A Changed Everyday (Yeonhee)
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"Mmh~ I slept so well."
The day began the way it always did—stretching in time with the morning alarm. I gave my hair a once-over and stepped out of my room toward the living room, where Mom was already at the counter preparing breakfast, her back to me.
"You're up? Hurry and eat so you can get ready for school."
Did she have eyes in the back of her head? I'd come out so quietly, yet she always knew, with that uncanny timing of hers.
"Where's Dad?"
"He had work today, so he left early."
"That must be hard on him..."
"He's working hard for this family, isn't he?"
A quiet gratitude for the man who always carried our family on his shoulders settled in my chest as I sat down at the table. Breakfast was already laid out, same as always. Today's was simple: bread, salad, and a few strips of bacon.
It looked simple enough, but in its own way it was more of a production than just sitting down to a bowl of rice. Looking at the spread, I couldn't help thinking of the breakfast Juyeong had made for me once. The combination was exactly the same.
"Hehe..."
The memory slipped out of me as a silly little sound before I could stop it.
"Would you look at this kid. What's got you grinning like an idiot first thing in the morning?"
Oops... I must have let it show.
"...I was not grinning."
It hadn't been this bad before. Now even the smallest thing related to him would send my thoughts wandering off on their own, and my face would go soft without my permission.
"Don't even try. You were thinking about that boy again, weren't you? Juyeong, right?"
"N-no, I wasn't..."
"Oh, please. You think your mother wouldn't know? You've got the face of a girl in love."
...I'd had that kind of face?
"I went through all of this when I met your father, you know~"
"You did?"
"What, did you think your father and I were born married?"
"No... you just never told me about it..."
Mom and Dad when they were young. I couldn't even picture it.
"I was quite popular in my day, you know. Back in school I got confessed to constantly."
"You did?"
"What's that supposed to mean. I may not look it now, but I married your father after he confessed to me in high school."
"Wow... Dad confessed first?"
"Hard to believe even for you, isn't it?"
Honestly, it was. The Dad I'd always known didn't seem like the type to make the first move.
I wonder if I'll ever get confessed to someday too...
No, wait. I'd already been confessed to plenty of times. I'd just turned them all down. The one person I actually wanted a confession from... I didn't even know how he felt about me. And as for confessing myself—I was too scared of wrecking what we had now.
"So why Dad, out of all those people?"
"There's a story behind that, actually. The first time he confessed, I turned him down."
"Really? Then how did you end up married?"
"Unlike the other boys who'd give up after one rejection, your father kept coming back."
"Huh...? Dad did that?"
"Pretty different from how he is now, right?"
Looking at Dad as he was now, it felt like they were talking about a completely different person.
"Anyway, I did end up saying yes, but your father was so painfully shy that dating him was a whole ordeal..."
"What happened?"
"Don't even get me started. I planned almost every single date. And holding hands? He was so nervous you'd think he was about to pass out..."
Yeah... that was pretty different from Dad now. I guess people really did change when they fell in love? But I couldn't laugh, because I had a feeling I'd be the same if I ever started dating Juyeong for real...
"Still, I was truly happy. That's why we're married and doing well now, right?"
If that ever happened for me, I think I'd be truly happy too. What did dates even matter? Just having the person you love by your side was enough to be happy any day of the week.
But what's the point of thinking like that... when reality hasn't moved an inch.
"If the person you like has a personality like your father's, you're going to have a hard time dating..."
"Haha..."
Coming from a woman who'd actually experienced Dad, I couldn't help but take her word for it.
"Oh my, look at the time. Finish eating and get ready before you're late."
"Yes~"
Listening to Mom's old love stories over breakfast, I'd completely lost track of time.
"Thanks for the meal."
I finished eating quickly and hurried to the bathroom.
Whoosh—
I turned on the water, washed my face, brushed my teeth, and stepped out to look in the mirror. Our school rules weren't that strict, so as long as the makeup wasn't too obvious, no one would say anything. I didn't used to wear any, but a girl's heart wants to look pretty in front of the person she likes. Just a little—so little no one would notice—and I was done.
Okay. This should be good enough.
I slung on the bag I'd left by the bathroom, said goodbye at the door, and opened it.
"I'm heading out."
I didn't go straight to school. If I took a slightly different route, I'd pass the apartment where Juyeong lived. Ever since I'd decided to be honest with my own heart, I'd made a small change to my mornings: walking to school with him.
His reaction the first time had been priceless. There I was, standing around waiting for no reason at all—of course he'd been flustered. Back then I'd grabbed his hand and dragged him along out of my own selfishness, but now he was used to it. He'd take my hand like it was nothing, and I loved that.
Had he opened his heart to me, even a little? I hoped so.
"Hmm-hmm~♬"
Humming under my breath, my steps light and eager, I headed for Juyeong's apartment once again.
"Good morning~"
I waved as Juyeong stepped out of the elevator, offering my usual morning greeting.
He's so handsome.
His hair had grown long enough that you could barely see his eyes, and the fact that I was thinking that probably meant Naeun was right—I really did have rose-colored glasses on.
"Morning."
Maybe he really had gotten used to this. Watching him return the greeting so casually made getting up early feel worth it.
This is so much better than when he'd get suspicious and interrogate me over every little thing.
I held out my hand again today, and Juyeong took it without a word. That one small gesture felt enormous to me.
Had something changed in you too, Juyeong, after the amusement park? Holding hands still made me just as embarrassed as ever, but I'd promised myself I wouldn't hesitate, so I wasn't going to stop. If I hesitated, I was sure I wouldn't win your heart before the year was up.
"Shall we go?"
I smiled brightly and led the way, and Juyeong followed quietly behind. So much had changed in such a short time.
I hope someday we'll be able to link arms like it's the most natural thing in the world.
They say everyone dreams. Maybe I was the one living trapped inside a dream. Walking like this, hand in hand, I felt like I was floating—it didn't even feel real.
This whole situation is pretty amazing, actually.
Really... even thinking about it now, it was just amazing. I'd started this relationship to shake off all the guys, and I'd ended up falling for him instead. I spent most of every day thinking about you. Even when I was studying at home, you'd pop into my head and ruin my concentration. Who would have thought it'd happen this fast. They say no one knows what the future holds. Isn't that the truth?
I wanted you to like me back so badly it hurt, but that was probably impossible right now. I wasn't satisfied with what we had, but if I thought about it—it was because you were the kind of person you were that we could even start this relationship. In a way, I was grateful for that.
I didn't know how hard your life had been, but it was probably much harder than I imagined. So I had to work to become someone you could talk to about it yourself, right? And in a future not too far away, I'd give you all the love you never received growing up.
Walking along with those thoughts in my heart, I started to see other students heading to school, one by one. Walking to school hand in hand like this, I could feel the jealous looks flying our way.
How about that? I was allowed to feel a little superior. I wouldn't say it out loud myself, but with this many stares, it was objectively true that I was pretty, right?
Lost in thoughts like that, we walked without saying much, just holding hands, and before I knew it we'd arrived at school. Both Juyeong and I lived close by, so even walking together, the commute—morning and afternoon combined—was only about thirty minutes.
That's a shame... I wish this time lasted a little longer.
It was a shame, but we were going to spend the whole day together at school anyway, weren't we? We'd sit right next to each other in class, eat lunch together, and walk home together. There was no need to feel disappointed.
Just before we reached the school, I let go of his hand, climbed the stairs, and walked into the classroom.
"Hey, everyone. Good morning."
I tossed out the greeting that had become my regular line, and Naeun came bursting out.
"Ah! Yeonhee! You have to hear this about Kang Hanbyeol!"
"What did I even do?!"
Hanbyeol, visible behind her, came as a bonus.
"W-wait. Calm down and tell me slowly!"
I was so startled I started stammering, and from behind me came a quiet little laugh. Juyeong, who always looked so tired, was laughing like that. School must have become fun for him, in its own way.
I'll show you even more fun from now on.
In that moment, all Lee Yeonhee wished for was that this everyday life would go on just like this.