Even If This Love Disappears From This World (jenlisa adaptation)

Once In A Lifetime Summer - II

On August 12, the winners of the Seoul Literature Prize and the Naoki Prize for the first half of the year were announced.

I was restless from the time I woke up. Dad must have felt the same way because he seemed on edge since the morning. He still didn’t know that Jisoo Kim was his own daughter. Still, he had his eye on the Seoul Literature Prize, and not just because he likes literature. As an aspiring novelist, I think he feels a mixture of longing and regret and even something like envy.

After he left for work, I packed a simple lunch and headed to the library as usual. I brought a little radio with me. The prize winner would probably be posted online first, but the radio news would announce it, too.

By noon, they still hadn’t announced it yet. I like literature, but I don’t listen for the winner in real time like this every year. I usually find out in the next day’s paper, so I didn’t know what time they would announce it.

I ate my lunch and then went to the magazine rack to search for the issue with Jisoo’s nominated story in it. I read it over again from the start. I don’t know how many times I did.

Two o’clock passed before I knew it. As I was about to turn on the radio, someone approached me.

“Excuse me…”

“Jennie?”

I looked up at the sound of her familiar voice. This was different from our usual routine.

“What’s wrong? It’s not four yet, is it?”

She was standing nervously in front of me, wearing a white dress that made her look a bit like a girl from some wealthy family and holding a big straw hat in both hands.

“No, but you’ll find out about your sister today, right? Would you mind if I waited with you? We’ll be able to hear the news immediately on my phone, and I think we’ll be able to watch the live conference.”

I hadn’t told yesterday’s Jennie that today was the Seoul Literature Prize announcement. She must have looked it up herself. Or maybe Park told her.

I nodded, put the magazine back, and, at her suggestion, went with her to the break room. On the way, I noticed the straw hat again.

“That one did look good on you,” I said. It was the one we’d seen the day before at the mall near the station. Jennie had been trying to decide between two styles, and she must have gone back to buy the one I said looked better. I’d wanted to get it for her, but maybe she beat me to it on purpose so I didn’thave to spend the money. That sounded like her. However, for some reason, when I mentioned it, she seemed upset.

“What? Do you recognize this hat?”

“What?”

I thought about what she’d said. She’d forgotten we saw it together. I thought back over the happy memories from the day before. There was the embarrassing episode in the parking lot. Afterward, we went window-shopping. She’d messed around, putting the women’s straw hat on me. We’d both laughed about it. To me, it was an important memory, but she didn’t remember it. To her…that was normal. She forgot everything.

“I wanted to go to the big art store by the station, so I got my mom to drive me there this morning,” she said. “I stopped into some shops on the way, and I just loved this one from the moment I saw it, so…”

She seemed to be having trouble explaining. I flashed a desperate smile. Not only had she gone out that morning, but she’d also met me earlier than usual. She probably hadn’t planned on that. It couldn’t be helped. Reading all her diary entries must take a long time.