In My Eyes, You're Beautiful -3-
In my eyes, she was beautiful. It was an old tale—scary if you wanted to call it that, sad if you preferred. A story no one else knew, so I wasn't sure if I could tell it entertainingly. But with a little embellishment, maybe it could become something fun. After all, it was a tale unlike any other.
I flashed a small smile and carefully parted my heavy lips. A silly little story. Hoping she'd enjoy it.
Once upon a time, there was a boy shunned by everyone.
"A boy?"
"Yes, a boy."
"Oh..."
The boy's name was Mu-myeong—Nameless. No one had given him a name. No parents to do it.
"Poor thing."
"I know, right."
"Ricardo's less pitiful."
"..."
"I've got you."
"Pfft! True enough."
The world was cruel to the boy. No parents to call his own, after all.
"Ricardo didn't have any either."
"I had my share of misfortune in childhood."
"But you're living well now."
"Thanks to meeting you, Young Lady."
"Heehee! Right!"
No one to protect him, no one to lean on—the world wasn't kind. Common woes for orphans, though. Still, the boy was happy. Life wasn't abundant, but he had friends at the orphanage. A grumbling teacher who looked after them. No faces of parents to miss, so no longing either.
"Oh..."
The boy loved the kids. Loved the orphanage. Obey with food as reward, occasional whacks with a switch—but no real hardships. Though the other children hated him.
"Huh? Why?"
"He was too mature for his age."
"Eh?"
"Hmm... how to put it. Ah! Say you snatched ice cream from some kid passing by."
"Chocolate flavor?"
"The flavor matters?"
"Yeah."
"Fine, chocolate."
"Heehee... yummy."
"..."
"What would the kid do?"
"Cry? I've snatched plenty, so I know."
"But what if the boy just says, Hmm... grown-ups shouldn't act like that?"
"Creepy."
"That's exactly what he did."
"Eek."
No one welcomed a boy so mature beyond his years. They even said he saw ghosts. Back then, I was scared of them too.
"Positive spin."
"Right?"
"Sounds dumb."
"Dumb it was."
One day, like today, heavy rain poured as the boy headed to the streets to beg.
"Huh? Why beg all of a sudden? You said orphanage."
"The director embezzled funds."
"Eeeek... awful."
"Yeah."
"Mm."
"Had to eat somehow. Not a wholesome place anyway."
"Mm?"
"It's a fairy tale—forgive the odd plot. You're listening to get scared, not amused."
"True."
"Continuing."
"Mm."
The boy slipped out to a quiet spot, tin cup in hand like always, and began begging. Hurting folks for coin was beyond a kid. He'd spot passersby, clang! the cup. See someone dash under an umbrella, clang again. Kept at it till they noticed.
Rain grew fiercer with time. Streets emptied late at night, but he persisted. It was freezing. Night fell, no people, wind howling. Soaked clothes clutched tight, he muttered today's haul was a bust—but pressed on for snack money till dawn.
An hour later, maybe: "Hey!" A sharp girl's voice. Slightly shorter than him, big hat hiding her face. Seemed three years younger.
She said to him: "Found you."
"Mm?"
"No idea. The friend who told me said so."
"Scary..."
That began the boy and girl's tale. He'd coax stories from her as she begged, dropping big coins.
"Tell me a story."
"No. Gotta earn."
Clang.
"I paid. Now talk to me."
"Huh...? You rich?"
"Heehee..."
He pried into the mundane: weather today, where she lived. Boring stuff, but she beamed.
"I like talking to you."
"What's good? I stink, filthy."
"Heehee. Still like it."
"She was pretty?"
"Er... yeah, I think. Memory's fuzzy."
"Oh... but not prettier than me."
I smiled softly at her grumble and pressed on.
"Now the scary part begins."
"Huh?"
"Yeah... that friend said from here, no clue what happened."
Their meetings continued. Even when he became a student.
"Long time!"
"Yeah."
"Why no begging lately?"
"School now. Eyes on me... You go?"
"Can't."
"Why?"
"Heehee... secret!"
Even as he grew into an adult, working.
"Ta-da!"
"What? When'd you get here?"
"To see you."
"Gotta work."
"Skip. Play with me. I'll pay."
"Can't, busy."
"Whine..."
She'd appear at his old begging spot, big hat on, beaming.
"Weird part?"
"What?"
No one else saw her. He chatted, but folks saw a mad boy talking to air.
"Huh?"
One day, a passerby asked: "Why talk to yourself?"
"Eek?"
"Friend was baffled, like you. He'd thrived on her money—what's this? But others saw him alone."
"She was a ghost?"
"Dunno. Money was real."
"Hmm. Scary."
"Right?"
Still, he didn't resent her. No harm done; maybe she softened his rough childhood. Truth dawned, yet he met her again streetside. Her innocent smile, but he couldn't return it casually. Heart ached. How'd she die? What drove her to wander? More wistful than betrayed.
Back then.
"Oho... So he asked: '...You okay?'"
Her eternal smile cracked into tears. No one knew why—just sad eyes staring.
"What... he liked her?"
"Who knows."
"Boring."
"Pfft...! Decent scare for solo naptime?"
"Eek...! Not scary!"
"Getting spooky now."
"Huh?"
I smiled calmly, nearing the end.
She said:
"Mm. I'm fine."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah."
Trembling, she asked:
"And you?"
"Me?"
"Yeah, you happy with this life?"
"Hm... sudden?"
"Just curious."
"I..."
She never came again. Just those last words.
"See you. Sorry."
"And that's it. The end!"
The Young Lady pouted at me.
"Boring."
"...C'mon, I wrung it from my brain."
"Still boring. No ghost popping out...!"
Rumble!
"Eek!!!"
She jolted at the thunder, clinging tight. Watery eyes glared, lip bit.
"Ricardo, scold it."
"What?"
"Lightning."
"...?"
"Eeeek..."
She nuzzled my chest amid the rain. Then lifted her head, asking one more thing.
"Ricardo... aren't you cold?"
"Pardon?"
"No coat."
"Ah..."
I shrugged with an awkward smile.
"I'm fine."
"Looks cold."
"Nothing compared to the North."
"No, ghost stories chill you more. So you must be."
Shivering, she scolded firmly.
"Don't catch a cold, Ricardo."
"Aw, worried?"
"You sick, no food for me."
"Sweet then sour."
I smiled at her petty reason, tousling her wet hair.
"Eeeek, stop!"
"Can't help it."
"Whaaa!"
Her head shook with my hand; she pouted and said:
"Wait, I'll make you into Gomtang..."
"Gom?"
"No."
She turned from yawning Gomtang, stared hard, and spat a short command.
"Strip!"
"Pardon?"
"Strip, I said!"
"...?"
She lunged at me roughly.