“But still, Dajeong. If your childhood friend goes far away, it might feel empty. It might last longer than you think. That.”
“Yeah.”
“Especially since Gyeongjun took care of you one by one. Truly like a habit…”
Kyeongmi poured alcohol into her throat, as if swallowing her written life.
Then came an unexpected confession.
“After Ujeong left, I did that.”
A name that has always been around but never uttered outside.
Ujeong.
In a span of more than ten years, Kyeongmi broke the long-held taboo.
Ujeong.
Gyeongjun coughed lightly, giving Kyeongmi a stern look, but Kyeongmi nonchalantly replied.
“Well, why not? Hasn’t it been time for us to talk naturally now? Why, Dajeong. Is it uncomfortable?”
“…No, sister. I’m fine.”
Kyeongmi breaking the taboo was appreciated. Ujeong had always been a presence that Ujeong could never speak about. Now, Dajeong hoped that she could call Ujeong more comfortably.
Little by little, everyone becoming more comfortable. Perhaps that’s how it would be as time passed.
The meat sizzled appetizingly on the burning charcoal. Looking down at the grill, it reminded them of the sea. Grilling meat on charcoal, burning firewood to overcome fear.
The man who told them about the trapped fire.
“I was thinking about my brother, but somehow, my thoughts shifted back to a man. What kind of mental flip is this? Dajeong suppressed her emotions and swallowed her feelings.
“Wait a moment. I have a call. It’s from the hospital.”
When the phone rang, Kyeongmi, who checked the screen, put down her chopsticks and stood up. Kyeongmi left after placing the tongs next to Dajeong, and Dajeong reached out with the tongs. However, what Dajeong grabbed was not the tongs but Gyeongjun’s hand.
A bit faster than Dajeong, Gyeongjun, who had tongs in his hand, looked down at Dajeong’s hand, which was spread out over his hand, with a soft smile. Dajeong, hiding her embarrassment, withdrew her hand.
“I’ll do it.”
Gyeongjun took the tongs and said, “Yeah.”
“You’re scared of fire, aren’t you?”
“I’m okay now.”
“I always did it.”
Since the beef needed to be eaten right away, there was no need to flip it for a long time. Gyeongjun urged Dajeong to eat quickly. He asked how much it cost.
“Now, I’ll do it. You eat too.”
Dajeong reached out her hand, but…
“I used to do it, and I’ll continue to do it in the future.”
Gyeongjun refused.
“…I’ve overcome the fear of fire more than I thought. I can handle even a wood fire.”
Gyeongjun’s eyebrows rose.
“That person… taught me. That being trapped in fire is okay.”
“…”
“I practiced overcoming fire, with help from that person. So…”
Gyeongjun’s pupils shook slightly.
Something is collapsing between you and me.
That person.
He referred to Jae-ho Lee as ‘that person.’
From the changed title, I could sense a deep story. I can no longer give sarcastic remarks like, ‘Stop following celebrities,’ or say things like, ‘Will Jae-ho Lee become your boyfriend?’
Unfortunately, that man had indeed become Yoon Dajeong’s real boyfriend.
Jae-ho Lee, who had been Dajeong’s hopeful future, entered Dajeong’s life, leaving a significant mark, and even after leaving, he somehow continued to linger.
Ignoring the shadow of the adult Jae-ho left next to Dajeong, Gyeongjun, deliberately ignoring it, spoke softly.
“We broke up.”
“Huh? Yeah, that’s right.”
“But why do you keep talking about it?”
Dajeong replied, flustered.
“No, I just wanted to say that the fire is okay now.”
“Dajeong-ah. I purposely chose Jeju Island.”
“…”
“Seeing us forcibly separated, and if it doesn’t work out.”
Exploring life, if you go back to the oldest memories, at first, there was Yoon Dajeong.
There was me, who picked you up after slipping and falling while riding a slide, hugging you tightly.
“I’ll confess. To you.”
“!”
“I love you a lot. I’ve always dreamed of a future with you. Let’s get married.”
In that way, you became a part of my life for a very long time.
“I, Gyeongjun Lee, am talking about. It’s not time yet.”
Gyeongjun cut off Dajeong’s words.
“I’ll endure it for a while being separated. Try going crazy like crazy.”
Then, Dajeong, who had something to say, eventually closed her mouth. What could she be thinking? Gyeongjun silently gazed down at Dajeong’s long eyelashes, which were blinking.
Rather than a man who gave his heart for just a month, the bombshell remark from a childhood friend took a stronger hold.
“Sure, Dajeong.”
“You acted like a friend for too long. Actually, you’ve never been a friend to me.”
Kyeongmi returned. Dajeong, who was about to retort, bit her lips and turned her head. Kyeongmi touched Dajeong’s blushing cheek.
“Feeling the alcohol? Yoon Dajeong, your tolerance has decreased a lot.”
“No, not really.”
“Hey, but what were you guys doing without drinking? Let’s eat quickly.”
“Kyungjun said something strange…”
“He always says strange things. Let’s eat. Let’s eat.”
????????
After the gathering, Dajeong couldn’t stop Kyungjun from walking her home as if it were natural. They silently walked along my usual walking path. Trees at the beginning of winter shook their bodies, fluttering barren branches.
“Wear thicker clothes, why. Your beige coat is pretty.”
“Yeah, I guess I should now.”
It could have been treated as a light joke, given a sweet remark and ended. If Dajeong had pushed it to the end like that, Kyungjun would eventually have to cooperate with this ridiculous farce. Then, it could have been asked as a joke.
But Dajeong couldn’t do that.
…Can I really say that I didn’t know Kyungjun’s feelings?
Even in the midst of embarrassment, I felt that such a day would come someday. His kindness had already crossed the line from a childhood friend for quite some time. At some point, Kyungjun stood on the ambiguous boundary, not a friend or family.
He was ready to be called a lover at any moment.
Although Dajeong never gave him room for that, she thought that every moment was a chance. Because all the time spent as friends was hope for him.
It was time to clarify the relationship.
“Do you still have nightmares these days?”
Kyungjun asked casually.
Male lead reborn without memories — but he still falls for her.
The person he finds displeasing in this life turns out to be his cherished wife-master in previous life…
Xie Zhi and Fang Xianxing who had known each other for less than three days through a blind date sat in the same car in front of the civil affairs bureau. They had a disagreement and failed to get married.
Xie Zhi immediately took out his phone, slid through his contacts, and randomly selected the next marriage candidate.
The woman snatched his phone and hung up. Looking at his phone wallpaper, she awkwardly changed the subject: “An ancient painting, eh? It looks pretty good, it’s just that the person in the painting looks a bit like me.”
When he heard this, he sarcastically mocked her for being so delusional, completely unaware that, the person in front of him was the reincarnation of Wen Ru, the famous prime minister of Yuan Shun whom he most admired…
The female CEO who doesn’t want to get married with a divorce agreement in hand × The male archaeological researcher who will only get married if he’s sure he can get divorced
