Graduation (1)

"Ah, try to get a bit closer."

In the chilly winter of early February, the warmth inside the restaurant contrasted sharply with the cold outside.

Song Soo-yeon, as usual, was irritable, scolding Jung-gyeom for not moving as she had imagined.

"Like this?"

Jung-gyeom awkwardly formed a V-sign and leaned towards the dish Song Soo-yeon had prepared.

"No, ugh... Your face needs to be in the photo. Lean in closer. Why are you acting so dumb? Are you an idiot?"

Of course, Song Soo-yeon was just feigning annoyance, but her heart couldn't have been warmer.

The past few months had been blissfully happy for her, and today was no different.

Even moments that seemed infuriating somehow settled her heart, reminding her that such a future would continue.

The subtle bullying at school no longer bothered her.

She wouldn't let such things mar her happiness.

She had found stability.

"Ah... Soo-yeon. It's been almost 5... no, 10 minutes. Can't we just eat? Is taking a photo of the food that important? It's going to get cold..."

Jung-gyeom whined.

"...And you've been taking too many photos lately... Skipping one day wouldn't hurt-"

"-Ah, shut..."

Song Soo-yeon nipped Jung-gyeom's whining in the bud with her sharp retort.

His complaints stopped under her cold voice.

As Jung-gyeom became more familiar, Song Soo-yeon skillfully exploited his easygoing nature.

Whether it was out of affection for her or fear of her anger, Jung-gyeom caved in most of the time.

Song Soo-yeon raised her voice to press her advantage.

"...Is this not for your benefit?"

"......"

"Isn't this for the promotion of your restaurant? You said you needed help with that."

"No, I get it, but-"

"-Then just shut up and follow my instructions. You know these are for posting on SNS, right?"

"...No, but... Why does my face have to be in it? Do you really need my face for the promotion...?"

"......"

"You don't post the ones with my face on SNS. You only post the ones with just the food. Why are you making me pose for photos... Isn't this a waste of time?"

His question was natural and justified.

Until now, Song Soo-yeon had taken hundreds of photos of Jung-gyeom, yet none of them had made it to SNS.

Because they were all for her private collection.

These were the photos she looked at night.

After showering, when his scent faded from the bed, she would lie down, pull the cozy blanket over her, and slowly look through his photos from the day.

It made her heart warm and secure, as if he was right there with her.

She found joy recalling moments when his innocent demeanor had made her laugh.

So, this had become a new hobby for her.

But, of course, that was a fact she couldn't reveal.

'I'm taking these photos to look at them before I sleep?'

She couldn't say something like that.

It was embarrassing, shameful.

She hadn't even properly expressed her feelings.

Her social skills, which were initially at the toddler level, had grown to the level of an elementary school student.

Like elementary kids, she could act contrary and rough.

Being honest was still difficult.

Even saying 'thank you' required the right situation; she couldn't do it normally.

Song Soo-yeon found Jung-gyeom's ability to express affection towards her even more impressive.

That didn't mean she wanted to give up taking his photos.

Initially, she secretly took photos of him using a camera app that muted the sound.

But over time, she grew dissatisfied.

The quality of the photos wasn't good.

They were oddly angled, often blurry.

So she started taking his photos under the pretext of SNS promotion, which worked surprisingly well.

She could openly take his photos and even ask him to pose.

Photos of him smiling, with the food, cooking, and high-quality ones... all she wanted, she could capture using the lie of SNS.

"......."

But maybe she had been a bit too greedy.

Song Soo-yeon looked at Jung-gyeom, who appeared dejected.

She wanted to capture even this expression, but realized now was not the time.

She sighed.

".....Alright, fine. This is so annoying."

"........"

"The reason I don't post your photos on SNS is that there are no good ones. When you're in them, the food looks unappetizing. They all turn out like some losers."

"....Then don't take them."

"Who knows, I might capture a life-changing shot."

"...I don't think I need that-"

"-Alright, enough, you wanted to eat, right? Go ahead."

She dismissively brushed off Jung-gyeom's wishes.

Fortunately, when she gave the go-ahead to eat, Jung-gyeom smiled as if nothing had happened.

His ability to let go so easily was why Song Soo-yeon could comfortably be tough with him.

"I'll enjoy the meal."

Jung-gyeom said.

It was routine, yet it was also a greeting that dispelled loneliness.

Song Soo-yeon internally smiled at this.

"Hmm, it's delicious."

To avoid being fired from the restaurant, Song Soo-yeon had taught herself to cook.

The internet was full of good videos, so she quickly improved her skills.

Each time her skills grew, Jung-gyeom was there to overly react and praise her, which was also a motivation.

His praise was always welcome, though she never showed it.

"Really delicious."

The natural praise he now gave was incomparable to the forced compliments of the past when she first made ramen.

Watching him eat made Song Soo-yeon feel full too.

She wondered if this was why people watched mukbangs.

Seeing him satisfied made her happy.

"........"

Was this why?

The reason he fed her, who had nothing but her looks.

Feeling a bit of understanding towards his heart made her happy.

Song Soo-yeon aimlessly watched Jung-gyeom eat, then cleared her throat.

"....Um.... Mister."

"Hmm?"

"....Can you do me a favor?"

She asked bluntly, hiding her pounding heart.

"What is it?"

"......"

Song Soo-yeon hesitated, merely moistening her lips.

".....Why are you dragging this out? Is it a difficult favor..?"

"...That..."

".....Hmm?"

"........My graduation is coming up..... Can you come to the ceremony....? It's okay if you don't want to..."

Jung-gyeom didn't flinch, just kept eating and casually asked.

"When is it?"

Song Soo-yeon, sensing that he would easily agree, wanted to hide her happiness.

And her usual way of hiding embarrassment was always the same.

"Ah, can't you stop eating when someone's talking? It's really annoying."

"I'm listening, go on."

"Why are you eating so fast? Is someone going to steal your food?"

"....You made me starve for the photo shoot."

"....You?"

A trivial term of address suddenly turned her pretend irritation into reality.

Her expression uncontrollably twisted.

Lately, this kept happening.

She found herself getting annoyed with him over the smallest things.

"Did you just refer to me as 'you'?"

"...Well, maybe."

"Mister, I have a name, you know?"

"Alright, alright. Soo-yeon, just eat your meal, okay?"

"....Tch."

His surrender calmed Song Soo-yeon's emotions.

In fact, she knew.

That the small spat they just had was all her fault.

That she had instigated the fight.

That she needed to change her way of speaking.

She wanted to use a more affectionate tone with Jung-gyeom, like he did with her.

That was her sincere wish.

At night, looking at his photos, she practiced saying 'thank you' or 'you look great today', but never managed to say them out loud.

Breaking down the defense mechanism she had built over a long time wasn't easy.

"...."

On the other hand, she was content with the current situation.

Excluding occasional spats like just now, there was no big problem.

She was too satisfied with the current state to risk change.

That's why she couldn't deliver the practiced compliments.

It would be troublesome if he mistook it for a confession.

Because she didn't know how he might change.

And while her way of speaking had its downsides, it also had its advantages.

One reason was obviously that it was easier to hide her true feelings.

Reading others' minds had made her apprehensive about revealing her own.

The second reason... was the illusion that such rough conversations were a proof of trust.

It felt like tapping a stone bridge before crossing.

Comforting and satisfying to see it's sturdy.

Like how boys playfully curse each other but remain close friends.

Seeing him yield even after her harsh words reassured her of his affection for her.

But she was human, and sometimes felt guilty for these hidden thoughts.

When guilt crept in, Song Soo-yeon would pull out her last card to justify herself.

She thought,

'...So who said they liked me?'

She had pushed him away.

It was he who kept coming back.

It was the fault of the person who had feelings.

With these thoughts that brought a smile to her face, Song Soo-yeon calmed her heart.

"No, tell me when it is, so I can come."

Jung-gyeom asked, seemingly having brushed off the earlier incident.

"....But can't you come anytime? Why pretend like you're busy? You just look more like a loser, you know?"

"I have plans, too."

"......?"

Her face started crumpling at his words, but Song Soo-yeon forced it back.

However, she couldn't hide her blinking eyes of surprise.

She didn't understand why she was reacting this way.

Just that her body was responding on its own.

"....Plans...?"

She asked again to confirm what she'd heard.

"Yes. Plans."

His answer remained unchanged.

And negative emotions filled her chest.

She couldn't understand why she felt this way, feeling both confused and frustrated.

Was she unknowingly hoping he would come to the graduation?

.....No, that wasn't it.

It was something else, a different reason.

She couldn't hide her increasingly serious expression, prompting Jung-gyeom to ask,

"Why? You really want me to come that much? You look so serious just because I might not be able to make it."

"It's... it's not that."

"Then?"

"Ah, that..... I'm just surprised you have plans."

"What's so surprising about that?"

"....Because you have no friends other than me."

"...Why do you always have to hit where it hurts?"

"......."

".......So when is it? The graduation. Start by telling me that."

Despite Jung-gyeom's efforts, Song Soo-yeon couldn't hear anything.

She covered his question about the graduation with another question.

"....That... with whom?"

A chilly tone mixed into her voice, and the question burst out.

She hadn't meant to ask it.

It just slipped out of her mouth first.

"Hmm?"

"You said you have plans. With whom?"

Her eyes didn't miss any of his movements.

Suddenly, her focus seemed to skyrocket.

It seemed like time stretched infinitely.

".....No, it's because of work, work."

".....Work?"

"Yes, work."

"....Is it related to the restaurant?"

"You could say that."

Song Soo-yeon's deep thoughts were interrupted by his words.

A refreshing breeze seemed to blow through her heart.

A long sigh and laughter burst out simultaneously.

"Ah... I thought it was something else."

"What are you doing all of a sudden? Getting startled, confused, laughing."

Even as Jung-gyeom teased her, Song Soo-yeon just laughed.

She couldn't even retaliate.

It took a while before Song Soo-yeon could speak again.

"The graduation is two weeks from Thursday. Is that okay with you?"

"You should have started with that. Yes, it should be fine."

Song Soo-yeon smiled at his response.

This time, she couldn't hide her smile.

She thought she wasn't expecting anything, but the fact that he would be there unexpectedly made her heart flutter.

---

---

Early Saturday morning.

I sent a text to Song Soo-yeon.

'Today is one of those days I'm busy, so I won't be there. The restaurant is closed too. If you're hungry, you can go to the restaurant and make yourself something to eat. You know the door lock code, right?'

After sending the text, I scratched my head for a moment.

I added one more line.

'Even if you come to the restaurant today, there's no pay for the day!'

Having given Song Soo-yeon a place to stay and letting her rest in the restaurant, I stretched my slightly stiff body.

I rearranged the restaurant chairs, which were my makeshift bed, and stepped out into the cold morning air.

Recently, I've been running a bit low on money.

From the fixed expenses I already had, adding Song Soo-yeon's salary and her food expenses, the financial drain was more than I expected.

But I couldn't just kick her out yet.

Anyway, I wanted to support her until she graduates.

She's an adult but still a student.

After graduation, she should be able to manage on her own.

She could sign the employment contract she couldn't before.

She should have saved enough for the deposit, so a few more months of endurance should do.

I yawned deeply.

My body was tired, but my heart felt light.

Honestly, if I wanted, I could make enough money to live on for a lifetime in just one day.

But earning money honestly felt more rewarding.

If I committed a crime again, I wouldn't be able to face Solace.

I had no intention of using my abilities, especially with memories of before my regression...

However, the hardship of honest labor was irksome at times.

I've always been used to solving things with strength.

In those moments, I imagined the moment Song Soo-yeon graduated.

I pictured her, who was destined to be a villain, starting anew and expressing her gratitude to me.

"....Heh."

I chuckled.

Thinking about that, I could muster the strength to get through today.

My body was filled with energy.

.....Time to go earn Song Soo-yeon's salary.