Chapter 41
“Ha, ha…….”
A shallow breath escaped from her lips, and her thighs trembled. Haji clenched her fists tightly, trying not to lose consciousness.
Seojin, watching her, closed the gap between them.
“Are you okay?”
“Ha, ah.”
Haji wavered. Seojin wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her closer.
“Ha, I’m not, I’m not okay.”
“We’re almost there.”
“Haven’t you been saying that for a while now?”
Haji looked at Seojin with a dissatisfied expression.
Seojin, who had promised to be her guide, had woken her up early at dawn and brought her here.
“If I knew we were climbing Hallasan, I would have gone to bed early yesterday.”
Haji regretted her late night as she recalled it, and Seojin chuckled, holding her hand.
“Even if I told you, you wouldn’t have slept early.”
“I would’ve snuck out and gone to my bed somehow.”
Haji, recalling yesterday, looked at Seojin’s back as he led her by the hand. She had spent a sleepless night, held tightly in Seojin’s arms until she finally fell asleep.
“But you did sleep well. Even talking in your sleep.”
“I talked in my sleep?”
“You seemed to be dreaming.”
“Oh, I often dream strangely in Jeju.”
Indeed, since arriving in Jeju, she hadn’t had a day without dreams. They were all dreams that reminded her of the happy days of her childhood, so she felt good.
“We’re really here.”
“Wow……!”
Forgetting her earlier complaints, Haji grabbed Seojin’s hand and ran.
“The view is so beautiful.”
“Isn’t it?”
Haji took a deep breath and plopped down on the ground.
“I’m tired, but I feel so good.”
“That’s a relief.”
“Today’s guide is off to a good start, huh?”
Haji smiled brightly, looking at the stunning scenery. The refreshing air filled her entire being.
Haji picked up a twig and began to draw lines in the dirt. Whether it was a picture or letters was unclear.
Watching this, Seojin let out a small laugh.
“That’s not supposed to be me, is it?”
“Of course, it is! It’s a thank you drawing.”
Haji’s eyes widened as if she was sincere, and Seojin’s lips curled up slightly.
“For a thank-you, it’s quite a downgrade.”
Her drawing skills.
Haji pouted and handed the twig to Seojin.
“Sunbae, you draw something too.”
“You’re still the same.”
Seojin muttered to himself and brought the tip of the twig to the ground.
“What is it?”
“Names.”
“I wanted to see your drawing skills, but all you wrote are names?”
Ki Seojin. Ahn Haji.
Watching their names written on the ground, Seojin turned his head to look at Haji’s face. For quite a long time.
Feeling his gaze, Haji blushed and turned her head first.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“It’s just… amazing.”
“Me?”
Seojin poked Haji’s soft cheek and smiled slightly.
“That I’m here with you.”
“Me too. I never thought I’d be in Jeju with you, Sunbae.”
How did this happen?
She stopped at the thought that it might have been the Noble Ki Seojin’s scheme.
Haji, who was gazing at the floating hill, tilted her head back to look at the clear sky. As she captured the blue sky with her eyes, she slowly parted her lips.
“I’ve been to Jeju when I was young. I don’t remember it well, though.”
“You don’t remember?”
“Unfortunately, no.”
A shadow fell over Haji’s clear face. Her lips still curled upwards, trying not to show her bitter feelings.
“My parents passed away then. So maybe my mind erased the memories on its own.”
“Maybe you were protecting yourself.”
“I’m not sure. Did we see such beautiful scenery together back then?”
Haji asked, seemingly questioning herself.
Was my family happy then?
She hoped so. Her recent dreams of being with her family were always happy.
“I’m sure you were.”
Seojin provided the answer. The words she wanted to hear.
“You were happy together.”
As if he knew everything.
***
That day, young Seojin was alone, his parents too preoccupied with his mischievous younger sibling.
Despite his parents’ ambitious plan to climb Hallasan from dawn, his sister’s morning tantrums delayed everything.
Because of that, Seojin was the first in the family to reach the top of Hallasan.
Having anticipated this, Seojin simply sat quietly, enjoying the peace. It would get noisy once his sister arrived.
“Wow! A handsome oppa!”
Until a strange girl appeared.
“Oppa, what are you doing alone?”
“…….”
“Hmm? What are you doing?”
“Waiting for my family.”
“Where are they?”
The girl, who had subtly sat down next to him, stared intently at his face.
“They’ll be here soon. What about you?”
Knowing she’d be a nuisance, Seojin quickly asked, hoping to send her off to her family.
“There! My mom and dad are over there.”
Looking where her short finger pointed, he saw a couple smiling and taking pictures of each other.
“They’ll be looking for you.”
It was a hint to leave. Not to bother him.
“It’s okay! I told them I’d be here.”
“…….”
The clueless girl didn’t understand his meaning.
The girl repeatedly blushed as she looked at his face with her round eyes.
“Are you an angel, oppa?”
“What?”
“You look as pretty as an angel.”
Seojin looked at the girl dismissively. Believing in angels was foolish.
“Look at this!”
She scratched something on the dirt with a small stone, leaving chaotic lines.
“Oppa! Angel!”
“You’re really bad at drawing.”
“Pfft, I’m starting art classes next week. Then I’ll be super good at it.”
The girl mumbled with her lips pouting, but her eyes sparkled at the thought of attending art classes soon.
“I’ll draw well for you then.”
“How do you know where I’ll be?”
“Oh! I live in Seoul. How about you?”
“Me too.”
The girl’s eyes sparkled even more, as if she had found a treasure.
“Then we can meet! I just need to know your name.”
“The world is big, you know? And there are many people with the same name.”
“No, my dad said you can find anyone if you know their name. He said the world is round.”
Giggling, the girl slyly passed the stone in her hand to Seojin.
“What’s this?”
“Write your name. Your name, oppa.”
Watching the girl waiting for his hand to move, Seojin sighed softly.
“Ki, Seo, Jin!”
The girl, who read aloud the letters as they were written, clapped her hands.
“What a beautiful name!”
Then she took the stone back and wrote her name next to his.
Ki Seojin Ahn Haji
“I’m Ahn Haji!”
Only after writing it on the ground did she cheerfully introduce herself.
“Haji!”
“Dad!”
Young Haji jumped up at her dad’s call. She ran into his arms and giggled.
“What were you doing, princess?”
“I was playing with a pretty oppa.”
“You weren’t bothering the pretty oppa, were you?”
“No! I’m not a bad kid. And that oppa looks like an angel.”
Haji’s dad laughed heartily at her whispered secret.
“You’re just like your mom, our daughter.”
“Because I’m mom’s daughter.”
Watching Haji’s cheeky expression, her dad lovingly kissed her cheek.
“We have to go down now, so say goodbye to oppa.”
“Put me down for a moment.”
Haji, released from her dad’s arms, rummaged through her small bag and approached Seojin.
“Oppa, eat this.”
“…….”
“It’s okay. You can eat it. It’s my favorite fruit, but I’ll give it to you.”
Haji thought Seojin was refusing out of politeness, not realizing he was just annoyed. She pushed a pack of various fruits into his arms.
“See you in Seoul! I’ll come find you!”
Haji clenched her fist, her eyes wide with determination.
Then she trotted back to her dad’s arms.
“…… Okay.”
The figure of Haji waving her hand from her dad’s arms grew smaller.
“Goodbye! Ki Seojin oppa!”
A little later, Seonghee and their parents appeared.
“Oppa! Why did you go ahead?”
“You were late.”
“Mom! Oppa ignored me again!”
***
He almost forgot about the girl who called him an angel, Ahn Haji.
If I hadn’t witnessed that incident. If I hadn’t seen you covered in blood.
If I hadn’t seen you, blinking as if dead, in the arms of your already deceased parents, could I have forgotten you?
If I had said something, anything, like “let’s eat the fruits you brought,” maybe the misfortune that began for you that day wouldn’t have happened.
No, there’s nothing to blame.
None of us knew it would rain like that that day.
So, if one day you come to know this fact, I hope you don’t blame yourself.
Your family surely was happy during the time they were with you.
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