Translated by: ShawnSuh Edited by: SootyOwl Do you want to go get some ice cream? Juho asked . Though Bom had nodded on impulse . Internally, she felt relieved . There were a lot of people on the street, and it was quite busy . His calm answer had also given her the impression that he hadnt caught onto her annoyance . Juho went into a convenience store to buy ice creams and said, I wanted to make it up to you for annoying you earlier . He had heard her . Without a word, she dropped her head . She had shown her bad side again . I cant keep doing this, she thought . She started to feel nauseous again . Despite his peaceful look, it was a lot harder for her to keep calm around him for some reason . Whats wrong? Im feeling a little dizzy . Maybe there are too many people around . Then, we should go somewhere quieter . OK . There had been nothing but lies whenever she opened her mouth, so she clogged her mouth with her ice cream . Its sweetness spread through her tongue . By the time they finished their ice cream, they reached a playground, and Juho pointed toward it . Should we take a five? he said . Sure . Its been a while since Ive been to a playground . They each sat on a swing . Compared to Bom, who was barely moving, Juho was swinging himself back and forth . Her head turned left and right as it tracked him . Whenever he swung past her, a wind blew by . Youre good, she complimented him . Again, it was out of habit . You can be too, if you move your feet a little more . She only smiled . You want to, huh? he asked . No, Im fine . A wind blew . It felt warmer this time . It had felt like spring not too long ago, but spring really was weak . (TLs note: again, Bom means spring . ) Bom looked at Juho . Frankly, she had been curious as to why he had wanted her to come along . If he had wanted to go shopping for clothes, it wouldve been better to bring Seo Kw.a.n.g or Baron along . There had to be a reason for bringing her of all people . There had to be a reason as to why he even brought up Sun Hwa . He gradually slowed down until he eventually stopped swinging . As soon as he opened his mouth, Bom felt something . That air, it almost felt like something was coming to an end, like a season . You have a compet.i.tion that you want to be part of, right? he said calmly . You wanted to transcribe a different book too . With his relaxed voice, he was bringing spring to an end . You couldve done a lot better in the school essay contest, and I know you dont want to be the one who cleans up other peoples trash, he added as he looked at Bom wearing a stiff expression . And I know how ridiculous this hat looks . Hes sharp, she thought . Because she cared so much about what other people thought of her, she was able to catch on quickly . He had already figured her out and he must have figured out the awkward distance between her and Sun Hwa . For that reason, she decided to confess . Im used to it, she said with a rather calm voice . What are you used to? Not doing what I want . She was used to being self-conscious and picking up trash that others had left . I dont really have a reason . Its just… I saw the adults, and I saw how this world operated . Eventually, I came to think that others were more important than myself . Im weak, so I wouldnt be able to survive if I were to be left alone . So naturally, Ive been relying on others around me . She smiled as if she were mocking herself, then she added, Have you read a book called The Trace of a Bird? He nodded slowly . The protagonist is afraid of the birds, so he hides himself in the dark, into the night . He gives up being in the sun and opens his eyes at night when there are no birds around . Her expression grew darker . She seemed like she was reminiscing about something . I felt terrified . Its a scary book . It reminded me of how cruel a choice can be . I have neither the courage to live through the night nor the will to overcome my fears . I dont have what it takes . To make a choice also meant giving something up . By choosing to rely on others, she had given up on her own preferences . Then, he thought about what she had given up by choosing to run away . He thought of the purple flower he had seen at the school some time before - Bom and Sun Hwa . You chose to be a stranger to Sun Hwa . . I wasnt intending to . They were not friends . They had been using each other like tools . It was easy to treat someone as if they were not a person . All Bom had to do to overcome that was think about herself again . Although a person might have a chance of making friends with animals, she couldnt do that with tools . After all, a tools only purpose was to be used . If it lost its use, it had to be thrown out . Most likely, they were both unaware of the meaning behind the choices they had made . But look at how things turned out in the end . Running away is a choice, which means choosing to rely on others is also a choice . In the end, youre responsible for the choices you make . Now, Juho was there to help her . If she didnt have the courage or will to survive, all she had to do was borrow it from someone, like an inspiration . After all, people werent made to live in solitude . Bom said with a depressed look, Why must I do that? I just want to be left alone . Because its your life . No one can live your life for you, not even Mr . Moon . Bom bit her lips . Then, she answered with a suppressed voice, Im afraid of prioritizing myself over others, but at the same time, I only care about myself . There was an opening . A warm wind blew past them, and Juho opened his mouth . Every story has an end, just like The Trace of a Bird . The ending of The Trace of a Bird had room for interpretation . Depending on the reader, it could have been an ending that was either sad or happy . Bom had asked why she had to make a choice . Sun Hwas transferring . Boms mouth dropped open, and for a while, no sound came out of it . When? Are you serious? She said that? Why? Where? Is she going far? Shes leaving me behind? These were probably her thoughts . Actually, I lied, he said without taking his eyes off of Boms expression . What? Its a lie . Sun Hwas not transferring, he said calmly . Why? she asked . Why did you lie to me like that? What did you think just now? he answered her with another question . Her eyes were shaken, and there were lingering thoughts in her head . Judging from her behavior so far, he was able to speculate a possible answer, Do I have to find another person? Do I have to find a replacement for Sun Hwa? Do I have to find another person to depend on who will make decisions for me and help me when Im in a rut? Her pale expression made it obvious to him . How much longer are you planning on being swayed by others? He had said the same thing to Sun Hwa . Are you going to repeat that? I dont know . I dont know anymore . She seemed exhausted, and he added, You still have to choose if you dont want to be stripped naked . . What would you do? He looked up to the sky for a moment . It was still clear and it would be a while until that day came to an end . Just like he had done with Sun Hwa, he said to her, Ask yourself . She dropped her head, but he added as if he were comforting her, If you want to be left alone as you are at the moment, thats fine . Thats your choice too . Im not going to tell you anything . I wont dislike you either . Youll probably stay a stranger to Sun Hwa, but hey, I can be your friend . Youd be catching two birds with one stone! Someone to depend on, and a friend . Doesnt that sound good? Instead of an answer, she bit down on her lip . For some reason, she couldnt give him an answer . Juho had made a tempting offer . One where she wouldnt have to change a thing about herself . At the same time, she would get to be friends with him . There would be nothing more . Yet, her eyes met with his red hat . It was tacky . It looked ridiculous enough to make her laugh . How did he manage to find a hat like that? No . She disliked herself being swayed by what Juho had been saying . She disliked herself for choosing to be a stranger to Sun Hwa . She disliked herself for depending on others just to get by . She wanted to leave it all behind . Why? Juho asked . She answered, Because I still want to be friends with Sun Hwa . What are you giving up this time? he asked again . If that was going to be her choice, she had to be responsible for it . The wind blew again . It was still warm, like the air that was coming out Boms mouth . You cant replace friends . At those words, Juho smiled quietly . Spring had ended . Though she was sad, she didnt cry . After all, spring always came around . Everyone knew it . He nodded as he checked the time . Now, should we go see Sun Hwa? She stood up from the swing, and it swung on its own . I want to write a letter . So be it, he answered . She rushed to a stationery store and bought some letter paper and a pen . When Juho saw the heading To Sun Hwa, he turned his eyes up to the sky . This is a matter between her and Sun Hwa . Itd be tactless of me to intervene any further . The kids in the neighborhood glanced over at Bom as she wrote her letter while squatting on the playground . She paid them no attention . Juho took his notepad out of his pocket . He had been expecting a day like that and had known that it wouldnt be difficult for Sun Hwa and Bom to be actual friends . After all, he had met them in the Literature Club . As he thought, he wrote down a sentence on the notepad . A piece of writing writes itself . * After receiving a call from Juho, Sun Hwa walked into a neighborhood cafe . It was a familiar place, but she had never been inside . It had a warm atmosphere, and she sat by the window and ordered a drink . After a brief moment waiting, a hot cup of tea had made its way onto her table . Having preferred colder drinks, she would have never ordered hot tea on her own . Though the weather wasnt very cold, the tea warmed her hands as she held cup . Her cold hands proved that she was nervous . Sigh, she sighed deeply . Soon, Juho would bring Bom to the cafe . The bell rang as the door opened, and she heard the conversation between the two people . Its warm out . Springs finally over . How time flies . They sounded like they were close with one another . Those two have brought along a word that Sun Hwa has been anxiously waiting for: Bom . Bom had always been lowering herself . She had done it at the essay contest . Thanks to her, Sun Hwa had been able to receive the award . She hadnt said anything . That was why she had been hanging around Bom . To her, it had been only fair that she had gotten the award while others lacked in their skills . Her and her peers had always been raised and taught that way . It had been common sense to prioritize results . As she always had, Sun Hwa comforted herself as she focused on the result . In the end, she had come a lot farther than she was aware . In her stomach, the fried chicken she had had as an awardee had been growing in size . It had latched onto her, and had not come out . After the conversation with Juho under the tree, she had revisited her paper . She had been pretending not to see what she saw and not to know what she knew . It was filled with stupidity . There was not one bit of sincerity . In other words, when he had complimented her paper, Juho had been sugarcoating his words . Fun and wild, huh .