Chapter 590 (2/2)

“That’s one more reason for me to go to your house then. I want to borrow it from you. Meeting you is only secondary, so don’t stop me.”

-You’re coming right now?

“Don’t worry. I’m really not going there to meet you. I’m just going there for the VCR. I can take it home with me for about a month, right? Oh wait, I think I should talk to your mother about this. I’ll buy some hangover drinks then.”

-You’re really coming?

“Yes, I’m really going.”

-Don’t.

“Usually, I would listen to you, no wait, I would listen to you for the rest of my life, but for today, I think I’m going to have my way. You don’t have to put on makeup just because I’m going. You look cute without it.”

-You must be crazy, geez.

“So you aren’t telling me not to come?”

-You’re going to come even if I tell you not to, aren’t you?

“Probably?”

-That’s why I didn’t say it.

“It’s too late already. Anyway, since I’m in front of your school right now, I should be there soon. It’s only a few stops away. Should I buy some strawberries? Your mother likes them, doesn’t she?”

-I don’t know!

“Okay, then. I’ll take that as a yes and go right now.”

-...Come slowly.

“I told you, you are pretty no matter what you do.”

-My hair is in a mess!

“It’s fine, it’s fine.”

She then hung up. Maru looked at her name, which was on his phone screen, for a while. Forced smile. When she really felt pained, she would smile. Something like this happened before as well. She acted like usual and smiled as she always did without saying that she was okay. Compared to back then, it was much easier to find out from the younger her if he probed her out just a little, but the adult her hid her pains so deeply that it was hard for him to tell how she was feeling without watching her for a long time. That was her way of being considerate. She tried to digest her pains herself without sharing them with others.

‘I got really angry back then too.’

When he found out that she was trying to endure the pain by herself as though it was her own matter, Maru felt like he was betrayed. Remembering that moment still ached his heart to this day. The tragedy he felt when ‘your problem’ could not become ‘our problem’ was beyond imagination.

He entered a supermarket nearby. He picked up a basket and made rounds. He bought some fruits that his mother-in-law liked, some hangover drinks, and also some dry snacks just in case. A lot of people had come just before closing hours, so the line at the counter was pretty long. While he was waiting for the line to become shorter, the stand next to the counter entered his eyes. The chocolate on it boasted their aura as though tempting him to buy them. Maru looked at his basket. He was only thinking about his mother-in-law and had almost forgotten presents for her.

He picked up a bar of chocolate with almonds in it. It was her favorite.

‘She ate a lot after we got married too.’

It was to the point that Maru had to hide the chocolates high up in the cupboard. It was so cute to see her bring a heavy chair to climb on to try to reach the cupboard that was close to the ceiling….

“...Climb a chair?”

The moment he realized something strange, he got a call from her. He looked at the almond chocolates as he put his phone against his ears. What was that just now?

“Yeah, what is it?”

-Are you really coming right now?

“How many times do you have to ask? I’m buying some fruits and dry snacks right now.”

-Wait, did mom call you already?

“What do you mean?”

-When I said that you were coming, she told me to tell you to buy some snacks. She also said that she’d pay you.

“She and I click together. Should I start calling her mother-in-law officially now?”

-Don’t say anything strange. Seriously, I mean it.

“Fine. Oh, I’m bringing something for you as well.”

-For me?

“Yeah. You’ll jump in joy if you see it.”

-What did you buy to make you feel so confident?

Of course, he was confident, Maru smiled and spoke,

“Almond chocolate.”

-Almond chocolate?

“It’s your favorite.”

-It is? Since when?

“Why are you doing this to me? I know everything.”

-What?

This conversation wasn’t going anywhere. Maybe she didn’t like them when she was young? It was possible that her tastes changed as she grew up since some people picked up an urge for desserts as they grew up.

“I tried to guess, but I guess I guessed wrong then. Try it anyway though, you might end up liking it later.”

She couldn’t live without chocolates. He definitely remembered that. She might sound oblivious right now, but it was very likely that she was going to be a fan sooner or later. No, she will become such. Her obsession with chocolate was just that strong.

-Uhm, I’m really thankful that you’re thinking about me.

She clearly sounded reluctant. No, it was more like she was apologetic.

“What is it?”

-Did you buy them already?

“No. I’m still in the line.”

-That’s good. Actually, I can’t eat almonds. Well, I can eat them, but they give me slight rashes afterwards. So I avoid them whenever I can.

“...You can’t eat almonds?”

-It’s not like I can’t eat them. I just feel itchy afterwards, so I tend to avoid them. I probably won’t seek them out of my own accord in my lifetime. I went to the hospital just in case, and I was told that it was only a mild allergy, so there’s no need for me to be super careful. Oh, I was told not to eat too much. Hello, Maru? You still there?

Maru blankly stared at his phone. Her voice cut off after echoing around the phone for a while.

“Uhm, excuse me. Are you going to pay for your items?”

Maru nodded when he heard the voice of the lady at the counter. He took out the items from his basket and gave her his credit card, all the while thinking about her words.

‘Allergic?’

No way. Didn’t she like almond chocolates above anyone else? That’s why he sometimes did evil pranks like hiding them on the top shelf or on top of the fridge. When he did, she would get flustered and cry….

“Cry?”

“Would you like your receipt?”

The moment he heard the voice again, a sharp pain pierced his head. He clutched his head as he accepted his credit card and the receipt from the lady.

“Uhm, excuse me. Are you okay?”

“What?”

“You don’t look good right now.”

“Oh, I was just feeling a bit dizzy. Thanks for being worried about me.”

He put the card inside his wallet and picked up the plastic bag. Just as he was about to turn around, the lady stopped him again.

“Sir, you should take this with you.”

It was almond chocolate. Maru thanked her as he accepted it.

“...Why did I buy this again?”

It wasn’t like anyone liked it. Maru stared at the packaging for a while before putting it in the plastic bag.

“Rather than that, allergic, huh. I guess there are things even I don’t know about.”

Finding out more about her was always fun. Maru smiled and started walking.

[1] Some convenience stores have places outside them where people can sit and eat what they’ve bought.

[2] Was formerly translated to Chung-ang university, which is a real university in Korea. This has been changed to Joonga university.