The days that followed Sunjae's departure were a blur of anguish and numbness for Sol. She moved through the motions of her daily life, her heart heavy with the weight of his absence.
As the seasons changed, Sol found herself clinging to the routines that had once given her comfort. She immersed herself in her studies, her grades a testament to the single-minded focus that allowed her to push past the pain.
When the cherry blossoms bloomed in the spring, Sol would catch herself glancing out the window, half-expecting to see Sunjae's familiar figure. But the realization that he was no longer there would hit her anew, a fresh wave of grief washing over her.
In the sweltering heat of summer, Sol would sometimes find herself reaching for her phone, her fingers poised to call Sunjae, only to remember that she had severed that connection. She would let her hand fall back to her side, the ache in her chest a constant reminder of the life she had once shared.
As the leaves turned to vibrant hues in the fall, Sol would listen to the laughter of her classmates, their carefree chatter a stark contrast to the hollow silence that now filled her own world. She would retreat into herself, her thoughts consumed by the memories of a love that had been so brutally torn away.
And when the first snowflakes of winter began to fall, Sol would sit by her window, watching the world around her grow still and quiet.
"Remember, when things get tough, and you're feeling overwhelmed, you can always find comfort in the little things."
"Like the feel of the cold night air on your skin..."
"It reminds you that you're here, in this moment, and that you can get through whatever comes your way."
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As the years passed, Sol found that the memories of Sunjae had become a quiet, steady presence in her life – a flame that flickered softly, warming her heart even in the coldest of moments.
Through it all, Sol slowly but surely began to remove Sunjae from her life, erasing the traces of his presence that had once brought her such joy. She packed away the gifts he had given her, the reminders of their shared moments, and forced herself to move forward, one step at a time.
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[3 years later]
The soft morning light filtered through the curtains, casting a warm glow across the small bedroom where Sol lay sleeping. The peaceful quiet of the room was suddenly shattered by the sound of her brother, Im Geum, bursting through the door, his voice echoing with excitement.
"Sol-ah!! Sol-ah!! Yahh Im Sol, Wake up!" Geum shouted, his words tumbling out in a rush as he raced towards her bedside," You got accepted into university Sol-ah!"
Sol, still groggy with sleep, struggled to blink her eyes open, a faint crease forming between her brows. "Oh..." she murmured, her voice thick with confusion.
"Ohh?! Me? I got into university? Why? How?" she asked, her mind still hazy as she tried to make sense of Geum's exuberant announcement.
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Geum, his face alight with joy, perched on the edge of the bed, grabbing Sol's hands in his own. "Yah! You did it, You got accepted to the university you applied to - the one you've been dreaming of!" he exclaimed, his words tumbling out in a rush.
Blinking rapidly, Sol's expression shifted from bewilderment to dawning realization, a spark of disbelief and wonder igniting in her eyes. "I... I did?" she breathed, scarcely daring to believe the news.
Sol stared up to the ceiling, brow furrowed in contemplation. "..I'm pretty sure I purposely made a lot of mistakes, so I wouldn't get enrolled into university though..," she murmured to herself, her voice barely above a whisper.
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The realization dawned on her like a heavy weight, pressing down upon her chest since for so long, her vision of attending university had been linked to Sunjae, her neighborhood oppa who was no longer a part of her life.
