episode_0022

Winter vacation came after graduating from middle school, where there were many encounters and many incidents.

Fortunately, all of us were able to enter Seonghwa High School.

Even though it was vacation, nothing in particular changed in my daily life.

Sometimes I hang out with my friends, I stay with Riya like always, and I do kendo every day.

Most days were a series of routines like this.

Today wasn’t a particularly different day.

“This is my first time in Hongdae.”

“Yes.”

Surrounding us were many high-rise buildings that we don’t often see other than apartments in our neighborhood. The streets were full of people, and wherever you went it was full of life.

A place commonly called the downtown of downtown. Among them, Hongdae was quite famous.

There was no particular reason why Riya and I came to Hongdae together.

‘It’s really sudden.’

There had been talk of going to this city before, but I never actually went.

The reason we came together this time was because he suddenly came up while we were talking and we suddenly decided to go.

At least for now I don’t think the choice is a bad one.

“There are a lot of people…”

“Yes. There are many.”

As I said before, there were a lot of people in Hongdae.

It wasn’t so much that I couldn’t even walk because I was stuck between people, but if I got a little further away, I couldn’t easily find people.

Normally it wouldn’t have been this much, but there were a lot of people today.

“Then shall we go around?”

“Good. From there.”

We came to Hongdae, but we didn’t have any particular purpose in mind, so we just started walking.

I had never been here in this life, and I had never been to a big downtown like this in my last life, so this was my first time in a place like this.

And the first place we went to in busy Hongdae.

“Accessories?”

It was an accessory point.

Well, if you think about it, there wasn’t actually much we wanted to do here.

It’s not like we’re reading any kind of tarot reading, we’re not full yet to eat, and we don’t like things like escape rooms.

“I’ll buy it for you.”

“No, I bought it for you last time.”

“Then buy it next time.”

After saying that, Riya immediately started choosing accessories. Mainly as a necklace, not a bracelet.

On Riya’s wrist was the bracelet I gave her as a gift last Christmas.

‘I’ve been wearing it ever since I got it.’

And one word that comes to mind every time I see that white bracelet.

Right to wish.

I haven’t been able to use the wish ticket yet.

‘…How do you use it?’

The right to wish, the right to grant anything and everything.

Every time I think of its meaning, my head becomes filled with anguish and it becomes difficult to think.

Really, all sorts of bizarre delusions pop up out of my will.

For example, going on a trip alone, sleeping at my house when my parents are away, or doing cosplay.

Every time that happens, I get in trouble and I haven’t been able to use that wish ticket yet.

“Sihyeon, how about this?”

“…Uh, huh? What?”

“How about this.”

Riya woke me up again while I was lost in my thoughts alone.

Riya lifts a necklace in her hand and shows it to me.

But looking at it, it seemed like it wasn’t something she could use on her own.

The shape of the necklace was a bit too rough for her taste and had a rough feel to it.

Yes, it was a form that had a little bit of my taste in it.

“Is this going to be used by Riya?”

“Yes. With Sihyeon.”

“Together?”

“Let’s guess.”

The idea was to match the necklaces they both use to the same one.

When I thought about it, there was no item that was the same as Riya’s.

I thought there would be at least one, but since we only bought each other, we didn’t get the same items.

‘When I think about it, that’s right.’

It would be a good idea to take advantage of this opportunity.

“So, what do you think?”

She asked once again, showing me the necklace in her hand.

It’s not too flashy, yet not simple, and the color is a combination of white and black.

I don’t know if there’s anything better, but for now, I really like this necklace.

“I like it. Should we do this?”

“Hmm… Let’s look around a little more.”

Riya put that necklace on hold and tried several other necklaces. The designs were slightly different, but overall, the necklaces were white and black as the base.

I watched a few of them over and over again, and they were okay, but…

As expected, I liked the first one the best.

“Let’s just take the first one, it’s the prettiest.”

“Okay.”

With our decision made, we immediately purchased the necklace we first chose.

Two identical ones, mine and Riya’s.

When I hung mine around my neck, it felt comfortable to wear and didn’t feel like it was getting caught.

“Hang it around your neck.”

At that time, when Riya handed me the necklace, I asked for it.

Riya sweeps up the white hair that covers the back of her neck, exposing her thin white neck to me.

I couldn’t even see my face, it was just my neck…

When I saw that defenseless neck, my heart started pounding just a little.

“…”

Without saying a word, I reached out my hand and passed the necklace in front of her.

My hand brushes against her pure white neck.

I brought the string of the necklace back and tied it, then immediately put my hand back and took it off.

Touching her neck wasn’t easy.

“Did it go well with your neck?”

“Yes.”

She looked at the necklace, adjusting the string to make sure it was tied well.

Then, she pulled back the hair that was covering the necklace and showed herself to me.

“How about it?”

Although the words were short, the meaning contained within them was not unknown.

What do you think of yourself?

I already knew the answer to that.

pretty.

It was a fact that everyone knew, and it was something I was feeling and thinking about right now.

But it wasn’t easy to say these words out loud to her.

‘…It’s happening again.’

I can’t do anything now that I did before.

This has happened quite often recently.

And as I continued to say nothing, Riya looked at me with an anxious face.

“Ah, doesn’t it suit you..?”

He speaks to me in a worried voice as he adjusts the decoration at the end of the rope.

Doesn’t it suit you?

That can’t be possible.

In front of her face, I blurted out the words I had been hesitant about. It was impulsive.

“Pretty.”

“Pretty?”

“Yes, very much. More than anyone else.”

Once it came out of my mouth, the words that followed stuck together.

It was impulsive.

After speaking, I was a little embarrassed and my face turned red.

But I didn’t regret it. Because I meant it.

Riya is pretty.

“Hmm…”

Riya laughed at my words, making a snorting noise that she never usually made, as if she was in a really good mood.

A firm smile that I haven’t seen in a long time.

She erased her anxious expression from earlier and smiled slightly as she adjusted her necklace.

Soon he reached out his hand to me.

“Let’s go.”

White fingers reached out towards me. As if to catch it.

And this time, I was not unaware of its meaning.

It means to hold one’s hand.

I knew the meaning and hesitated for a moment when I saw this hand.

‘…I can’t hesitate again.’

This time, I couldn’t make her look disappointed.

I just do what my body tells me to do and reach out and hold Riya’s hand tightly that is facing me.

Cold, small hands that I haven’t had much to hold recently.

We held hands like that.

“Then let’s go now, shall we go towards the park?”

“Uh, yes…”

Riya blushed and her voice became quiet, wondering where the confident request she had just made as if she had made an iron plate had gone.

An expression that makes you want to cover your face right now.

However, it could not be realized because one arm was still held.

“….”

Without saying anything to each other.

To be more precise, my head was so busy that I didn’t say anything.

As I continued walking, I arrived at a park with a thin, long river.

And only when we got there did our hearts calm down.

“…The park is pretty.”

“It’s pretty. It’s my first time here.”

As I began to speak, my mind became at ease, and the hand I was holding became no longer difficult.

It may be that they are ignoring it, but… it is much better than before.

We continued around the park and then went to a karaoke bar.

Besides that, as we continued to wander around Hongdae and enjoy the sights, time passed quickly.

Since I originally arrived quite late, it was natural for the sun to set in winter like this.

“Shall we go back?”

“Yes. Let’s go.”

After saying that, we walked towards the station.

Near the subway station.

When I came to a place where there were tall buildings again, I could see things attached to them.

Subcultural characters appearing on electronic display boards.

Most of them were female characters and their costumes were quite provocative.

There wasn’t much interest.

Neither in my past life nor in my current life was I interested in subculture.

As I was thinking about that and was about to turn my head, Riya opened her mouth.

“Do you like clothes like that, Sihyeon?”

It wasn’t particularly cold.

Rather, the voice seemed a little embarrassed.

“Clothes?”

“Yes.”

“It’s not particularly good… but I don’t hate it either.”

It’s a lie to say that I don’t like those kinds of clothes now that I’m a man.

When I said that, her pale face turned red and she spoke to me in a low voice.

“Well, then…”

Her voice was shaking so much that it wasn’t like her.

She opened and closed her mouth several times, then opened her mouth again as if she had made up her mind.

“If you use a wish ticket… they might give you something to wear…”

It was a very quiet voice, but I heard it clearly.

The accident stopped just like that.

Clothes like that.

What about Riya?

‘…Go away from your troubles!!’

Just imagining it makes my heart tremble.

Holy crap.

It’s really crazy.

‘…But what if it’s a wish right?’

But I didn’t have the heart to refuse outright.

Riya spoke first, and I also had a legitimate reason: the right to wish.

There is no reason to refuse!

Of course, there is a little bit of my own desire!

‘I wonder if it’ll be okay at least once…?’

Wouldn’t it be okay?

Even if you are honest about your desires once in a while.

It was something I would never say, but I was so excited that it was difficult to suppress my desire.

I heard Riya wears clothes like that.

I wonder if I can bear it…

‘There is none.’

After making that promise, I immediately held her hand and said,

We couldn’t make eye contact.

“Okay, I’ll take that.”

“Well, with what…?”

“With cosplay.”

“Ahh…”

Despite what she said, Riya lowered her head and blushed as if she was embarrassed.

However, Riya lowered her head for a moment as if she had no intention of biting her teeth, but then she looked straight at me and said.

“Well, then… a week. Please wait.”

Because I will buy it.

Sihyeon likes it.

The moment I heard those words, my head was filled with delusions.