"I'm sorry, son."
We didn't expect this to happen so suddenly either."
"It's okay, I'm not a child anymore."
But does that girl know? Does she know that I'm going to leave?
"Yumi must have told me already, right? I don't know."
"Well, son, how lucky you are to see that girl again."
"She'll hate me."
"It would be a miracle if she didn't say anything and just told me to go away."
"What? Why would she hate me?"
"She's hated me for a long time. I'm the only one who likes her."
"Anyway, don't worry about your child, just go."
My parents were suddenly sent abroad for work, leaving me alone in Korea. I was unsure where to live during my final year of high school, wondering whether to rent a room near the school or stay with relatives. At that time, my aunt Yumi willingly let me stay in her attic room. Although I had to change schools because it was only an hour's drive away, I wasn't worried. After all, I would be taking the traditional university entrance exam, so I didn't need to worry about the entrance exam, and most importantly, this was a great opportunity to see Kim Yeojoo again after five years.
"Long time no see."
When I saw Kim Yeojoo again, I unconsciously gasped. She was no longer the cute, chubby girl I once knew, but a completely different person. She frowned the moment she saw me. Even after five years, she probably still hated me, I thought to myself.
"What's up?"
"What else? It's me."
"What is all this stuff? Why are you here?"
"I suppose you haven't told him yet?"
"From today, I'll be living here, in your attic room upstairs."
"Why is that?"
"You have so many strange questions, don't you, when we meet again after 5 years?"
"I'll answer later, I'm a little tired from traveling so far."
Yeojoo looked at me with a surprised expression. Oh, that expression hasn't changed at all, it's still the same as five years ago. It's exactly the look of someone who doesn't understand what's happening. Just looking at that face makes me want to tease her. Like an enraged weasel.
"What? I finally get to meet Kim Taehyung, whom I've only heard about?"
"What? And who said anything about Kim Taehyung?"
If you listen to me, it'll sound like I've been talking about him all these years."
"That's right. You talk about it so much that I'm getting used to it. You probably can't forget Kim Taehyung, so you can't love anyone else, right?"
"What? No way!"
"Aren't you two eating meals together every day?"
"Yes. But you can only sleep in that room."
"Why didn't my mother ask me about these important things...!"
"Those mixed feelings. You still like Kim Taehyung, right?"
"No, that's not it. I've forgotten everything."
Kim Taehyung is just a memory. Although I still clearly remember liking him from childhood, it's only a part of my childhood memories that I shared with my friends. That feeling is gone. I only occasionally recall old memories, but not because I love Kim Taehyung. After all, I haven't seen him in 5 years, so how could I still like him?
"Mom, where's my uniform?"
"Good morning?"
"...Thanks to Mom, it turned into a terrible morning."
"I have a good morning because of my child."
"What is this uniform?"
"This? What's wrong?"
"Why are you wearing our school uniform?"
Because I transferred schools.
"The nearest school is around here."
"What? It takes 30 minutes by subway."
"There's a boys' school nearby, why go so far...?"
"That's my business, is there a problem?"
"...Don't say any more, don't say anything."
"But you've grown much taller."
He used to be tiny, but now he's almost the same age as me."
"It's probably because you've gotten shorter."
"I'm not short."
"But you're not happy to see me?"
“…Not very happy.”
"That's outrageous."
"I transferred schools here because I wanted to meet you."
“….”
It's always like this. Kim Taehyung has said things like that without any hesitation, from the beginning. Even though it's not sincere at all, I remember feeling nervous and anticipating hearing those words. And even though I know they're not genuine, my heart still races after five years. That makes me angry.
"Why the long face...?"
"You've always been like this. For me, everything is easy."
"Yeah, that's right. Kim Yeojoo, what's so difficult about that?"
"...You're such a bad person."
Ever since I started liking him, I've never felt comfortable around him. But I've always been easygoing with him.
"Hey, but how can you call this friendship?"
"Kim Taehyung likes you, doesn't he?"
"That guy is a fox. He knows everything."
It was the same then as it is now. It definitely thinks I still like it. That's why it keeps doing that."
"Are you saying you were being played for a fool?"
“…I don’t know, anyway, that guy acts like he doesn’t know, but he actually knows everything. The feeling of still liking him is driving me crazy.”