It was like a fairy.
That thought crossed Yoon Si-woo’s mind as he watched Scarlet, dressed in a pure white dress and riding a white unicorn, smiling and waving at people.
Of course, the thought of her being like a fairy came partly from her appearance, but more so from the expression she wore.
Though they had vanished from the world, it was said that the fairy folk retained a childlike personality no matter how old they grew.
And in Scarlet’s laughter, one could sense an innocence akin to what fairies might have shared had they still existed.
An untarnished childlike wonder, her smile expressed pure joy—such an enchanting grin that Yoon Si-woo, despite having seen various expressions of Scarlet, was struck by its uniqueness and thought to himself, “She can smile like that.”
Just witnessing her radiant face made him feel he had gotten his money’s worth from the zoo visit.
Of course, there was a desire for her to be a bit more cautious about the time and place.
Isn’t there common sense people should just know?
When a girl in her prime rides a unicorn and beams like that, it’s only natural that the boys would flock around her.
That responsibility to fend off those boys fell entirely on him.
…Thus, he quietly swallowed his wish for her to save that smile just for him when there were no people around.
Anyway, after exchanging glares with the guys who were so obviously targeting her, he pulled her away from the crowd and gave her a warning.
He advised her to be careful as it could lead to troublesome situations.
In response, she apologized, agreeing to be cautious next time but also offering a slight defense for her actions.
“…Well, it was my first time, you know. Riding a unicorn and all.”
Upon hearing her mention that it was her first time, Yoon Si-woo couldn’t help but feel remorse.
“First time… Yeah, it makes sense it would be your first.”
Just as she said, everything was likely a first for her.
It was no wonder she appeared somewhat oblivious and lacking in common sense.
Even if she resembled an ordinary girl at first glance, her life thus far was surely worlds apart from that of typical folks.
He remembered her excitement when she said everything felt new while at the zoo, recalling the joy radiating from her face as she rode the unicorn.
For her, this world was probably filled with endless novelties yet to be experienced.
Yoon Si-woo felt a strange kind of sense of duty mixed with sympathy swelling within him.
“…You know, I just told you to be careful, but when you’re with me, feel free to do whatever you want. Don’t worry about other people.”
“…But, what if something troublesome happens?”
“Even if something troublesome does happen, I can handle it. So, Scarlet, just do what you want and enjoy everything. Got it?”
Thus, he thought to himself.
He wanted to give her more experiences of firsts.
He wished to show her more new things.
So that she could wear smiles like today’s even more often.
*
“My goal today is to touch as many animals as I can!”
When asked if she had anything she wanted to do, Scarlet exclaimed with a face full of excitement.
Yoon Si-woo, genuinely pleased to see her love for animals, smiled as he headed towards the area where more animals were located.
After all, it was said that animals often respond well to kind-hearted people, so he thought he would surely see her happy face.
However, he would soon bitterly realize just how naïve that thought had been after hours of experiencing disappointment.
“…Why is everyone avoiding me?”
After wandering through several areas, Yoon Si-woo ended up at Cat Town, a famous spot for cat lovers, where he found Scarlet kneeling on the ground, seemingly ready to despair, and he began to sweat nervously.
He never imagined animals would be so unresponsive to her…
He desperately wished to comfort her, but even that proved difficult.
“…You’re so lucky. The animals follow you so well. Ugh, I want to hold a cat too…”
The sight of Scarlet unable to hide her envy as the cats clung to him brought a bitter smile to his face.
Unlike her, for whom no animals would approach, he had a knack for attracting them everywhere he went, and that only placed him in an uncomfortable mood.
He would rather have had the unicorn follow her, not him…
Just to try, he handed over a cat that was clinging to his body, but the moment Scarlet reached for it, no surprise, the cat scampered away in terror.
Scarlet then made a wounded expression before forcing a brave smile and muttering.
“I feel like the animals here wouldn’t like it if I’m around. I’ll head out first. You enjoy playing with the cats.”
With that, she turned and left Cat Town, and Yoon Si-woo sighed at her retreating figure.
They had come here to provide enjoyable experiences, but at this rate, it was painfully clear today would remain a sad memory for her.
He gave the cats clinging to him a reproachful glance, but those accusatory gazes didn’t phase the cats as they continued to purr and rub against him, causing Yoon Si-woo to exhale in resignation.
What was the point in blaming them?
Right now, finding a way to cheer up Scarlet was his top priority.
As he contemplated how to shed the cats clinging to him, he remembered that there was a souvenir shop near the entrance.
From a quick glance when they entered, he was pretty sure they sold cat plushies.
Since she mentioned wanting to hold a cat, wouldn’t offering her a plushie lift her spirits a little?
He briefly thought that, but the anxiety washed over him that if he wasn’t careful, he might make her feel worse.
What if he presented her with a stuffed animal, and her reaction was, “I just got to play with a ton of cats, and now you want me to cuddle this thing? Are you making fun of me?”
As he wrestled with those thoughts, Lucy, who had been watching him, spoke up.
[In my opinion, she wouldn’t take it poorly if you gave her a plushie.]
However, even with Lucy’s reassurance, uncertainty lingered in Yoon Si-woo’s mind, prompting Lucy to mutter again as if to soothe him.
[Haven’t you been watching? That girl would never take a gift given with care negatively.]
After hearing Lucy’s words, Yoon Si-woo nodded.
Scarlet was indeed someone who wouldn’t get upset over a present intended to make her feel better.
Gathering the courage from Lucy’s suggestion, Yoon Si-woo hurried to the souvenir shop, grabbed a cat plushie, and thought, “I hope this brightens her mood.”
At that moment, Lucy smiled and remarked,
[By the way, it looks like you’ve grown a bit, Si-woo. You’re now choosing gifts for someone else. Compared to before, you’ve definitely become a more impressive man.]
Yoon Si-woo felt embarrassment at Lucy’s praise and while he was paying for the plushie, his eyes caught on an item next to the counter, causing him to widen his eyes.
Without even realizing it, he picked it up and handed it to the cashier while saying,
“Um… Can you ring this up too?”
“Oh, you mean the cat headband? We have both the white and black ones, which would you prefer?”
“…Both.”
…It was merely a souvenir.
It definitely wasn’t because he wanted to see Scarlet wearing cat ears.
As he rationalized to himself, Lucy sighed at him.
[…I’m going to take back what I just said. Ugh, this is why men are so difficult.]
‘…It’s just for a souvenir.’
[So you were contemplating which looks better, the white or black one?]
‘…’
For a moment, his face flushed, but Yoon Si-woo forced himself to ignore Lucy’s sighs and stepped outside Cat Town, where he spotted Scarlet waiting on a bench.
“…Why did you come out so early? You should’ve played with the cats a bit more.”
“No, um… it’s just that…”
Feeling embarrassed while looking at her, probably because of the items he purchased, Yoon Si-woo mustered the courage and pulled the plushie out of the bag, presenting it to Scarlet.
Upon receiving the plushie, Scarlet stared at it blankly before murmuring while looking at him.
“…A plushie?”
“I-I know it’s impossible to hold a real cat, but… um, don’t get me wrong! I’m not trying to tease you! I just thought you looked so down…”
Worried she might misunderstand his intentions and think he was mocking her, he hurriedly shouted.
And, perhaps his desperation was conveyed, as a small smile appeared on Scarlet’s lips.
“…Thank you. This does lift my spirits a bit. I’ll treasure it.”
“…Really? I’m glad to hear that…”
Even though he felt slightly embarrassed, seeing Scarlet warmly hugging the plushie, his lips couldn’t help but curve into a smile.
The fact that she promised to cherish the gift he gave her brought him immense joy.
As he praised himself for having the courage to buy her something, his tension finally dissipated. But just then, Scarlet snatched the shopping bag from his hand.
“Wait, hold on! I’ll carry the plushie!”
While he blankly watched Scarlet open the shopping bag as if to put the plushie inside, Yoon Si-woo suddenly recalled what else was in the bag and exclaimed in urgency.
However, it was already too late.
“What’s this? A headband?”
“Um… I just bought it as a souvenir! Just a souvenir!”
Desperately trying to explain himself, Yoon Si-woo’s mind went blank upon seeing Scarlet’s knowing gaze.
He had revealed a part of himself that should never have come to light, and the embarrassment felt overwhelming—‘…Should I just die?’
As he sulked inside, Scarlet burst into laughter and put on the black cat ear headband.
“…Huh?”
The sight of Scarlet with cat ears, which he had only ever imagined, was several times cuter than he had expected, causing Yoon Si-woo to unintentionally blurt out.
“What’s ‘huh’? Hey, I’ll put this on you so you can wear it too.”
With a small laugh, Scarlet placed the remaining white headband on him, saying:
“Dummy, this is a complete failure as a souvenir. If you take this home, it will serve no purpose, and you can’t even display it like a plushie. Such things can only be used out and about! So if you don’t wear it now, it’s a waste of money. Right?”
Nodding dazedly at Scarlet’s words, Yoon Si-woo couldn’t take his gaze off her.
So lost in thought, he didn’t even notice when she snatched his phone from his hand.
Holding his phone, Scarlet appeared to be getting ready to take a picture, stepping on her tiptoes and casually wrapping an arm around his shoulder.
The warmth felt where their bodies touched.
The intoxicating scent wafting from nearby.
Amidst the dizzying sensations washing over him—
“Alright, say cheese!”
Although he was told to smile, Yoon Si-woo couldn’t even tell if he was smiling properly.
After a moment, when he received his phone back from her, he glanced at the wallpaper and stared blankly.
What had once been a blank screen had been replaced by a photo capturing his dazed expression next to Scarlet, who was smiling with her arm around him.
And in that moment, Yoon Si-woo realized.
Like his phone’s wallpaper, he had changed.
With the memory of this moment now saved, he knew there was no going back to the loneliness of his past.
As he stood there, staring at the photo, she said to him,
“If you want to remember today, a picture is a much better souvenir than a plushie. You’ll recall the memory every time you see it.”
Yoon Si-woo reflected on her words.
Even without it being a photo, he wouldn’t forget this moment.
“Since you’ve given me a gift, it’s only fair I return the favor.”
“…Yeah. I’ll treasure it.”
However, he also knew that this picture would undoubtedly become one of his most cherished treasures.
This moment’s memory would surely stand out as one of the most vivid in his life.
Yoon Si-woo smiled brightly, feeling assured of that.
“Like, for example, to say something like this, meow. Just add ‘meow’ to the end of every sentence.”
Until he heard Scarlet mimic a cat.
No matter how one looked at it, that was a bit unfair.
Indeed, he struggled to calm his pounding heart as he scampered off to grab a drink.
…It seemed Scarlet had awakened a new preference within him.
Muttering to himself, Yoon Si-woo reflected.
Without a doubt, this day would be unforgettable.
Still, he was certain it would remain a day marked by happiness.
Right until that moment, he thought that way.
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