episode_0033

(New Love)

A quiet funeral home after all the guests had left.

I was left alone and fell into a state of sadness that felt like the sky was falling down again today.

To my beloved mom and dad, who were my sky and my everything.

But now, I closed my eyes and shed tears in fear of never seeing you again.

I cried for a long time, but I didn’t stop.

The comfort from those around me was of no help to me.

Because it was someone else’s business, because it wasn’t my business, so I didn’t expect any consolation or anything like that.

Adults who kept saying things like it would be okay without knowing anything.

“Ugh… Heuk, sob!”

I stared at my parents’ faces, which I could only see in pictures, for a long time.

First, my parents who have gone to heaven,

No, I was so resentful of the heavens for taking my parents away.

Since people cannot be free from death, I already knew that we would have to part ways like this someday, but still… no matter what, this was a very quick parting.

“Huh, sob… Haaaang… Ugh, sob… .”

So I wiped my eyes with my wrist.

My eyes were stinging from all the tears, but I kept wiping them.

This fact, this reality, was so unbelievable that I couldn’t believe my eyes.

Gurruk – If I wiped away these flowing tears, I felt sure that my parents would appear in front of me again.

“… … Love.”

“Sigh, ugh! Mom…? Dad…?”

Late at night, in this empty place, a voice called out for me.

Did my wish really reach the heavens? Was there really a God? I rubbed my eyes with my hands and looked towards where the sound came from.

“I’m sorry. Are you and your uncle really late?”

A gentle voice… a different voice from my mother’s, who only nagged me… .

But there was something that was the same.

“Sigh! Black, slurp!!”

My heart, which had barely calmed down, collapsed in the warmth that touched my heart.

I tried hard to act calm in front of others,

I felt like I had become the heroine of a tragic story, so I didn’t even want any attention.

When I saw the face of the woman I hadn’t seen in a long time,

I started to feel something pouring out of me.

“It’s been a while, huh?”

“Oh, ma’am… Oh, ma’am!! Mom and, Oh! Dad, sob! What do I do? I, sob! What do I do now?”

The warm hand wrapping around my back and the gentle smile of the man looking beyond the woman made me blurt out words.

“First, let me say hello first?”

“Heeeek… Hehe! Yes, I’m sorry… Just a moment… .”

I was so embarrassed that I had acted like a fool.

Although it was late, I was busy preparing to welcome the guests.

“This guy… leaving a child like that… … .”

Despite the long beating from the old man, the father in the photo just smiled brightly as if he was so happy about something.

Next to him, his mother just kept laughing like an idiot.

“The funeral is in the morning, what have you been doing? You’re still awake?”

“Hee… I’ve been waiting for you, uncle and aunt… .”

“Oh my, are you telling me we’re late now?”

“Oh, no! Seriously, absolutely not… No… .”

“Why is he yelling at this late hour? Or is it not?”

The man and woman were different from the adults I had met for several days in a row.

I didn’t enjoy gossiping about how pitiful I was or what I was going to do in the future.

“I’m a little hungry, do you have food now?”

“Ah… Would you like some?”

“You haven’t brought it yet? The lady put a lot of meat in the soup. Would you like a drink?”

“Okay, what time is it? We’re busy in the morning. Let’s just eat something and go to sleep.”

“What brings you here? Honey, should I go see the prize with you?”

“Ah… … .”

I was half-dragged by the woman who grabbed my hand and pulled me along.

And the three of us sat down around the table that had just been set.

“You must have had a hard time by yourself. You had a lot of guests, right?”

“Ah… Yes… It was a bit much.”

The two of them were chatting away while eating rice in a bowl of soup.

There were a lot of people talking nonsense like the kimchi here tastes like it’s from China and the meat is okay, but I was glad that I was able to forget my sadness, even if only for a little while.

And as I was sitting still, the lady asked me in a small voice.

“Should Sarang be our daughter now?”

“… … Yes?”

“Isn’t that kind of mom a bad thing? Oh, that old man over there might be a bit like that.”

*

“Oh, brother! Hello to you too.”

How long has it been since I last saw my sister and brother? I was young, so it must have been 7 or 8 years at most.

They were the same as before.

My sister is so pretty that I want to be like her.

Oh, oppa… he still seems to me like the most handsome guy in the world, next to dad.

Their eyes grew wide.

Perhaps, my appearance is not welcomed… Is there no place for me here… .

But, that was my concern.

It was my worry for nothing.

My brother and sister treated me like they used to.

*

“Oh? That’s good. Then come hang out here after school. Oh, or do you want to just stay here? It’s close to school, so that might be better.”

I was so happy that I could jump for joy at my brother’s offer.

It was great to follow the aunt and uncle, but it wasn’t an easy distance for me because I sleep a lot.

And… I also really enjoyed the fact that I got to spend time with my brother and sister.

It was like I was remembering when I was little and spending time with my mom and dad.

*

However, unlike my brother, my sister’s reaction was a bit cold.

Because he didn’t hide the aura of being annoyed by me and the look of displeasure on his face.

So I got anxious.

I wanted to appeal to my sister that I didn’t hate her and that I wasn’t a nuisance.

But, the more I talked, the more I thought of my parents, and tears started to well up again from my eyes that I thought were dry.

“Sigh, sob… .”

“Ah, ah… Love. Why are you crying all of a sudden?”

Tears burst out suddenly.

My sister’s embarrassed expression.

For some reason, the crying became louder and I cried like that for a long time.

“Ugh, oh no… I’m sorry… oh, now… it’s okay… .”

“… No, you can cry more.”

My sister’s hand wrapped around my back calmed my throbbing heart a little.

And now, thinking that maybe my sister would allow it, I asked back with a slightly embarrassed face.

“Uh, sis… I, can I stay here with you? Until I graduate, huh… I’ll stay.”

Finally, at the sound of my sister nodding her head up and down, I laughed softly like an idiot who had forgotten that I had been crying just a moment ago.

*

I had a hard time falling asleep in a new bed and in an environment different from usual.

I tossed and turned from side to side, and sometimes just lay there with my eyes wide open, dazed.

But, it was very comfortable.

I liked being here with my brother and sister, not where I had been staying the nights the past few days.

And I was lost in the sweet scent coming from the blanket, so I just let my eyes close.

“Ughhh… .”

I was newly delighted by the warmth of the sunlight announcing a new morning and the chirping of birds outside the window.

Until yesterday, I was so scared to close my eyes and open them, and I was so scared that I thought I was going crazy because there was no one next to me, but the fact that there was someone in this house, and that it was my brother and sister, warmed my heart.

“Ah… .”

It seemed like it was already past morning.

Since I went to bed late, I woke up late and quickly got out of bed.

Squeak-

I opened the door and left the room.

Not only was my sister’s room right next door quiet, but the whole house was incredibly quiet.

I think both my brother and sister probably sleep a lot in the morning.

And as I was walking with the intention of doing some light cleaning and getting ready for the day, even though it was a little late, my phone started ringing.

– Honey, are you awake?

“Ah, ma’am! Yes… I’m awake.”

– Your voice is still there? Did you wake up because of me?

“Hehehe… No… I just woke up.”

– Is that so? Did Arum and Daun happen?

“Ah… I just woke up so I don’t know. Should I change the phone?”

– Hey, no. I just wanted to hear your voice, my love. And to ask when you’re leaving.

After exchanging brief morning greetings with the lady, I hung up the phone.

And then I knocked softly on my sister’s room.

“Sister? It’s me, love… Can I come in for a minute?”

“… … .”

There was no answer, so I knocked again.

“Sister… ?”

Is she still asleep? Should I open the door and come in? But, without permission…? What if she feels bad…?

I shook my head slightly as various thoughts came to mind.

And then I turned my head toward my brother’s room across the living room.

First of all, I thought I should ask my brother, uh, my sister is sleeping…

So, stealthily, slowly, I walked through the living room and towards my brother’s room.

“Oh, … ?”

My body stopped.

I couldn’t hear it very well, but I could definitely hear my brother and sister’s voices together in the room.

I had a comforting thought that maybe they were talking about something because of the trip, along with a small worry that they might be ignoring me.

“Oh… Brother? Sister?”

Knock knock.

The atmosphere in the house became so quiet that it was chilling, and then my brother’s voice burst out from the room.

“… … Wait!!”

Ah… I got the feeling that you were hiding something from the urgent voice.

So I was about to throw the door wide open, but I was worried that I would be hated, so I stood there for a while and waited for my brother to come out.

When I counted to 50 in my head, the door opened carefully and I could see my brother’s face.

“Why?”

“Ah… .”

For a moment, my head felt like it was going to freeze.

It felt like I was having a mysterious and bizarre experience that was hard to put into words.

“Ah! I just got a call asking when I’m leaving.”

“Auntie?”

“Oh, yes. It was you.”

Although we only exchanged a few words, there was definitely something different about him than yesterday.

“Okay. Go ahead.”

For some reason, I felt uneasy because of the slightly cold voice.

Then I went into the living room, sat down on the sofa, and fell into deep thought.

The thought continued for a long time, and I saw my brother coming out of the room again and going into the bathroom.

And back to the room, until then my sister didn’t come out of the room.

“Heeeek… .”

An inexplicable feeling of frustration.

Unresolved curiosity.

But, it wasn’t long before I could figure out why.

A wide open door.

And the sister and brother who were inside.

My brother, who felt different from yesterday, and my sister, who felt different from yesterday.

“Ah! You just called again… . You told me to… come… a little… slowly… Hehe… .”

I was so surprised that I lied.

And I didn’t have the confidence to face their eyes that had become so big, so I ran to the room as if I was running away.