episode_0112

From the dark and gloomy sky, thick raindrops fell incessantly like a torrential downpour.

Siwoo, who had reassured me that everything would be fine until we departed, finally let out a sigh halfway to our destination at the rest area.

With half of the lukewarm instant ramen left uneaten, I casually asked Siwoo, “Don’t worry too much. It’s just bad luck, right?”

Siwoo replied with a look on his face.

He said that he had aced the exam with a good mood, had planned everything perfectly for the trip, but the weather didn’t cooperate, ruining everything.

“And we can always go swimming at an indoor pool in a pension for water fun.”

“…It’s not the same as a valley though.”

“So what? The point is to have fun in the water.”

Since I had anticipated this situation, I was less shocked by it.

I don’t know how my reaction appeared to Siwoo, but at least I achieved my goal of not making him more anxious by showing my doubts.

“And all of this will be a memory~. If it was difficult to reserve a pension with a piano, we can still reserve one without it. And it doesn’t have to be a pension, we can go to places like Busan. Even during peak season, hotels will have at least one room available.”

Siwoo had been on vacation since last Saturday, and summer was long.

“Although I want to… I have the concours coming up soon, so I need to prepare…”

Of course, preparing for the concours preliminary rounds approaching in September would make summer vacation not feel like a vacation at all. I understand that feeling well.

While I could postpone practicing a bit under the pretext of going on a date, for piano majors, the concours is like a second college entrance exam.

Just as students who slack off and make bad choices end up ruining their long-prepared college entrance exams, piano majors often feel greatly disappointed when they receive their concours results.

The experience of seeing everything you’ve worked so hard for slip away with a single misstep is truly indescribable unless you’ve experienced it firsthand.

“Then, even if we can’t go on a pension trip, let’s make a promise.”

“…What kind of promise?”

“I won’t watch you play the piano anymore in the future.”

“What? Why?”

I knew very well that Siwoo cherished our lesson time together, but what he needed now wasn’t private lessons with me.

To Siwoo, the time we spend together in other ways is more precious. The memories we will create together in the future are more valuable.

Since we’ve spent an overwhelming amount of time in front of the piano, we need to find other ways to spend our time.

“Instead, I want to go on dates during that time.”

Siwoo was about to say something, but I gently placed my index finger on his lips in the momentary silence.

I cautiously spoke, observing his expression.

“Just trust me this once, okay? You said you lose color every time you get irritated. I think I know why.”

Do you think you know something that I don’t? I said with a pickled radish in front of Siwoo, who made a face as if to say, “You know something I don’t?”

“Here. Take a pickled radish and think about it.”

Siwoo swallowed his saliva and opened his mouth to quickly eat the pickled radish.

It was quite comical to hear him speak while chewing.

“You eat half of it.”

I see. I understood everything he was trying to say.

If sharing half of the pickled radish is what he means by “irritation,” then I’ll gladly comply.

I put the remaining half of the pickled radish in my mouth and started chewing.

As we faced each other, crunching away, I stifled a laugh as the tangy flavor spread in my mouth.

It might have been ridiculous to think about it again.

“Phew… Why… Why is it so sour…”

“You, you… kick.”

We both chuckled as we shrugged our shoulders.

Unbeknownst to us in our dreams, the sharp gazes around us were fixed on us.

We had stopped by a cafe before departing from the rest area, and as we waited for our coffee to be made, Siwoo asked me quietly.

Outside the window, the rain was still drizzling.

“I… I’m sorry for my poor driving skills. Are you feeling nervous?”

Turning the steering wheel sharply, alternating between pressing the accelerator and brake pedals, riding in the car of a bad driver who was a bit slow compared to others made me feel dizzy.

Siwoo was a perfect driver as long as he slowed down a bit. With more experience, he could easily become the best driver.

“I don’t really know. Honestly, you seem better than the taxi drivers who drive recklessly. I sometimes feel nauseous when I ride in a taxi.”

“That’s true.”

“Driving is all about experience. With more experience, you’ll get better. Isn’t that right?”

Siwoo nodded in agreement.

The gloomy expression that had clouded his face all day as he recalled the various events that had to be canceled due to the rain had finally lifted after an hour of our departure.

“It’s a memory.”

I opened the umbrella and handed Siwoo, who was holding two cups of coffee, to him.

Due to the significant height difference between us, I had to raise my arm. The umbrella was high, so the rain hit my face directly.

As if I couldn’t see in front of me, I squinted my eyes, grabbed Siwoo’s forearm, and started walking slowly.

Click. The car door opened with the sound of the rented car’s smart key.

“You go first.”

Siwoo led me to the passenger seat instead of the driver’s seat.

“Thank you.”

After handing him the umbrella, I entered the car with the coffee. Despite it being summer, the continuous rain made the weather oddly chilly.

Placing the two coffees in the cup holder and shaking off the water droplets from my head, I noticed Siwoo looking at me expectantly.

“… What? Why?”

“No, it’s just that you turned your head so suddenly, it didn’t pop.”

“Am I some kind of puppy?”

Before he could finish his sentence, Siwoo suddenly showed me his palm. I instinctively placed my hand on top of it, only to realize what was happening and exclaimed.

“Hey!”

My fist hit Siwoo’s palm.

“Ouch, take that. Hair ruffle.”

“Ah, hey!”

After hitting Siwoo’s face with my hair, it came back to me. The wetness of the hair was gone, but now Siwoo’s face was damp.

I chuckled and used my palm to wipe his face clean of the water droplets.

“Alright, let’s go! Let’s go swimming!”

Before showing a bigger reward, I just wanted to lower his expectations by teasing him. Siwoo might not know that.

After staring at me for a while, Siwoo fixed his messy hair and asked.

“Umbrella. Did you bring it?”

And now that I thought about it, I had put it in the suitcase without taking it out separately. I shook my head to indicate that I didn’t have it.

“Wait here.”

Although he tried to tidy up my hair with his hand, it didn’t seem to work out as the rain was falling. Eventually, he couldn’t stand it and took something out of his pocket to tie my hair into a messy ponytail and pulled it to the front of my shoulder.

When I looked down, there was a ribbon hair tie that reminded me of spring cherry blossoms. It was an unfamiliar item.

“What’s this? Where did you get it?”

Siwoo just cleared his throat without answering and immediately started the engine, saying.

“I need to focus on driving until we arrive, so please don’t talk to me.”

“What do you mean?”

“Let’s go.”

Although he said it in a roundabout way, I could tell from his reddening face.

This hair tie is a souvenir from Siwoo’s summer trip.

Even though I prepared everything by myself, he said he prepared all of this.

“….”

Looking through the mirror behind the indoor sun visor, the thick ribbon looked so good on me.

I didn’t even go choose it together. How did he manage to find such a perfect item? It was amazing.

He must have summoned me in his mind, imagining different kinds of hair ties. It probably took quite some time.

Instead of studying hard, he spent time choosing things like this. If I hadn’t given him a lecture, what would he have done—.

‘For me…’

Professor Baek and his wife are really wonderful people.

They are like my actual parents, and in place of our parents who left this world early, I received a lot of love from them.

They might seem selfish and greedy, but still, I always wanted to meet someone who would look out for me and dedicate themselves to me.

And if that person was Min Chaewon, it would be even better.

‘Because there’s a tiny Chaewon inside Siwoo.’

This is also a gift from Chaewon.

She went to the store with Siwoo, thinking of me, and carefully chose this gift.

I tightly held the hair tie with slightly trembling hands, tilting my head and pressing it firmly.

I felt it. Tingling, it spread through my fingertips.

Even though there was no time, Siwoo’s love was evident in his efforts to find the perfect gift by going to a distant store.

Just like how I would do anything for him, he also sacrificed precious time for me.

I knew it, but realizing it once again makes my heart swell. The fire in my heart continues to burn hotter without extinguishing.

After the gunpowder disappeared. I thought there wouldn’t be any more changes in my heart.

But that wasn’t the case. A huge furnace was erected, supplying hot heat throughout my body. This furnace grew and expanded every time Siwoo did something strange.

I looked at the rain hitting the car window and swallowed my saliva. Then I turned on my phone to check the date.

June 26th. Halfway through the year 2023.

‘What should I do.’

Can I endure until next year…?