The Running Game

Chapter 12

Winter 2009

"You should've told me that you don't like carrots, I would have made a personalized one just for you."

They were at the beach again, this time they had another picnic planned. And somehow the beach became their favourite sweet escape. The once gloom memories that she previously had, now replaced with the blooming feeling in her heart. Greeting the place cheerfully like the old times when she did it with her mother and her brother.

But now, he was the main reason she could find her source of happiness again. And she felt like talking to her mom. Told her that she was not afraid to come back to the beach again. Hoping her mom sees that she brought someone there, someone who managed to make her feel happy. And she wanted her mom to know him although it was impossible, but somehow it felt as if she indirectly introduced him to her mom, even if it was just showing him her mom's favourite place that happened to be his sweet escape as well.

He was surprised that she made a feast. Even her grandma was surprised to see her wake up in the early morning to cook various dishes from their pantry. It was a rare sight for her. Because if there's one thing her granddaughter dislikes the most, it is waking up in the morning and let alone cooking for someone in the early morning. Her grandma smiled knowingly as she knew the reason behind her granddaughter's glee behaviour.

Oh the joy of being young

And in love

Though there was no concurrence between them, and they never talk about it as they enjoy the flow of their friendship. Her grandma watched her pack the food into the lunch bag then run off excitedly to the boy who was waiting for her outside. Looking at her granddaughter it was like seeing the spitting image on her daughter. She missed her daughter dearly, it has been three years ever since her death. Not only her grandchildren were devastated by it, but it also affected hers too. To see your own daughter leave before you, technically that's not how the order works. And her heart was soothed as she was happy to finally see the bright smile that curved on her granddaughter's face. It had been a long time since the last time she saw that big smile of hers.

That fine young man.

That fine young man who had been her loyal customer for almost two years. His politeness and his gentle attitude toward the old woman, swooned her to the point that she wanted to play matchmaking with her granddaughter. But then, she decided not to. She learnt the hard way and it was still the biggest regret in her life when she agreed to arrange an arranged marriage for her daughter to the rising military commander named Eun Chang Soo. So, by learning from her mistake she wouldn't let her granddaughter fall into the same pit and let the universe fully decide how their fate would turn out. Even though she clearly realized that the man was also smittened by her granddaughter. With that she chuckled gleefully.

Going back to the beach, it was like a routine for them where they would spend their weekend getaway at the beach. Having a picnic with her homemade meal and talking random nonsense about life. Sometimes they talked about their hope in the future or some of the things back in the past. And today she brought him a bibimbap made by her grandma. And the sight of him separating the carrots and taking out the sunny side egg from his lunch box clearly amused her.

"I take it you don't like sunny side eggs." She raised an eyebrow, then she shouted when he took the omelette from her plate "Hey that's mine!"

"And I take it you also don't like pickled radish." He then also took the pickled radish from her lunch box lid.

And she took his sunny side eggs and carrots that were separated from his lunch box. "Only a kid who doesn't like carrots." She snorted.

"Well I am a kid. A kidult." He jokingly replied.