We arrived at the cable car.
“Hehek..heh, hey..get off..!”
“...Is your back okay..?”
“Haha..it’s not a big deal..I’m perfectly fine!”
That aside, you need to eat something..!”
Sanghyeok said, straightening his back.
“Haha..heh, I’ve eaten more than
dwaejigukbap than I think I have...you eat it..!”
“Heh...um.. princess..? Please get off quickly..?”
“Ah..!! Sorry~“
”lol let’s go~“
After getting on the cable car
“Wow... the sea is really pretty..”
“Exactly..”
“Th...Doa...!”
“Huhh..?”
“This..heh is your birthday present!”
”Huh..? A birthday present?“
A birthday present... it had been a really long time since I’d heard those words.
The last time I got a proper one was
a picture book from daycare...
I never went around telling the other kids it was my birthday,
and I wasn’t the type to give birthday presents often,
so it had been way too long since I’d had a birthday present.
...Maybe I had actually missed it.
My parents were always out working or fighting,
and now that time had passed, my brother was always out working too..
How could I ever ask for a birthday present?
Maybe I grew up a little too early.
I wanted to ask my parents to buy me this birthday present and that one,
and act spoiled and throw a little tantrum too.
But on every birthday I was either alone at home,
or all I could hear outside was the sound of fighting,
and now that I already knew there were so many things money had to go toward besides my birthday present, it wasn’t easy to get the words out.
“....”
So many thoughts flashed through my mind,
and before I knew it, tears were falling.
“...? Doa..!! Why are you crying..”
Sanghyeok hugged me and said.
“...Sanghyeok, thank you so much..really..heh”
Sanghyeok said nothing and just patted my back.
”....”
And so I cried for a long time.
Then Sanghyeok wiped away my tears and
said.”Doa..heh, I want you to be happy.
Of course, every day can’t be happy..I’m the same way.
But when you’re with me, I want you to be happier than anyone else, Doa.
Doa..when things are hard, it’s okay to cry..don’t hold back your tears.
Even if you can’t cry anywhere else, cry when you’re with me at least..
I want us to be a relationship where we can lean on each other.
So, Doa..heh, if it’s hard, it’s okay to cry.
We’re still young... cry a lot, laugh a lot..heh
You know I love you and rely on you a lot, right?
When things are hard, even if I don’t know the reason,
I’ll just stay with you like this..heh“
How badly had I needed just this one sentence from Sanghyeok?
If it’s hard, it’s okay to cry
“Heh..Sanghyeok..thank you for saying that.“
”Heh..this is embarrassing...hurry up and open the present!”
Inside the gift box was a necklace.
“Gasp...! What is this..why buy something so expensive..”
“Heh..this isn’t expensive...
I was looking around Dongdaemun and thought it’d suit you well..“
“Still..heh thank you!”
“Don’t mention it..heh give me the necklace!”
I’ll put it on for you...!”
“Oh my..! Then thank you!“
As Sanghyeok was putting the necklace on me,
the cable car shook.
And then Sanghyeok’s lips and mine
met.
“....!”Sanghyeok looked at me naturally and said.
“Heh..isn’t this still a bit early..?heh”
( Episode 18 End )
