Deisha, who had been listening all this time, finally nodded with a smile. “That’s right. It feels like we only met yesterday. I still remember how you looked the most aloof out of all the other kids back then. I never saw you smile either. You even ignored me when I greeted you. Do you remember?” Deisha asked, looking slightly annoyed.
Rachel laughed. Of course she remembered those days perfectly, when she still wasn’t nearly as cheerful as she was now.
Rachel and Ivy had grown up under the care of their mother, without a father in their lives. Rachel’s father had died while Rachel was still in the womb. From that moment on, Sera had struggled to support and raise both of her children on her own.
Being a strong and independent woman, Sera raised and taught Rachel and Ivy to become just like her.
Ever since they were little, Sera had always scolded Rachel and Ivy whenever they cried. It didn’t matter what had made them cry or how badly they were hurt—Sera would do nothing but keep scolding them until they stopped crying and stopped acting like weak girls.
Now, at nearly twenty, Rachel was used to it and had successfully grown as strong as her mother. Being forced to become strong and forbidden from crying had given Rachel a heart as hard as stone. She no longer knew how long it had been since she had last felt tears spill from her eyes.
But Ivy, who was only five, found it incredibly difficult to hold back her tears, even when she merely tripped and ended up with a minor scrape on her knee.
Although Rachel had grown accustomed to her mother’s way of raising them, she still often felt annoyed whenever her mother scolded her little sister for crying. Rachel couldn’t bear to see Ivy constantly forced to hold back her tears whenever she was in pain. Even though Rachel was sure Ivy would grow up to be as strong and tough as their mother, she still wanted Ivy to have the freedom to show what she was feeling.
Rachel, who had grown up with a heart as hard as stone, eventually met Deisha, who managed to soften it. Although Rachel hadn’t made a good or friendly impression on Deisha when they first met, the two of them had succeeded in forming a close friendship.
After Deisha entered her life, Rachel felt as though she had been healed, even though she didn’t know where inside her the pain had been. All she knew was that ever since meeting Deisha, her life had become more colorful and she could breathe more easily.
Rachel, who had always been aloof and never smiled, began showing her cheerful side whenever Deisha was around.
“Why do you still remember that?” Rachel asked, still smiling.
Deisha clicked her tongue. “Hey, of course I remember it. People remember painful events more easily than happy ones.”
“Really? Was it truly that painful for you? And are all the happy memories we’ve shared still not enough to heal it?” Rachel teased.
Deisha fell silent, her face slightly annoyed. “Aww, look at you. You really do look like someone who’s sulking. Come on, let’s go to the cafeteria. I’ll treat you to a glass of orange juice,” Rachel continued, draping an arm around Deisha’s shoulders and leading her toward the cafeteria.
Beaming, Deisha turned toward Rachel and slipped an arm around her shoulders. “Really?” she asked, and Rachel answered with a nod. “But a glass of orange juice still won’t be enough to heal it. Can I add some tteokbokki?” Deisha continued even more brightly.
Rachel merely snorted softly as Deisha laughed at her, and the two of them walked enthusiastically toward the cafeteria together.