Chapter 22
Chapter 22
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 22
Chapter Title: Hyorin's Hometown Memories
-----------------------------------------------------------------
From a spot overlooking the neighborhood, I began sketching on the white canvas.
Small houses clustered densely, narrow alleys weaving between them. Beside them, sprawling fields and paddies, and finally.
Swish swish.
The sacred village tree standing proudly as its guardian.
'......'
I was drawing exactly as before, but strangely, my hand moved slower.
Swish swish.
Even when sketching the alleys.
"Isn't this alley pretty? I love this fence so much."
Even the holes in that alley fence.
"Look here! I made this one back then—the uncle around here has no idea it was me."
Even the spot between houses piled high with stones.
"Wow, this used to be where the well was, but now it's completely gone."
I just needed to draw it as it was, but somehow, I couldn't sketch as fluidly as before.
It wasn't simply because I'd heard stories about the place.
More likely, because I'd heard the memories of Hyorin tied to it.
"You might not get it, but I love coming here. That tree over there, the neighborhood, the air, the smells—everything."
Swish.
At Hyorin's words, I paused my sketching and looked at her.
Her hair whipped in the breeze, but she kept smiling down at the village.
"I'm not asking you to understand. My friend couldn't either. How could you like a place full of bad memories from before the orphanage?"
Sure, listeners might think that way.
But Hyorin saw it differently.
"I'm the opposite. I'm so glad those memories are still here."
Her expression brimmed with sincerity.
Like she truly meant it.
Her story sparked my curiosity.
"Why's it glad?"
Why be glad to have memories from before becoming an orphan?
If those pre-misfortune memories were too happy, they could turn even more agonizing.
But Hyorin gave an unexpected reply.
"Because there's no need for past memories to turn unhappy just because reality is."
"What?"
"You walked the village with me—you know. I was so happy back then. Sure, my parents abandoned me in the end, but unlike the other kids, I have memories of a hometown. Happy ones, at that."
She meant every word.
Hyorin genuinely cherished those memories here.
Yes, there were unhappy times, but no reason for the happy ones to sour because of them.
Swish.
I had no response.
I simply turned my gaze back and quietly sketched on.
Swish swish.
In the returning silence, as I kept drawing with eyes fixed on the canvas, I asked Hyorin.
"But why tell me all this?"
"Why tell you?"
No one wants to admit they grew up in an orphanage.
It wasn't a chosen path, and most saw it as a stain.
That made me even more curious.
Why share it with me?
Hyorin glanced toward the village and pursed her lips.
"Yeah, I don't know either. Being around you just puts me at ease, and I end up spilling everything."
"What kind of answer is that?"
"I don't know."
Puts her at ease around me.
Ends up telling me everything.
Far from clearing my doubts, it only bred bigger ones.
Swish swish.
"......"
"......"
An awkward air settled after that exchange.
Hard to keep the conversation going, but switching topics felt off too.
Whoever spoke first would break the ice—or make it worse.
Rustle.
Hyorin took the lead, shattering the silence.
"Getting hungry. Want some kimbap?"
She pulled a small lunchbox from her bag.
"Oh, a lunchbox?"
I'd assumed she'd buy kimbap on the way, but it looked like she'd rolled them herself early that morning.
Click.
The lid revealed kimbap lined up neatly, just like at a shop.
"Wow, you made all this yourself?"
Surprised, she brushed it off.
"Yeah, I made them with the kids. Give it a try—should taste good."
She picked one up and held it out to me.
Faced with that gesture, I...
"You ate it from her hand?"
"Yeah."
Haeun Park's sudden question made me blink.
She'd been quiet till now, then out of nowhere...
"What..."
"The kimbap!"
"The kimbap?"
"Yeah! She picked it up and handed it to you, right?"
No idea what she was imagining, but in that situation, of course.
"I took it with my hand and ate it."
"Ah!"
"Ah......"
Their sighs had me tilting my head.
"Did I mess up? Should I have eaten it from her hand?"
Eunbi Kim shook her head firmly.
"Isn't it obvious? She made the kimbap herself."
"Well..."
"If she went to the trouble of making kimbap for you, that's the answer right there."
"Exactly! That kind of effort is basically a confession."
The two were clearly swept up in our past tale.
As I smiled awkwardly at their fervor, Daeun chimed in from beside me.
"Daeun knows what Mom was thinking too."
"Yeah?"
Knows Mom's feelings.
What story prompted that?
Daeun explained.
"Mom has super happy memories for Daeun too!"
Her words struck like a hammer to the back of my skull.
I'd only meant to share an old anecdote with her, but it naturally became a solution to our present troubles.
Actually, Hyorin had held that solution all along.
'Because there's no need for past memories to turn unhappy just because reality is.'
Mom's gone—no need for those happy times with her to turn unhappy.
Daeun's face lit up happier than before, touched by Hyorin's tale.
"That's what Mom said!"
Who'd have thought Hyorin's old words would end up consoling me and Daeun.
Truly unforeseen.
That's when the professor spoke up with a smile.
"See? I was right about what I saw."
"Yeah?"
I blinked, asking.
"What'd you see...?"
"What else? The emotions captured in your painting."
"Emotions in my painting?"
"Then what do you think made me change your attendance record?"
"Well, Hyorin's memories, obviously..."
Actually, now that I thought about it, the professor had worn a subtle smile during the critique.
She frowned slightly.
"No way you took my words that literally."
"......"
I had nothing to say.
The others piped up curiously.
"How'd you interpret the painting?"
"Tell us! We're dying to know!"
"Daeun wants to hear too!"
The professor grinned.
"Well, here's how I evaluated it back then..."
Her explanation continued. Once everyone heard the full past critique...
"No way..."
"Nah, couldn't be. Did he really think that?"
They all stared at me oddly.
'Why?'
Pondering what I'd missed in that critique...
Daeun declared.
"Daddy's a dummy."
A dummy.
"All done."
The sun had already dipped behind the mountains by the time I finished the painting.
Even so, Hyorin said.
"All done?"
"Yeah, got way later than I thought. Sorry."
"Nah, finishing in one day is impressive enough."
I turned the completed piece toward her.
"Wanna take a look?"
"Ah, sure."
She sidled up beside me and peered at it.
Moments later.
"Hey, you."
"Yeah? What's up?"
"Ah, nothing."
She suddenly panicked, mumbling nonsense.
"W-well d-drawn! B-but, like... what were you... argh, seriously."
What was with her?
So unlike her usual self, her face flushed with fluster as she kept rambling.
"Seriously! You..."
"Me? What?"
"You really don't know?"
"Don't know what?"
"Seriously?"
"Quit beating around the bush—say it plainly."
She gave me an exasperated look.
"No... it's really well done."
"You think so? Will the professor change my attendance after seeing this?"
I was a little worried.
I'd drawn differently from usual, but hadn't felt anything extraordinary.
Hyorin saw it otherwise.
"She will."
"For real?"
"Mm, for real."
"Phew, good. But what was that earlier? You acted like you'd seen something forbidden."
"Well..."
Maybe it was the sunset glow, but her cheeks seemed to redden.
With the whole world bathed in crimson...
'Must be my imagination.'
I brushed it off.
"Anyway, let's pack up quick. Bus stops early—miss it, and we're walking home."
"Ah, right."
We made the bus just in time.
The next day.
Hyorin and I arrived at Professor Im Hayoung's office, yesterday's painting in hand.
"Whew, why am I so nervous?"
Hyorin let out a long breath, steadying her racing heart.
I told her.
"Don't stress. Even if it flops, no big deal."
"What're you saying? We have to pass."
"You're way too invested—I don't get it."
"Well..."
She cut herself off, clamping her mouth shut.
I chuckled at her.
"Still, thanks for the help. I'd been struggling to paint lately, but this came easy."
Click.
The door swung open then, and Professor Im Hayoung stepped out smiling.
"You're not planning to show up tomorrow instead, right?"
"Ah, sorry."
She must've heard us and come to the door.
Embarrassed, we hurried inside.
"Tea? Coffee?"
"I'm good."
"Me too."
She smiled and settled on the sofa.
"You seem in a rush. Alright, let's see how you did on my assignment."
She held out her hand.
I quickly passed her the landscape. After studying it...
"Hm?"
Her eyes widened.
"This... you drew it with Hyorin, didn't you?"
"Yeah. How'd you know?"
"So you saw it too, Hyorin?"
Hyorin nodded faintly.
"Ah, yeah..."
The professor met my eyes directly.
"I've noticed before—you have a habit of denying your own emotions. Like refusing to acknowledge your feelings. But this painting's different. It shows you're trying to understand those feelings and express them fully."
Understand and express the feelings I'd felt.
Her words stirred a whirlwind of thoughts.
"And it seems Hyorin senses it clearly too."
I turned to Hyorin.
But.
Swish.
'Hm?'
She averted her gaze from mine.
"Wait..."
The professor's words and Hyorin's odd reaction clicked late.
Face stiffening, I said to the professor.
"By any chance... did Hyorin tell you that I like her?"
"What? You like Hyorin?"
The professor startled.
"Idiot..."
Hyorin muttered.