CHERRY BLOSSOM
I was just lying down on the sofa to relieve my fatigue for a moment, but the spring rain that had been falling outside had stopped and it was already getting dark and the sun was setting. I started thinking about the past again. It was the last day I saw Yeoju. Thinking that I might have that dream again today, Woojin roughly put on his going-out clothes, grabbed his wallet, and headed to the convenience store. The night was very long and dangerous for Woojin, so he needed to prepare something.
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Woojin stood at the checkout counter holding a few green bottles, thinking for a moment. It's been nearly seven years since he quit smoking, but today his eyes were drawn to them. The cigarettes he could see whenever he stood at the counter. Then, he suddenly remembered the expression on the woman's face and the nagging he would make whenever he smoked, and his heart ached again. Then, under the silent pressure of the part-timer who was snickering and telling him to hurry up and pay for cigarettes, he ended up just paying for drinks and leaving. Five years had passed, but Woojin was still thinking about her.
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Perhaps he was slowly getting drunk, sitting on a park bench nearby, feeling the spring breeze. A blonde woman stood beneath a cherry blossom tree, smiling brightly. She looked so much like the heroine he knew that his heart raced when he saw her, wanting to run to her right away. But a part of him couldn't help but wonder if what he was seeing was a hallucination, leaving him unable to do anything. Then, when their eyes met, she smiled at him and called out to him.
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"Genie-!"
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It was Woojin's nickname, which Yeoju often called him. Woojin jumped up and ran to her as soon as he heard the nickname. But before Woojin could even touch her, there was a loud bang and Yeoju collapsed, looking exactly like the horrific sight he'd last seen her in five years ago. Cherry blossom petals and rain poured down on her. Woojin, realizing this was another terrible nightmare, came to his senses and found that not a trace remained of the spot where Yeoju had just stood. It was a nightmare he'd had dozens of times already. Every spring since Yeoju died, Woojin had a dream of losing her. Cruelly enough, the Yeoju in his dreams never once held him. She would always call out to him from afar, smiling, and disappear when Woojin approached. Woojin tried everything to stop these painful and desperate dreams. He'd fallen asleep drunk, taken sleeping pills, and even received sleep therapy from a therapist. But nothing changed. Even with those methods, he always dreamed when spring came. The only way for Woojin to avoid dreaming was to stay up all night. This simple, yet foolish, method worked better than expected. Woojin always held on with a positive mindset. He knew that if he could just endure spring, he would be able to sleep comfortably after it passed.
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When spring came, Woojin never slept. When he first tried, his eyelids grew heavier and he fell asleep several times, but he quickly got used to it, and now his body could easily endure it for about three days. However, it was only natural that his health would deteriorate with this lifestyle. Sometimes, Woojin would collapse from lack of sleep and wake up after a full four days. Of course, during those four days, the terrible nightmares continued. Woojin resented Yeoju for leaving him behind. Why on earth did you leave me alone? Did you know I would suffer like this? Yeoju, please answer me. It's so hard. This world is hell to me. Please... please do something about me. He poured out words to the picture of Yeoju, smiling brightly in his arms in a white wedding dress, but all he got in return was a quiet silence. Every spring, Woojin felt even colder in this room and this house without Yeoju.