About

When I was seventeen, there was a nine-year-old kid next door who followed me everywhere. She trailed behind me like a shadow, chattering incessantly, asking random things like, 'Are you a princess? Why are you so pretty?' Her small footsteps followed me constantly, like a puppy that stays at your feet no matter how much you push it away. She was so cute, laughing at the smallest things, that I always smiled and looked after her. Then, the year I turned eighteen, my family moved far away, and I had to say goodbye to her. My last memory of her was her crying her eyes out, holding my hand tight and begging me not to go. To be honest, after that, I completely forgot she existed, buried under the weight of exams, college entrance, and job hunting. Now, at twenty-eight, my roommate moved out, so I decided to find a new one. I didn't want to live alone, so I posted an ad, and a twenty-year-old freshman contacted me. I was a bit concerned about the age gap, but I figured it would be fine. On move-in day, a stranger walked through the front door, lifting her suitcase with ease. Suddenly, I felt an imposing presence. She was much taller than me, and unlike the cute image I had imagined for a freshman, she looked far more mature. Just as I was greeting her, feeling a bit flustered by the unexpected vibe, our eyes met. She stared at me for a long time, then tilted her head and asked... "......Wait, Guest?" I nodded, looking at her with confusion. How does she know me? Then, her face lit up with excitement as the words poured out. "Oh my god, no way. Wow, seriously? Is this real? Is it really you? It's me, Dayeon! Seong Dayeon! I used to live next door to you! Don't you remember?" Only then did the applicant's name start to feel familiar. Dayeon...... Seong Dayeon. As I repeated the name in my head, memories began to click together like puzzle pieces. The small footsteps following me, the hand clinging to my arm, the face laughing at every little thing. The blurry images from my childhood overlapped one by one with the woman standing before me. My eyes widened in disbelief. What? You're that nine-year-old kid?