Ditto. | Sim Jaeyun

★ ━ 04

"I'm hungry, I'm hungry, I'm hungry!" Byolri jumped on my bed over and over again, repeating "I'm hungry" like a parrot.

Next week is exam season, and my mom thought it was a great idea to bring my 6-year-old cousin to stay with me for the weekend.

I was trying to study, but she wouldn't let me. My mom was at work so we were home alone.

"Should we go get ice cream?" I asked, drained of energy, and she quickly jumped off my bed.

"Yes!" she exclaimed happily, and I smiled, seeing her so excited.

When people are happy, I am too.

Besides, getting ice cream would do me good. After all the studying, my head is spinning.

★!

"One vanilla and one strawberry," I told the ice cream man, and he nodded.

I was holding Byolri's small hand with one hand and holding the money with the other.

"Isn't that your boyfriend, Jake?" she asked, pointing at a guy with his back to us, looking at his phone.

My cheeks turned red from what she called him. It didn't bother me... In fact, I liked it when people called him that.

"Yes, that's Jake, but he's not my boyfriend," I murmured.

"Why?" she asked, looking up at me with curiosity, not letting go of my hand.

I sighed, trying to find an answer that made sense to a six-year-old and, at the same time, explained my own confused feelings.

"Well, sometimes..." I began, as the ice cream vendor handed me our cones, "...sometimes friends are just friends."

"But you turn red when you see him, that's what girlfriends do in movies," she said with a mischievous grin, giving me an elbow nudge as if she knew exactly how I felt.

I laughed, embarrassed, and looked away toward Jake, who still hadn't noticed we were there. I watched him for a moment, the sun shining on his hair and his focused expression as he looked at his phone. There was something so familiar and warm about him, like he had always been a part of me.

"Should we say hi?" suggested Byolri, bouncing up and down as if it were the best idea in the world.

Before I could respond, Byolri had already let go of my hand and run toward him. I felt a nervous flutter in my stomach, but I followed her, resigned to the fact that there was no stopping her.

"Jake!" she shouted, grabbing his attention. He turned around, and when he saw Byolri and then me, he smiled in that way that made time feel like it stopped.

"Oh, hey, Nari. I didn't know you were getting ice cream today," he said, slipping his phone into his pocket and giving me his full attention.

"I didn't know you were coming either," I said, trying to sound casual as I offered him a smile.

Jake looked at Byolri and crouched down to her level. "So you must be the famous Byolri, huh?"

"I'm Nari's cousin," she said proudly, looking at him like he was some kind of hero. Then, with a huge smile, she added, "She says you're her best friend, but I think you like her!"

I felt like the ground could open up and swallow me whole in that moment. My eyes went wide, and I let out a nervous laugh, glancing at Jake to see his reaction.

He raised an eyebrow, amused, and then looked at me with that smile of his. "Oh, really?" he asked, holding back a laugh.

"Byolri, come here," I said, grabbing her hand again while she giggled, clearly enjoying the moment.

Jake kept looking at me for a few more seconds, like he wanted to say something, but in the end, he just smiled and turned to Byolri. "You know, you're a very clever little detective. You're right about one thing... Nari and I are really good friends."

I felt a mix of relief and disappointment.

Suddenly, Byolri tugged at my hand, catching my attention. I crouched down to her level, confused.

"What's up, darling?" I asked, and she gave me a small smile.

"I want to go to the park!" she said excitedly, bouncing up and down. "Let's go to the park!" Suddenly, she let go of my hand and started running ahead.

I straightened up and, while watching Byolri happily, I turned to him. "Wanna come with us? Unless you have other plans..." He shook his head, smiling.

"Let's go." He reached his hand out toward me, signaling for me to take it.

I looked into his eyes, smiled, and took his hand. The moment our hands met, we started walking, and everything felt perfect.

Though it was autumn, today felt like a summer day. The sun was shining brightly, the only sounds were children's laughter and running footsteps, and somehow, bubbles drifted through the air.

I love this. I don't want it to ever end.

But as they say... nothing lasts forever.

★━!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JAKE!!!! 😭💕