episode_0000

“Hey.”

“Didn’t I tell you to call me oppa?”

“What do you say all the time?”

“I’m one day earlier. Then I’m the older brother.”

“This is so goddamn… so childish. We’re the same age?”

It was definitely like any other day.

After finishing school, my childhood friend Park A-reum and I were bickering and walking home.

“Hey, let’s go eat some tteokbokki.”

“Tteokbokki? Again?”

“Why~ I’ll buy it for you. Okay? Just eat it together.”

“Ah… That’s not the problem, I’m just sick of it. If I eat it again, I think I’m going to throw up.”

“Then eat and vomit. So, just stay by my side? Okay?”

“Go home and play games, hey! Hey! I told you I’m not going?”

Park A-reum pretended not to hear my screams and headed to the snack shop she went to every day.

I followed him, sighing deeply as if I had no choice.

… I think I just followed Park A-reum because the old man asked me to take good care of him, thinking of the old man.

“Auntie! Please give me 2 servings of tteokbokki!”

“Okay. But, where’s Downie? Oh my. When the needle comes, the thread must come too. Come and sit down.”

“… Actually, what. Hello.”

I bowed my head slightly and greeted the snack shop owner.

And my aunt filled a plate with tteokbokki.

Next to it, there were several pieces of fried food cut with scissors.

“This is the last one, so eat it up.”

“Wow! Thank you!”

“Auntie. This is too much.”

“Really? Then eat and smell it. But anyway, that girl is going to eat it all.”

“Hey… This looks delicious. Hey, you eat quickly too.”

Park A-reum picked up two pieces of rice cake and put them in her mouth.

And as I chewed and ate, my puffy cheeks felt like they were going to burst.

“Hey, eat slowly. I won’t steal it from you.”

“Pooha… If I’m late, my mom will nag me again, so that’s why. I want to be your daughter too. Then I can go home late.”

“Hehehe, okay. Just imagining it gives me goosebumps.”

“Or do you want to switch with me? I’m your daughter, you’re my son. What do you think?”

“Okay, eat quickly. If you’re late, I’ll nag you.”

“Shhh… You should have spoken first.”

Park A-reum glared at me, but her chopsticks didn’t stop.

He stuffed his mouth with rice cakes, then chose the ones he wanted to eat next and placed them in front of the bowl.

And I just stole some of that rice cake and ate it because it looked more delicious.

“Hey! I told you I wouldn’t steal it! You always lie!”

Thud- thud-

Park A-reum’s soft fist hit my forearm.

It wasn’t painful or ticklish, but I was frowning and getting irritated for no reason.

“Oh my… It’s a mess when you hit someone while they’re eating. They say they don’t even touch dogs when they’re eating.”

“… A guy worse than a dog.”

“What?”

“What did I, I didn’t say anything.”

As Park Areum was about to move her chopsticks again, my cell phone rang loudly.

I quickly picked up the phone after seeing the two letters “Mom” printed on the screen.

“Oh, hello.”

– Son, are you with Arum right now?

“Yeah. Tteokbokki on the side, oh… Mom said this is a secret from the ladies.”

Park A-reum glared at me from the side and gave me a hint, so I quickly changed my subject.

– … First, Mom will send you the address. Do you want to take a taxi with A-reum?

“Now? Where is that place?”

– Don’t tell Arami yet. The house next door just got into a car accident… .

“Oh, ma’am! Ma’am! Are you talking about my mom and dad!?”

– ah….

“Where is that! I’ll go there now!”

As luck would have it, Park A-reum was right next to me, eavesdropping on the phone call.

*

“Ugh, ugh… sob… .”

“Hey… No, ha… No… .”

It’s already been a week since I received an urgent call from my mom at the snack bar.

And today marks exactly a week since Park A-reum’s parents passed away in an accident.

There was never a day when the tears would dry in Park A-reum’s eyes.

Certainly yesterday, and today, and maybe tomorrow too… .

Park A-reum, who had no relatives, was left alone in the world at the age of 10.

I felt so sorry for this little boy, my childhood friend, who had nowhere to rely on.

“Ara, should we live together with the aunt and uncle? Even with Downie.”

My parents seemed to have felt the same way as I did.

And in Park A-reum’s eyes, which had been shedding tears incessantly, it seemed as if the end was finally in sight.

“Oh, oh no! Hee-ing… .”

But now, the crying that I thought had stopped has burst out again.

And the head was nodding up and down, albeit slightly.

Park A-reum became our daughter just as she had wished.

And so, 10 years passed by.