•
•
•
“I said no.”
" iced coffee .. "
“I told you not to?”
“I’m bored..!”
Why is Choi Beom-gyu acting up so early in the morning?
I have to stop by school today to take some paperwork to school, even though it's vacation. But now I'm throwing a tantrum and insisting on following along.
“How many times do I have to tell you no?”
" .. tooth "
"Chi? Huh, this is really.. "
“I’ll be kicked out in two weeks, so what if you just take me with you once?”
” ..!! “
That weakling. He seems to know my weaknesses too well... That's just appealing to my pitiful side.
Hearing those words, my previously firm thoughts softened a bit. I really do seem like an easygoing person.
“..you want to go that much?”
"Yeah. I couldn't go to school even when I was on our planet..."
" why ? "
“That’s it...”
Ah.. Is it possible that he was homeschooled because he was a prince? That's why he has such good social skills.. No, but when I see him playing with his mom, he seems to have good social skills.
So it looks like they really did homeschool him. He says he hasn't been to school even once in his 204 years.
at last,
" wow .. "
“Just stick right next to me. Huh?”
“Okay! I understand!”
Hug,
" ..?! what "
“Stick with me.”
“That didn’t mean we should link arms?! ”
“Then I just wander around here and there?? ”
" under … "
I came to school with Choi Beom-gyu and just looked around the newly built park, wondering what was so special about it.
Well, to him now, the planet Earth itself must be full of amazing things.
“Wait here for a moment. Stay still.”
"Yeah! Come out quickly."
" .. okay "
So, I arrived at the department office and submitted my leave of absence application. A teaching assistant I was close with said he'd process it quickly. He probably wouldn't be home by the time I got back, right?
Will I ever come back here again in the first place?
The reason for taking a leave of absence is...
Come to think of it, I think I should talk to Choi Beom-gyu too, but when should I talk to him..?
I felt uneasy for no reason.
Squeak,
“Beomgyu, go back now.. What the. Where did he go?!”
When I came out of the office, Choi Beom-gyu was nowhere to be seen, so I was so surprised that I just ran to find him.
••
"Ha.. Where the hell are you?"
It seemed like there wasn't a single building he hadn't visited—the school shelter, the classrooms, our department building, and even other department buildings. Where on earth was this kid, who didn't even know his way around here, wandering around like this?
We weren't supposed to come together after all... No, we should have just gone into the office together...
I felt an inexplicable sense of guilt and bad feelings.
Could it be that someone else took her somewhere...? Even if she's 24, she's no different from a 4-year-old unless she's from Earth...
“Please.. please show up”
I kept running around. It wasn't supposed to be in school in the first place..?!
After running around like that for ten minutes, I collapsed on the bench, exhausted. No matter how much I thought about it, I couldn't think of a way to find Beomgyu. Where on earth did he go...
At that moment, a similar memory from my childhood came to mind.
(( Where did you go.. ))
When I was young, I got angry at a child who often came to my house to play, so I said something harsh to him, and he ran out of my house crying.
As night fell, the child did not return to our house, and Mom and Dad were worried and decided to go out to look for him.
I thought he would have just gone back home, but I felt bad and ended up going out with him to look for him.
If I had known the house, I could have checked it right away... I remembered that time when I didn't even know the house and didn't know where it was.
Obviously, that's why back then...
((Here.. is a gift))
((You.. have you been here all this time..?))
((I wanted to go back to you... but I was afraid you'd get mad again if I just went back..))
((What is this..?))
((This is a jewel my family makes. Do you like pink?))
((..thank you))
((I.. want to be friends with you))
((That'll be later. I'll think about it more))
((really?!))
((..Yeah. Let's go back quickly))
((huh..!))
((Hug,))
“He came to me first back then...”
I wish Choi Beom-gyu would come to me first. Just please, just magically appear before me, like a real prince on a white horse.
Swish,
"Show up.."
at that time,
Knock knock,
” ..? “
“You were here?”
" .. lie "
" huh? "
“Really… this is ridiculous”
“ ..? ”
I couldn't believe it. It was truly magical timing. How could you appear right in front of me like this...?
I was momentarily surprised, but more than that, I was angry. He disappeared without a trace and made me worry about everything...!! This is it now?
In the end, I ended up yelling.
“Where have you been..!! I told you to stay by my side”
“No, I thought it would take a long time.. and”
“ … ”
“I want to give you this.”
Swish,
“ ..!! ”
“I saw you on my way here earlier.. You like pink.”
“ … ”
“Are you really angry? I’m sorry.. Please calm down.”
What Choi Beom-gyu handed me was none other than a hairpin with pink beads, the same color as my room's wallpaper. Above all...
It was the same color as the jewel the child had given me back then.
“I lost this...”
" huh ? "
"Uh.. no"
“It’ll suit you well. I’m sure.”
“..how do you know”
“Because we got along well back then too.”
" at that time ..? "
“That..! You always wear a pink pin at home too.”
" ah.. "
That's true. But seriously, a lot of strange things are happening today. Like that memory from earlier...
Swish,
“Let’s go back quickly.”
“ ..? ”
“What are you doing? Let’s go quickly.”
“.. Heh, okay! Let’s go quickly.”
Hug,
So, the Choi Beom-gyu disappearance case was concluded successfully. It ended well, right...?
On the way home,
“By the way, why did your father kick you out?”
“Huh..? Oh, that’s.. “
“ ..? ”
“No. I’ll tell you later.”
Then I saw Choi Beom-gyu's expression, frozen for a very brief moment.