Karma... It's Piling Up!

Karma... karma is piling up!

When did I start caring about you? When did I start liking you? When did I start... loving you? Probably from that time. The day both Mom and Dad were busy with work, when I was still a little 10-year-old girl.

—Krarung!

"Huaaa...! S-scary...! The sky's angry..."

I'd hated thunderstorms and rainy days ever since I was little. The startling flashes of lightning and the deafening thunder always seemed to strike on the days I was alone. That night was no different.

Ururung! Kwang!

A summer night with rain pouring down in sheets. Dad had been away on an overseas business trip for over two weeks, and Mom had to head to the countryside for an emergency.

— "Ga-eun, are you sure you'll be okay? They said rain's coming tonight."

— "Hehe, don't worry, Mom! I can handle being by myself now!"

— "I was thinking of asking Si-hyeon to stay over, but the orphanage director said not to go out because of the heavy rain."

— "I don't need Oppa! I'm a grown-up now!"

I lied so my parents wouldn't worry. That I was fine alone, that I could manage.

—Krarung!!

"Hic...! Ah, maybe thunder nights are still too much for me...?"

But no matter how brave I tried to be, I was just a 10-year-old girl. A lonely, desolate night. And enduring it alone with thunder and rain pouring down wasn't easy.

"N-not scary... not scary... not scary..."

I'd pulled the blanket over my head and crawled into the closet, blocking my ears as best I could. I didn't want to hear the rain or the thunder. That's why I hate summer. So much rain, so hot, and...

"That pervert Oppa only stares at big sisters in thin clothes, so summer sucks even more."

Si-hyeon Oppa always said he was obsessed with boobs because he didn't have a mom. I'd argue that was nonsense, but he always brushed it off shamelessly, bragging about how great they were. I hated him for it.

"I-I'm not jealous or anything! I don't have any feelings for Si-hyeon Oppa!"

I always denied liking Oppa and pushed him away, but on lonely nights like this, I couldn't help thinking of him.

—Shwaaaaa.

"Stupid Oppa... why do I miss you...?"

Squeeze.

I wrapped the blanket tighter around me, eyes shut, praying the typhoon would pass quickly.

—Krarung!!

But the relentless thunder and rain drove me to tears in the end.

"Hic...! Oppa... where are you? I'm scared alone...!"

Where was he when I needed him? Why was everyone gone when I was this frightened? As I sobbed alone in my loneliness, suddenly I heard the front door keypad beeping.

Beep beep beep. Ding-ding~♪

Someone opened the door and came in. Wet footsteps slowly approached my room.

—Splash splash.

'Th-thief...!'

Only Mom, Dad, and Si-hyeon Oppa knew our house code. But they were far away. And Oppa said he couldn't come today. So this was...

'A th-thief... wh-what do I do...!'

I clamped my hands over my mouth, holding my breath desperately.

'Please don't come to my room... please don't open the closet...!'

But the thief stopped right in front of my closet, as if he knew I was hiding there.

Tremble tremble.

My fingertips shook, tears welling up, but I held it in. As long as I stayed quiet, he wouldn't find me. That's what I believed.

Until that belief shattered in an instant.

—Slam!

"Hic...!! M-mommy, pleash buy me!! S-sell me pleash!!"

"Hahaha! Ga-eun, it's me!"

"S-Si-hyeon Oppa...?"

"Yeah, it's Oppa. Hiding from the thunder again?"

"Huaaaang...! O-Oppa...!!"

—Whoosh!

When he opened the closet, there he was—the Oppa I'd missed so much, his voice the one I'd longed to hear.

*

Oppa changed out of his wet clothes and spent the night with me in the closet. He wrapped me tight in the blanket and patted me soothingly.

"Oppa... didn't the director say not to go out because of the typhoon? How'd you get here?"

"Yeah, but when I heard the thunder, I snuck out. You hate nights like this."

"...Idiot."

—Thump.

Si-hyeon Oppa was always like this. Sneaking into my heart without permission.

'It's over an hour's walk from the orphanage...'

Coming all that way for me, the girl who always nagged him.

—Thump thump.

My heart pounded louder. My cheeks burned, and I squirmed without thinking.

'I... like Oppa...'

I'd known it deep down but denied it. It felt like losing. But I couldn't anymore. I liked the Oppa hugging and comforting me.

'I want to tell Oppa!'

The moment I thought that, I looked up at him and planted a playful kiss on his lips.

Mwah.

"What was that, all of a sudden?"

"J-just...! You came from far away, so it's a reward!"

"You do it every time ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠we meet... what's so special now?"

"Today's different...!"

From that summer night, when I gave him a kiss full of real feeling instead of our usual playfulness— that's when I fell in love with Oppa.

For some reason, the same sensation from that day tingled on my lips.

Mwah.

Warm, soft touch. A cool, fresh scent filled my nose, and I knew right away.

—Smack.

"Haup...! O-Oppa...?!?!"

"Finally looking my way?"

"O-O-O-Oppa... you're ali—?! More importantly, wh-what are you...?!"

"Shh."

Si-hyeon Oppa gazed at me with half-lidded eyes.

"Ga-eun, just accept it quietly at times like this."

"Wha...?"

"Sorry for stealing your first kiss without asking... but just one more."

"O-Op— Haup?!"

Mwah. Slurp.

Sweet churros from lunch mixed with Oppa's hot breath. His passionate kiss left me defenseless.

'I don't know what's going on... but I'm happy... hehe.'

Fifteen years after that stormy summer night— I finally shared a heartfelt kiss with Oppa.

* * *

I was a genius. By age 5, I spoke Korean and English fluently and was studying advanced science and math. An orphan with no idea who my parents were, but I thought my brains meant I wouldn't be lonely without them.

But.

Being good at studies and getting along with people were different things. The kids at the orphanage feared my standout behavior and avoided me. I wanted to play house, but with no friends, I'd play both mom and dad roles alone.

One lonely day, the director introduced a new boy.

"Hi, I'm 8! Yoon Si-hyeon! Nice to meet you!"

A boy with dark brown hair and sharp features. From the day I met Oppa named Si-hyeon, my life started filling with warmth.

"Little miss, wanna play house again today?"

"Yeah. Shin Oppa is Daddy, and I'm Mommy."

"Again? We could try other roles sometimes."

"No. Oppa can only be my husband."

"Hahaha, okay okay, got it."

Shin Oppa always looked out for me, the girl who couldn't make friends. Among all the orphanage ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠kids, he carried my tiny self everywhere—picnics, playgrounds.

"Little miss, I snuck some snacks past the director. Wanna share?"

"Shin Oppa... what if you get caught?"

"Eh, I'll worry about that later! Haha!"

"Sigh, you're such a dummy."

Shin Oppa called me "little miss" because Emilia was hard to say.

"Shin Oppa, my name's Emilia. Why always little miss...?"

"Haha, it's cuter. I like small, cute girls."

"Oppa's a lolicon...?"

"I'm only 8! Liking peers isn't lolicon!"

I hated my small body, but when Oppa said he liked it, I stopped.

"And you call me weird names too. Say it: Si. Hye. On. Oppa!"

"My front teeth are gone, so 'h' sounds weird. Shin Oppa it is."

He called me "little miss," I called him "Shin Oppa." Our special names no one else used. Each time made me feel closer to him. Even after my teeth grew back, I kept calling him Shin Oppa.

"Little miss, what're we playing today?"

"Hmm... house!"

"That fun, huh? Haha."

After Oppa arrived, I wasn't lonely. He handled the kids who shunned me, cared for me from nap time to bedtime.

One day, curiosity struck.

"Shin Oppa... why always play just with me? Is there a reason...?"

"Oh, didn't I say?"

"Nuh-uh..."

Maybe he pitied me. Wanted to fix this arrogant, brainy shrimp. Or the director asked him reluctantly.

—Tremble.

My limbs shook. If so, I'd burst into tears. But scarier— even if true, I didn't want Oppa to leave.

—Pat.

As I fretted, Oppa grinned and stroked my head.

"Reason I only play with you~~"

"The r-reason...?"

"You're the prettiest girl in the orphanage."

"Hunya...?"

"And I'm the husband. Who else would take care of my wife? Hahaha!"

Seeing him smile away my worries, I thought: I want Shin Oppa as my real husband.

*

Two years later, an American couple wanted to adopt me. I didn't like it at first—hated leaving Oppa. But success in America could let me take care ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠of him.

'Get successful fast and marry Oppa...!'

The night before leaving, I snuggled in Oppa's arms, stargazing.

"Shin Oppa... I'll succeed quick in America and come back, so don't forget me...?"

"I'm no genius like Emilia, might forget. What to do?"

"Husbands forgetting wives get divine punishment...! So don't!"

"Okay okay, I'll try."

"Don't trust words... show it!"

"Hahaha, like always?"

"Yeah..."

Oppa leaned down for a soft lip kiss.

—Mwah.

Our usual play kiss felt warmer, cozier today. Seeing his reassuring face as he hugged me, I knew: Oppa was my first and last man.

Something warm and cozy enveloped me. Gentle hands around my small body. A soft kiss followed.

—Mwah.

Oppa's lips from a distant past.

"Shin Oppa...?"

Opening my hazy eyes, Oppa beamed. Over 10 years since our farewell kiss, his smile was just as warm.

"Emilia, feeling better?"

"Shin Oppa...? Wh-what hap—"

"Shh, that's not important now, right?"

Shin Oppa cupped my cheek and claimed my lips again.

Smack. Chu.

"What's important is I stole your precious first kiss."

Smack... Haup... O-Oppa...?!"

Sweet cotton candy from lunch, then Oppa's tongue slipped in.

Chu.

"O-Oppa... c-can't breathe...!"

"Sorry, can't hold back."

"Haup...!"

Shin Oppa's fierce, greedy kiss changed my emotionless face since [Day of Beginnings].

—Blush.

My half-open eyes and unmoving lips stayed, but my flushed cheeks showed my shyness and affection.

* * *