After the relay, it was time for our lunch break. People often spend this time eating with their families who have come to visit or with their friends. I always did more of the latter, as my parents usually didn't come.
This year, however, was different. For the first time in my life, I was eating lunch with Dad and Lily under the shade of a tree. I've never really been to a picnic before, so I guess this could qualify as one.
As we sat down, Dad pulled out a bag that contained three homemade lunches.
"Whoa! Did you make all this, Dad?!" Lily exclaimed as he handed her one of the boxed lunches.
Well, I sure hope not. Dad's cooking is terrible.
Without waiting, I reached over and grabbed my own box from the bag. The first thing I noticed wasn't the weight, but the residual heat. The surface of the plastic was warm, a signal that it was somewhat fresh. I hated cold food, so I wasn't complaining.
I opened the lid. It was a simple rice dish with seasoned meat, and a fried egg on top.
As the three of us opened our lids, a sweet, savoury aroma filled the air instantly.
"Yeah, this isn't Dad's cooking," I pointed out. "The food actually has a smell to it."
Whenever Dad made a dish, it wasn't bad, just… bland. No taste, no smell, not even hot or cold. It was like eating nothing—which in my opinion, was way worse.
Dad scratched the back of his head as he let out his usual obnoxious, yet childish laugh.
"Hihihi! Don't say that! I try my best!"
Yeah, and that's what makes it even sadder.
I grabbed a pair of chopsticks attached to the lid of the box, picked up a bite with a little bit of everything, and ate it. The way the flavours exploded in my mouth—yeah, there was no way Dad made this.
"Did Mom make it?" I asked through a chew.
Dad waited for Lily and me to take a bite before he did the same.
"Yeah. She stayed up until 9:00 in the morning to finish it." He talked with his mouth full, a stray grain of rice flying out. Lily reeled back with a look of disgust. "But she isn't here because–"
"She has a headache. Yeah, I know."
Dad's shoulders fell just a fraction of an inch as he gazed at the boxed lunch in his hand.
That's how it always was for us. Mom was sick, so she couldn't step outside, and Dad was always at work, so he couldn't come to our events. At least, that's how it's always been.
Taking another bite, I asked—a bit too quickly—still focused on eating lunch: "So why are you here?"
The question felt like it took the last of my oxygen, leaving me with a lingering sense of suffocation. I took a sharp breath shortly, then continued to mindlessly consume my lunch.
"Don't you have work?" I continued, more steady than before.
Dad paused mid-bite. He put the food he had just picked up back into his box, then shook his head.
"Yeah, I did have work. I got there at 8:00 a.m. just like every day, but left early. By the time I got here, you were already doing the three-legged race."
I quickly grabbed a piece of my lunch. A dull *thud* lingered in the air as my chopstick hit the bottom of the box.
"Then who's covering for you? I know Mom isn't, and I know you can't leave the restaurant unattended either."
I kept my gaze level on my chopsticks as I lifted them and put the bite into my mouth, while keeping track of Dad's movements from the corner of my eye.
"Oh, about that—Grandma is covering for me. So we don't have to worry about that for now."
By Grandma, Dad was referring to his Mom. Both of Mom's parents had passed away, so I never needed to ask which Grandparent he was talking about.
"Enough of this boring talk!"
Lily slammed her chopsticks down onto her box, her face contorting into a puppy-like angry scowl as she glared at me.
"I don't care about this work stuff! All that matters is that he's here! So stop asking and let's just have fun!"
Dad chuckled, pulling Lily into a tight, one-armed hug. Lily wrapped her arms around him right back and burrowed herself deep into his chest with a childish grin.
"Don't worry, my lovely Daughter! I'll stay here until the very end!"
I kept my gaze fixed on the boxed lunch as the two of them had their loving Dad-Daughter moment. The process of picking up a bite, putting it in my mouth, and chewing became almost mechanical.
I could feel their eyes on me from the side of my head, but I continued on as if I hadn't noticed.
The lunch that had once been so explosive with flavour now tasted like nothing, but it was probably because it had been sitting out for a while.
As I brought another piece up to my mouth, a hand shot into my peripheral vision and snatched the meat right out of my chopsticks.
Before I could react, a loud, boisterous voice rang in my ears, causing me to wince.
"Wow! It tastes as good as ever! Auntie Nana's cooking never misses!"
Wait… I know that voice.
I turned around.
Long, wavy black hair that flared behind her as it flowed in the wind. A wide, confident stance. Tanned skin accompanied by a sharp grin. But most notably, a dragon tattoo that curled around her neck.
She bent down, grabbed the boxed lunch as well as the chopsticks out of my hands, and began to help herself.
My face shifted into that of a chill cousin. I opened my mouth and said slowly: "What are you doing here, Julie?"
Julie covered her mouth as she chewed faster. After forcing down a dense swallow, she let out a satisfied breath and pushed the lunch back into my hands.
"What does it look like I'm doing?" she asked, wiping her lips with her sleeve. "I'm here for sports day."
Julie leaned back with both hands supporting her from behind, then turned to Dad.
"By the way, I didn't expect you to be here, Uncle Su. Is Grandma at the shop right now?"
Dad nodded. "Yeah, though I'm not going to be here the whole day. After this is done, I have to go back."
She gave a short "I see," then turned to Lily.
The moment she did, it was as if the gears in her head shifted, and a wide, affectionate grin crossed her face.
"Hey, kid. You look like you've had a rough time today."
Lily quickly separated herself from Dad and straightened out her clothes. Dad frowned slightly, but distracted himself by going back to his meal.
"Yeah... I'd rather be at home than running around in this weather," Lily's back hunched as she spoke, but then straightened as she recalled something. "Oh! Butttt, I got second place in the sprint!"
Julie's grin grew even wider. "Really? I guess I need to reward you then."
She leaned in closer to Lily and playfully ruffled her hair. Lily squealed and tried to slap Julie's hands away, but she never stopped.
Once Julie had her fill, she let go of Lily and lightly jabbed me with her elbow. She didn't look me in the eye, and neither did I. We both kept our gaze fixed on the boxed lunch in front of me.
"So… how are you doing?" Her voice was as boisterous as ever, but I couldn't help but notice the tinge of softness in it.
"It's the same for me. I just got first place in relay, so that's pretty cool."
I brought my knee closer and rested my arm on it.
Julie chuckled, but her shoulders didn't shake. "Whoa, good job, kid. You might be my cousin after all."
A subtle pause hung between us before I let out a deep breath.
"So, why are you really here? I know you wouldn't come to this school just for fun."
Julie let out a loud groan as she stretched. "Hah, looks like you caught me red-handed."
Suddenly, Julie leaned in closer and whispered in my ear. "Let me give you a hint." The way her breath brushed against my ear sent shivers down my spine. "I'm the secret event for this year's sports day."
Her voice was as confident as ever, but the earlier tinge of softness had been replaced by an overwhelming edge.
Without giving me time to process what she just said, she stood up and brushed the dirt off her clothes.
"Well, I have to go now."
Her gaze lingered on me as she turned.
"I'll see you soon, kid."
I watched as Julie's retreating figure grew smaller and smaller until she blended in with the crowd.
"Sooo, what was that about?" Lily asked, looking between me and where Julie had disappeared to.
I picked up my chopsticks and put a bite back into my mouth. I frowned. The lunch was now completely ruined. It had gone cold.
"I have a feeling we are going to find out soon enough."
Dad, Lily, and I continued with our little picnic until lunch was over. Lily gave Dad a tight goodbye hug; meanwhile, I gave him a short nod.
Dad stayed under the shade of the tree as Lily and I returned to the field.
The final game was about to begin.