Chapter 69:Freely – (3)

“Alright, Hana, let’s play!”  

“…Okay.”  

Mari headed to her studio as if it was the most natural thing in the world. Without a second thought, I followed her.  

‘For Mari, the studio has long been fixed in her mind as a play space. I mean, she already spends most of her waking hours there anyway.’  

Mari’s studio at her house was surprisingly cramped.  

If you only counted the space where a person could move, it was just slightly bigger than a typical one-room apartment near a university. Even then, you had to navigate carefully because of the paint cans, blankets, and snacks scattered on the floor.  

To be fair, the overall space of the studio was quite large, but it felt confined due to the numerous easels, canvases, and art supplies piled against the walls. On top of that, the room was filled with random junk she’d picked up from who knows where.  

Mari paused for a moment and swept the floor with her foot.  

“Oh, I need to clean up a bit.”  

“…”  

For Mari, cleaning meant using her feet to shove the random clutter into a corner. During this “cleaning” process, red paint got smeared on her socks, but she didn’t seem to care.  

Swipe, swipe.  

Bit by bit, she was carving a path through the room.  

“…”  

Watching her, I silently shook my head to myself.  

‘It feels like it’s just getting messier, though.’  

As someone who values order, I have an unwavering belief that a studio must be spotless. Brushes should be organized by size and purpose, pencils and paints stored in separate baskets. I even make sure to place calming-scented air fresheners around to help focus. Even after switching to media art, tidying the studio remained a part of my daily routine.  

So every time I saw Mari’s chaotic studio, I was at a loss for words.  

To make matters worse, the stale smell from old snacks and food gave me a dizzy feeling.  

“…”  

Still, I didn’t bother pointing it out.  

‘…Everyone has their own tempo and environment. For Mari, this might be the easiest space for her to focus. But still, mold isn’t good for your health. I really wish she’d at least eat properly in the kitchen.’  

After creating a pathway with a few more kicks, Mari beamed brightly.  

“Done! Isn’t it nice and clean now?”  

“…Yeah. Thanks.”  

“Hehe.”  

She grabbed my hand tightly and guided me carefully through the room, like hopping across stepping stones. She even wrapped her arm around my shoulders protectively, as if I might fall. It felt like the kind of care you’d give to a brand-new phone, worried it might get scratched.  

Whenever our eyes met, she would grin so enthusiastically, as if she couldn’t contain her excitement. Her smile was full of energy and innocence, like a young boy setting off on an adventure.  

“Hehe.”  

Look at her.  

That pure, unguarded smile.  

If she can smile like that, does it really matter if she’s bad at tidying up?  

‘She’s a good kid… That’s enough.’  

Sob.  

Together, Mari and I carved out a path and finally reached the deeper part of her studio. Thanks to her “cleaning,” we managed to get farther into the room than usual.  

“…”  

The scent of oil paint hit me all at once.  

It was the smell of still-drying oil paints.  

‘She must’ve been painting not too long ago. I never noticed these paintings because they’re always hidden under all the clutter.’  

I tried to peek behind the canvases propped up in the corner, but Mari suddenly rushed over and blocked me with her hands.  

“Hana, Hana!”  

“Uh, yeah?”  

Mari grabbed my hand and said excitedly,  

“I found something amazing! Want to see?”  

“Something amazing?”  

“Yeah!”  

Mari rummaged through the clutter in the corner of her studio.  

“Aha, here it is!”  

“?”  

She held up what looked like an oddly impressive tree branch.  

“!”  

The moment I saw it, my heart skipped a beat.  

Its surface was smooth and slightly glossy, a polished brown that caught the light just enough. It was a little over a meter long, with small, balanced branches sprouting from both sides about 15 centimeters from the base. Past that, a single straight stem extended cleanly to the tip.  

“This is like…”  

A sword.  

The branch’s form was so perfect, it resembled a sword in every way. Not one that had been carved or crafted, but one that had grown into this shape naturally. It was as though the branch itself held the magical power to transform any passerby into a hero.  

“…”  

As if enchanted, I picked it up.  

“…Where did you find this?”  

“I was taking a walk in the garden near my house, and the gardener was trimming the trees and about to throw it away. So I took it!”  

The fact that Mari’s house had a garden big enough to stroll through, complete with a gardener, no longer surprised me.  

But the thought that such a magnificent branch was about to be discarded? That was simply shocking.  

‘What a waste. Some people just don’t recognize treasure when they see it.’  

Feeling a pang of regret for the near loss of this masterpiece, I said,  

“I can’t believe they were going to throw something this amazing away. It’s such a waste. Doesn’t it look like… a sword?”  

“Right?”  

“This part here is exactly like a handle.”  

“Isn’t it cute?”  

“Cute isn’t the word I’d use, but… I really want to swing it.”  

“Wanna give it a try?”  

I lifted the branch—no, the sword-like branch—and swung it through the air. It was incredibly light, but thanks to its flawless shape, it sliced through the air with a clean, satisfying sound.  

Whoosh!  

It wasn’t too heavy, nor was it too flimsy.  

The sound of the wind it created was utterly perfect.  

“!”  

“!”  

Mari and I stared at each other, our eyes wide in amazement.  

It was simply… perfect.

I swung the magic sword once more.  

Whoosh!  

“Wow, amazing!”  

“Whoa…!”  

Whoosh!  

I couldn’t help but marvel.  

“Wow! This is truly incredible. To think something so perfectly shaped exists… This is a real treasure.”  

“!”  

Mari suddenly looked as though something had occurred to her, and her expression turned apologetic.  

“…Do you think maybe the gardener secretly carved this to give to me as a gift? Or maybe it was meant as a gift for someone else? Should we go return it just in case?”  

“No, no. If that were the case, he wouldn’t have been about to throw it away. As unbelievable as it sounds, I think this is entirely natural.”  

“Oh…! That’s amazing! It’s like a miracle!”  

“Yeah, it really is. Want to try swinging it this time, Mari?”  

“Okay!”  

Taking turns, we experienced this miraculous creation of nature. For a while, the sound of the branch cutting through the air echoed repeatedly throughout the studio.  

Whoosh!  

Whoosh!  

Whoosh!  

Finally, after one last swing, I rubbed my tired arm.  

“Phew… I got so into it that I kept swinging it without realizing. Even though it’s light, swinging it this much makes my arm ache.”  

“Haha! Right? That was so much fun.”  

“We should let the magic sword rest now.”  

“Yeah! It must be tired after its long journey from the garden.”  

I carefully placed the magic sword on top of the pile of clutter, almost reverently, as if thanking it for the joy it had brought us. I then took a few steps back to admire it.  

“…”  

Hmm.  

Something feels… incomplete.  

“…”  

Mari tilted her head, watching me curiously.  

“?”  

“…”  

I stepped forward again, picked up the magic sword, and held it upright. After clearing away a small space in the clutter, I planted the sword into the pile at a perfect angle.  

Now it looked like a legendary sword embedded in a treasure heap.  

Mari and I stared at the scene, holding our breath.  

“!”  

“!”  

Then, at the same time, we shouted:  

“Awesome!”  

“So cool!”  

Like primitive humans discovering fire, we clung to each other, jumping up and down in excitement.  

For the rest of the day, we admired the majestic sight of the sword in its new place. We even sketched it, capturing the wonder of this unexpected discovery while laughing and marveling at our luck.

*

In the end, I spent the day with Mari, drawing illustrations of the Demon Sword Master until the sun began to set. After a while, the housekeeper at Mari’s house knocked and spoke.

– “Miss! What would you like for dinner?”  

– “Oh, I’ll eat. Please prepare something simple.”  

We decided to sit side by side on a garden bench until dinner was ready.  

Sitting there, I could vividly see the sun setting in the distance, framed by the landscape of Seoul. It was hard to believe that Seoul could feel this quiet.  

‘No car noises, no sounds of people… Is this the privilege only the rich can enjoy?’  

Mari, too, seemed captivated by the view, staring blankly ahead.  

“…”  

“…”  

Looking back, it felt a little embarrassing. Ever since I turned into a child, I sometimes get swept up in emotions, but today seemed to be the peak of it.  

‘To think I could play for over six hours with just a tree branch. Is this the charm of 2006’s nostalgia and childhood innocence…?’  

But I didn’t regret it.  

That amazing tree branch was irresistible.  

‘Although I forgot the purpose of coming here today because of it.’  

“…”  

“…”  

We sat there quietly for a while until I decided to speak up to Mari.  

“Mari.”  

“Yeah?”  

“Are you not going to school these days?”  

“Yeah.”  

“You’re not going?”  

“Yeah.”  

“Why not?”  

“It’s boring.”  

“…”  

Mari’s response was calm. There wasn’t a trace of sadness or regret in her tone. It was just as straightforward as when we had been playing with the Demon Sword Master earlier.  

I tried to continue cautiously.  

“Still, since you’re at school anyway, wouldn’t it be good to see more of your friends? Even if you don’t want to learn, there are some things you need to learn.”  

“I only have one friend.”  

“…What about Juri and Mija?”  

“Friends.”  

“And me?”  

“Friiiiiiiiend.”  

“…”

It seemed like the longer the word, the more precious the friend.  

Mari nodded lightly and spoke calmly.  

“…I like things the way they are now.”  

“Now?”  

“Yeah.”  

“What’s it like now?”  

“Well, I guess… it’s fun. I get to look at the stars in the sky, sunflowers and apples. Sometimes I even place a skull on the canvas. It’s scary, but I have to put it there.”  

It sounded like she was enjoying her quiet life, painting landscapes and still-life works. As for the skull, it reminded me of how Western still-life art used it as a warning to the wealthy about the inevitability of death.  

‘So… she must still be struggling because of that near-death experience.’  

The fact that she “had to place the skull” likely meant she wanted to express those memories in her own way. Even her pain had become part of her artistic voice.  

I nodded in understanding.  

“I see. But yeah, you do have to put the skull in.”  

“…This is why.”  

“Hm?”  

Mari gave me a faint, bittersweet smile.  

“This is why you’re the only one who understands me.”  

“…”  

“My dad, my grandpa, Mr. Kang… When they don’t understand what I’m saying, they just laugh it off. And when I bring a random tree branch home, everyone else frowns or looks at me like I’m crazy. But you? You’re the only one who’ll actually swing it around and play with me.”  

“…”  

“So that’s why I’ve always communicated through painting. Before you came along, no one really understood what I was saying. But when I started using my art to speak, people suddenly called me a genius.”  

“…”  

“Even though they call me a genius, I can still feel the looks I got back at the New York therapy center. Those stares that called me a crazy kid, a foolish kid, a weird-talking kid. That gaze still lingers in my mind.”  

Mari spoke about such heavy topics with a bright smile.  

“But it’s okay. I have one person now. So if I find just one more, I’ll be okay.”  

“…I see.”  

“I’ve decided I’m just going to enjoy life as it is now.”  

“And school?”  

“There’s nothing for me there… Besides, I can just invite Juri and Mija over to my house.”  

“…”  

Listening to her, it became clear that Mari wasn’t hurt or broken. She had simply found her most comfortable place and decided to stay there. And that place, undeniably, was me.  

“…”  

At the same time, it made me feel a little sad. Mari was now in her third year of middle school—an age where she should be out in the world, experiencing things, facing challenges, and growing. But instead, she was standing still, choosing to stay where time didn’t have to move.  

‘Are you truly living, Mari? Are you really here right now?’  

I pondered for a moment. Then, I decided to make a suggestion.  

Looking at Mari, I said,  

“Then… do you want to come with me?”  

“Where?”  

“New York.”  

“…!”