His mother nagged him, and Woojin, exhausted, decided to go to Jeju Island. He had no intention of ever returning. Everything he had done to get to Jeju Island had been done in a hurry. The memories and traces of his time with Yeoju in Seoul were easily erased and forgotten as soon as he let them go. Honestly, it was a feeling of emptiness. The fact that the memories they had built up for so long would actually disappear if he let them go crushed Woojin's heart. Years of time had suddenly disappeared as if they had never happened.
ย ย
ย ย
ย ย
Woojin, who had rented a hotel for a short stay, immediately threw himself onto the bed. The soft mattress and blanket enveloped Woojin. The strange but sweet smell of fabric softener, different from the smell he was used to, lingered around Woojin's nose. Now, everything related to Yeoju was truly gone. Woojin closed his eyes for a moment. Tears welled up from his closed eyes. His body was clearly more at ease, but his mind was in turmoil. Woojin, who had been closing his eyes to organize his thoughts, fell into a deep sleep. And, sadly, for the first time in years, he was able to stop having the dream he had every spring.
ย ย
ย ย
Woojin woke up feeling awkwardly refreshed, dumbfounded. He had only escaped Seoul, where he held many memories with Yeoju, and it was both funny and sad that he hadn't had a dream, and all his efforts had seemed foolish. Still, Woojin felt much better after not having an uncomfortable dream for the first time in a while. He opened the suitcase he had brought with him and began picking out clothes to wear. He didn't have anyone to meet, but he wanted to go for a walk, so he dug through his bag and picked out something when a book caught his eye. The slightly worn book was Woojin's college textbook, but it was also the book he had picked and put away a cherry blossom he had intended to give Yeoju as a gift. He opened a small crevice in the book and found a cherry blossom inside, its shape and color still intact. He had once thought this pink flower resembled Yeoju, and he wondered if Yeoju would still think that way if she were still alive.
ย ย
ย ย
Woojin, dressed roughly, left the hotel and walked along the coastal road. The sea breeze brushed his cheek, and the still slightly chilly air made him shiver. The scent of the sea was the same as before, and today, unlike that day, the sky was clear, not a cloud in sight. Woojin continued walking. He had long since forgotten his way back. As he wandered aimlessly, he found himself in a space overgrown with cherry blossom trees. He gazed at the largest tree standing in the middle of the vast plain. It was the only tree with bare branches. Not a single flower, not even a leaf. Winter had long since passed, and almost every tree was sprouting new life. Seeing such a tree, Woojin couldn't pass it by. As he slowly made his way toward the tree, he heard a voice from somewhere. He knew it without looking. It was the voice of the person he had longed for. The voice grew louder as he approached the tree, and the louder it became, the more tears fell from his eyes. Woojin, who was different from the others, went around the big tree and greeted the female lead.
ย ย
ย ย
ย ย
Woojin touched Yeoju's cheek. Although it wasn't as warm as before, he felt Yeoju's touch. He held Yeoju in his arms. And he kept calling his name with tears streaming down his face. Yeoju. Yeoju. My everything, Yeoju. My love, Yeoju. I missed you. It was so hard and painful. Cherry blossoms bloomed on the tree where the two of them had been standing. Cherry blossoms came back to Woojin's heart, and he was no longer able to feel pain.
ย ย
ย ย
ย ย
ย ย
ย ย
ย ย
Long, long ago in a village, there lived a boy and a girl who loved each other deeply. They loved to play under a cherry blossom tree. A god, jealous of their happiness, took the girl away, where the boy could never find her. The boy, devastated, buried her beneath the cherry blossom tree, which held their memories. For some reason, the tree ceased to bloom after burying the girl. As time passed, the remaining boy also passed away, and the villagers buried him next to the girl in the cherry blossom tree. Then, the tree, once thought dead, began to bloom. The two people had met, and the tree had found spring again.