THIFSGSTW CH 45

Chapter 45: Ever since

I looked out the window. The world was frozen white. Just yesterday, the snow had been falling as if the sky had been torn open, but today, it had stopped as if it were a lie.

Someone walked out, leaving a trail of footprints behind. Their golden hair gleamed in the morning sunlight, swaying with the wind. That person stopped in front of the frozen garden and stretched out a hand toward it.

The cold snow, which had been holding its breath over the petals, began to melt slowly. Amidst the white world, colorful petals revealed their colors.

“He really only came out today.”

Park Yul hadn’t left the basement all day yesterday. I was curious about what was in there that kept him occupied, but everyone said they didn’t know since they had never been inside the basement.

-‘Why haven’t you gone in?’

-‘Because Leader-hyung doesn’t want us to.’

It was a simple answer, but it was enough of a reason. I picked up the velvet box that had been sitting on the table. It was time to deliver it.

I went down to the first floor and swung the door open. The scent of snow hit me. It was a cold scent that made my nose tingle. The piled-up snow sparkled under the winter sunlight. I walked toward Park Yul, who stood at the center of it all.

“Oh, Yihan-ah. Did you sleep well?”

Sensing my presence, Park Yul turned toward me. A warm breeze, like spring, faintly surrounded him. It seemed to be melting the snow.

“Yes. What about you, Yul-hyung?”

“I slept well too. A lot of snow piled up overnight.”

“It did. It snowed all day yesterday.”

Park Yul nodded casually. I hesitated, wondering if I should ask, before cautiously bringing it up.

“I heard you stayed in the basement all day yesterday. You must not have seen the snow at all.”

“You’re curious about what I was doing down there, aren’t you?”

His voice, tinged with amusement, followed immediately. He was spot on. I hadn’t even gotten to the point yet, but somehow, he already knew. Maybe I was just too easy to read. Or maybe Park Yul was just that perceptive.

“Not right now. I’ll tell you later.”

If Park Yul said that, then no matter how much I asked, I wouldn’t get an answer. I handed him the box I had brought. Park Yul opened it and stared at the piece inside for a long while, wordlessly. Then, he carefully placed it inside his coat.

“Thank you.”

As if to say I’d done well, Park Yul ruffled my hair and continued.

“Yihan-ah, do you have the piece you picked?”

I took out my piece and placed it in his hand. Park Yul held it still for a moment before opening his palm.

The piece floated into the air. A tiny hole appeared at the top, and a long, thin string slipped through it. Park Yul held it in his hand. Then he slowly lowered his head toward me and reached out his hand. Suddenly, it smelled like flowers. Not from the garden nearby, but right beside me.

Park Yul gently placed the piece around my neck. His fingers brushing against my skin felt almost burning hot. The warmth was so vivid that the back of my neck flushed.

“Yul-hyung… your hand is really warm.”

I thought I heard the sound of a quiet breath being drawn near my ear. Then, Park Yul pulled away from me. Then he placed the piece that was hanging around my neck onto his palm and continued speaking.

“I guess it’s from melting the snow.”

With calm fingers, he tapped the piece in his hand. Slowly, it shrank to a size that was perfect for wearing around my neck.

“If you tap it three times, you can change its size.”

As if asking whether I understood, Park Yul looked at me. I nodded. Seeing his bright smile, I blurted out a question before I could stop myself.

“Hyung, will you give me the same gift next year too?”

“Yeah.”

“And the year after that?”

Park Yul nodded as if it were obvious. I thought about ending the conversation there, but I felt that if I didn’t ask now, I might not have another chance to ask naturally. I made my voice as steady as possible as if it were just a casual question.

“And after that, too?”

Park Yul looked at me quietly. Would we still be able to be together after the hero’s term ended?  I waited nervously for an answer. Park Yul’s eyes softened as he smiled.

“It’ll still be here, even after that.”

Again, it seemed like Park Yul had figured out what I truly wanted to ask. He probably meant that he would continue to stay in Redeo. Hearing that response somehow eased my heart a little.

“This is your first gift from me, Yi-han.”

“Yes. Thank you, hyung.”

“Of course. Keep it safe.”

“I definitely will. But… it disappears after a year, right?”

“Yeah. You heard about that?”

“Why do you make them disappear? Wouldn’t it be fine to keep them forever?”

Park Yul picked up the pendant from my hand. Then, he carefully lifted my collar. Even though I had another thin layer of clothing underneath, the winter air rushed in. The cold wind made me shiver slightly. Park Yul tucked the pendant inside my shirt, then fastened the collar back in place.

“What do you think the reason is, Yihan-ah?”

“I’m not sure.”

“Think about it a little more and tell me.”

“You’ll tell me later too?”

Park Yul lightly tapped my chest. The pendant dangling around my neck swayed, its solid form pressing against my skin.

“Yeah.”

Park Yul looked at me and smiled softly. The sunlight poured down on him. The surroundings shone brightly, making it seem like the light was scattering like a hazy water surface.

A breeze passed by. I could hear the soft sound of petals brushing against each other. Turning my head, I saw that all the snow had melted completely, and droplets of water were forming on the petals.

“Let’s go inside. It’s cold.”

I nodded. The snow crunched under my feet as I walked. I glanced up at Park Yul, who was walking beside me. Noticing my gaze, Park Yul turned his head toward me. He smiled, his eyes crinkling gently, just as he always did.

◇

Several days had passed since the new year began. The weather was gradually warming up. Since the day I gave Park Yul the gift, I had been waking up only when the sun was high in the sky.

It was a few days ago. That day too, in the morning… no, actually, at lunchtime, I suddenly woke up. My room was already bathed in golden sunlight. Lying still with a heavy heart, I stared up at the ceiling. Then I noticed a sound that had naturally seeped into the quiet room, like air. It was the sound of a pen tip calmly scratching against a notebook.

-“Ha-gyeon hyung.”

-“…You’re awake.”

Despite my sudden words, Song Ha-gyeon responded unhurriedly, without a hint of surprise. The soft rustling of paper followed. 

-“Hyung, you’re not going to the lab today?”

-“…No.”

-“Weren’t you busy?”

-“…I’m not.”

If words and actions contradict each other, which one should you believe?

I was the type to trust actions. Since Song Ha-gyeon was constantly doing something, he was definitely busy. Still, there was something I really wanted to ask.

-“Can I ask you something?”

A chair creaked. I turned my head toward the desk. Song Ha-gyeon had turned his body toward me while still seated. Bright sunlight streamed in from behind him.

-“Ask anything.”

At his words, I found myself nodding unconsciously. Seeing that, he turned back around, and the sound of pages turning resumed. Dust floated in the sunlight, drifting slowly. As I watched the tiny glowing specks, I spoke up.

-“Are there any herbs that help replenish stamina?”

-“There are.”

I was about to ask if I could have some when Song Ha-gyeon continued speaking.

-“…On the table.”

I turned slightly to look at the table.

Glass bottles filled with a violet liquid were neatly arranged. A white stick, once pristine, had been subtly stained. A faint herbal scent drifted from there.

“Which one is it?”

“The one with the round bottom.”

“They all have round bottoms…”

“Yeah.”

Good grief. So my stamina after taking herbal supplements was only at this level?

-“…I mixed several together. Why?”

-“I was wondering if I’ve been waking up late because of my low stamina.”

-“…You said it was your first time traveling far.”

-“Huh?”

-“Going somewhere far.”

Well, that was true. I hadn’t done much in the forest at night, but compared to being at the temple, I had moved around several times more.

– “It’s just travel fatigue. It’s normal. You need rest.”

Hearing that from Song Ha-gyeon reassured me. So it wasn’t something strange. Of course, that didn’t mean I could just accept it as is. I couldn’t keep being like this every time I traveled somewhere, so I needed to find a fundamental solution as soon as possible.

After thinking about it for several days, today, for some reason, I woke up early in the morning. I couldn’t remember the last time I was awake to greet the crisp blue sunlight. It felt like a good sign, maybe I had finally recovered from my fatigue. Even though it was early, the bed next to mine was already empty. I still had a long way to go before I could keep up with Song Ha-gyeon’s diligence. That meant he was probably at the lab, and Raen might not have woken up yet.

As for Park Yul… I wasn’t sure. Park Yul would usually bring lunch up to wake me if I slept in late, but I couldn’t tell when he would wake up based on that.

Min Joo-hyuk, on the other hand, always said he was an early riser.

Knock, knock.

I knocked on the door. A lively voice called from inside.

“Come in!”

I flung the door open. A cool breeze rushed in my direction. Min Joo-hyuk was standing by the window. The window was wide open.

“Oh, it’s Sun Yi-han. Has lunch already passed?”

“You…”

“Just kidding. Why are you up so early? Not tired today? Come on in.”

I made a firm resolution to always show my diligent side to Min Joo-hyuk from now on. I stepped into the room. His room felt more organized than I had expected. His outdoor clothes were hanging on a chair as if they had just been taken out.

“Are you going somewhere, Min Joo-hyuk?”

“No, I already went out.”

Min Joo-hyuk walked over and picked up the outfit. The clothes floated into the air, fluttering lightly. Then, in an instant, they neatly unfolded.. A breeze brushed past my bangs.

As he hung the clothes in the wardrobe, he spoke.

“Too bad. If I had left a little later, we could’ve gone together.”

“Where did you go?”

“The art supply store.”

Min Joo-hyuk brought over a crinkling paper bag. Inside were three or four round containers filled with paint.

“Do you like painting?”

“Huh? Did you know? It’s just a hobby.”

I was wondering if I could say I wanted to see his paintings when Min Joo-hyuk stared intently at my face. My reflection was captured in his blinking brown eyes.

“What? You want to say something?”

He grinned as if he already knew what I was thinking. In that case, there was no need to hesitate. I spoke without a second thought.

“I want to see it.”