The whirlwind year of 2018.
December was passing by, and the year was coming to an end.
Saturday afternoon.
Outside the window, white snowflakes were gently falling.
Go Hana had successfully wrapped up her interactive art exhibition in LA and a university lecture series. Now, she was at home, taking a well-deserved rest completely knocked out in deep sleep, even snoring.
“Grrooo…”
She ground her teeth slightly, her small, pale belly exposed as she slept. No matter how you looked at it, she resembled an elementary school kid on winter break…
But in reality, she was 25 years old.
Twenty-five.
People no longer called her a “genius girl.” Even if she still looked like a 12-year-old child on the outside, it felt almost wrong to refer to her as a “girl” anymore.
They didn’t bother calling her a “genius” either. Everyone already knew without needing to say it—that she was an unprecedented prodigy.
No one referred to her as the “youngest Golden Lion Award winner” anymore. Compared to the countless achievements she had accumulated since then, that title felt too narrow.
Instead…
People simply called her “Go Hana.”
And that was enough.
– Go Hana is coming as a judge.
– Go Hana is participating in an art exhibition.
– Go Hana has published a book on art.
– Go Hana is opening a new exhibition.
– Go Hana has started a livestream as a VTuber after a long time.
…
…
…
Just hearing her name was enough.
People were thrilled and filled with awe.
Whenever her exhibition opened, people lined up to see it. Whenever she released a book, it sold out instantly. Whenever she started a stream, hundreds of thousands of viewers gathered.
Simply living in the same era as Go Hana was a source of immense pride. There was no need for excessive excitement anymore.
And yet, at this moment…
She was sound asleep.
“Kuuhh…”
Just then,
the door slowly creaked open.
—Creak.
A girl, who appeared to be around the same age as Hana, stepped inside.
Her long hair was loosely tied into two pigtails, and blue ribbons fluttered on either side.
Almost as if she had styled her hair to mimic Go Hana’s.
The girl with the blue ribbons Park Sae-on spoke.
“Unnie, are you still sleeping?”
“…”
“Sigh, still sleeping.”
Sae-on walked over to Hana’s side, her steps echoing softly. She reached out and gently shook Hana’s shoulder.
“Unnie, wake up. Mom says it’s time to eat.”
“Uunng…”
Hana rubbed her eyes and groggily sat up.
“…”
Sae-on couldn’t help but think that she looked just like a “Sleeping Beauty.” The delicate, beautiful girl straight out of a fairy tale.
‘She’s such a mess at home, yet outside, she’s a genius and ridiculously pretty. It just feels… unfair.’
Back when she was in the lower grades of elementary school, Sae-on had wanted to be small and cute like Hana a fairy-like person. So when she shot past 140 cm in height, she cried at school, convinced she could never be a fairy anymore.
‘Now I’m the tallest in my fourth-grade class at 152 cm, so it really doesn’t matter anymore…’
Hana, looking at Sae-on, smiled gently.
“Mm, my eldest baby is here…”
“What are you saying? We saw each other yesterday.”
“But I was too busy to really see you properly. My baby, since you’re here, give your unnie a kiss.”
“…”
Sae-on, who was just starting to hit puberty, rolled her eyes in exasperation. But after a moment of hesitation, she lowered her head slightly and gave Hana a quick peck on the cheek.
Hana grinned and ruffled Sae-on’s hair.
“Aww, such a good girl. You really are my daughter.”
“…Unnie, you’re starting to sound more and more like an old lady.”
“What can I do? The older I get, the stronger my maternal instincts become.”
“Then hurry up and get married already.”
“Honestly, I don’t know about anything else, but the guys who seriously propose to me right now? They all deserve to be in jail.”
“…”
“…Ah, what am I even saying in front of a kid? Just pretend you didn’t hear that.”
Hana waved her hand dismissively as she got up. Then, she suddenly paused when she saw Sae-on standing right beside her.
“…?”
She hesitated because Sae-on’s eyes were now at the same level as the top of her head.
“…Sae-on.”
“What?”
“You’re in fifth grade this year, right?”
“No, next year. I’m still in fourth grade.”
“You’ve really grown tall. Must be because you take after your uncle…”
Sae-on let out a small sigh.
“Is that a good thing? The doctor said my growth plates are still open, so I’m going to grow a lot more. But girls aren’t supposed to be too tall it looks weird.”
“Ugh… Let’s just go eat. I wonder if our youngest daughter is already eating?”
“Mom’s feeding Da-on right now.”
“…I see.”
Despite the fact that their actual age difference was more like that of a parent and child, the two girls who looked like classmates walked side by side toward the dining room.
*
“Another rare, peaceful holiday.”
After lunch, Go Hana made her way to the building where Yoo Mi-ja’s studio was located. It was no longer just a small office space.
Now, she occupied an entire four-story building.
Didn’t she even set up living quarters inside so she could eat and sleep there?
Hana pressed the call button for the staff-only elevator. Normally, an ID card was required for access.
—Beep!
Placing her hands on her hips, Hana declared confidently,
“Come forth!”
From the intercom, Mi-ja’s voice responded.
—”Hana-chan, just press the button and come in.”
“Come forth!”
—?
“Come forth—!”
…
…
…
Hehe.
In the end, Mi-ja gave in and pressed the button from upstairs. The elevator slowly began to move.
Hana grinned with satisfaction.
Heh heh.
After all, teasing a best friend was always fun.
…Even if she didn’t actually have balls.
—Ding-dong!
4th floor.
“!?”
As the elevator doors slid open, Mi-ja was standing there in comfortable clothes, smirking.
She wore glasses now, her eyesight having worsened over time. But beyond the clear lenses, her blue eyes remained the same as ever.
“Welcome. Want some coffee?”
“Sounds good.”
The two of them each grabbed a cup of coffee and settled onto the break room sofa, chatting idly. The TV in the background was playing the news.
—”The eventful year of 2018 is coming to an end. We hope all our viewers enjoy a wonderful conclusion to the year…”
Hana suddenly spoke.
“…The year’s almost over. Time flies.”
“Well, we’ve been busy, so it’s no surprise. Juri-chan’s in the U.S. filming another movie, after all.”
“Yujin-sunbae is in her PhD program now, Mari went to Paris but said she’ll be back tomorrow… Oh, right. What about Goto and Yamada? How are they doing these days?”
“Mirai-chan wants to come over next year as a traditional Japanese culture instructor, so she’ll be staying at my place for a few months… As for Yamada, was it Argentina? I think he went there. Who knows? That guy disappears somewhere weird every time I take my eyes off him.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah.”
They sipped their coffee.
“…”
“…”
Then Hana spoke again.
“By the way, about my Sae-on at home.”
“Yeah?”
“He was so tall! He’s only in fourth grade, but he’s already taller than me.”
“Huh? That tall?”
“Yeah. And he’s really good at sports too, so it looks like some specialized athletic middle schools are reaching out to him.”
“That’s amazing. Feels like just yesterday when Hana was feeding baby Saeon with a bottle.”
“Right?”
“Yeah.”
The two of them took another sip of their coffee.
“…”
“…”
This time, Mija broke the silence.
“Geonwoo oppa is getting married next year.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, he went on a business trip to the U.S. and met someone there.”
“I see.”
“…Someone ten years younger.”
“…?!”
“There was a bit of a stir at first, but in the end, they got everyone’s approval and decided to get married.”
“That’s impressive.”
They lifted their mugs, then set them down again.
Their coffee was finished.
“…”
“…”
“Hey, Mijang.”
“Yeah?”
“I started a foundation.”
“…Huh?”
Mija turned to Hana with a blank expression.
“A foundation? What kind of foundation?”
“Just… something to support struggling artists with no money, students who can’t afford education, and kids who lost their parents in accidents things like that.”
“You had that much money?”
Hana grinned.
“Honestly, I don’t even know exactly how much I have anymore.”
“Seriously?”
“Hmph, did you forget who told me about crypto and real estate?”
“Oh…”
Mija nodded.
It was true her friend had an uncanny insight, always predicting global economic trends like some kind of fortune teller.
“I see. That sounds just like you.”
“Like me?”
“Yeah. You were the one who walked up to that nerdy girl screaming in front of the art school on a snowy day, became her friend, taught her how to paint, and kept helping people all the time. Juri and I… we were always grateful to you.”
“…”
“Everything you, my genius artist friend Go Hana, did there was always a reason for it. And most of the time, it was for someone else’s sake.”
“…”
Hana leaned back into the couch.
Beyond the ceiling, she imagined the dark sky, softly covered in falling snow.
“…Hey, Mijang. I have another dream.”
“What is it?”
“Someday, I want to build a big art school.”
“Like Hanul?”
“No… not an elite school like that.”
A place for people with wounds in their hearts.
For those who never knew what art was.
For those who just want to have fun drawing…
“A school where people like that can come freely, learn, play, and dream. Like a big playground where anyone can do the kind of art they want, without pressure.”
—Because art is fun.
“…”
“…”
Mija muttered absentmindedly.
“Sounds like a dream.”
“Right?”
“But… since you’re the one saying it, I feel like it might actually happen.”
“Really?”
“My friend Go Hana is a genius, after all.”
“…!”
Hana smiled, her expression finally at ease.
“Yeah, I’m a genius. I can definitely do it.”
*
—Crunch, crunch…
Hana walked along the dark, snowy path, a red umbrella over her head.
They had been chatting for so long that the sun had already set.
As she walked home through the snow-covered streets her phone rang.
—Ding!
“…!”
It was Kim Palgon.
He had sent her a photo from a year-end party.
「Kim Palgon: Loyalty! Here’s a photo from the end-of-year drinking party of the Mapo-gu men.」
The picture showed a gathering at a run-down chicken restaurant in Mapo-gu, completely rented out for the occasion. A bunch of men were having a lively drinking party, and she could almost smell the alcohol just from looking at the image.
At the center of it all was Park Taeoh.
He was completely drunk, gripping a karaoke mic, belting out a song.
Around him, Kim Palgon, the repair shop workers, and others were clapping and cheering.
Hana chuckled at the sight.
“Pfft… Uncle Palgon started taking hair loss meds early, but his hairline is still barely holding on.”
Then she looked at her uncle again.
“…”
The man in the photo.
He had far more white hairs and wrinkles than the uncle in her memory.
He had gained an adorable pair of daughters, a kind wife, and a big house.
Surrounded by friends, he was still living passionately.
Tae-oh Park was living happily in the present.
“…”
Hana saved the photo to her album.
On her way home, she moved her fingers, flipping through the next photos. One by one, pictures she had taken or received so far appeared.
A photo of President Jung and the new writers.
Birthday pictures of Sae-on and Da-on.
Juri receiving the ‘Best New Actress’ award.
Yujin’s master’s degree completion ceremony at New York University.
Jina’s musical performance and Aeri’s opera recital.
A group 3D live performance photo from the ‘Fantasia Project Live.’
…
…
…
And then.
A picture of Hana and Mari standing side by side in front of the art studio, holding hands…
“…My life has really changed a lot.”
All these changes,
sometimes felt unfamiliar.
Even when she tried to move forward, that feeling would occasionally creep in.
“…”
So she stood still for a moment.
But not for long.
‘I should head home now.’
It was time to prepare for tomorrow.
“…”
Just as she thought that, from far behind, a familiar voice called out.
“Hana!”
“…!”
She turned around.
“Hana! Let’s go together!”
From beyond the snowy path, Mari was running toward her.
Wearing a neatly buttoned coat,
with a noticeably more relaxed smile…
She stepped through the snow, crunching softly with each step as she approached.
Hana’s eyes widened.
‘I thought she was coming tomorrow…?’
“Mari…!”
At last, Mari reached her. Snowflakes clung to her hair as she caught her breath, still smiling.
“Hoo…! I was going to head straight to your place. But I ran into you here.”
“Didn’t you say you’d arrive from Paris tomorrow?”
“Hm? Oh… yeah, I did.”
Mari beamed.
“I just wanted to see you sooner. So I hurried.”
“…”
Hana stood still for a moment.
Hana stood still, watching Mari’s ears and nose turn red from the cold.
“…”
Then, silently…
She raised her umbrella over Mari’s head.
Because of their height difference, she had to lift her arm quite high to hold it properly.
“…”
“…”
But thanks to that,
Mari was no longer getting snowed on.
“…”
“…”
Hana spoke.
“Mari.”
“Yeah?”
“Are you happy right now?”
“Yeah!”
“I see.”
Hana smiled brightly.
“Me too.”
The two walked down the same path together.
Their footsteps continued, leaving an unbroken trail in the snow.
There was no turning back.
Because they were heading toward the same place.