As I look at the wounds that have surfaced again, I trace the wounds that brought you and me together and revisit my past.
Back then, I had lost my parents in the fire, become emotionally starved beneath the curse of my burn scars, and turned into a loner. I can't even remember how many times I wiped away nothing but tears.
That's right. The Vice Principal told me,
"Are you still in that burned-out building?"
I nodded.
Then I continued,
"Vice Principal, when will I be able to leave that building?"
The Vice Principal took my hand and said,
"When someone appears who can get you out, you need to save that person, too."
I was sitting on the rooftop after hearing that story when I met her, and I began to change. Later, I learned from her that she was the Vice Principal's daughter.
The Vice Principal had sent his precious daughter to me, hoping I would change.
And he was right. Now I was living as hard as I could, and the thought of dying had mostly disappeared.
During my last conversation with the Vice Principal, I told him how I felt about her.
The Vice Principal said,
"My daughter is precious to me, but it seems she's had a great influence on you, and she has feelings for you, too. Please take good care of my daughter."
The Vice Principal couldn't wake up the next day.
I had gone to see him before I became a bestselling author, and all I felt was sorry.
I think of these burn scars with gratitude for bringing so many people together.
They gave me a new path and let me meet new people. Even though I lost so much because of these scars, I won't resent you.
Instead, I'm grateful that you let me meet the Vice Principal, who helped me meet her.
I'm grateful you let all of this remain as memories. Now it's time to leave.
I came out of the building. I'm smiling like this now.
Thank you, Vice Principal.
Now I have to keep my promise to her. On the way to her house, I drove over with a bouquet of flowers and knocked on her door.
She came out and said with a slightly pouty face, since I was a little late,
"Why are you only getting here now...?"
I thought even that expression was cute, so I touched her cheek and said,
"Sorry. I was getting the flowers you used to like ready."
She seemed to have forgiven me. She accepted the flowers, got in the car, and we went to Boss at the snack bar that looked after us when we were kids.
Being there with her, unchanged after all this time, felt like we'd gone back to the past.
"Welcome... Oh, who do we have here? Aren't you Ji-hye and Ju-woon?"
We said,
"Boss, it's been a long time."
It was where we had our first date, and the food was still delicious.
It felt as though we'd gone back to those days. Boss, she, and I laughed and talked, and when we tried to pay, Boss said,
"Hey, put that away. Are we strangers who've only met once or twice? Consider today my treat."
I said,
"No, Boss. You've already done so much for us."
We slipped the money in anyway and left.
She smiled and said,
"Boss hasn't changed a bit."
I smiled and nodded, too.