Red Mansion

After Sung-kyung fell asleep, Chungrim emerged into the living room, his bloodshot eyes glinting. Whether it was from catching some fresh air or returning from the hospital, it was always like this on the nights he went out. All he did was sneak a peek at the notebook Kim Sung-kyung scribbled in at the cramped convenience store. Kim Sung-kyung was this obsessed with him, and Chungrim needed more certainty that even if he regained his memory, he would never leave.Three minutes. One thousand won for the ice cream. Kwon Chungrim stared at me for a long time while he calculated. I couldn’t bear to look back, so I only glanced at him from the corner of my eye. There was gray lint on his thick coat. Where did that come from? Even though he never accepted the change, he waited until I handed it to him. And at the end, he smiled. Why did he smile? His smile was so refreshing and pretty. Maybe because he stood in front of the counter for so long. His pleasant scent lingered.I borrowed more money. I couldn’t cover the hospital bills, so I took out a loan, but I didn’t tell my parents. Just breathing costs money, so what’s the difference if it increases a bit more? Still, one good thing is that I meet Kwon Chungrim in person to pay the interest. Does he know who I am, coming to the store diligently every four days? Does he recognize me? I’m curious.Kim Sung-kyung borrowed money from him to cover the absurd hospital bills. With only a tiny convenience store to earn money and sick parents to care for, each day must have been a struggle. It was really crazy that amidst all this, he looked forward to the moments he met Chungrim. Of course, as written in the notebook, Chungrim didn’t recognize Kim Sung-kyung.Eight minutes. One thousand won for the ice cream. In the end, he never recognized me. Even when paying the interest and signing, it seemed like he didn’t recognize me. Today, too, he says nothing special. It’s cold, but he’s eating ice cream again. His lips are very red, yet he doesn’t seem cold. The clothes wrapped around his neck look incredibly soft. Is that why he isn’t cold?

Four minutes. He asked if I was hot. Was my face a bit red from organizing the warehouse? It’s still chilly. I took out two ice creams from the freezer, the ones he always ate. He said one was for me. The ice cream he gave me. It’s too cold to melt, but how nice would it be to just leave it as it is? Until spring comes and it gets warm, I want to leave it like this. So I can remember it for a long time.From this point on, Chungrim started to somewhat recognize Sung-kyung. From a ‘passing resident’ or a ‘weird kid staring too persistently’ to the ‘owner of Convenience Store No. 3’.Kwon Chungrim considers me special. He’s spent millions of won without showing any regret. Maybe he’s been watching me without my knowing. Perhaps he’s hoped to talk to me, get closer, become deeply involved… Just as I dreamed.In the cramped and cluttered convenience store, the only dream Kim Sung-kyung had was to get closer to him. It would have been better if such a shabby memory was never found. It was enough to fill the empty year and a half himself so that it wouldn’t even be a curiosity.“You’re crazy.”Chungrim laughed and slowly rubbed his face with both hands. After pressing his dry eyelids, he stood up. He shoved the worn notebook deep into a drawer and left the room. Now, he needed Kim Sung-kyung’s pulse and breath. It was time to use them as a lullaby to fall asleep.This concludes Kwon Chungrim’s daily routine. Not a single moment without Kim Sung-kyung, just as he had dreamed.