12
## Chapter 12 — A Heart That Will Never Change
I wanted to paint.
I wanted to capture the beautiful emotions before my eyes in a painting.
But there was a problem.
I still didn’t have any tools or paper to draw with.
‘What do I do?’
I wanted to draw so badly it drove me crazy, yet I had nothing to draw on.
‘Should I at least sketch in my notebook with a pen?’
Just as I was desperately glancing around trying to figure out what I could use—
“Ah.”
—the white wall surrounding Grandpa’s house caught my eye.
Just like back in the small village of Dalsol-ri in Jangseong County, Jeollanam-do, I suddenly thought how beautiful a
mural would look on this wall.
‘But I don’t have paint or anything right now.’
Unexpectedly, I found my drawing tool elsewhere.
“Ah, old lady! Why’re you taking *that* out now?!”
“Meat tastes best cooked over charcoal! You just sit still!”
“I said I’ll grill the meat, so you focus on something else! Your legs already hurt enough!”
The charcoal Grandma brought out to grill meat for us.
The moment I saw those black chunks of wood, admiration burst from inside me.
Because charcoal—charcoal sticks, or vine charcoal—had been used by artists for centuries as a drawing tool.
Alright then.
Now I had everything I needed to draw.
The next question was what exactly I should paint.
How could I express the deep love these two old people shared—
the pure devotion Grandpa held for Grandma?
The answer was surprisingly simple.
I just needed to paint the white goose.
Because nothing represented their love more beautifully than that bird.
But there was one issue.
I didn’t actually know what a white goose looked like.
Of course, I could search for photos online.
But I wanted to hear about the white goose *they themselves* had seen.
“Grandpa, let me help too.”
I approached Grandpa while he grilled meat and asked:
“Could you tell me more about the white goose you saw with Grandma long ago?”
“Hm? The white goose?”
“Yes. I’m curious what kind of bird it was.”
At my question, White Goose Grandpa smiled more happily than ever before and began talking about the white goose.
What species it was.
Where it lived.
What it ate.
And from those simple facts, his story naturally drifted into memories involving Grandma.
“Back then, I secretly liked my old lady. So I asked her to come birdwatching with me since she liked birds too. That
day… I planned to propose to her.”
The story continued even after dinner was ready and we all sat down together to eat.
Grandma, who had been listening quietly beside us, suddenly burst into laughter and joined in.
“That day, I was actually planning to reject this old geezer. Hehe.”
“W-What?! You were planning to reject me?!”
“There were plenty of handsome young men after me back then, so why would I look twice at you? You kept pestering me, so
I only agreed to talk a little before turning you down.”
“Y-You old woman!”
The two of them bickered like a young couple playfully fighting.
Watching them, I laughed and asked:
“But didn’t you two get married the very next day? What on earth happened in between?”
“Well now, this old geezer kept dragging me deeper into secluded places.”
“W-Why’re you saying it like I was trying to do something improper?!”
I focused completely on their story.
Grandpa said he brought Grandma deeper into the wetlands under the excuse of birdwatching.
And just as he was about to confess his feelings to her where no one else was around—
“…a snow-white bird landed right in front of us.”
Its feathers were pure white, but the tips of its wings were black, making it look graceful and elegant beyond words.
Both Grandpa and Grandma had been mesmerized by the bird’s calm and noble movements.
And after the bird flew away once more—
Grandpa, who had always been shy, finally managed to steady his trembling heart and confess his honest feelings to
Grandma.
“Then the old lady accepted me, and we held the wedding the very next day. Back then, times were hard enough just
surviving day by day, so we didn’t bother dragging things out.”
“Good grief, if not for that white goose, I never would’ve ended up living with such a stubborn old geezer.”
“You old woman, seriously…!”
Grandma acted like she was complaining, but the deep affection in her eyes whenever she looked at Grandpa was
unmistakable.
Just as much as Grandpa loved Grandma—
Grandma loved Grandpa too.
And then—
Hwaaa—
through their story and the emotions hidden inside it, I could finally see the white goose they had witnessed long ago.
The image of the white goose I *needed* to paint carved itself directly into my heart.
After preparing everything I needed to draw, I bowed my head politely after dinner.
“Thank you for the meal. And thank you for everything. I’ve really caused you too much trouble today.”
“Trouble? Don’t worry about it. We just added one more spoon to the dinner table we were already eating from anyway.”
Even though he grumbled, affection still seeped through White Goose Grandpa’s words, making me smile softly.
“Actually… I happen to be talented at drawing.”
“Drawing? Young man, are you some kind of painter?”
“Yes. So while it may not be much of a repayment… would it be alright if I gave the two of you a painting as a gift?”
“…Hm?”
Caught off guard by my sudden proposal, both Grandpa and Grandma tilted their heads in confusion.
---
As people age, they tend to fall asleep early in the evening.
After Grandpa and Grandma quickly drifted off to sleep following dinner, I stood alone before the white wall outside.
With permission to paint a mural there, I held a piece of charcoal in my hand.
“Alright… let’s begin.”
The streetlamp in front of the house illuminated the area brightly enough that darkness wasn’t a problem.
And so—
Swish—, sweep.
Maybe painting the mural in Dalsol-ri had finally opened up something inside me.
Because the hand continuing the sketch moved completely without hesitation.
Of course, unlike back then, I had neither paint nor brushes now.
But that was fine.
Sketching.
This primitive technique—often called *dessin*—didn’t require any special tools to create beautiful art.
Scratch—, scrape.
I sharpened the charcoal tip and outlined the shape of the white goose.
Swish—, sweep.
I gently rubbed the charcoal to create shading and depth.
With only form and shadows, the white goose already looked ready to leap out from the wall.
But this still wasn’t enough.
Because what I wanted to paint wasn’t just a simple white goose.
I wanted to paint the exact white goose Grandpa and Grandma saw together decades ago.
Swish—, sweep.
And so, using everything they told me during dinner, I gradually added details.
Rather than a fierce bird spreading powerful wings, I painted it elegant and graceful.
I gave deep shading to the black feathers peeking out from the tail as a focal point.
Its eyes gentle and innocent—almost slightly foolish-looking.
Its beak rounded instead of sharp.
‘Even now I remember it. It was the purest and most elegant bird I’d ever seen in my life.’
Completely intoxicated by Grandpa and Grandma’s emotions, I became absorbed deeper and deeper into the painting.
At some point, I no longer needed to consciously imagine the image in my head.
My hands moved automatically as though they had become one with the charcoal itself.
And after drawing for what felt both long and short at the same time—
“…Ah.”
Looking at the finished mural before me, admiration escaped my lips without realizing it.
At the same time—
“……Hahaha.”
A soft smile spread across my face.
Swish, sweep.
**creep.**
After neatly writing my alias in the corner of the mural, I collapsed onto the ground and quietly admired the painting.
Imagining the memories Grandpa and Grandma must have shared on that day long ago—
I smiled softly.
“I hope Grandpa and Grandma like it.”
Hoping this painting I created could become a gift that allowed the kind old couple to briefly revisit their treasured
memories—
I smiled warmly.
---
As people grow older, they also tend to wake up earlier.
“Yaaawn…”
5:30 in the morning.
White Goose Grandpa woke before sunrise as usual and stepped outside his room with a small stretch.
Tap.
“Hm? What’s this?”
The moment he stepped out, he noticed a small note placed in front of him.
[I had an appointment in Haenam, so I had no choice but to leave without saying goodbye. Thank you so much for
yesterday.]
Reading the note and seeing the empty room, White Goose Grandpa realized the student he met yesterday had already left.
“…Heartless kid. Could’ve at least stayed for breakfast. What was the rush?”
Feeling strangely lonely, as though a grandchild had suddenly come and gone, White Goose Grandpa headed outside.
Still, regardless of those feelings, he planned to search for the white goose again today.
“Ah, come to think of it, that kid said he was drawing something. Did he finish?”
When he stepped outside and checked the front wall, nothing was there.
Apparently, the painting must’ve been on the wall behind the house.
White Goose Grandpa considered checking it but eventually shook his head and left anyway.
‘Well, he said he was a painter, so I’m sure he drew something nice enough. If I don’t like it, I can always paint over
it later.’
And so, without knowing what had appeared on the wall of his own house—
the old man headed toward Suncheon Bay once again.
And—
“…Looks like today’s another failure.”
Once again, he failed to find the white goose.
“Huff… huff… damn, I’m out of breath.”
These days, White Goose Grandpa could feel his body aging more and more every day.
“My legs better hold out until I find that white goose…”
He muttered while breathing heavily—
then suddenly realized something.
“…Ah.”
Today, nobody was walking beside him.
In just one day—
he had apparently grown attached to that young fellow.
“…Migratory bird-like brat.”
Why did he suddenly appear, leave behind warmth in his heart, and then suddenly disappear?
That young man really had been like a migratory bird.
‘I should’ve at least asked his name.’
With a small sense of regret, White Goose Grandpa returned home.
“Old lady! I’m back! Hm? …Ah, where’d this old woman wander off to now?!”
Because walking was difficult, Grandma often felt trapped inside the house.
Seeing the empty home, White Goose Grandpa hurried outside in concern.
Thankfully, he found Grandma quickly.
“Old lady! If you want to go for a walk, you should go with me!”
“……”
Grandma stood motionless behind the house, staring blankly at the wall.
Confused by her moist eyes and silence, White Goose Grandpa approached her.
And then—
“…Ah.”
The moment he saw the wall—
his expression became identical to hers.
“…This is…”
“The white goose.”
Grandma smiled softly and spoke to him.
“I came out for a walk because I felt cooped up… and there was suddenly a white goose sitting on our wall.”
“……”
Yesterday, there had definitely been nothing on this wall.
Yet overnight—
a mural of a white goose had appeared.
The two old people silently stared at the mural together.
The white goose in the painting looked as though it might leap off the wall and fly into their arms at any moment.
As though—
Hwaaa—
they might return to the days decades ago when they first saw the white goose together.
‘……Ah.’
Tears welled in White Goose Grandpa’s eyes as he slowly opened his mouth.
There had always been something he wanted to say to Grandma if they ever saw the white goose together again someday.
“Old l—”
“Thank you, dear.”
But Grandma spoke first.
Looking at him with a gentle smile, she said:
“Thank you for keeping your promise back then. Even after I die, I’ll only love you.”
Promise.
The moment she said that word, the vow White Goose Grandpa had treasured deep in his heart for decades resurfaced once
more.
Long ago, after seeing the white goose together, he had proposed to her saying:
‘I-I’ll make you happy for the rest of your life. Please live with me, Okja.’
“……”
Decades had passed.
The innocent young man from back then was gone.
Only a grumpy old man remained now.
But not once during all those years had he ever left Grandma’s side.
Recalling the countless years they had spent together, White Goose Grandpa finally spoke the words he had long wanted to
tell her if they ever saw the white goose again.
“I feel the same way.”
“……”
“I’ve loved only you my whole life. And even after death, it’ll still be you.”
He had loved only her for his entire life.
Even if he became nothing but bones after death, he would still love only her.
As his unwavering heart reached her, Grandma smiled softly, her eyes curving warmly.
She smiled beautifully and innocently—
just like she had when she was still a young maiden.
Even though decades had passed and wrinkles now covered her face—
she was still beautiful.
Seeing that smile, White Goose Grandpa laughed and cried at the same time.
“What’s this, old man? Are you crying right now?”
“Who’s crying?! What kind of person cries over a good painting?!”
Secretly wiping away his tears, Grandpa looked once more at the mural of the white goose.
A good painting.
Even someone like him who knew absolutely nothing about art could tell—
this was a truly good painting.
Thinking of the mysterious person who painted such a beautiful mural before disappearing, White Goose Grandpa shouted
with emotion thick in his voice:
“…Looks like a white goose stayed the night at our house yesterday.”
White geese were winter migratory birds rarely seen in South Korea.
Bird lovers believed spotting one brought incredible fortune.
Yesterday—
White Goose Grandpa encountered the second white goose of his life.
The second great blessing of his entire life.
---
Suncheon Bay was one of Suncheon’s most famous tourist attractions, visited by thousands of people every day.
And naturally, the white goose mural near Suncheon Bay quickly caught people’s attention.
“Huh…? What’s that painting? A mural?”
“Wow…! What kind of bird is this? It’s so beautiful! Hurry and take a picture!”
#Suncheon_Jeonnam #SuncheonBay #Mural #Bird #Emotional #Healing
And so, it took only a few days for the faceless artist creep’s second mural to spread nationwide once again.