episode_0030

I had a dream.

It was during the time when Seonghyun was lost after losing his mother.

If I hadn’t met that person, would I not be here now?

I was grateful. But maybe.

That time might have been a curse to me.

Unable to forget the memories of that time, I couldn’t connect with another woman.

If that’s not a curse, then what is it?

By the way, where am I?

Seonghyun looked around.

Colorful fabrics and a huge bed.

The texture of the bed that could be mistaken for a makeshift resting space at first glance.

“What the heck, where am I really?”

I had a vague idea of the situation as I had kept my senses intact.

But, I missed the situation as I fell asleep in the middle, and eventually ended up like this.

Knock knock!

Someone opened the door to the room.

“Huh?”

He met my eyes and froze for a moment.

Thud!

Then, he ran out towards the outside as if crazy, only to come back with a familiar face.

Armin… Armin?

“Seonghyun-nim!”

Huh?

A woman with red hair and golden eyes hugged Seonghyun fiercely.

Seonghyun reflexively accepted her.

But.

“W-who… who are you?”

Judging by the voice, it was clearly Armin.

But the body…

It seems to have doubled in size?

Armin blushed as she noticed Seonghyun’s eyes widening.

“I… I’ve changed a lot, haven’t I? Somehow… hehe.”

What did she do to change her body like that?

By the way.

“You look like someone.”

Seonghyun made a blank expression as he looked at Armin. Armin raised her eyebrows.

“Who do I look like?”

Feeling the vibe, Seonghyun quickly changed the subject.

“Huh? The one I saw before? By the way, you’ve become much prettier. Like, unrecognizably.”

Armin’s face turned pink at those words.

“Uh… Oh, t-thank you…? Hehe.”

She had indeed changed drastically compared to before.

Her golden eyes sparkled like starlight, exuding a dazzling beauty. Her flawless skin shimmered like pearls, and her lightly raised lips accentuated Armin’s beauty even more with a shy smile.

Her height was just right, and the elegant curves in every part felt like appreciating a piece of art.

“Y-yeah, pretty.”

Very.

“Ugh! Just a moment! I’ll go wash up!”

Armin couldn’t hold it in any longer, covering her face with her hands and rushing out of the room.

Seonghyun took a deep breath as Armin left.

“Ugh… I can’t treat her like a little sister or daughter anymore. This is cheating.”

Seonghyun closed his eyes, recalling Armin’s changed appearance.

“She looked prettier than me.”

Honestly, it’s hard to say who’s prettier. But the grown-up Armin was definitely beyond the level of beauty she had before.

To be as pretty as that person.

It was the first time. Such a person.

Seonghyun briefly remembered the past.

Thud, thud.

That day, I just wanted to walk endlessly on the streets.

Maybe it was to soothe my empty heart.

If you walk, you can organize your thoughts.

Someone had said that before.

Love starts like a traffic accident.

“Are you having a bad day?”

She suddenly appeared in front of me, like a car going the wrong way.

I couldn’t say anything at that moment.

And that’s understandable. Her appearance, bathed in the moonlight in the night sky, was at a level that could be called a celebrity.

Her appearance was so tense that my body involuntarily tensed up.

“Are you trying to kidnap me and sell my organs? Are you a cult?”

Such thoughts had filled my mind.

Reading her thoughts, the woman covered her mouth and smiled.

Seeing that smile, Seonghyun felt like his mind was clearing up.

“Wow, how can someone be this beautiful?”

Was that the reason?

I did something I wouldn’t normally do.

No, it felt like I had to do it.

“Excuse me. If you’re okay with it, would you like to… have a little chat?”

Worried that the woman might refuse, I bit my lower lip.

“Well, sure. I know a good pork belly restaurant. How about we go there for some drinks?”

“Sounds… good.”

As I nodded, she smiled brightly.

Being next to her made me feel brighter too.

Our laughter didn’t stop as we headed to the pork belly restaurant.

And that laughter continued even at the restaurant.

“Haha, no way, Nuna, this is really it?”

“What? No way!”

She was 26 years old. Her name was Yumia.

When I asked about the meaning, she said she took the ‘mi’ from Minerva and the ‘a’ from Athena to make Yumia.

“Haha. Nuna, does that make sense? Who names a person like that?”

As I laughed and spoke, Yumia Nuna gave a slightly awkward smile.

“Oh… haha, really?”

“Of course.”

Sharing a drink with Nuna, I washed away the pain and sadness I had been feeling.

Knowing this, I regretted not going for walks more often.

If I had, could I have seen Nuna sooner?

“Nuna, do you usually go for walks at that time?”

“No? I just… felt like it today.”

Just felt like it.

I understood. That’s how I started going for walks too.

“Same as me. Why did Nuna talk to me? Weren’t you scared walking alone at that time?”

“Um… you looked sad, so my body just went out first. I think the reason I went for a walk today might be because of this person, don’t you think?”

Ting!

After that, we continued to meet occasionally, spending time sharing drinks.

And then, one day, an opportunity arose.

On a day like any other, drinking and walking.

We saw a really bright and big full moon.

I opened my mouth as if enchanted.

“Do you remember the day we first met, when this moon was out, Nuna?”

“Of course, how could I forget.”

Her smile was as bright and beautiful as it was then.

I didn’t want to miss that smile. I thought I wanted to be with her for the rest of my life.

“I like you, Nuna. Will you go out with me?”

After thinking for a moment, Yumia Nuna blushed and nodded with a beautiful face.

“Of course, I like you too.”

Smack.

Nuna’s moist lips met mine.

Our bond grew stronger.

At that moment, I thought we could be together for the rest of our lives.

In fact, we dated for over a year without a single fight.

Meeting Nuna was always a happy time for me.

It wasn’t just a dream.

“Nuna, I still can’t believe it. That someone like you is my girlfriend.”

“Oh, our boyfriend is saying that again. That’s more like something I should be saying~! If people around me knew we were dating, they would freak out, right?”

“Come to think of it, I’ve never met any of Nuna’s friends. Introduce me sometime. They sound like fun people.”

Listening to Nuna’s stories about her friends felt like reading a well-crafted novel.

If such people really existed, I definitely wanted to meet them.

Not only that, the stories she occasionally told about her family were really interesting.

After thinking for a moment, Yumia Nuna firmly held my hand.

“When our boyfriend eventually finds out everything. Then, then I’ll definitely introduce you. Okay?”

Because Yumia Nuna had many secretive aspects, I let it go this time too.

Friends say there’s no need to know your girlfriend’s secrets. It’s like opening Pandora’s box.

“Yeah~, I wonder when the day will come when I know everything~ Will I find out when we get married~?”

As I flashed a sly smile, Mia’s face turned red.

I guess I’m not the only one who had that thought.

“Th-that’s still too early… Let’s talk about it later, okay? Let’s talk about it later.”

I chuckled at her shy, girlish demeanor.

“Hahaha! Sure.”

For what seemed like an eternity, we were together. I thought we would be happy.

Until that day came.

Crack-!

It was a day when lightning struck a lot.

Mia’s face next to me didn’t look good. I hugged her tightly, and her expression brightened a bit.

“What’s wrong, Nuna?”

As if waiting for those words, Mia burst into tears.

“Sung Hyun, I don’t think we can see each other anymore…”

What do you mean?

Like the weather outside, her words struck my heart.

“N-Nuna? Are you saying we’re breaking up right now?”

Mia’s expression, revealing the truth, was not good.

It felt like someone was trying to forcibly break our bond.

I felt irritated by her behavior.

“Who is it? Why are you trying to separate us? We’re just in a normal relationship. Speak up. What…?”

But no matter what I said, Nuna didn’t say anything.

She just shed tears.

“Sung Hyun, I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I have a favor to ask.”

A favor?

I just wanted to be with Nuna, and that was all that mattered.

I didn’t want to hear it, but I hoped she would stop crying.

“What is it…?”

Somehow, after hearing those words, I felt like I would never see Nuna again.

“It’s a favor. I know it’s something you shouldn’t do. But, I love you! Please. Please, even as time passes, don’t forget me.”

Mia poured out her words to me as if pleading.

And I felt the same way.

“Why would I forget you… You said you love me, not to forget you! But why are you trying to break up with me…?”

Her words didn’t continue from there.

“I’m leaving. Don’t follow me…”

With those words, Nuna left the house.

I stared blankly at where Nuna had left, realizing that now was not the time to do so.

I have to catch her.

For sure, I have to catch her. She’s someone I can’t let go of like this. She’s someone I can’t end things with like this. The person I love. The person I can’t forget.

She’s…!

“Yoo Mia…!”

The moment I called out to Nuna, lightning struck before my eyes.

And I woke up in the hospital.

Nuna’s phone number was erased. The house we lived in was empty.

No matter how high I climbed up the ranks later on, I couldn’t find any trace of her.

Looking back now.

Was all of that just a dream? I sometimes think.

No.

That wasn’t a dream.

I still remember her. I still remember the time we spent together.

And I strongly feel it here.

Soon. I can meet her soon.

Sung Hyun opened his eyes, seeing the moonlight streaming through the curtains.

It was like the moonlight from that day.