•
•
•
“This is now...”
“You go first.”
Swish,
“Why should I let go?”
“..I’m going crazy, really”
What kind of fight is this out of the blue this morning? The start of this fight goes back to just an hour ago.
1 hour ago,
“What are you doing, Juya?”
" assignment. "
“.. Weren’t you working on your homework last time too..?”
“A college student’s life is always full of assignments.”
“I want to eat ice cream..”
“Go out and buy some food by yourself.”
“..I don’t know the way”
Yes. Choi Beom-gyu said he wanted ice cream while I was doing homework this morning, but he didn't know the way to go get it himself. He always ate what I bought.
“..Tell Yeojin to go with you.”
By the way, Yeojin is my younger brother's name. I think this is the first time I've told you his name.
“Jin went out earlier this morning to meet some friends...”
" .. under "
So, I ended up going to a discount store near my house with Choi Beom-gyu to buy ice cream. Yeah, exercise... no, let's call it refreshing.
“Choose quickly.”
" huh ! "
Still, he doesn't seem particularly needy, perhaps because he brought a lot of money with him when he came to Earth. He often asks to go buy ice cream, and his clothes seem to change all the time...
Maybe he has more money than me.
“Hey! Are you going to eat a chocolate bar?”
"Yeah, yeah."
It's been almost two weeks since I've been with Choi Beomgyu. In that time, he seems to have figured out my dessert preferences.
Oh right, it's been about two weeks...
" .. soon "
" huh ? "
".. No. Did you choose everything?"
"No! Just choose this"
" okay "
The fact that we've been together for two weeks means that Choi Beom-gyu's departure is fast approaching. I certainly wished the two weeks would pass quickly back then...
I also started to feel a bit sorry for myself, as I started to get attached to it at some point.
But a promise is a promise.
"The calculation is finished!"
"Wow...you bought a lot"
"We're going to eat together. Me, Joo, Jin, and Mom too."
" .. right. "
Hearing this, it really feels like we've become a family. It feels like the empty spot my dad left behind for years has been filled a little bit.
at that time,
“Ah.. I came here because I wanted to eat it after a long time.”
“ ..? “
“Then eat something else.”
Whoosh,
" .. lie "
" huh ? "
"That guy over there..."
Swish,
“Hey, I told you that’s delicious too?”
“That guy…isn’t he Choi Yeonjun?”
" .. well ? "
“No. That’s right..”
I don't know how many years it's been since we last met. It's probably been over 5 years since I transferred schools.
But.. for some reason I couldn't bring myself to talk to him. He's so different from Choi Yeonjun back then..!!
The Choi Yeonjun I know was a potato head with glasses...
at that time,
"Hey hey.. that girl over there keeps looking at you"
" huh ? "
” ..!! “
Choi Yeonjun turned to me after hearing what his friend next to him said, and his eyes widened as soon as he saw me. Wow... his eyes are really big.
“Yeoju..?”
“Uh.. hello”
“Crazy.. is this really the heroine?”
" huh .. "
Hug,
“..!! What is this.. ”
Suddenly, he walked towards me and hugged me tightly. What the hell is this, a situation like this in broad daylight...?
“Uh.. over there”
“I missed you, day and night.”
“ ..?! ”
Swish,
"I've been looking for you for so long... I finally found you."
“You found it..?”
“After I transferred schools like that, I found a way to contact you.”
" however ? "
“I didn’t know your home phone number, so I couldn’t contact you.”
" I see. "
“It was fate that we met like this...”
“ ..? ”
“Would you like to talk over coffee?”
“No. The friend next to me is...”
"Just tell him to go"
" uh ..? "
"So, let's have coffee together just once."
" ah .. "
at that time,
Hug,
"..? Beomgyu?"
"The ice cream is melting. Let's go quickly."
"Oh, I see."
".. I don't know who you are, but let's talk about it later."
After saying that one word, Choi Beom-gyu grabbed my arm and dragged me out without a second thought. Why is he acting like this all of a sudden?
at that time,
widely,
” ..!! “
"What is it?"
"Can't you see that I'm trying to go back?"
“Who asked that?”
"I'm sorry. I'm not from here."
".. Anyway, I'm going first, so let go of my arm"
“Why should I do that?”
"What?"
"..what is this"
Back to the present,
“Even if you come from a foreign country, it’s hard to see this as a cultural difference.“It just seems rude.”
"I never said I was from abroad, and you dare to talk about etiquette in front of me?"
"What?"
“How dare you, a prince, be a commoner in broad daylight...”
widely,
"Haha.. what are you talking about. I've watched too many historical dramas"
"M.. Mh ...
"Shut up.. you go home and die"
" house ..? "
"Oh, actually, this is my housemate. He's in the same college as me..!"
"What? So you're from abroad?"
"I'll contact you later... Let's drink then."
"It's not possible now..?"
“That... I just came out for a bit while I was doing my homework.”
“Then there’s nothing I can do..”
“Your phone number..!”
"Okay, okay. Oh, before that"
” ..? “
Swish,
" ..!! this "
“I tried to give it to you on the day you transferred schools, but I couldn’t, so I don’t know how you ended up bringing it out today.”
"Really..?"
" uh ..? "
"This... is what you gave me..?"
" of course. "
" what ..? "
“Don’t you remember when you were little? I...”
“ … “
“I gave you your favorite pink gem to cheer you up.”
“..!! That was you..?”
“ ..?!! ”
What Choi Yeonjun handed me was none other than the pink jewel I had received from that child when I was little. I was so surprised that I just stared at Choi Yeonjun.
After that, after exchanging phone numbers in a frenzy, I quickly dragged Choi Beom-gyu out of the discount store and headed home. What the heck is going on?
••
“What the heck...”
“Is it because of that jewel?”
“..Yeah. I’ve been looking for it for quite some time.”
" what ..? "
“After breaking up with him like that...”
Come to think of it, Choi Yeonjun also transferred schools suddenly without saying anything. But something feels a bit strange... If that kid is Choi Yeonjun, then my memories of that kid should be memories of Choi Yeonjun.
Why do I keep thinking of someone else?
“..I’m really into it”
" what ..? "
“I’ve been thinking about Choi Yeonjun all this time.”
"It's not Choi Yeonjun's idea...! No, it's more than that"
“ … “
"You. What if I tell you that you're from another planet?"
“..is there any reason why it can’t be done?”
" what ..? "
Why is his speech so stiff? Why is he using the same tone of voice he used to use with Choi Yeonjun?
And why are you so confident..? Aren't you worried?
I too quickly cooled down in the sudden chill. No, to be precise, I froze solid.
"Is there any reason why I shouldn't tell Choi Yeonjun where I'm from?"
"No..! How do you know what will happen to you if you tell him?"
".. I'd rather have something happen to me again"
" also ..? "
"You wouldn't know because you trust him."
"..Speak so I understand. You've been saying strange things since earlier.. "
“Strange words? Have you been hearing everything I’ve said strangely to you?”
“Of course..!”
Because you keep messing with my complicated memories, one by one. You're mixing up everything I've barely managed to organize. I don't like that...
I want to remember that child.
“What on earth have you been complaining about that has made you so angry?”
"..it's not you I'm mad at."
"Then what? You're not even mad at me, so why are you..."
” … “
"Tell me. What on earth is it?"
“.. I’m leaving in two weeks, so how can I.. “
" what ? "
He's leaving in two weeks...? Can he just say that so easily? Does he not have any regrets?
No, maybe it's just a bad thought created by my heart that doesn't want to send it.
As I speak, I feel a little bit of emotion building up.Is it because it's the first time I've heard that tone of voice, or is it because the expression you're making on me right now is hurting me?
".. In two weeks you just leave and it's over?"
"No.. that's not it"
"You could just leave after two weeks and that'll be the end of it, but I..."
” … “
“I have to endure that empty space once again..”
Gulp,
“Day and night..”
Finally, the tears I had been holding back burst out from the pain and anxiety that had been tormenting me for a long time.
The void that had plagued me since my father's death was now being filled again, and now I was anxious that it would once again leave a hole in my heart. That was exactly what it was.
“You came in.. I barely made it.. “
“ … “
"You... came in even though I said I didn't like it..."
” … ”
“How can I bear that empty space again.. again”
“ .. day and night.”
In the end, I blurted out the harshest words I could say to Beomgyu.
“..Choi Beom-gyu, you really”
“ … ”
“I hate you.”
“ ..!! ”
I know. These words are the most hurtful to Choi Beom-gyu, but... this evil thought has already overtaken his mind and he doesn't seem to have any intention of stopping. Just like back then.
Like the time I kicked that kid out of our house
" .. Sorry. "
“ … ”
“I’ll just… leave today.”
“..do as you wish.”
" .. huh. "
So Choi Beom-gyu left my room and I fell asleep from crying so hard.
For the first time, there was a very long gap between Beomgyu and me.
The next day,
“..did you really go?”
When I went down to eat breakfast, Choi Beom-gyu wasn't there, just my younger brother and mom as usual. Did he really go straight there like this...?
"Hey. Jin-ah, I'm talking about Choi Beom-gyu. Did he go out yesterday?"
“Who is Choi Beom-gyu?”
" what ..? "
“Who is Choi Beom-gyu?”
“ ..!! ”
That child left a bigger void in me than I expected. Perhaps even bigger than my father's, a void I could never fill.
My universe disappeared that day.