Life, Once Again!

iends.
I think you two are perfect to marry each other.”

He said that as a joke, but their reactions weren’t what he expected.
Jayeon, who had been shouting until now, had turned silent in an instant, while Ganghwan, who was exaggerating his actions, clasped his hands quietly.

It turned quiet in an instant.
Maru looked at the two people alternately before scooping some food from the jjigae.

“If you two ever start a good relationship, buy me a suit.”

Hearing his words, the two people made stiff smiles.
He thought he did enough; it looked like things would go awry if he went any further.

“I also think the two of you really suit each other.”

Yuna threw a bomb in a nonchalant manner.
Being caught up in the explosion, the two people just poured some beer and started drinking.
They looked like they wouldn’t speak a word until alcohol got the better of them.

“You are pretty strong at times, you know that?”

“What?”

“Nah, forget I said anything.”

The deep kiss scene was over.
 The lovers, who were drinking beer and eating dumplings in front of a convenience store, implied that they were an old couple to the audience.
Maru rested his chin on his palms as he looked at Mira and Byungjae on the screen.
He drank like that with Gaeul before they got married.
When he had a deep pocket, he would buy frozen chicken and boiled pork with snacks or ramyun that was discounted.
It was enjoyable to drink with her.

“Are they doing that kiss for real?” Yuna said those words after throwing a bomb at Ganghwan and Jayeon.

Maru put his lips on the glass and quietly looked at Yuna.
Those words probably didn’t go through a filter in her brain.
As proof, she was startled immediately after saying those words as though a block of ice touched her back.

“No, wait, I didn’t mean to say that.”

“Why are you so surprised? Also, you saw how it looked.
It was shot up close.
If that was fake, I have to say it’s a win for Korean CG.”

“R-right?”

“You know, you are quite perverted yourself.”

“Me? No, I’m not.”

“They say a strong rejection is an affirmation.”

“Seonbae!”

Yuna pouted when he teased her.
Maru just laughed it over.
He wanted to maintain a good colleague relationship with Yuna.
Although the future was uncertain, he felt like Yuna would become well-known as an actress from how she was enthusiastic about everything she did, and from how she tried to fix her mistakes.
What Maru wanted for her was to throw away the ‘once unrequited love’ title on him in her mind by herself.

“They’re all having good reactions.”

Maru looked over Yuna’s shoulders.
The customers at the next table over were focusing on the drama.
Other tables were the same.
Ever since all three TVs started airing ‘Pojang-macha’, the customers would focus on the drama even after chatting for a while.

“I hope the viewing rates are good.”

“Me too.”

Anyone would want the work they appeared in to do well.
He hoped that it would receive good reviews, and beyond that, influence him positively.
Maru faintly smiled as he watched the drama.

* * *

She untied the towel around her head.
She wrapped her still-wet hair with the towel and squeezed it together.
Ever since she heard that using a rough-textured towel to shake off the water from her hair would damage her hair, she started using this method.
Once it dried a little, she would use an electric fan or the hairdryer in cold mode.
The things she didn’t think about much before had turned into things she should be concerned about.

Gaeul took her hands off her hair and picked up the remote.
She raised the volume and focused on the screen.
The school field could be seen, followed by the figures of Maru and Yuna.
This was the scene where they were walking towards the school gates with an awkward distance between the two.

Yuna was being chased by time, while Maru was following her footsteps, and they looked well-coordinated as though they had been practicing together for a long time.
The scene also looked much more vivid as though a different camera was used for this scene.

Gaeul hugged her knees.
The two of them looked so good together.
She thought that the two of them suited each other.
She also had the desire of ‘what if I was in that position instead?’

“Yuna’s pretty good.”

She looked different from when she was practicing at school.
Yuna always lacked something despite trying her best in everything she did, but in the drama, she dissolved into the character so well that it was hard to find a flaw in her.
There was no need to mention Maru.
From a roaring psychopath murderer to a completely normal student, he showed a vast range of acting, yet he looked stable every time.

-You can also be like that.

Gaeul smiled when she heard the rabbit’s words from her heart.
If it was before, she would think ‘could I really?’, but it was different now.
She could feel that she was improving.
Gyeonmi, who was always scolding her, was complimenting her instead, so there was no need to doubt that.
She was steadily heading towards her goal.

“Thanks for the help.
I wouldn’t have been able to do it without you.”

The rabbit didn’t reply, seeming embarrassed from hearing such words.
Only after a long while, did she say ‘don’t thank me’ in a faint voice.

“Of course I should thank you.”

-There’s no need for that.
Rather than that, why don’t you move around if you have the time for this? Flexibility decreases at a frightening rate with age, you know?

“Alright.
After I watch this.”

-You can see Maru’s face later whenever you want.
Let’s focus on work for now, yeah?

The Maru on the screen was mumbling in front of Yuna.
He was even good at looking clumsy.
Gaeul nodded once before turning off the TV.

-The two of them really suit each other, right?

“Yeah.”

-You know? Don’t you think they’re dating right now?

“What are you saying?”

-Nothing, just saying.
That’s how love between kids goes.

Gaeul frowned.
The rabbit no longer said anything after that.
She looked at the TV screen that had been turned off.
She remembered Maru, who was smiling as he looked at Yuna’s back figure.