The Sleeping Girl
A few days ago, Ihyeon was staring at her phone with a gloomy expression. When Taegon asked what was wrong, she showed him the screen and offered a lonely smile.
"There was a movie I was really looking forward to, but it’s already been pulled from theaters. I’d been putting it off to watch later, and it’s just so disappointing."
It was a comment that could have easily been forgotten, but Taegon didn't forget.
Then, one day, a text message arrived that made Ihyeon’s heart race.
From that moment on, she had no idea how the time passed until her part-time job ended. As soon as she finished her shift, Ihyeon dashed toward Taegon’s place like an arrow.
The two sat side by side on the sofa. Taegon pressed the remote to start the movie. Ihyeon clasped her hands together, her eyes sparkling.
"Oh, what do I do? I’m already so excited!"
"Pardon? The title hasn't even appeared yet."
When Taegon looked at her as if he found it absurd, she spoke with a serious expression.
"You don't know what you're talking about! The first minute of a movie is its lifeblood. If the first impression doesn't make your heart flutter, you won't be trapped in the screen until the end!"
"Is that so?"
"Yes! So, Taegon, don't get distracted and let's get fully immersed together!"
"Alright. I'll give it a try."
Taegon chuckled and played along. It seemed he didn't dislike her chatter at all.
As the movie progressed, her immersion deepened. On screen, the heroine and hero were bickering back and forth without even knowing each other's true identities. Ihyeon hugged a cushion tightly to her chest.
"Ah! Why are you turning away there! You have to run and catch them!"
"If he catches them here, the movie would end in thirty minutes."
"Even so! If you don't catch them now, when will you?"
"Hmm, I think he’ll catch them in the next scene."
"If he catches them later, it’s even more of a problem! What are they going to do if a misunderstanding arises!"
Taegon playfully pushed a bowl that had been on the table toward Ihyeon and said,
"Don't get too excited, want some popcorn? Popcorn is a must for movies, after all."
"I'm not excited, I'm immersed!"
"If you're that immersed, you'll need more popcorn."
Ihyeon pouted and grabbed a handful of popcorn, stuffing it into her mouth. Even while chewing, her eyes never left the screen. Finally, the man and woman in the movie cleared up their misunderstanding and met dramatically. Ihyeon slapped her knee and cheered.
"Look! They finally caught them! I told you so, didn't I?"
Taegon hit her with the facts, directed at Ihyeon, who wore the smile of a victor.
"I don't think they caught them just because you told them to."
"Oh, seriously! Please read the room, Taegon!"
"Yes, yes."
When Ihyeon shot him a glare, Taegon raised both hands as if surrendering.
As the movie passed the halfway point, Ihyeon’s eyelids began to grow heavy.
'Yaaawn... I'm really sleepy.'
The sleepiness she had been testing the waters with decided this was the moment to strike. Her legs were swollen from standing all dawn, and her lower back, which had been screaming from organizing inventory, finally gave out. As she leaned her body against the soft, warm sofa, the accumulated fatigue washed over her all at once.
'No, no. I wanted to see this movie so badly.'
Ihyeon forced her eyes wide open. But they closed helplessly again. The man and woman on screen were talking in a cafe. It seemed like an important scene, but the lines just brushed past her ears; she couldn't hear a word. She rubbed her eyes vigorously. No effect. She adjusted her posture. She went blank again in seconds. She stuffed popcorn into her mouth. She barely held on just while chewing.
'I shouldn't fall asleep...'
Ihyeon held the cushion tightly and endured. However, the screen gradually blurred, and the focus began to shift. Before she knew it, the cafe in the movie was rippling here and there as if submerged in water.
'Just a little... just a little more...'
As if mocking her desperate heart, her eyelids pulled the shutters down. The light from the screen flickered between her half-closed eyes.
'Just a moment to clear my head...'
Her eyes closed. When she opened them again, startled, the background had changed. She had no idea what content had passed in the meantime.
'Ah, did I doze off for a second...'
She tried to shake her head to regain her senses, but she had no strength. Her arms holding the cushion loosened, and her shoulders slumped. It felt like her consciousness was slowly sinking into water.
'Still... the movie... is still...'
Her thoughts cut off abruptly. Ihyeon’s head tilted sideways, powerless.
— *Thump.*
Her head landed on Taegon’s shoulder. For a moment, Taegon’s spine stiffened and he froze. He couldn't even turn his head; he just slowly rolled his eyes to the side. Her black hair had conquered his shoulder like a fan.
— *Huu, huu.*
Thin, steady breathing leaked out at regular intervals. Taegon swallowed a dry gulp without realizing it. Whether the man and woman on screen were flirting and laughing or not, Taegon’s entire focus was currently on the person sitting next to him.
Every time her hair moved, all his nerves were drawn to that spot. He listened closely and found her breathing was steady. She seemed to have fallen into a deep sleep.
'What do I do...'
He wanted to check his phone, but he couldn't move. If he moved his arm, his shoulder would move, and if his shoulder moved, she would wake up. That couldn't happen. She was someone who had worked until dawn. He had seen her mouth moving while yawning even when she was eating breakfast, but he had pretended not to notice because he didn't want her to feel embarrassed.
How many minutes had passed? After a long deliberation, he moved his head very slowly, millimeter by millimeter, to look down at her. He could see her face. The brow that was always anxiously furrowed was relaxed in peace. Her lips, which she would pout and stick out while grumbling, were slightly parted as they lost their tension.
'The dark circles under her eyes are still there...'
It was completely different from when she was awake. Had she ever shown such a defenseless side to him before? No, she hadn't. She was always tense. Even when she laughed or talked, a sense of caution remained somewhere. For instance, like the way her shoulders were always hunched, typical of someone with low self-esteem. But now, as she leaned against him, even those shoulders were slumped low.
'...I should lay her down first.'
Taegon tilted his upper body very carefully. He supported Ihyeon’s back with one hand and wrapped his other hand around her head. His fingers seeped through her hair. It was much softer than he had imagined.
'Focus, focus.'
Holding his breath, he slowly laid Ihyeon down on the sofa. As her head settled onto the cushion, she let out a small moan.
"Mm..."
Startled, he froze in that position for three seconds. Fortunately, she didn't wake up. She just curled her body slightly and fell back asleep.
"Whew."
As he exhaled the breath he had been holding, his tension eased. He brought a blanket and covered her with it. He didn't forget to tuck in her hand that was sticking out.
'...This should be enough, right?'
He moved to the chair next to the sofa. He opened a news app on his phone to chase away distracting thoughts. The articles didn't enter his eyes at all. He had scrolled down three times, but he hadn't read a single letter. His gaze kept drifting elsewhere. Not to his phone, but to her face.
'Read the news, read the news.'
He steadied himself and focused on his phone. But his eyes wandered in less than a second.
'...Let's really stop looking.'
He lifted his phone entirely to block his view. But soon, his hand slowly lowered. Sleeping Ihyeon was visible again. Her chest rose and fell minutely with her breath, and a few strands of hair that hadn't been tucked behind her ear flowed down over her forehead. She chewed her lips once in her sleep.
'What kind of dream is she having, I wonder.'
He chuckled and placed his phone on the sofa armrest. That hair flowing over her forehead kept catching his eye. Before he knew it, he was right in front of her nose.
'If I move this, it won't touch her nose. If it touches, it might tickle, and if she's tickled in her sleep, she might wake up.'
His hand slowly swept Ihyeon’s bangs aside. The soft hair brushed between his fingers and fell behind her ear. Her body temperature was transmitted to his fingertips. Taegon’s heart began to beat rapidly.
His hand stopped at the crown of Ihyeon’s head. He had already moved the hair, but his hand didn't fall away. His fingers slid along the curve of the back of her head. It was as soft as silk.
'I want to stay like this...'
The moment that thought occurred, he snapped to his senses. He pulled his hand away in a hurry, like someone burned by something hot. His heart pounded and raced like crazy.
'What was I just thinking??'
He stared blankly at his hand. The temperature from just a moment ago was vivid on his trembling fingertips.
'Why did I touch her hair? I should have just moved it aside...'
He took a deep breath to calm his heart. Ihyeon’s shampoo scent mixed into that breath. A complete backfire. Taegon moved his chair to the corner. The movie was still playing. The man and woman on screen were smiling brightly and hugging each other. He picked up the remote and pressed the pause button. The room fell silent in an instant. All that could be heard was Ihyeon’s soft, rhythmic breathing.
Taegon looked down at his own fist and thought,
'Why did my hand move first? Because I was worried the hair would touch her nose? Because I was worried she'd wake up in her sleep?'
If that was the only reason, there was no need to stroke her hair. He should have just moved the hair aside and pulled his hand away immediately. But he couldn't pull it away.
"Mm."
Her consciousness slowly surfaced. The first thing she felt was a fluffy texture. Judging the height, it didn't seem to be her pillow. The smell was different, too. A clean scent of fabric softener. Something was placed on her shoulders.
She wiggled her toes, wondering if it was a blanket, but since her feet were exposed, it was definitely a blanket.
"Ugh..."
She barely opened her eyes. It was dark, perhaps because the room lights were off. Instead, sunlight was streaming in between the curtains, drawing stripes. Her brain worked rapidly for three seconds.
1 second: Where am I? Who am I?
2 seconds: Huh, this room is kind of familiar? This neat wallpaper is definitely...
3 seconds: Ah...!
She jumped up. The blanket that had been wrapping her shoulders slid down to her feet. The place where she had been lying was Taegon’s sofa.
'Did I fall asleep here?!'