The Day We Started Living Together
The day Aju and I decided to start co-living. Thanks to Daeho, an awkward atmosphere had settled between us, but once we began eating, we gradually returned to our usual rhythm.
“Aju, this is really good.”
“Thank you. I’m glad your tastes are the same as Daeho oppa’s.”
“Well, we’ve spent a long time together, after all.”
“That’s true… It really has been a long time.”
We first met back when we were in kindergarten. I tried to stop some kids from tormenting a cat and ended up getting bullied myself. That’s when Daeho stepped in and saved me. From that encounter onward, we kept meeting at that same spot, playing with the cat we’d rescued. Those moments piled up, one by one, until they became the foundation of our long bond.
“We never even gave that cat a name back then…”
“Yeah. We always assumed it would just be there waiting for us.”
“Right. You, me, Daeho oppa… we’d meet there and play with the cat like always…”
While eating, Aju set her utensils down. I followed suit and looked at her.
“That cat, our parents… even Daeho oppa. I thought they’d always be by my side.”
“But they all vanished, like it had only been a dream.”
“Riha oppa… you won’t disappear too, right?”
Aju had already experienced far too many farewells and too much sorrow for someone her age. All of it before she even became an adult.
“Aju.”
I knew it. I knew she wasn’t just a fragile child. Even so, whenever I looked at her, the same thought always rose inside me.
I want to protect her.
“When that cat died, when your parents passed away, even when that idiot died… I was always by your side. And that won’t change. Not ever.”
I could never lie in front of Aju, so these words were nothing but the truth. No, they were my sincerest feelings.
“…Yes. Whenever I was sad, you were always there, Riha oppa. You always stopped me from crying.”
“I’m not sure I ever actually stopped you from crying.”
“No, you did. You always made it so I didn’t have to cry.”
Aju clasped both hands over her chest as if cherishing a precious memory and closed her eyes.
“Even that last time we saw the cat… You promised to raise the only surviving kitten it left behind. You took in Hahu.”
That’s right. The cat had already become like a friend to us. When Aju lost that friend, she looked so devastated that I wanted to do anything to make her smile again. So without even asking my mom for permission, I boldly declared that I would raise the kitten myself. In the end, I had to whine to Mom until she finally let me.
“And when Mom and Dad passed away… when Daeho oppa and I had to move in with our uncle, you came all the way to stay nearby. Sometimes you even brought Hahu with you.”
As she spoke, Aju reached out and stroked the cat beside her. Normally, Daeho would have found this kind of situation cringeworthy, but…
This time, he seemed to read the mood and simply accepted her touch. In fact, he even looked like he was enjoying it.
“That’s probably when both Daeho oppa and I started thinking… that if it was you, Riha oppa, you’d always stay by our side. Or rather, by our sides.”
Even after hearing all that, Daeho remained completely silent. I couldn’t tell if he was embarrassed to hear those words in front of me, or if he felt guilty for having died and left her behind.
“And even now… you’re still here by my side, just like always.”
With those words, Aju took my hand. It was small and soft, yet slightly cold and trembling. I’d held this hand many times before, but I was always conscious of it. Now, I gently held hers in return.
“Riha oppa… the truth is… I’m scared.”
“…”
“If even you disappear… then I… I…”
Drip. Drip.
On the surface, Aju was a strong girl. She hadn’t always been like this, but after experiencing so many losses and learning what sorrow truly meant, she had hardened herself to protect her heart. Even so, I had always tried to shield her. Because I knew better than anyone that…
“What should I do if that happens?”
…she was still just an ordinary girl.
She had been forced to become stronger, and she was working hard to do so, but she still needed someone’s support. What could I possibly do for her?
“Aju. Remember what I told you before? I… I will never lie to you.”
“…Yes. That was when Mom and Dad passed away.”
Their parents had died in a fire. It was simply a tragic accident… no one’s fault. Fortunately, Aju and Daeho had been outside playing with me, so they weren’t hurt. But by the time we learned the house was on fire, their parents had already been taken to the hospital. I went with them, and that was the first time I ever saw someone completely wrapped in bandages.
“That day, I promised your mom I would stay by your side. She said she could trust me because I wasn’t the kind of person who lied.”
In truth, that was a misunderstanding. I’m only human; even Buddha tells the occasional lie. But how could I contradict a dying mother who was entrusting me with her children?
“So I swore to myself that I would never lie to you. Let me say it again.”
“I’ll stay by your side. I will never leave you.”
“I promise.”
The moment I finished speaking, the trembling in Aju’s hand eased a little. Her hand felt less cold, too. Yeah… it had improved.
“Does that help you feel a little safer?”
“…Yes. Thank you.”
Her eyes were still brimming with tears, but a faint smile had appeared on her face. As always, Aju was most beautiful when she smiled.
Suddenly, Daeho glared at me with a sulky expression and muttered grumpily. What the hell did he mean by that? I’d never once broken my promise to stay by her side. Oh, right… there was the military. But that couldn’t be helped. And this year Aju had become a senior in high school, so our contact had naturally grown less frequent. Still, during the early days of my service, I’d met her on leave and she’d visited me often for in-person visits… Wait, huh?
“Now that I think about it, Aju, there’s something I’ve been curious about.”
“Yes? What is it?”
“It’s not that I’m upset or anything… but why did you suddenly stop contacting me while I was in the military? You didn’t even come for visits.”
“Ah…”
Aju seemed reluctant to answer my question, and Daeho openly clicked his tongue. I wondered if I’d asked something wrong. Just as I was starting to regret it—
“It’s because… I became a senior in high school too. I didn’t have much free time. I’m sorry.”
Aju scratched her cheek as she answered first. At first I thought, Just as I expected. But then—
When I saw Daeho let out a small sigh while looking at Aju, I began to wonder if there was something I didn’t know about. Should I ask her about it? …No, there was no need to press the issue.
“It’s fine. Like I said earlier, I’m not upset. Of course I felt a little sad that I couldn’t see you as often as before.”
“Me too. Even while I was studying, I kept missing you, Riha oppa.”
“Haha, hearing you say that makes me happy. Then maybe you could’ve found a little time to call.”
“…Yeah, I guess so.”
Aju gave an awkward smile as she answered. And right beside her—
Daeho grumbled while eating the food Aju had prepared for him. I wanted to say something back, but if I started arguing with him here, I’d be the only one who looked weird.
“Riha oppa.”
“Yeah?”
I was about to follow Daeho’s advice and just focus on eating when Aju called my name again. What now?
“Your type is… tall, mature, and big-breasted women, right?”
“Huh? Why are you asking that all of a sudden?”
“…Right?”
For some reason, Aju seemed strangely fixated on my answer. In the end, I had no choice but to reply.
“Yeah, that’s right. That’s why all my past girlfriends were like that.”
“Then… why were all the women in that folder earlier… short, with small chests… and they all looked really young?”
“Cough, cough!”
The completely unexpected question made both me and Daeho choke on our food. Of course, she’d already caught me watching adult videos, so I had no real defense. But I never imagined she’d ask about my sexual preferences like this. Still, judging by the sincerity in Aju’s eyes, I probably needed to give a proper answer… I let out a long breath.
“I-It’s not exactly… I mean… adult videos don’t always strictly follow your preferences. I’m not sure how to explain it, but…”
“…Is that how it is?”
“Yeah, that’s how it is.”
And what’s with you throwing in jabs the whole time? I seriously want to tackle you for real.
“I was… kind of hoping, though.”
“Hoping? For what?”
“It’s nothing. I’m satisfied just having you by my side, Riha oppa.”
“Huh?”
She’d said something a bit cryptic. Since I’m not exactly the sharpest tool in the shed, I couldn’t fully understand what she meant and simply tilted my head. I wanted to clear up the question, but when I saw Aju start eating again, I gave up and resumed my meal as well.
While we ate, I suddenly remembered something from my military days—my fight with my only ex-girlfriend, Hwayeon. What had she said back then? Oh, right.
“Do you even really like me?”
That was it. Hwayeon had suddenly asked that after watching some weird drama. I got unnecessarily angry in response. Wait… now that I think about it, that happened around the same time Aju stopped contacting me… Or maybe I’m just imagining it. I don’t know. It was a year ago, and at this point, it doesn’t really matter anymore.