Inyoung, who had been sitting quietly in her chair as if she had been waiting for me, approached me. Her flushed cheeks, unable to even look me in the eye, her eyes darted back and forth, and a smile escaped her lips without her realizing it. This behavior was a signal, a way for the two of us to say, "I have something to say!" It was like a gesture. Taehyung, who was so reddened by the winter sun, seemed to be sweltering, and Rona's actions made me think of tomatoes. Rona, watching Taehyung, opened her mouth.
"I have a boyfriend!"
My heart sank at the sight of Rona laughing bashfully, adding a "hihi" sound. Taehyung, perhaps aware of my feelings, forced a smile to lift as Rona asked for his support. Rona, watching Taehyung, smiled, her eyes crinkling.
"I'm really going to do well this time."
La Lai Lalala: A spell to fall in love© CALLIOPE
Contrary to my expectations that they would break up quickly, their relationship lasted a long time. After every fight, he'd come to me, crying and making a fuss, his mouth full of tteokbokki (stir-fried rice cakes) insisting that they were definitely breaking up this time. The next day, he'd come to me, laughing and laughing. Every time, I'd try to smile and tell him to get along without fighting, but every night, he'd pour himself a drink, bitter inside. It got to the point where he couldn't sleep without alcohol.
One day, while we were drinking like that every day, Rona suddenly asked me to drink with her boyfriend, and despite my resolve not to go, I couldn't refuse. It was proof that I still liked Rona. When we met at a bar and we were laughing, Rona's boyfriend left, saying he was going to the bathroom, and there was a brief silence. Rona, who was rummaging through her bag, handed me something. I didn't want to see it, and I didn't want to believe it... I just wanted to believe that another friend was handing it to me through Rona.
"Is this the first one you give me?"
Rona, blushing with embarrassment, handed me the invitation, and I looked so happy. Rona smiled as if she had it all, and I bit my lip. I could taste the bitter taste of metal, but I kept my mouth shut and lifted my lips. She stared at me, congratulating me, her eyes trembling with a forced smile.
"What the... You said you'd give it to me as a surprise, but what if you give it to me first?"
Taehyung laughed at the sight of the two sitting next to Rona and poking her side as if they were annoyed, then got up from his seat and picked up his phone.
"What? Where are you going?"
I answered Rona's words with an awkward smile.
"I just wanted to get some fresh air..."
The cold air emptied my mind, which had been occupied. With my hair swaying and my nose flushed red, I crouched in a corner, my fingertips reddening, and stuffed them into my pocket. Then, something touched my fingertips, and I pulled out a cigarette. It was the cigarette a senior passing by the night had given me, after noticing my expression, to smoke when things got tough.
"I threw it away... but when did you put it back in?"
Taehyung, who had been repeatedly squeezing and unscrewing a cigarette with his finger, took out a lighter from his other pocket, and there was another cigarette stuck next to it. Both the lighter and the cigarette were his senior's work. A smile escaped the cigarette taped shut. I didn't realize it, but my expression must have looked that gloomy to his senior. Taehyung put a cigarette in his mouth, lit the cigarette with the almost empty lighter, and inhaled, then coughed with a sad face before taking the cigarette out of his mouth. Taehyung muttered something about why he was smoking something so good, but before he knew it, there was a cigarette stuck to his lips. After repeating this several times, Taehyung threw the cigarette in his hand to the floor and crushed it with his foot. The moment he moved his hand to remove the cigarette stuck to the lighter,
rustle_
He saw Rona, holding a bag, appear before him, seemingly having just returned from a convenience store. She approached, frowning as she asked.
"What... do you smoke?"
Taehyung hurriedly removed his hands from his pockets at Rona's question. Trying his best to hide his embarrassment, Taehyung opened his mouth. "No... I think the cigarettes are from a guy who was smoking just now." Rona, who had been watching Taehyung urging her to hurry in, glanced at his fingertips. Rona, who had been watching Taehyung's fingers without pressing them with his nails, smiled and walked forward.
P ꕤ ⑅ ꕤ O
"What? Did you two come here to tell a secret?"
As Rona and I came in together, she asked with a playful expression, and Taehyung playfully answered back, saying yes. Rona, who was looking at her boyfriend, took out an ice cream and put the ice cream in the mouths of Taehyung and her boyfriend.
"No, it's not that. I saw you crouching down alone on your way home from buying ice cream, so I dragged you here."
Our drinking party ended abruptly with Rona pinching her cheek, saying, "Oh, really?" In fact, I was so consumed by the sight of them that I lost my memory. I don't even remember how I got home... or how we fought. Except for one thing...
I like you
When I woke up in the morning and washed my face with my head still wet, the voice flowing through my lips trembled... No, actually, my voice kept trembling because of your slightly shaking eyes. I was lost in the memory that ended with that voice and tried to come back, but it wouldn't come back at all, and I wanted to die just like that. I like the person who's getting married... No, did I really confess to Rona? Or maybe I confessed, but I wish I had...? I walked over, roughly dried myself with a towel, and collapsed on the bed. Ah... It's the first period class... My eyelids were getting heavier and heavier, so I just closed them.
bang_
bang_
bang_
I opened my eyes with a start to the sound of the door banging. The sun had already set, and I stood up, stretching as I watched the scenery outside dimly lighten. Surely no one would come, but... who could it be? As I approached the front door, I heard Rona's voice. I flinched and stepped back, but then I heard the door lock open, and Rona appeared behind me, the door swinging open.
"The door is banging, won't it open?"
Taehyung opened his mouth, startled by Rona's raised eyebrows as she spoke.
"How did you know my password?"
"Your mother told you?"
The screen they were on cut off with Rona's words. Taehyung, who was looking at Rona's screen, started to search for his phone, but Rona came and stopped him. "Don't do that. I kept nagging you to tell me, so you told me." Taehyung, who had been looking at Rona, touched his forehead. As expected... The image of his mother, who would have excitedly told Rona when she asked, flashed through his mind. Perhaps because she thought calling would cause her mother trouble, Rona grabbed her phone tightly in one hand and grabbed her arm. This time, Taehyung was the one losing again. "Okay. I won't call you, so give it back." Rona hesitated as Taehyung held out his hand as if asking for it back, and looked at him again. "I swear I won't call you, so give it back now. Okay?" Rona, who had been watching Taehyung speak as if soothing a child, handed over the phone she was holding and let go of Taehyung's arm.
"... But what's going on here?"
In the endless silence, it was Taehyung who spoke first. As if remembering why he'd come, Rona strode closer. Before I knew it, our relationship had become closer.
"Why didn't you come to school today?"
"I'm sleepy..."
Rona nodded in agreement with Taehyung's words. Rona smiled as if she understood the main point.
"Do you remember what I confessed to you yesterday?"
Rona's words sent a chill down my spine. Why did I confess yesterday and you act so unfazed? Surely you had a boyfriend, but why am I so normal even after I confessed? Why didn't your boyfriend beat me up? Why weren't you looking at me strangely? Why were you smiling so amused? Was it really you who confessed yesterday?
When a thousand thoughts were swirling around in her head, Rona put her hand on Taehyung's shoulder.
"Hey buddy... I didn't know you liked guys."
.....? I tilted my head, not knowing what on earth this was talking about, when one by one, thoughts began to come to mind.
"Oppa, I'm going to buy some hangover cure. Please take care of Kim Taehyung."
Seeing her boyfriend nodding, Rona hurried to a nearby convenience store. Rona disappeared, and silence fell before Taehyung, his eyes wide open, lifted his head. Unable to control his body, Taehyung staggered, wondering where he was going, when he saw Rona approaching from afar. Rona's boyfriend grabbed Taehyung, who slowly walked toward her and then stumbled, his legs seemingly giving out.
"Is everything okay?"
"I like you... I really like you so much I can't give up."
Taehyung, who had just made that bombshell comment, looked at Rona's boyfriend and smiled bashfully, not even knowing that it was Rona's boyfriend.
Ugh,, wooweeeeek
Seeing her boyfriend nodding, Rona hurried to a nearby convenience store. Rona disappeared, and silence fell before Taehyung, his eyes wide open, lifted his head. Unable to control his body, Taehyung staggered, wondering where he was going, when he saw Rona approaching from afar. Rona's boyfriend grabbed Taehyung, who slowly walked toward her and then stumbled, his legs seemingly giving out.
"Is everything okay?"
"I like you... I really like you so much I can't give up."
Taehyung, who had just made that bombshell comment, looked at Rona's boyfriend and smiled bashfully, not even knowing that it was Rona's boyfriend.
Ugh,, wooweeeeek
"Don't you remember? You confessed to my brother yesterday."
Rona chuckled as she looked at Taehyung's face, who was clutching his head as if he remembered everything that happened yesterday.
It was an obvious mockery.
"Friend, I didn't know you liked my brother. I'm sorry. I'll take him and make him live well! Just don't come to the wedding because you're embarrassed!"
Taehyung touches Rona's forehead as she runs away, afraid of being caught. Something feels wrong.
P ꕤ ⑅ ꕤ O
Time passed and the wedding day arrived. As I was getting dressed, I debated whether or not to go. Then, I remembered how sad Rona would be if I didn't show up, so I hurriedly put on the clothes I didn't want to wear.
P ꕤ ⑅ ꕤ O
"...Congratulations on your wedding."
She was so beautiful that it was hard to believe the person sitting in front of her was really Rona. She was, without a doubt, the most beautiful I'd ever seen. I'd thought about her my whole life, but the husband sitting next to her wasn't me. He was simply your friend, number one, who had come to congratulate you on your wedding.
Taehyung came out of the bridal waiting room as if pushed out by the crowd that was gathering, and sat down in a corner of the wedding hall.
P ꕤ ⑅ ꕤ O
"Okay, now let's take pictures. One, two."
"Wait a minute. Why is the bride's husband so expressionless on such a special day? Is that how he is? Smile! Smile!"
"Okay, I'll take a like. One, two, three."
Click_
P ꕤ ⑅ ꕤ O
Shoooooo-
"You must be tired. You should go in now. Mother-in-law, father-in-law, Kim Tae-hyung, you too."
"Oh, you must be tired after the meal and going on your honeymoon. You should see the way there. Isn't that right, Taehyung?"
"Hey, we'll see in a few weeks anyway."
"By the way, it's raining so much, I wonder if it'll be okay?"
"It'll be okay. Don't worry, Mom. You can go in now."
The two couples greeted each other... well, now the couple got into the car. I was worried about the pouring rain, but nothing would happen.
Nothing...
[Here's the latest news. Around 5:30 p.m., two cars collided on the Airport Expressway. It's believed one car skidded on the wet road and crashed into the other. Both drivers and passengers died at the scene.
Taehyung, feeling increasingly anxious, was watching the news when he saw the news of Rona and her boyfriend, who had been happily smiling, saying they were going on their honeymoon, dead on the spot. He rubbed his eyes several times in disbelief, denying the reality, but it had already happened. There was no turning back... He tried to go to bed, thinking that if he woke up, things would change, but sleep was impossible in this reality. He took his old sleeping pills out of the drawer, emptying them, and stuffed a handful into his mouth.
P ꕤ ⑅ ꕤ O
"Rona... What a pretty name. Do you miss this child so much?"
A man with the same face asked me if I was unconscious. Taehyung nodded at the man's words, and after a moment of hesitation, he spoke.
"La rai lalala.. Even if you memorize it well, this is the spell that will connect you to that child."
P ꕤ ⑅ ꕤ O
Beep beep beep
Beep beep beep
A sound echoed from somewhere unknown. I opened the familiar door and entered the classroom, where I saw Inyoung sitting on a chair, as if waiting for me. A girl with cheeks that looked as if she had been greatly reminded of me. It was Rona from her childhood.
Taehyung quickly opens his mouth first when he sees Rona opening her mouth as if she is about to say something.
".... la rai lalala"
I don't know if this spell can truly connect you and me, but I can't stand it if it doesn't work out.
"Kim Taehyung... I like you. Do you really want to go out with me?"
It's okay if it's a dream. Whether this spell truly connected you and me, or whether it's just a fantasy or delusion born from my dreams, it's all fine. If only I could be with you like this.
La Lai Lalala: A spell to fall in love
I was in a rush to finish this with only 7 minutes left because of my homework, so I didn't even get to read it once... Thank you for reading this poor writing to the end. 😢