A sandcastle gently crumbles under the passing water and wind.
No matter what story it holds, who made it, or how much effort was put into it, a sandcastle, being made of sand, will eventually fall apart.
In just a few days, even its traces will disappear, becoming part of the beach, and in the end, no one will recognize it.
The small beach is a place made of the remains of countless sandcastles lovingly built by those unknown.
Don’t worry too much about your castle collapsing.
“—You can just build it again.”
You can always rebuild it if you wish.
You can recreate the memories of that day using your two hands.
That’s what a sandcastle is.
So, Unnie.
You don’t have to make such a deathly expression, you know?
The one-night fire play passed without a hitch.
As is the essence of pranks, some cried, and some laughed.
Showing off each other’s camaraderie and creating stronger bonds can definitely be called a prank.
Yeah.
A prank that can be easily forgotten.
—chirp chirp.
“…Ugh….”
Could it be because of last night’s short escapade?
I, who hadn’t slept in, slowly opened my eyes to the chirping of a bird, announcing that the sun was now high in the sky.
And then, I saw it.
“Ah.”
This is your sunlight.
What the hell, save me!
Ugh, my eyes.
After half a year, the sunlight was so intense that I couldn’t bear to open my eyes.
The sunlight entered directly through my dilated pupils, and receiving a vast signal in my brain was painful in itself.
Who would’ve thought pain could come like this?
I will remember this grudge!
I squeezed my eyes tightly and desperately tried to shield my vision with my hands. I twisted my body, and as a result, the things around me fell to the floor.
Clang, clang.
Objects made of fragile materials easily dropped to the floor, scattering sharp shards everywhere.
The pointed pieces flew towards me too, leaving small wounds.
I couldn’t see because my eyes were covered, but the floor must have become a mess.
And in the midst of that chaos.
My left wrist collided with the wall beside me.
Thud.
A small impact.
If only the shock were small as the sound.
But unfortunately, it seems the two were inversely related.
“…..!!!!”
In unbearable pain, I couldn’t even scream at that moment.
It was cold, hot, painful, itchy, and stinging.
From the severed edge, pain that exceeded limits began to repeatedly occur.
That pain spread throughout my whole hand, eventually bringing that feeling of pain to each little severed piece of my hand.
The left hand, which surely shouldn’t exist anymore, the one I would confirm had turned to mush and vanished, felt as if it still existed and was being tortured by someone else.
Throb throb.
Sensations that surpassed what my brain could handle kept coming.
I had been feeling detached from the world, but there was one pain that came through without any filter.
That was the phantom pain I now felt.
“Ah…. It hurts….. O… Unnie…”
Having been hardened through numerous experiences, that pain soon grew familiar, but I couldn’t help but sigh at the suffering yet to come.
Hng.
I was just having a strange experience of touching my empty wrist while letting out a pinched whine.
All of that continued until Elli Unnie rushed up, sensing the commotion from my room.
Bang!
The door burst open violently, creating a rush of wind in the quiet room.
“—Alice!!”
“Ah…. U-Unnie..”
Elli approached quickly, seemingly having understood the situation, her voice dark as she asked about my condition, walking confidently towards me without any hesitation.
What’s this, Unnie?
You were right by my side.
You didn’t run away somewhere?
That discovery made me feel really good.
Elli, who had always run away and been busy rejecting, was now facing the aftermath she caused head-on.
If she were the one I first met, or the Elli who hid secrets and deceived me back then, she wouldn’t have done this.
When she ravenously devoured my hand that moment, to escape the weight of karma pressing on her chest, she would have either devoured me without a trace or fled far away, leaving me alone in this remote house.
And then, claiming atonement, she would have guarded my side secretly until the day I grew old and died.
Even if I sought her out, she would have never shown herself.
Not caring about my feelings at all.
Just trying to atone for her own sins.
That was something I couldn’t accept.
It was all just deception.
Well, if that were the case, I would probably have tried to call her over by attempting suicide in the yard.
—To my surprise, Elli seems to have grown well.
Showing up in front of me with such dignity is truly a courageous act.
Reflection.
Looking back on one’s mistakes and actions, feeling embarrassed about it while making a firm resolution never to repeat the same mistake again.
Yeah. People should look to the future, not the past.
People live looking forward, and that is the true driving force of human growth.
I was so proud that Elli seemed to have realized that.
The glass shards on the floor didn’t seem to bother her as she approached my bed, crushing the shards beneath her feet.
I trembled, keeping my eyes tightly closed, and reached out to accept her touch.
With my right hand spread out, I held her hand with my remaining left arm, pulling it close as if to prevent her from running away.
Like a child clinging to their parent’s pant leg.
I gripped the offered hand tightly against my chest.
With a voice mixed with tears, I spoke to Elli.
“I’m sorry… I’m sorry… I’m sorry… Unnie… Don’t abandon me… I was wrong..”
“…..”
“Huh? I won’t… go out at night anymore… I’ll close my eyes! I’ll keep them shut!! So… Elli Unnie—”
“—Alice.”
A strong voice filled with resolve.
A feeling that something great is about to happen, pressing down.
With that one word, I felt as if I was rewarded for all my actions up until now.
My efforts were not in vain.
This moment was the true time I felt alive.
She pulled me in, and my body was wrapped in her warm embrace.
It was even warmer than usual, as if she would melt me away.
In my ear, a passionate voice from Elli echoed.
“I’m sorry.”
“….Huh…?”
This was a confession.
Through the vibrating pulse of her chest, I felt every word she said resonate in my head.
It was a confession that knocked on my heart, my head, and everything.
“I’m sorry. I apologize. For deceiving you, using you, grasping your ankle, and trapping you.”
“…Elli… Unnie..?”
“It’s all my fault. I was wrong. So now, I won’t run away anymore. I won’t look away.”
A declaration filled with firm resolution.
“So please…”
“…Ah.”
Her delicate fingers caressed over my eyes.
With her gentle touch, my eyelids opened wide, despite my strong will.
My vision was engulfed in bright white light.
In that radiant backdrop, I noticed her black hair standing out.
Her sharp, beast-like eyes were blood-red, looking down at me.
Drip drip.
Tears fell from there, washing my face.
Maybe not having slept properly or washed up, Elli’s eyes were bloodshot, and her head and face were smeared with some unidentifiable dirt.
Truly an unkempt sight.
Something you could even call dirty.
But at this moment, the Elli standing in front of me felt more beautiful than anyone else.
So pretty.
I want to have her.
Perhaps, although it was just a fleeting moment, I might have truly loved in this life.
She shone that brightly.
So bright it made me jealous.
“Please accept… my apologies…”
“…Unnie…”
To speak of what was hidden from everyone is a truly painful matter.
Facing one’s mistakes and accepting them is indeed a hard thing.
But through those things, we can change significantly.
Just like Elli now.
The relationships we’ve built may collapse.
The friendships we’ve deeply established may wash away overnight.
But if we worry about that, we can only live in the same place.
Unable to meet anyone new, unable to bring forth new stories, we will have to live in isolation.
“Alice… I’m truly… sorry.”
“……Hehe.”
So.
So we must continue to build our sandcastle.
Even if it gets swept away by the waves.
“—Elli Unnie.”
“…..Yes.”
Even as I felt a bit sad that I had one less hand to touch her,
I could smile knowing she had opened her heart completely to me.
Our relationship was starting anew from now on.
“—I love you.”
Jealousy has green eyes.
*
Next time, I will return with Episode 2’s conclusion.
