Seolmeari said she only wanted one, but now she wants a bite of the last doughnut. Sesangbit wants it too.
“Just one for me.”
My younger sister, Seolmeari, peered into the bag as she spoke. I took a plate out of the cupboard.
“I bought three.”
“You can have two. I ate late.”
They were kkwabaegi, Korean twisted doughnuts I’d bought on my way home. The paper bag was still warm. When I tipped them onto the plate, a little sugar fell onto the table too. Meari picked up a few grains on her fingertip and ate them.
“You said you ate late.”
“It’s just sugar.”
I poured water into two glasses and sat down across from her. Meari took a long one. I started with one that had a thick end. It was crisp on the outside and still warm in the middle.
“Where did you get these?”
“On my way home. You know the bakery at the entrance to the alley?”
“I didn’t know they sold doughnuts too.”
Meari took another bite. She started to say something, then closed her mouth and finished chewing. I drank some water while I waited.
“Let’s get them there next time too.”
“Yeah.”
Once we’d each finished one, the thickest doughnut was left on the plate. I wiped the sugar off my fingers with a tissue and reached for it.
“Hey.”
I paused.
“Just one bite.”
Meari held out an empty hand. I pulled mine back.
“You said you only wanted one.”
“Once I started eating, I wanted more.”
So did I. I’d been saving the thickest one for last ever since she’d told me to have two.
“I want some too.”
“I know. I’m not asking for all of it.”
Meari held her thumb and index finger a little apart. I looked from her hand to the doughnut.
“That much?”
The gap between her fingers grew a little wider.
“This much.”
“Let’s just have half each.”
I fetched a small bread knife. Meari slid the plate with the remaining doughnut toward me.
“Are you cutting it?”
“Yeah.”
“Then I get first pick.”
I was about to cut, but stopped. One end of the doughnut was long and thin. If I cut it right in the middle, the pieces would be quite different sizes.
I turned the plate halfway around and shifted the knife a little. Meari watched with her chin propped on her hand.
“Just cut it.”
“You said you were picking first.”
Meari laughed. I started laughing too, so I put the knife down for a moment.
I held the doughnut down with one hand and cut it. Meari waited without reaching for it. I set the knife down beside the plate, then moved the two pieces apart a little. One was long, the other short and thick.
“Pick one.”
Meari picked up the longer piece. To me, the thicker one looked bigger.
“That one?”
“Look at the sugar here.”
Meari turned her piece slightly. The underside was coated in white sugar. I’d been so focused on where to cut that I hadn’t looked underneath.
“Want to swap?”
I picked up the thicker piece.
“No. I want this one.”
This one was still warm inside too. Meari held her free hand under her mouth as she ate. Sugar fell into her palm.
For a while, neither of us spoke. I finished my share and took a sip of water. Meari was still holding the last little bit of her half.
“Are you going to eat that?”
“I am.”
“Just one bite.”
Meari looked at me, then quickly popped the last bit into her mouth.
I picked up the empty plate and stood. Meari called after me. She didn’t say anything more until she’d finished chewing.
“Next time, get four.”
“You said you only wanted one.”
“Now I want two.”
Meari picked up the two glasses, one in each hand, and followed me.
