Lover of Spring

Spring Lovers

copyright ⓒ 2022 예지몽 All Rights Reserved.












Under a blue sky and a parade of fluffy clouds, Kim Yeo-ju stopped. And beneath the swaying green trees, Min Yoon-gi stopped. Kim Yeo-ju, wearing horn-rimmed glasses and a knee-length skirt, clutching an armful of books, met Min Yoon-gi, who had blonde hair, seemed to have lost his school uniform, and was wearing casual clothes, biting a lollipop.



“... Hi. Can you help me?”

"... okay."



Yoongi couldn't refuse the innocent smile of the smiling woman and took the book from her arms. She glanced at Yoongi, hesitated, and then cautiously opened her mouth.



“...You’re in class 2, grade 3.”

"... uh."

“Ah... okay.”

“But where should I put this?”

“Library. I read on a bench under a tree and then go back to return books.”

“... books. I see you like them.”

“Yeah. I like it regardless of genre.”



The heroine's eyes, like sunlight in a blue sky, curved prettily. Those innocent eyes touched the depths of Yoongi's heart. They looked innocent, but upon closer inspection, those amethyst eyes were sunken into a deep well. It was a warm spring feast.





“Hello, heroine.”

"hello teacher."

“The bell will ring soon. Do you want to leave your book?”

“Is that okay?”

"then."

"thank you."



Yeoju bowed at a 90-degree angle, bowed to the teacher, and left the library with Yoongi. She thanked Yoongi for his help. Then she handed him an apple-flavored Mychew from her pocket.



"If there's anything I can help you with, please call me. I'm in class 4, grade 3."

“...Just give me your number. I’ll call you.”

“Huh? Okay. Okay. Give me your phone.”



Yoongi glanced down at the small hands and head that were pressing his phone number. Impulsively, Yoongi stroked the head of the female protagonist, who had a cute, round head.



"... uh."

“... Ah. Sorry.”

“...You can continue.”




Yoongi stroked Yeoju's round crown, making a deflating sound. Yeoju's hand trembled slightly as she returned the phone to him. "Thank you. I'll contact you." A low, low-pitched voice sweetly drifted into Yeoju's ears.






“Hey, Min Yoongi. You were at the library with Kim Yeoju?”

“I just helped you once.”

“Are you interested in that nerdy-looking girl?”

“You’d look prettier if you took off your glasses.”

“What? Don’t talk nonsense. Hey, if you have a lighter, lend me yours.”

“I got robbed by my homeroom teacher today.”



For some reason, the girl I'd met earlier seemed to stir my heart. She stirred a great ripple in the calm spring, and a sweet breeze blew through the free, glossy spring. Such a beautiful spring, such a beautiful 19-year-old.






“Hello. Nice to see you again.”

“Where are your glasses?”



Yeoju greeted Yoongi with the same innocent smile as yesterday, glasses-free. Yoongi stared intently into Yeoju's deep, amber eyes.



“Actually, I dropped my glasses yesterday and they broke in two... I had no choice but to leave them at home.”

"pretty."

"... uh?"

“You’re pretty even without your glasses.”

"... thank you."



A faint blush crept across the heroine's pale, translucent face. She looked away, pretending not to notice. Yoongi tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear and locked eyes with her.



“Shall we walk home from school together today?”

“Really? Aren’t you busy?”

“Yeah. You’re busier than me.”

“Really? Then I’ll see you after school.”



Without even realizing it, Yoon-gi began to become absorbed by Kim Yeo-ju, a girl with delicate, white features and a round head. To that innocent, pure-white child, seemingly untainted by a single stain.


“Sorry, Yoongi. I’m a little late.”

“It’s okay. I didn’t wait that long.”

“But... did you come after smoking?”

“I see it smells. Do you hate the smell of cigarettes?”

"huh."

“Should I quit smoking?”

"huh?"

“You hate it.”


Yoongi stroked the tip of his reddened ear as he spoke. Yeoju, her cheeks flushed, fiddled with her fingertips. She quietly pleaded with Yoongi to stop, at least for his health. Yoongi nodded, his lips parted, as if he understood. Then, with a cautious, ticklish feeling, he carefully took Yeoju's hand.



“If you don’t like it, you can leave it.”

“...right.”

"huh?"

“...There’s no way I wouldn’t like it.”



Unlike her initial greeting, her face continued to flush in front of Yoon-gi, as if she was just being ticklish. Before she knew it, her footsteps had reached the bookstore run by Yeo-ju's family.



“Thanks for bringing me here. Call me when you get home.”

“Okay. See you tomorrow.”



It was a series of warm, soft springs. The two met more often in person and grew closer. They even began what some would call a "dating relationship," with simple expressions of affection. After they started dating, Yeo-ju stopped buying glasses and bought contact lenses. And at the recommendation of her friends, she shortened her school uniform skirt a bit.



“Why did you shorten your skirt?”

"Just. I wanted to try to reduce it. I didn't reduce it much on purpose. I don't like anything too excessive."

“...Okay. Don’t cut it any further. It’s prettiest now.”

"huh."



Yoon-ki and Yeo-ju held hands and smiled at each other in the quiet classroom. After school, they went to the attic of Yeo-ju's bookstore, which had become their daily routine. Yeo-ju had said her parents ran a bookstore and she ran a small one herself. After going up to the attic, Yoon-ki sat down next to Yeo-ju, who was sprawled on the bed.



“Yoongi. Kiss me.”



The female protagonist patted her cheek and spoke to Yoongi. Yoongi sat her on his lap and gave her a brief kiss on the lips. After a few more brief kisses, he kissed her deeply. It was their first kiss, held under the swaying cherry blossoms in the sunset.



“You are pretty, my lady.”

“... Ah. I’m embarrassed. My face is burning.”



He grabbed the hand of the woman covering her face and stared intently into her eyes. "You're truly beautiful. Even the way you look so embarrassed, you don't know what to do." At those awkward words, the woman retreated into Yoongi's embrace.



“My spring bloomed because of you. A splendid, pink spring.”



Yoongi kissed Yeoju again and licked her tongue. Do you know? I wish this chain of time would last forever.


But the gods wouldn't leave them alone. Yeoju's parents died on the same day in a car accident while returning from a trip at the end of spring. As a result, Yeoju ended up managing both the bookstore and the bookstore. The bookstore hired more staff, so they only operated on Saturdays and Sundays, when school wasn't in session. Naturally, Yoongi and I started spending more time in contact than in person.









“I missed you.”

“Yeah. Me too, Yoongi.”



Yeoju's warm smile remained, like the first day of spring. Yoongi's blond hair had grown long, and now his black and yellow hair were nearly the same length. He poured out his days of struggling, drowning in the unspeakable well of love, to Yeoju.



“But when I look at you, I feel like I can live.”

“I see it at school too. It just makes you more and more childish.”



Contrary to the nagging, the corners of Yeoju's mouth remained flat. For the first time in a long time, Yoongi and I rolled around in the attic, sharing a passionate love affair. Within the mysterious, colorless fragrance of each other, we were intoxicated. Perhaps obsession and possessiveness were as frightening as our deepening affection.


The day Yeo-ju finally decided to drop out, Yoon-ki and Yeo-ju had their first night together, tears streaming down their faces. That day, they made a promise. When we turned 20, we'd part ways here, and when we'd succeeded, we'd meet again here. No matter when that time came, through the seasons, I'd be you again.



Still, we continued our meetings without incident, as if that day had never happened. Even the summer, with its chirping cicadas, was dyed crimson. Black-haired Min Yoongi, wearing summer clothes and holding a Papico in his mouth, entered the bookstore, solving a problem, and became accustomed to Yeoju. As Yeoju entered the two-room apartment attached to the bookstore, Min Yoongi, who was solving a workbook at her former desk, turned around.



“You’re late.”

“Yeah. Do you want to sleep?”

"okay."



The heroine, accustomed to her presence, pulled out Yoongi's pajamas. Yoongi, who had received them, rose from his chair, saying he was going to wash up. Autumn had arrived, the season when leaves turned crimson, like our love. They lay side by side on a night when the sound of crickets rang louder than the cicadas.



“Yoongi. I missed you.”

"me too."



After the spring, when the leaves were green, came the fiery summer. As summer cooled into autumn, I feared that we too would cool down like the summer heat.



“Good night. I love you today too.”

“Me too. Have a nice dream.”



The expression on the female protagonist's face seemed to lighten as she fell asleep in Yoongi's arms. Yoongi stroked her hair for a while before falling asleep with his hand still on her head.


















"Yoongi. It's snowing outside."

"It's true."

"...It's December 31st."

"I know."

"I'm happy that I get to spend the last years of my teenage years with you."

"...But don't you blame me?"

"huh?"



Yoon-ki collapsed before the female protagonist, who smiled warmly like spring. His reddened eyes shed tears. The female protagonist, seeing the tears, also didn't know what to do.




"Why are you crying, Yoongi... Huh?"

"I couldn't help you when you came home late because I was studying for the CSAT, and I didn't even give you a warm hug. How could you..."

"Yoongi. Look at me."



I faced Yoongi's disheveled face, his cheeks moist with tears and his eyes reddened. I carefully wiped the tears away and held Yoongi's cheeks.



"We'll meet again at that bookstore. Our private attic, dusted off from that pleasant dust, the few books we shared, and the love we shared will all be the same."

"..."

"You were the one who brought a warm spring to me. A brilliant last spring. You were my 19th year. You were the only one who didn't oppose me dropping out. My love and idol, Yoongi. We need some time together, right?"

"... huh."

"Let's meet up after you graduate from college and get a job. I want to see you in a suit. Be much nicer to me then."

"...I like it enough to support all four seasons."



As our lips met and tongues entangled after a sweet confession, the New Year's countdown began. A 10-second countdown flowed from an old television.



3... 2... 1... Happy New Year!



"Let's meet again. I'll welcome you back even after several years."



My spring. My cherry blossom, the last days of my teenage years, Yoongi. Can I dare to express my love for you with the words, "I love you"? Love is only when you can let it go. Let's meet when we can love steadily and tirelessly. I don't know yet. My heart races when I see you, but I feel like I'm blocking your path.



Yoon-gi, still in his school uniform, turned and left the bookstore. With the sound of the door closing, he was sucked into endless silence.





I love you, Yoongi.




I'm sorry, Yoongi.