Childhood Friends: Turning the Tables - Chapter 1.1
In front of Eun-sae’s eyes, a skewer of fried pork cutlet was swaying slowly.
The skewer, glistening with thick, sticky sauce, filled her vision—she couldn’t take her eyes off it for even a moment.
“Looks tasty, doesn’t it? If you come with me, I’ll give you this. What’s our pretty little friend’s name…?”
Eun-sae couldn’t have cared less about the man wearing a hat pulled low over his face, reeking of something foul.
All she could see was the large, dark shape holding that delicious-looking skewer.
She gulped. Eyes still fixed on the food, Eun-sae answered in a small, dazed voice as though she were under a spell.
“Eun-sae. Go Eun-sae.”
“Ah, that’s right—Eun-sae, wasn’t it? I knew that, but it slipped my mind. I won’t forget this time. Sorry about that, okay?”
“Okay.”
“Now then, why don’t you take my hand and we’ll go find your mom? She’s waiting for you.”
“Not your hand. The skewer.”
“Hm?”
“I want the skewer, not your hand. I like that better.”
“Ahh, this one?”
The man chuckled and was about to hand her the skewer when, all of a sudden, someone grabbed the back of Eun-sae’s neck.
Before she could even turn her head, her body was yanked backward, and a small back appeared between her and the man.
The yellow kindergarten backpack in front of her had the word “Maple” and a maple leaf logo printed in the center—the exact same kind as the one she was wearing.
On the name tag hanging from the strap was neat handwriting:
Yoon Tae-seung, Ethan.
“No. I don’t want to. Don’t do it.”
It was Yoon Tae-seung—her classmate from the same Jupiter class, a quiet boy she had never actually spoken to before.
Eun-sae’s eyes widened in surprise at his sudden appearance.
Beyond his shoulder, she could see the man’s face contort in confusion.
“No. I don’t want to. Don’t do it.”
Tae-seung gritted his teeth and repeated himself, his voice firm.
“What’s our little friend saying…? You want one too? Looks yummy, right?”
The man gave an awkward laugh and began waving the skewer temptingly in front of Tae-seung’s face as well.
Watching from behind him, Eun-sae suddenly reached out.
“No! That one’s mine!”
But her hand didn’t reach it.
Tae-seung turned sharply, his gaze cutting toward her like a blade.
“You too. Say it—‘No. I don’t want to. Don’t do it.’”
Eun-sae slowly lowered her outstretched hand and stared at him in puzzlement.
She didn’t understand why she had to say it, but his glare was so intimidating that she couldn’t refuse.
“No. I don’t want to. Don’t do it…”
“Not to me. Look at him and say it.”
Eun-sae pouted and muttered again.
“No. I don’t want to. Don’t do it.”
At that, the man’s face visibly twisted.
“H-Hey, Eun-sae? You said you wanted the skewer, remember? If you come with me, you can have as many as you want. Oh, right—your mom! She’s waiting for you. You’re really not coming?”
“Liar.”
The word slipped quietly from Tae-seung’s mouth. Startled, Eun-sae’s eyes flew wide open.
“Wha—? Liar?”
A liar? That couldn’t be. Grown-ups didn’t lie—at least, that’s what she had been taught.
Lying was something only cowards did. It was a very, very bad thing.
“If you lie, the police will come and take you away,”
Eun-sae said accusingly. The man flinched.
“W-What are you talking about, Eun-sae? We were having fun. You said you’d come with me, remember?”
“Lying’s not allowed. It’s really bad, you know?”
“That’s right.”
Tae-seung nodded in agreement.
“Eun-sae! Eun-sae!”
Just then, a woman’s voice rang out from afar.
Eun-sae perked up her ears and looked around.
“Eun-sae! My Eun-sae!”
Her mother came running toward her, breathless. When she finally spotted Eun-sae, she dashed over and pulled her tightly into her arms.
Her face was pale, drenched in cold sweat, and her eyes were brimming with tears on the verge of falling.
At that moment, the man holding the skewer took off running, disappearing in an instant.
Tae-seung stood still, his expression blank, silently watching the reunion between mother and daughter.
Meanwhile, still in her mother’s arms, Eun-sae blinked in confusion, her body stiff as a board. She had no idea what was going on.
***
Later that day—
“If it weren’t for Tae-seung, our Eun-sae could’ve been in real danger. Tae-seung, thank you so much. I can’t tell you how grateful I am. You’ve raised such a smart and brave boy.”
Eun-sae’s mother showered Tae-seung’s mother with endless praise for her son.
She even went as far as inviting the boy over for dinner, promising to make him something delicious.
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