LATEST UPDATES

Published at 20th of September 2018 08:36:22 PM


Chapter Prologue

If audio player doesn't work, press Stop then Play button again




Chapter 0

0. Memory

Ο

Ο

Ο

 

✿ΟΟ✿ΟΟ✿

Ο

This happened quite a long time ago.

“Ah, Jjaro, are you here to visit this old lady in the hospital?”

I was in a pure white room.

Saeyeon’s mother, who was in a patient’s gown and leaning against the bed as she read a book, smiled brightly once she saw me enter.

Saeyeon’s dad had gone out of his way and did whatever he could to get his wife a private patient room. This was my first time seeing a patient room, but it was more dreary than I expected, and it looked very businesslike. I had a vague expectation that this would be a warm and comfy place where sick people could recover better than anywhere else.

Warm steam spewed out from the humidifier as the water inside it boiled. There was a bouquet placed on top of a shelf. A large number of books were stacked up on the side so that she wouldn’t get bored during her long stay here.

“Here, I brought a present.”

Once I held out the fruit basket I was holding in my arms, Saeyeon’s mother blinked in surprise before eventually beaming happily.

“What’s the occasion, Jjaro? You even bought a gift.”

“It’s nothing special. Mom and Dad told me to give you a present as well.”

It was hard to look at Saeyeon’s mother’s face, so I gave her that excuse and turned my head away.

She had changed, a lot more than I expected, after all.

Her cheeks which used to be as smooth as Saeyeon’s had caved inwards and revealed the outline of her cheekbones. Her once bright skin was better described as being pale now, and her long and refined hair had disappeared underneath a beanie.

A hissing noise emanated as she breathed through the respirator that was attached to the bottom of her nose. It must have been cumbersome as Saeyeon’s mother turned with a slightly uncomfortable look on her face before taking the fruit basket and placing it on top of the shelf.

“Thanks, I’ll make sure to enjoy it. This is Jjaro’s first gift to me, after all.”

Throughout my life, I’ve constantly regretted saying those words like that at that moment.

“······Are you, going to die?”

Nevertheless, this was the only time I’ve ever regretted saying something that much.

Saeyeon’s mother reacted to my question by blinking once.

I can never forget the expression that briefly appeared on her face at that moment.

But Saeyeon’s mother dropped her shoulders slightly and laughed.

“Yeah. I probably will.”

“······.”

Saeyeon’s mother purposely made her expression bright as she shrugged her shoulders before turning away so that I couldn’t see her face.

“I’m afraid it’s a bit too late······. The doctors seemed to have discovered some ways to cure me, but I think it’s too late.”

Sniff, I heard this sound, so I turned away as well.

Even now, I don’t know what I should have said back then.

Saeyeon’s mother wiped the corners her eyes with her sleeve once before turning towards me again and speaking.

A line that was going to change Saeyeon’s fate and mine.

“So······. This old lady, can’t take care of Saeyeon anymore, so I’ll leave her in your care, Jjaro.”

She chuckled as if she found it regrettable before patting my head.

“Saeyeon is kind, innocent, and dumb······, so someone has to always be at her side, but I think that’ll be impossible for this old lady.”

Even though there was no strength in the hand that was messing up my hair, I couldn’t avoid it. With a voice that was barely audible, Saeyeon’s mother spoke in an immensely sad tone.

“So please stay by Saeyeon’s side in this old lady’s stead. I’m asking you this because you’re like my son.”

“······I can’t always, be at her side.”

Why was I only able to say something like that?

“Saeyeon is just a friend who lives next door, and naturally, she’s a dummy, so I’ll take care of her, but being next to her always is······.”

Tap, Saeyeon’s mother’s fist touched my forehead while I was muttering those words with my head turned.

“Can you promise me?”

Her gaze looked so sad, so regretful, and so endearing. Because this was my first time seeing her look like this, and because it also had a strength that I couldn’t refuse,

“······Okay.”

I brought my fist up to Saeyeon’s mother’s fist.

Saeyeon’s mother smiled widely and opened her hand in order to interlock her fingers with mine.

From that point on, we momentarily forgot about the promise and talked normally until the end of visiting hours. While holding hands.

At some point, I had fallen asleep, so when the nurse came in to tell me that visiting hours were over, I removed the blanket that Saeyeon’s mother had covered me with and placed it over her since she had already fallen asleep before leaving the hospital.

That was my final conversation with Saeyeon’s mother.

This happened quite a long time ago.

Ο

Ο

Ο

Ο

Ο

Ο

Ο





Please report us if you find any errors so we can fix it asap!