It Seems Like My Childhood Friend Has Returned

#06

“_Hooof…_”

Suddenly waking up, I saw an unfamiliar ceiling.

Where am I? Even before that thought fully formed,

“Seo-ah!!! Are you awake?!”

A tear-soaked voice reached my ears.

With great effort, I turned my head in the direction of the sound, and there was Mom, crying buckets!

“Mom…”

I tried to respond with “Mom,” but whether it was because I hadn’t spoken in a while or for some other reason, the words just wouldn’t come out.

The sounds that came from my mouth scattered like leaves in the wind.

What in the world is happening right now?

Ah—

I survived that hell.

“Yup, it’s Mom. Mom’s here… sob, are you alright, Seo-ah?”

Despite giving birth to me, mom was so youthful that people often mistook her for my sister when we went out together with my brother and sisters.

Once so beautiful and youthful, Mom now looked worn out and aged, showing the wear and tear of time all at once.

–As if she would never hear anyone call her “sister” again.

“Umm, I… I think I’m okay… What happened?”

Once again struggling to speak, this time my voice came out raspy, but thankfully I was able to form words.

“Sob, just wait… Mom’s going to call the doctor right away.”

After mom stepped out briefly, the doctor soon entered and explained everything.

That day, there had been a huge fire at our house, and thankfully, the neighbors quickly called for help, rescuing me from the blaze.

Hearing all this, a wave of relief and gratitude washed over me. That voice I heard earlier was Joonu’s—it was him who saved me!

But then the doctor’s next words filled me with despair.

Though my life was not in danger, I had suffered severe burns all over my body, and the skin cells had been damaged beyond recovery.

The doctor said with continued rehabilitation, I would be able to return to daily life, but my burned skin wouldn’t be regenerating properly.

When I asked how bad the burns were, Mom, who had been quietly listening, burst into tears again, and the doctor handed me a mirror without a word.

Though I hadn’t looked yet, I hesitantly reached for the mirror, trembling, and when I finally looked into it—

My previous self was nowhere to be seen.

#07

After looking in the mirror, Mom and Dad, who had just arrived a little late at the hospital, hugged me, repeatedly crying and saying they were sorry.

In their embrace, I simply couldn’t believe this situation.

Is this a dream?

I wish it were just a dream.

If only this situation were just one fleeting nightmare.

As I sat there dumbfounded, they soon stepped out to talk to the doctor for a bit, leaving me alone in the hospital room.

I thought to myself.

Maybe our family would never return to our previous lives.

I wished I had just died in that fire.

In that moment, the negative thoughts spread through me like the smoke from the fire, blocking my vision and trying to swallow me whole.

Knock, knock- I heard a sound at the door, snapping me out of my nightmare.

“…Who is it?”

In that instant, fear gripped me.

The thought that I’d have to show this grotesque form to someone made my stomach churn.

“Seo-ah, it’s me. Joonu.”

It seemed like Joonu rushed over after my parents contacted him, breathing heavily as he spoke.

Before all this, we would have met and wanted to talk, but now—

I felt scared.

What if he looked at me with different eyes, not the warm ones I used to know?

Since I didn’t invite him in, he said, “…I’m coming in,” and opened the door with a creak.

He must have come in that day too, to save me.

For a moment, I thought about hiding under the blanket, but I just lay there quietly.

I didn’t have the strength, and I thought it would be quicker to get the beating over with.

So, I squeezed out the little strength I had left and smiled at my long-lost precious childhood friend.

“Hi, Joonu… It’s been a while. Am I looking ugly?”

“You…”

Seeing my changed appearance, he suddenly fell silent, unable to continue.

Still, I thought, Joonu would cheer me up jokingly.

He always was that kind of guy.

But I was wrong about Joonu.

“Are… are you okay? sniff… Are you alright?”

Joonu wasn’t the kind of friend who would just make light of my pain or tease me when I was hurting.

Rather, he was the type who would feel as miserable as I did and comfort me instead.

Throughout our 13 years together, he almost never showed me his tears during sad or upsetting moments.

Seeing him like that, I once teased him for being emotionally dry and called him a cyborg, but now looking back, I realized Joonu.

He must have just held back his own emotions because he knew I was upset and crying.

The reason I came to this realization now was that Joonu, because of me, was crying like a child, with snot and tears running down his face.

I thought I knew Joonu completely, but I didn’t know him at all.

Watching Joonu cry endlessly like a broken doll, asking if I was okay, made the tears spill from my own eyes.

“Joonu… I’m in pain… sob, it hurts so much and I was so scared… I’m not okay, not at all…”

That day, my childhood friend and I just held each other while crying, endlessly, endlessly wept.

#08

Since that day, I began receiving rehabilitation therapy at the hospital.

Due to burns on my right leg, I was told I wouldn’t be able to walk normally for a while, and when I tried to get up, just as the doctor said, walking was indeed difficult.

Taking a deep breath and preparing myself mentally, I faced the mirror in my hospital room, and there I stood.

It was me, but a stranger I didn’t recognize.

Since I was little, I’ve known I was prettier than the kids around me.

After all, everyone approached me first and said I was pretty.

Of course, when Joonu heard such things, he would jokingly tease me about having a princess complex.

Just remembering those happy memories made me chuckle softly to myself.

But now, it seemed like that wouldn’t be possible anymore.

Perhaps I had become someone who not only had to take the initiative but might find it hard to approach anyone.

#09

While receiving rehabilitation, my friends continued to visit me.

At first, I was glad to see friends who came to visit me, even knowing it would be hard for them, but gradually I started to avoid their visits.

The moment they stepped into the room, their bright faces would turn to one of horror when they looked at my burned body, and the friends who had that kind of look in their eyes never came back to see me again—it shattered me.

Though my parents treated me warmly, every time they looked at my face or the burns on my body, I could see their guilt and sorrow, and it made me feel tired and miserable too.

During those hellish days in the hospital, it was Joonu who kept me from crumbling.

Joonu didn’t feel sorry for me.

He would look at my injuries and instead ask gently, if I was hurting today or if there was anything uncomfortable.

In his eyes that looked sincerely at me, there was nothing but concern and determination to move forward.

Joonu didn’t look at me differently than before.

One day, as we were both walking around the hospital for rehabilitation, I overheard a little boy say while pointing at me,

“Mom, that sister’s face looks like Two-Face!”

Hearing that innocent knife wound my heart deeply.

Then suddenly,

“Hey, kid.”

Joonu strode over to the boy with confidence, and I reached out to stop him, worried that he might say something rash.

But it seemed Joonu understood my thoughts, as he gently held my hand and reassured me with a smile.

“This sister is super pretty. You might not understand it now, but when you grow up, you’ll regret saying something mean and wish you hadn’t said it. Seriously, she is that pretty, so instead of saying mean things, call her pretty and be friends with her.”

“Is it true?”

“Of course! I’m sticking around because she’s pretty too, you know.”

After listening to Joonu’s cheerful encouragement, the little boy hesitated for a moment but then rushed over to me and said,

“Pretty sister, I’m sorry! I didn’t mean it!”

He bowed his head and ran back to his mom.

The woman, who seemed flustered behind him, bowed her head apologetically as well before leaving with the child.

“That kid’s still young and doesn’t understand yet, does he?”

Once he returned to my side, Joonu said playfully, and I held back my tears as I replied softly.

“Yeah…”

As we shared a laugh, walking back to the room,

It felt like the wounds in my heart were slowly healing.

Later, I learned from the nurse that day, that Joonu had been crying on the rooftop.

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