest daughter, and compared to Saet-byeol and Jae-won, it's true that she seems pathetic. I used to say something, but now it's the opposite.... "Don't do things that will make you hated...." After all, it's the kids' lives. It's best to live doing what you want to do. You'll regret it later? If you have a lot of money, you can create opportunities even at a late age. When I grilled a lot of meat in the evening, Saet-byeol and Jae-won liked it. Only Shi-a was picking at her food, watching Shi-hyun's expression. * Ten days after Shi-hyun was discharged from the hospital, she received a doctor's opinion that she could remove the cast. Usually, she would have to wear it for longer, but her recovery was fast because of her ability. "Are you going to take it off right away?" "I have to take it off." Shi-hyun must have been frustrated, because she couldn't stand it. "It's itchy and stuffy." It was a statement I couldn't laugh at. When I told the doctor to take it off, he said okay and went to get the cutter. "Hmm...." Shi-hyun made a meaningful expression and brought her right hand to her left arm. "What are you going to do?" I could see magic gathering in Shi-hyun's hand. "Heup!" Shi-hyun let out a short breath and clenched her right hand, and the cast was destroyed. "W-Wasn't that dangerous!?" "Don't worry, I'm strengthening my left arm properly too." No, how can I not worry when you say you've strengthened that! Shi-hyun forcibly removed and twisted the broken parts, repeating the action. "Done." Shi-hyun broke the cast faster than the doctor could bring the cutter. It was truly an absurd amount of power. "Haha... I don't know either." Shi-hyun moved her left arm around, checking its condition. "Does it feel okay?" "Yeah, I still can't put much strength into it, but I'll recover soon." Even though the bones and muscles have recovered, it's not perfect... It was a sound that made me understand why the recovery period was set at one month. And the doctor, who brought the cutter, was surprised to see the cast scattered on the floor. "Uh, th-that, uh, how." "I'm a Hunter, so." Shi-hyun said expressionlessly. Even if she was a Hunter, it was an irrational act. "I-I see." The doctor still looked flustered. The doctor, who came to his senses, checked the condition of her arm and said it seemed okay. "No matter how good a Hunter's recovery is, you shouldn't be relieved yet." "I understand." Shi-hyun listened half-heartedly, probably because she was annoyed, and left the hospital. Once outside, she stretched and loosened her body. "I really feel like I'm going to live." "Is it that bad?" I had never been seriously injured enough to wear a cast, so I couldn't know how difficult it was. "Now I can go out and play comfortably." Shi-hyun smiled brightly. It was a smile so wonderful it made me lose my mind. "No, you should focus on recovery, why are you thinking about going out to play?" "Well, does that make me recover faster?" Shi-hyun's words were also true. Resting comfortably at home didn't make recovery faster. Still, I felt strange when she said she wanted to go out and play. "What about the kids?" "If I prepare lunch in the morning, it'll be fine, right?" Ah, Shi-hyun isn't working, so she has plenty of time. I smiled slightly. "Okay, let's play, let's play." When else would I be able to play without worry? Time passed quickly as I went out and played as much as I wanted. Shi-hyun also let loose and took me to many places and tormented me. When I told her to think about her age, she said she still had a long way to go. The appearance is like that, but... she's still over 40! At times like this, I resented my increased stamina. I had to accept Shi-hyun even more because of my increased stamina. Was this why it went up? I really resented it. * In March, the new school year began. Shi-a became a senior in high school, Saet-byeol became a middle school sophomore, and Jae-won became a fifth grader. It was amazing that Shi-a would become an adult next year, and it was surprising that Saet-byeol and Jae-won were still not high school students. "The kids' age gap is quite big." "If you want to see Jae-won all grown up, your back will be bent, bent." Shi-hyun said playfully, but it was a statement I couldn't laugh at. Jae-won becoming an adult? Then I'll be over 50? "Will you retire then?" "Who knows?" Shi-hyun was smiling. If she's not an S-Rank but an A-Rank, she might be able to retire.... "Well, living a leisurely life after retirement wouldn't be bad." "Yeah...." I leaned my head on Shi-hyun's shoulder. I was really happy when Shi-hyun wasn't working and resting. Spending every day together, going out to play every day... The time we spent fulfilling our duties wasn't bad, but... I still liked being together. "Well, it'll take a long time for the kids to become independent." Come to think of it, it'll be a long time before Jae-won goes to the military and graduates from college. Then we'll be almost 60? "Then we should send all the kids out and live together." I couldn't help but laugh at Shi-hyun's words. Will that really happen? I didn't know what would happen then. "Will that really happen?" When I said meaningfully, Shi-hyun also laughed. "Well, still, we'll be able to live comfortably then." I thought about the future after the children had all grown up. "If possible, I want to live in a detached house." It's not that apartments are bad. I'm just drawn to a house with a yard. "We have a house." "Huh, huh?" Come to think of it, there's a house where Mom lives? If my brother isn't interested in that house, it wouldn't be bad to go back there later. There's a yard, a dojang in the back, and the house is quite big. I felt excited thinking about living there with Shi-hyun. "Yeah, it seems like it would be nice." It's the house I lived in and the house my parents lived in. It's a shame to just dispose of it.... I can give this apartment to the first child to get married or the one who earns the most money.... "It's okay to give the apartment and live there." Shi-hyun laughed at my words. "Management is annoying, though." That's true, it's hard to manage if you lay new grass. We talked about our later years and had a happy time.