So, after the three-day, two-night school trip, we returned to school. Just like before, the kid followed me around.
One thing that had changed was that I was no longer pushing the child away.
I don't know why, but I just didn't want to push it away. Maybe I unconsciously sensed that day would come.
“Hey, lady! Let’s go eat lunch.”
" .. okay "
“But these days, it seems like you don’t push me away?”
“What… push me back again?”
“No?! That won’t do! I’ll stick with the heroine.”
“Oh, come on..!!”
“Haha let’s go quickly~”
For the first time, I wanted to truly ride the upward curve that had been created for me. I wanted to feel the flow, to freely ascend higher.
Oh, actually, there was one more thing that changed.
“Hey, do you want to eat this too?”
” ..? “
"It's not like I'm approaching you maliciously. It's just"
“ … ”
“Lady~ If you don’t take this, I will?”
“That won’t work...”
“Are you accepting it?!”
" .. okay "
There were people trying to befriend me. Of course, since this was the first time this had happened, I usually turned them down coldly...
Every time that happened, the child rejected my rejection.
Maybe it was this kid who was trying to speed up my upward curve.
But God was truly fair. As I climbed the upward curve, the child descended into a downward spiral.
“..what’s wrong with your face?”
“Huh..? Oh, that.. ”
“.. Okay, I think you know even if I don’t say it.”
" .. thank you. "
"Thank you... Did I help you with something that didn't fit?"
"Just, for some reason, I'm grateful for everything."
” … “
The curve was truly ironic. If there's a downside, there must also be an upside.
God was so cruel, why did that child's line always go down to the floor?
Then, finally, that day came.
“Well, the class president was absent today.”
“Absence..?”
It was the first and last day you were absent. You'd always been guaranteed perfect attendance awards, and you'd be sure to get one this time, but now you were absent for the first time.
I wondered if something big was going on. I thought he was the kind of person who could have easily done something like that.
Eventually I went to the teachers' office.
“I.. teacher”
“Uh… That lady, why? What’s wrong?”
" .. that is "
“The school violence committee probably didn’t achieve much...”
I was a little shocked to see the teacher talking about the school violence committee when he saw me, but that wasn't what was important to me.
That child was more important than my work.
“Not the school violence committee. Why was Choi Beom-gyu absent today?”
“Beomgyu..? Oh, actually, that’s.. “
” ..? “
The story I heard from my teacher dug deep into my head and struck me deep inside.
I called the kid right away.
The connection was cut off shortly after, and then the child's voice was heard.
" .. hello? "
"You... are you serious?"
".. I heard, I wish I didn't know"
"You didn't know?! You really..!!"
" .. Sorry "
“Okay, I’ll come to your house later, so send me the address.”
“That won’t do.. I don’t know what Mom will do...”
“Ha.. Then come to the convenience store where I work. Is that okay?”
" .. huh "
After the call ended, I just sat there and cried. I didn't even think about the looks from people passing by.
So after school, I went straight to the convenience store.
I ran as fast as I could, desperate to see you, desperate to hear your story.
When I arrived at the convenience store, you were standing there waving at me.
" hi. "
“ … ”
I didn't say anything and just went to the child and hugged him tightly.
And then he said.
"Ugh... don't go... please"
"Heh.. this is not the reaction I expected"
"Please... don't go..."
"...my lady."
Just now,
"Actually, that's..."
” … “
"Beomgyu is going to study abroad. That's why he can't come today because he's organizing things. He'll probably come tomorrow to say hello."
” ..!! “
"Beomgyu took good care of Yeoju, so it's a shame that he's leaving."
Back to the present,
“Hey, look at me.”
“ … ”
“I’m sorry I couldn’t tell you in advance because it was a sudden decision.”
“ … ”
“You must exercise hard even without me.”
“ … ”
“I’m working hard at my part-time job too…just like I am now.”
“ … ”
It felt like we were parting ways. He spoke as if we were never going to see each other again. As if we were truly destined to never meet again.
at that time,
Boom,
A drop of water fell onto my hand.
" .. you "
“I don’t want to go either...”
” … “
"I want to keep playing with you.. really."
“ … “
"I don't want to go, heroine."
I really couldn't understand why God was so indifferent and cold.
The curve between that child and me ended up falling down like that.
The next day,
“I know you’re all surprised, but our class president, Beomgyu, is going to study abroad tomorrow.”
" yes?! "
“ … ”
All the kids in the class were surprised. After all, going abroad to study overnight, and by the class president at that.
I wasn't even surprised beforehand, so how surprised must the kids in my class have been?
“Everyone said Beomgyu has one last thing to say, so let’s listen”
".. Everyone must have been surprised when I suddenly heard it."
” … “
"Even though we are parting like this now, we will meet again someday, so don't be too sad or regretful."
” … “
“More than anything, when we meet later...”
Swish,
” ..? “
“..I wish I could be happier than I am now, preferably with a smiling face.”
“ ..!! ”
He seemed to be speaking to the other children, but his last words felt like they were addressed to me. I could have been mistaken.
I really hoped that I would be happy back then, just like that child said.
With those words, the boy left the classroom. The teacher said he was going straight to the airport.
After much thought, I finally got up and left.
Luckily, I was able to catch it before I got in the car.
" excuse me..! "
" uh..? "
“Take this.. and take it”
Swish,
“..this is”
What I gave was a teddy bear keychain I'd treasured since I was little. My dad had bought it for me when we went to the zoo a long time ago.
“This is my favorite teddy bear keychain.”
“ … ”
“I will be happy just like you said...”
“ ..? ”
“You too, like that bear, will protect me later.”
“ ..!! ”
"Okay? It's a promise."
" .. okay. "
"..Thank you so much, Choi Beom-gyu"
"Hey, this is the first time you've called my name.."
"..is that so?"
“Thanks to you, I can go with a better mind.”
“ … ”
“.. Let’s meet again later, I’ll come first again like that time.”
” … “
"You just have to take one step closer like you did back then. You know that, right?"
“..it’s a promise. You.”
Hug,
With that last hug, the child left me completely. As the child's car drove away, tears welled up in my eyes.
I bit my lip to hold back, trying to send the child the smile he liked, but it felt like my lip was split open and I could taste blood.
As if it were a lie, I lost contact with him after that day. He didn't answer my calls, even though I'd changed my phone number or called my old number.
I don't know how many days I cried myself to sleep after that day.
The night the moon had abandoned was darker and colder than ever.
The reality I encountered after coming out of my fantasy felt colder than before.