It's been two weeks since Jeonghan went into the sea with the necklace. Why hasn't he come to see me? Has he stopped wanting to see me? I finally remembered, but why hasn't he come up? I hated Jeonghan for not coming up to see me. It's the first time I've been gone this long. I miss him.
"What's wrong with you?"
"I don't think I can concentrate in class."
"Just a little..."
"But why are you so close?"
"Get off!!"
"Oh, ah!! I'm sorry, I'll fall, I'll fall!! "
It was Kwon Soon-young, who was annoying me by sticking to me during recess, perhaps because I couldn't concentrate in class. Because of Yoon Jeong-han, I couldn't even focus in class. What the heck.
***
I had a dream.
In my dream, Jeonghan was getting married to someone. Something kept stabbing my heart. The woman Jeonghan was marrying was someone I'd never seen before. And she was a mermaid, just like Jeonghan. Who is that mermaid? Who is that mermaid?
I woke up.
Tears were streaming down my face. And then it hit me. Ah. I really did like Yoon Jeong-han. Jeong-han and I, it wasn't friendship, it was love.
When I realized I loved Jeonghan, my heart broke. The love between a mermaid and a human in the snow ended in tragedy.
***
"Kim Da-won. Sit down."
" ... "
"What are you up to these days?"
"Have you given up on studying?"
Mom's nagging began again. A month had passed since I'd seen Jeong-i, and I was struggling both mentally and physically. I never knew Yoon Jeong-han was this important to me.
"Are you listening?!!"
"I'm listening... "
"Then go in and study!"
"Look at Min-gyu. He does it well even without being told to."
"Oh really!"
"Study, study. Stop it!!"
"And stop comparing me to Kim Min-gyu!"
"Kim Da,"
"Even twins are different people. They are not the same person. Don't think that just because Kim Min-gyu is good at studying, I will be good too!!!"
"I'm sure I'm good at something other than studying. Don't keep forcing me to do it. I can do it on my own."
***
I rebelled against my mother and left home. The weather and my mood were both terrible today. The sky, as if trying to sympathize with my feelings, poured water down, as if a hole had been ripped through it.
I headed to that place today too.
***
This is the place I've been coming to every single day for the past month. It's where I meet Jeonghan, my favorite place, the place where I feel at peace. I've even been here a few times, hoping to see Jeonghan again. But Jeonghan never came to see me.
I miss you so much. As I cried in the pouring rain, I missed Yoon Jung-han so much. I wanted to be comforted by him. I wanted to talk to him. I wanted to laugh and chat with him. It felt like the right thing to do, I wanted to do that.
"Yun, Hup, Yun Jeong-han... Where the hell did you go... Why, aren't you coming to see me, you..."
***
"Time really flies."
"We're adults now."
"That's right. Kwon Soon-young still looks like a middle school student."
"Oh, I admit that."
A year has already passed. Time passed faster than I'd hoped. My mother and I reconciled. She apologized, said she didn't understand, and asked for a chance. At the same time, Kim Min-gyu and I became closer. Now that my mother no longer had to compare me to Kim Min-gyu, I had no reason to hate or dislike him.
And it's already been a year since I last saw Jeonghan. I've given up on waiting for him. My feelings for him have cooled. Is it natural for my heart to drift apart as my body grows distant?
But I'm still at that beach today. Jeonghan is still important to me. He's someone I can't forget.
But I didn't see Jeonghan today either.
***
Today, I turn 26. I already have a job, and I'm a different person than when I was 18. The only thing that's changed is that I've become a full-fledged adult. In two years, it'll be ten years since I last saw Jeonghan. Still, I refuse to give up and am at the beach. I'm drinking and gazing at the ocean, feeling like this sadness is unbearable.
"Jeonghan... When are you coming to see me..."
"You don't want to see me..? It's already been 8 years... It's been 8 years since I last saw you..."
It was the middle of the night, so the beach was deserted. It was dark, and so was my heart. I thought my feelings for Yoon Jung-han had cooled, but they weren't. I was still in love with him.
I got up and headed back home.
I saw a large fish tail in the distance.
Wow... there's a lot of writing today..😅😅
Thank you for your hard work in reading...
Please excuse any typos😁😁