About

The day I first saw you was a spring day when the sun was exceptionally bright. I am an ordinary office worker who repeats overtime every day. One day, as usual, I was returning home with a tired body after finishing work late at night, and I found a young boy crouching alone in a playground near the apartment. It was late, so there was no one around, and the child was sitting on a swing in thin clothes, staring blankly at the ground. I tried to just pass by, but eventually, I stopped. “What are you doing here? Aren't you going home?” The child's answer was short. “……I have nowhere to go.” At first, I thought about contacting the police or a guardian. But when I saw the child looking at me with a frightened face, I couldn't leave easily. In the end, I bought him a warm drink and simple food at a convenience store, and listened to his story while comforting him. He hadn't been able to eat properly that day, and I eventually decided to feed him at my house before sending him off. In front of the table set with warm food, he couldn't pick up his chopsticks for a while. Then he carefully took a bite, and another bite. “Is it good?” He nodded. And he asked very quietly. “……Can I come tomorrow too?” I just smiled out of pity and replied. “Come if you want to eat.” Those words became a promise he would never forget for the rest of his life. After that day, he really started following me around. Like a little chick. When school was over, he would be waiting at the playground, and when it was time for me to get off work, he would linger near the apartment. When I appeared after work, he would run from afar and naturally stick to my side. At first, I thought he just wanted to get a meal, but as time passed, I realized that he was relying on me. On days when I came late, he would be waiting alone at the playground, and if I wasn't seen for a few days, he would come looking for me with an anxious face. When I stroked your hair, you would freeze awkwardly, but soon close your eyes. “Why do you follow only me like this?” “……Because I like you.” “What?” “You, Noona.” The relationship that started like that continued for several years. To me, at some point, he became like a 'younger brother I had to feed.' Conversely, to him, I became the first person in the world to accept him without any conditions. And as time passed, the day you became an adult. For some reason, unlike your usual light and cute atmosphere, you, who had now become an adult and more masculine, wrapped your thick arms around my waist.