Chapter 60: Until the Blue Sky Comes (20)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 60: Until the Blue Sky Comes (20)
I left the apartment with Hayoung and took a taxi to her new place.
When we entered the apartment where she would be living from now on, her new home—located on the very top floor—was completely empty.
“Looking at it like this, there really is nothing here.”
“It’ll be filled up one by one starting now.”
I followed her inside, carrying the luggage she had packed.
Just as Hayoung said, unlike when we saw the model house, the apartment was devoid of any furniture. It looked so spacious that you could practically run around in it.
Being on the top floor, the ceilings were high, and the sense of openness they provided made the place look even larger.
“You said the furniture is coming this afternoon, right?”
“Yeah.”
The furniture was scheduled to arrive around midday, and we had arranged for the appliances we looked at the other day to be delivered the day after that.
“Do you like the place?”
“Mhm. It’s wide and the view is so open. I love it.”
Even though the house was still empty, Hayoung’s face beamed with a smile as she imagined filling it up piece by piece and building her life here.
“What’s this?”
She had sent most of her belongings from her old place via truck, but she had brought a few things personally in a box.
“Books. Cookbooks.”
When I opened the box I had set down, I saw several cookbooks she had collected over the years. She could have easily sent them on the truck, but it seemed she wanted to carry these herself. I had insisted on carrying them for her after we got out of the taxi, but out of all the many items arriving today, the very first thing to enter the house was her most prized possession: her cookbooks.
“I guess you’ll be cooking often now?”
“I’m going to try.”
Living alone with an unstable income, cooking her own meals would certainly be more inconvenient than not. However, since she was just starting her life on her own, she was full of determination. I found myself looking forward to it.
“Let’s figure out where to put the furniture when it arrives.”
I’d confirmed the box contained books, and the truck with the rest of her belongings would be here soon. The furniture would follow. Even though we had checked the dimensions before buying, it was better to double-check.
“Okay.”
Her home was a standard layout: a living room, three bedrooms, and two bathrooms.
It felt a bit large for one person, but better too big than too small. Above all, Hayoung was satisfied, and that was all that mattered.
While we were re-confirming the furniture layout in the rooms, the truck with her personal items arrived. The movers moved all the boxes inside for us.
Once the boxes were in, the furniture started arriving one by one. A hanger and wardrobe for the small room she’d use as a dressing room; a bookshelf and desk for the middle room; and finally, a vanity and a bed for the master bedroom.
The master bedroom was the room we were most meticulous about. Since it would be her most precious private space, I found myself getting surprisingly invested in where each piece went.
The delivery people’s job didn't include the final arrangement, so that task fell to us after they left.
“Wouldn’t by the window be good? It gets a lot of sunlight.”
“But the light might be annoying when you’re trying to sleep.”
“Then what should we put by the window?”
“I think it’s better to leave the window clear, put the bed against the wall, and place the vanity next to it.”
We kept exchanging opinions as we moved things around. Something we thought would look good one way often looked better once we tried another.
It was hard work, but Hayoung and I couldn't stop smiling the whole time, as if we were having the time of our lives.
“Can you reach the top of the bookshelf?”
“…I don’t think so.”
She was in the mid-150s in centimeters. She could barely touch the top shelf even if she stretched and stood on her tiptoes.
“Did we buy a bookshelf that’s too tall?”
It seemed like a normal size when we bought it, but seeing it in the house, it was way too high for her. Why didn't I realize this at the furniture store?
“At the store, you said it was fine after seeing if your hand reached it.”
“Ah…”
Now I remembered. When we were looking at bookshelves, I had reached for the top shelf, thought the height was fine, and told her so. She hadn't checked it herself; she had just looked at the color of the one I picked and agreed.
It was only two days ago, but so much had happened since then that my memory was a bit hazy.
“Should we get a step stool for the kitchen too? It might be hard to reach the dishes.”
“The ones I use are always in the same spot, and I can just use a chair if I need to get something new. It’s fine.”
Even at her height, she wasn't so short that her reach was extremely limited. It was just a bit inconvenient to get things from high places—and come to think of it, if she needed something from up high, I could just get it for her.
“Wait.”
At some point, I had started naturally picturing myself in this house. Hayoung was still calling me “Honey,” and she didn't seem to realize she was doing it.
Since she’d had the word on her lips for two days straight, it made sense, but I wondered if I should correct her or just let it be.
If this continued long-term, I should probably say something, but I couldn't bring myself to spoil the mood when she was smiling so happily.
“What is it?”
“Nothing.”
When I made a small sound upon realizing the situation, Hayoung looked up at me and asked. I brushed it off as nothing and went back into the master bedroom to look around. Now that I looked, the bed was placed exactly where and how I wanted it. Was this really okay?
“Is something wrong?”
Thinking I might have spotted a problem, Hayoung followed me from the middle room into the bedroom.
“No, it’s just the bed placement. Are you sure about this?”
“You said you liked it this way, Honey.”
“Yeah. I do like it, but…”
How should I put it? My influence was starting to show strongly in this house.
“Did they say when the appliances would arrive?”
I felt like I’d get stuck in my thoughts if I stayed on this topic, so I quickly changed the subject.
The TV, refrigerator, washing machine, and other essentials hadn't arrived yet. At my question, Hayoung checked her phone for any messages.
“No word yet. I’m sure they’ll be here on time.”
“Then should we grab something to eat?”
There was still some time before the scheduled delivery, so it seemed like a good idea to have lunch. Hayoung nodded and rolled up her sleeves.
“I’ll make you something delicious.”
“Huh? You’re going to cook?”
Since it was moving day and things were hectic, I thought cooking would be too much trouble. But Hayoung, with her great passion for cooking, had clearly already made up her mind.
“It’s our first meal in the new house. Is there anything you want to eat, Honey?”
When she asked, nothing immediately came to mind. I preferred something simple over something fancy.
“I’m fine with anything. Is there anything you want to eat, Honey?”
The moment the words left my mouth, I froze. Was it because I’d heard her call me that so much? I had called her “Honey” without even thinking. I didn't let it show on my face, but honestly, I was a bit flustered. Was it because the way of speaking we started to avoid embarrassing the furniture store clerk was carrying over even when we were alone?
“…….”
Hayoung, who had been thinking silently, suddenly turned beet red. It seemed she had finally realized she’d been calling me “Honey” all day.
“Should we… think about it while we grocery shop?”
“Oh, right! Let’s do that.”
Sensing the air grow awkward, I suggested we head to the mart downstairs to buy some simple ingredients. We didn't have a rice cooker yet, but she had brought several cooking utensils, so making a meal wouldn't be a problem.
At the mart, I pushed the cart while we looked at various ingredients and talked about what we could make.
“You’re not planning on making a feast right away, are you?”
“No. I want to cook, but we have a lot to do today.”
I asked because I was worried she might focus too much on cooking before everything was settled. Fortunately, Hayoung intended to cook lunch herself but keep it simple.
“Since we don't have any side dishes, how about some doenjang-guk and rice?”
“Sounds good.”
I was fine with whatever Hayoung suggested. I hadn't exactly picked up a cooking habit during my long years of living alone; my daily routine usually involved delivery food. Any home-cooked meal was more than welcome.
After a quick shopping trip, we returned home and Hayoung started cooking. When I hovered around to see if there was anything I could help with, she looked at me and laughed.
“You can just sit and wait.”
“But just in case…”
“I told you it’s fine. Right now, waiting is helping.”
She guided me to a chair, and I decided to wait patiently as she asked.
After a while, the scent of doenjang-guk wafted past my nose.
I wondered when the last time I’d smelled something like this at home was. Hayoung, who had been checking the pot, finally turned her gaze toward me.
“Taste this for me.”
“Now that’s something I’m good at.”
As I approached, she blew on a spoonful of soup to cool it and held it out. I took a sip and checked the flavor. Perhaps it was because of her persistent passion for cooking despite her lack of experience? As I’d felt during our trip, Hayoung was a good cook.
“It’s delicious.”
She had been watching me with a tense expression, but it brightened instantly at my praise.
And so, we began a slightly late lunch of pot-cooked rice and doenjang-guk.
By the time we finished eating and cleaning up, the appliances arrived. Everything from the large refrigerator and washing machine to various smaller items was brought inside. Once again, she and I had a lot to talk about as we arranged them.
Unlike when we were placing furniture, we talked about practical living details—what to put in the fridge, how the workflow would be after doing laundry, and so on.
Throughout all this, Hayoung continued to call me “Honey.” Humans are creatures of habit; before I knew it, I had grown accustomed to it and was simply accepting it.
After the appliances were in place, we started a general cleaning. As we cleaned, seeing the house filled with furniture—so different from how it looked in the morning—gave us a sense of satisfaction, as if we had filled a void. Hayoung and I grew even more excited.
The empty house was now filled with things, and the spaces where those things had passed were made clean by our hands. Finally, we sat down side by side on the living room sofa.
“It’s finally all done.”
“Yeah. The sun’s already down.”
It felt like we’d just eaten lunch, but when I looked out the window, the city was already draped in its night view.
“We need to eat dinner too… but I’m so tired.”
As we sat on the sofa, I glanced at her as she leaned against my shoulder. She felt my gaze and our eyes met. The sensation of returning to reality from the fantasy of decorating a home like a real newlywed couple was quite embarrassing and bashful.
“Ah! I have to put the blankets on the bed!”
“Right! We should do that!”
This time, Hayoung broke the silence first. I chimed in as she spoke as if she’d just realized it. We took the summer bedding out of the closet and spread it on the bed in the master bedroom.
With the bright sky-blue blankets and pillows in place, the room looked for all the world like a honeymoon suite.
Liking the look of the bed with the blankets on, Hayoung lay down to feel the soft cushioning.
“Do you like it?”
“Mhm. You should lie down too, Honey.”
Since I was the one who had picked out the bed, I wanted to see the finished result, so I sat on the edge to check the overall feel. Could anything feel bad today? From the cushion of the mattress to the texture of the blankets, everything was so perfect that there wasn't a single thing I disliked.
I smiled with satisfaction and met Hayoung’s eyes as she lay there. A smile naturally formed on my lips, and my hand met hers.
I don't know how many times today I’d drifted between fantasy and reality.
But now, I felt it was truly time to return to reality.
“Well, since everything’s done… I should probably head out.”
This was her home now, her private space.
I didn't think there was any reason for me to stay in this finished space any longer. But the moment I tried to stand up…
Hayoung grabbed my hand.
*
The moment she heard A say he was leaving, Blue thought:
Is it over now?
She, too, had felt that ideal atmosphere all day, as if they were a sweet newlywed couple, and she had felt the sensation of returning to reality. Even though she’d felt it all day, Blue felt good whenever that ideal situation arose, and she wished this moment would continue forever.
To Blue, A was a good person, someone she could see herself being with in the future. He was special to her, and she wanted to keep feeling the moments of being with that special person.
Blue, who had lived her life according to when she was needed by others, had for the first time acted on her own desire to create an environment where she could live. Of course, A’s help had been immense, and that made her feel he was an even more special and good person.
And then she thought:
Would it be okay to be just a little more greedy?
She didn't want this time to end. A was a special, good person, and he was someone she liked.
That was why she wanted to share more of this time with him, to turn the moments she felt were ideal into reality rather than just a dream.
Having made up her mind to be greedy one more time, Blue spoke to A, who was looking at her, with a trembling voice.
“…Stay. For dinner.”
“Okay…”
His answer made her happy, but suddenly her heart felt like it was racing.
Thinking of the time she had spent with him made her heart flutter, and she smiled, her face flushing red.