The child left me and darkness crept closer to me again, trying to swallow me.
But I had definitely changed. I didn't want to go down anymore.
More than anything, like that child said, I hoped that when we met later, I would be happy too. Although I only knew how to be happy through what that child taught me.
I thought that if I worked hard at these things, I would be happier than I am now.
“Yes, it’s 4,800 won.”
“I guess something good is happening~ You’ve been smiling a lot lately.”
“Ah.. heh”
Swish,
"Uh..! You don't have to give it to me.. "
"Hey... Is there anyone who doesn't know that students work hard?"
" .. thank you "
The path the moon had taken wasn't completely dark. In fact, I was able to follow the path it had shown me with greater certainty.
Because the only path I've taken is the one that leads back there and the one that the child showed me.
I could walk towards the moon with more strength.
“Director, I’m here.”
“Yeah~ Taehyun went to change clothes.”
It turned out to be untrue, but before he left, the kid had asked the manager something: not to let him exercise alone, but to make sure he exercised with someone else.
So the manager combined my time and Taehyun's time.
at that time,
Knock knock,
"Oh, so what are you really confessing to..?"
"To whom?"
"Huh? When did you get here, unnie?"
" just now "
"Anyway... that unmanly kid..."
“No! Uncle!!”
"Tseup - At the gym, you're the manager, right?"
" tooth.. "
“Heh.. Let’s go exercise soon.”
It wasn't long ago that these things became natural. Now, they've become such a huge part of my daily life that I can't live without them.
"Let's go, sister."
"But Taehyun, why do you take me there every day?"
“Beomgyu hyung asked me to go.”
“ ..? ”
“After you finish working out, be sure to bring your older sister here.”
" .. I see "
You left your mark on the place you stayed, just in case I got lost again.
“You can’t contact Beomgyu hyung?”
"Well... that's right"
“Excuse me, are you free tomorrow?”
"Tomorrow? Why?"
"I know someone who got a ticket to the zoo but said he couldn't go."
“..zoo?”
"I heard before that you really like animals"
"I like it. I really like it."
"Then let's go see it together"
"..Okay. I'll take a day off from work."
I wanted to go back again after a long time. It wasn't the same zoo as back then, but... now, to me, the word "zoo" also refers to you.
So the next day, I headed to the zoo with Taehyun.
“It’s been a really long time since I’ve been to the zoo.”
"I went there on a school trip"
"I told you I was really jealous back then."
Tsdam,
"Heh.. you're going next year too"
“Well.. that’s right..//”
When we arrived at the zoo, the first thing that caught my eye was the headband. Did he wear it back then? I think that teddy bear headband would have really suited him. Taehyun... um.
“It would suit cats well”
“Huh? Oh, a headband?”
“Should we do them one by one?”
" good "
We decided to pick out each other's headbands, and I chose a white cat headband with a ribbon.
Taehyun picked out a hamster headband for me. They usually don't have hamster headbands, so why did they have one here?
“You chose a cute one.”
“.. the cat is nice, but the ribbon.. ”
“Why~ You’re so cute”
" .. okay? "
“Now let’s go see the animals!”
So we went into the safari.
“Wow.. the bear is huge.”
" .. I know "
Seeing the bear, I was reminded of that child. I felt so secure being with you that day. Thinking back now, I realize they were truly memories worthy of the word "memory."
So, I saw various animals with Taehyun. I fed rabbits and saw meerkats. It was quite fun to see so many different species, more than I'd seen at the zoo.
When night fell, we left the zoo and took the bus home.
“I had fun today. See you tomorrow.”
“..that older sister”
" huh? "
"I like you. I liked you from the moment we first met."
” ... “
"Actually, I was going to confess like this today..."
” … “
"I knew it when I saw your expression at the zoo earlier."
"..Taehyun"
“Beomgyu hyung.. are you waiting?”
“ … “
“Well.. Anyway, I confessed even though the meaning is different.”
” … “
"I don't regret it"
I had some inkling that he liked me, but hearing his confession still surprised me. More than anything, I was impressed by Taehyun's remarks, which were quite mature.
He seems like a more mature child than me
"Take care..."
“ ..? ”
“See you tomorrow, sis.”
“Haha okay”
So I turned around and headed home. The spot where the moon had passed had left a rather large hole in me. It was a hole that nothing could fill.
“Huh.. sob”
Maybe I thought it was pretty good because that one hole alone was enough
“Hey, look at this!”
“..are you crazy?”
“Why~ You’re cute~”
Swish,
“Oh really...”
Whether I closed my eyes or not, I saw your face, and whether I fell asleep or not, I heard your voice.
The spot where the moon passed left a very small mark on me.
A mark that can't be erased or forgotten no matter what you do