A few days passed.
When had it started?
We no longer made plans to meet.
Because even without making plans,
we ended up seeing each other every day.
In the mornings, we looked for each other in front of the school.
On opposite sides of the crosswalk.
Whenever I spotted Ben in his black winter puffer,
I couldn't help smiling.
Whenever he noticed me,
he waved broadly without saying a word.
I waved back.
When the light changed,
we naturally walked in the same direction.
It was nothing more than a simple greeting.
And yet, somehow,
after exchanging that greeting, my whole day felt brighter.
At lunchtime.
As I stepped out of the elevator into the lobby,
Ben was leaning against a pillar, as usual.
"Hey."
"Hey."
Without saying anything, we walked out of the school together.
The winter air was cold,
but the sunlight was warm.
Robson Street was packed with people.
People carrying shopping bags.
Office workers walking with hot coffee in hand.
Tourists stopping to watch street performers.
Ben smiled with both hands in his pockets.
"I swear..."
"I spend more time outside this school than inside it."
I laughed and chimed in.
"Me too."
Ben looked over at me playfully.
"So..."
"Are you saying I'm a better teacher than the school?"
I pretended to think about it for a moment.
"Hmm..."
"Maybe."
Ben laughed, pressing one hand to his chest.
"Ouch."
"I'll take that."
I snickered.
"Don't get too confident."
He shot back immediately.
"Too late."
We both burst out laughing.
My English was still clumsy,
but I had gotten good at playing along with jokes like this.
In front of the crosswalk.
Hide and Dai spotted us first.
"Hey, Youjung!"
"Hi!"
By now, I waved back naturally.
"How've you guys been?"
"Pretty good."
Hide looked around and asked,
"Where's Eun today?"
"She had class."
Hide looked a little disappointed.
Seeing that, Ben snickered.
"I think someone's disappointed."
Hide laughed and gave Ben a light smack on the shoulder.
"Oh, shut up."
Dai grinned teasingly.
"You've been hanging out with Eun a lot lately."
Hide shrugged with a sheepish smile.
"...Maybe."
I found myself smiling too.
At some point,
Eunjin unnie and Hide had started grabbing coffee together,
going to the movies,
and walking around downtown together more and more often.
No one teased them.
No one went out of their way to ask.
But we all knew.
Between the two of them,
something new was slowly beginning too.
That afternoon, after class,
Ben and I walked slowly through downtown.
Christmas decorations were appearing one by one in the shop windows.
Red ribbons.
Golden lights.
Little snowman figurines.
Whenever a café door opened,
the smell of hot coffee drifted out onto the street.
Ben suddenly asked,
"So..."
"What do you miss the most about Korea?"
I barely had to think.
"My dog."
He smiled and repeated it.
"Your dog?"
"Yeah."
"His name's Kkukku."
Ben repeated it with a serious expression.
"...Kku?"
"...Kkukku?"
I laughed and shook my head.
"Almost."
"Kkukku."
He said it slowly one more time.
"Kkukku."
"Did I get it?"
I beamed.
"Perfect."
I pulled my digital camera out of my bag.
I turned it on
and flipped through a few pictures.
Then I stopped at one.
"Here."
Ben leaned in to look at the screen.
A small Shih Tzu with fluffy brown-and-white fur.
It was looking at the camera with round eyes and a big smile.
"Aww..."
"He's so cute."
I smiled as I looked at the picture.
"I got him when I was fifteen."
"So... we've kind of grown up together."
Ben gazed at the picture for a long moment.
"No wonder you miss him."
I quietly nodded.
"Yeah."
"I really do."
After walking for a little while, Ben said casually,
"I wanna meet Kkukku someday."
I smiled and looked at him.
"Kkukku?"
"Yeah."
"If I ever visit Korea."
I burst out laughing.
"He'd probably like you."
"You think so?"
"Yeah."
"He loves people."
Ben laughed too.
"Good."
"I'll bring him lots of treats."
I snickered.
"Then he'll probably love you."
I started putting the digital camera back in my bag.
Just then,
Ben said,
"Wait."
I looked at him.
"Let's take a picture."
"...Right now?"
"Yeah."
"Our first picture."
I smiled, a little shyly.
"Okay."
Ben took the digital camera from me.
He held it out at arm's length.
"Ready?"
I stepped closer to his side.
We both wore slightly awkward smiles.
Click.
Ben checked the screen and smiled.
"Not bad."
"For our first picture."
I took the digital camera back and looked at the screen.
"Really?"
"I think I blinked."
Ben shook his head with a laugh.
"No."
"I think it turned out pretty good."
I looked at the picture again.
In it, we were
smiling a little awkwardly,
but somehow, I liked it.
"...Let's keep it."
Ben smiled.
"Definitely."
I carefully put the digital camera back in my bag.
That one precious picture
was left behind just like that.
That evening.
When I returned to my homestay,
the phone rang.
It was Eunjin unnie.
"Youjung."
"Yeah, unnie."
"Your homestay contract ends soon, right?"
"Yeah."
A brief silence passed.
Then she said casually,
"Just come live at my place."
"...Huh?"
"I have an extra room, remember?"
"Let's live together."
For a moment,
I didn't know what to say.
"Really?"
She laughed.
"Of course."
"Living alone gets boring."
Even after hanging up,
I stared out the window for a long time.
It had been two months since I came to Vancouver.
For the first time,
I felt like I might have a room of my own in this city.
Outside the window, the winter rain was falling quietly.
—End of Chapter 8—