Miracle Illusion

“Yeah.”“Look at this.”Sungwoon pushed his bag away and took out his phone. The screen, held horizontally, displayed a picture. Yeonwoo’s eyes widened.“What is this? Did you draw it?”“Yeah.”“Wow…. It looks like something from a textbook.”“Look at the right corner.”“Where?”“Here.”The drawing depicted a table covered with a crumpled tablecloth against a black background. On the table was a wind-up clock, with a fireplace burning in the background. Sungwoon pointed to the upper right corner of the drawing. Yeonwoo’s eyes followed.“I haven’t decided what to draw here yet.”To Yeonwoo, the drawing looked perfect as it was, but Sungwoon seemed dissatisfied. Pondering for a moment, Yeonwoo spoke up.“A parrot.”“A parrot?”“A talking parrot.”There wasn’t really space for a parrot in the drawing. Even on second thought, Yeonwoo seemed to have little talent for art. Sungwoon smirked and patted the back of Yeonwoo’s head.“A parrot is a good idea.”“Right?”“Yeah. I’ll show you when it’s finished.”“Great.”Feeling like he had contributed, Yeonwoo nodded and smiled brightly. Sungwoon pocketed his phone, muttering “a parrot….”“Next week is Christmas.”“Oh… right.”“What did you usually do for Christmas?”“I had a meal with Grandma.”“But you do that every day.”“Not much.”Yeonwoo shook his head, deep in thought. Christmas in the hillside neighborhood was nothing like the sparkling city festivities. It was always an ordinary day. Well, perhaps the sound of church bells ringing in the distance was a bit different.“Let’s make a tree.”“A tree?”“A Christmas tree.”“How do we make one?”“I have some stuff. We’ll hang lights, stockings, and ornaments with Grandma.”“Great.”“And I’ll bring a Bluetooth speaker so we can listen to carols.”“Great.”Even though he didn’t know exactly what it entailed, Yeonwoo was excited. He nodded repeatedly, smiling.“Oh, but shouldn’t you spend Christmas with your family? It is Christmas, after all.”While Christmas wasn’t a big deal for Yeonwoo, he knew it was an important holiday. Concerned, he asked, and Sungwoon shrugged.“My parents go to church and don’t come back.”“You don’t go to church?”“No. I’ve never been.”“I see.”Yeonwoo had memories of going to church a few times. Grandma would take him, and they’d give out cookies or cup tteokbokki. He was seven, thinking he could always get tasty treats at church, but after sneaking there without Grandma and being asked why he came, he got scared and never went back.“Instead, I have to go to Busan with my family on Christmas Eve.”“Busan?”“Yeah. My grandfather lives alone, and he’s not in good health. We decided to go down this time.”“I see.”So Sungwoon had a grandfather too. It was obvious, but Yeonwoo didn’t know because he never asked. Feeling a bit guilty for always talking about himself, Yeonwoo slipped his hand into Sungwoon’s.“Bold move? You’re making me blush.”“I can’t wait for Christmas to come.”“Me too.”They smiled at each other. It was the first time Christmas felt so eagerly anticipated.Christmas Eve. Although it was a day without Sungwoon, Yeonwoo didn’t feel lonely today. There was no time to worry about how to spend the day. Busy exploring the market, Yeonwoo was darting here and there.“Mister, do art students use a lot of colored pencils?”“Of course.”“Will they use something like this?”“Of course. This has the most colors. It’s the last one left.”The stationery store owner confidently showed him a box of 55 colored pencils. Not knowing these weren’t used by art students, Yeonwoo spent a hefty 20,000 won to buy them. The long colored pencil case rattled in the black bag with every step he took.“Hmm….”Next, he went to buy stationery. The previous store had only tacky stationery with phrases like “I love you” or “Thank you,” so he searched for another store at the end of the market. Fortunately, there was plenty of plain stationery similar to what Sungwoon had given him. Yeonwoo stood with his arms crossed, pondering for a while.“Two thousand won.”“Here you go.”Taking out two 1,000 won bills from his pocket, Yeonwoo put the stationery in the bag with the colored pencils. It was plain stationery with just lines, but he liked the red heart drawn on the envelope. His heart raced at the thought of going home to write a letter.“Grandma, don’t forget we’re making a tree with Sungwoon tomorrow.”“I won’t forget.”“Don’t go to work tomorrow.”“Alright.”Even on Christmas Eve, Grandma was getting ready for work. Yeonwoo, having reminded her multiple times, opened his small desk with satisfaction.Just as Sungwoon had done, Yeonwoo wrote Sungwoon’s name at the top. His heart raced so fast he could hardly breathe. Smiling, he thumped his chest with his fist in excitement.He should have bought more. He thought five sheets in one pack would be enough, but he had already torn up three. Writing a letter was harder than he thought. Taking out the fourth sheet, Yeonwoo carefully started again from the first line. This time, he tried hard to avoid mistakes.Starting with <Thank you and I love you>, Yeonwoo searched his dresser for the gift wrap he had received from church years ago. It was good he hadn’t thrown it away. The tape marks remained on the wrapping paper, which he spread on the floor, placing the long colored pencils on it.He realized too late that he should have given the letter separately. Well, Sungwoon would figure it out when he opened it. Yeonwoo discovered that giving gifts could be more exciting than receiving them, as he eagerly awaited the next day.“Grandma, I’m going to make a call.”“Alright. Do you have coins?”“Yeah, I have some.”Sungwoon had said he would return from a day trip to Busan, leaving at 3 a.m. and departing Busan again at 2 p.m. Remembering to call at 1 p.m., Yeonwoo put two 500 won coins in his pocket and ran down the slope. Grandma had offered to buy him a cell phone multiple times, but with no one to call except Grandma, Yeonwoo always declined. What use would it be to have a phone if even Grandma didn’t? But now it seemed necessary. When he graduated and started earning money, he would buy a phone for himself and Grandma first. Yeonwoo’s steps were light as he headed for the public phone.— Hello?“Choi Sungwoon. It’s Hong Yeonwoo.”— Didn’t forget to call, did you?“Do you think I’m an idiot?”Sungwoon answered before the phone rang even three times. Just hearing his voice made Yeonwoo’s lips curl up. Leaning against the public phone booth, Yeonwoo grinned like a fool.“Are you on your way back now?”— Yeah. If we leave at three, we’ll get back after eight.“Isn’t it tiring?”— Dad might be tired. I just sleep in the back, listening to music, so…“Still…”— What are you up to?“Just this and that.”— What kind of things?“I was busy today.”— What were you doing?They chatted about trivial matters. Yeonwoo twirled the payphone cord around his finger. His heart felt ticklish, so he couldn’t keep his hands still.“I went to the market.”— You didn’t eat tteokbokki alone, did you?“No. I said we’d eat together when you come back.”Yeonwoo could hear Sungwoon laughing on the other end of the line. Yeonwoo’s cheeks also lifted into a round smile.— Let’s spend Christmas Eve together next year.“Don’t you have to visit your grandfather next year too?”— No, we usually go on holidays, but the schedule got messed up this time.“I see.”— Next year we’ll be adults, so let’s go on a trip for Christmas Eve and Christmas.“With Grandma too?”— We’ll send Grandma on a nice trip for some pampering.“Sounds good.”Even though it wasn’t a particularly special conversation, Yeonwoo couldn’t stop smiling. He lowered his head and tapped the floor with his shoe.— I miss you.“…….”— I miss you, Hong Yeonwoo.Sungwoon had no trouble saying embarrassing things. Yeonwoo swallowed hard. His Adam’s apple moved noticeably up and down. His face, reflected in the phone booth glass, seemed to turn bright red.— I’ll be back soon.“…Me too.”— Where are you coming soon from?Gathering his courage to respond, his timing was off.“I miss you too….”— I know.“How do you know?”— I can tell just from your voice.Sungwoon laughed softly. Yeonwoo smiled too. He wished Sungwoon would come back quickly. He wanted to see him soon, make the tree, and give him the gift and letter. He hoped Sungwoon would be as happy as he had been when he received his letter. Time, which usually flew by, seemed to crawl since this morning.— I’ll come to your house by noon tomorrow.“Okay. Grandma said she won’t go to work tomorrow.”— That’s good.“Yeah.”Even mundane conversations were enjoyable. Just in case, Yeonwoo inserted another 500-won coin into the slot. The clinking sound increased the call time.— Oh, by the way, it’s going to snow tomorrow.“Really?”— White Christmas.“What’s that?”— Christmas with snow.“Wow….”Had it ever snowed on Christmas before? Christmas had never felt significant to Yeonwoo, so he didn’t have any memories of it. Imagining sitting in the yard, making a tree with Sungwoon on a snowy Christmas, Yeonwoo rubbed his chest with his palm. His heart felt so full he thought he might faint.— Let’s make the tree and go sledding too.“Yeah. This time, I’ll ride the basin.”— You better.They both burst into laughter. Now, whenever it snowed heavily, Yeonwoo remembered sledding with Sungwoon. In just under four months of his nineteen years, Sungwoon had come to occupy an enormous place in his life.— See you tomorrow.“Okay. Come back safely.”— Yeah.“Bye.”— Don’t just say bye.“What?”— Not just bye. Hurry.“…….”— Hurry. I have to go now. Hurry.“…….”— I’m going to die waiting here.He knew what Sungwoon wanted him to say, but suddenly saying it was as hard as lifting a stone off his throat. His face flushed red with heat.— Then I’ll say it first.“…….”— I love you.His voice was sweet. Unconsciously brushing his hair, Yeonwoo smiled and spoke.“I love you t… oh….”With a click, the call was cut off. ‘Time Remaining: 00:00’. He should have added more coins. Yeonwoo’s eyebrows drooped. He should have said it when he had the chance. He thought about calling back but remembered Sungwoon saying he had to go, so he decided against it. He would say it first tomorrow.“Grandma, should we make japchae for Sungwoon tomorrow?”“Again? We just had it.”“But Sungwoon said it was delicious.”“You get tired of it if you eat it often.”“Then what should we make?”“They say you eat cake on Christmas.”Even for Grandma, Christmas was an unfamiliar day. A few days ago, when Yeonwoo first explained what to do on Christmas, Grandma had felt guilty for not taking care of her grandson and had trouble sleeping. She had asked the junk dealer, who told her that people ate cake on Christmas.“Cake?”“Yeah. I’ll buy a cake.”“A delicious one.”“Yeah. Not a butter cake, I’ll get one from **Baguette. Don’t worry.”Grandma caressed Yeonwoo’s cheek and smiled gently. Yeonwoo’s eyes quickly reddened, and he waved his hands.“I like butter cake too.”“Grandma doesn’t like it much.”“Sungwoon says he likes butter cake too.”“Really?”“Yeah. And he likes rotisserie chicken too, especially when there’s rice inside.”“But chicken tastes better.”Tears welled up suddenly. Yeonwoo quickly turned his back and lay down, wiping his tears.“Should we turn on the TV?”“Sure. Let’s see what the weather will be like tomorrow.”Though there wasn’t any specific program they watched, Grandma turned on the TV, pretending not to notice Yeonwoo’s tears. The old TV, without a remote, showed a distorted-faced newscaster presenting the news.“Grandma….”“Yes, dear.”“Everything you buy is delicious to me.”“…….”“That was when I was young….”His voice was choked. Sniffling, Yeonwoo buried his face in the pillow, tears streaming down. Thankfully, the newscaster’s voice drowned out his sobs. He didn’t want to show his tears to Grandma anymore.“I love you, Grandma.”Carefully, he told Grandma the words he hadn’t managed to say to Sungwoon before hanging up. After a moment of silence, Grandma’s laughter filled the room. Her wrinkled, rough hand patted Yeonwoo’s hip. I love you too, dear. My only family, the one I can rely on. In the old, poorly heated one-room house, their trust in each other grew stronger.— At around 5:17 PM today, a 5-ton truck collided with a 5-passenger car near the Osan Interchange on the Gyeongbu Expressway. The accident resulted in the deaths of the car’s driver, 48-year-old Mr. A, and the front passenger, 46-year-old Ms. B, at the scene. The 18-year-old Mr. C, who was in the back seat, was seriously injured and transported to the hospital but remains unconscious. The police suspect the truck driver’s drowsy driving as the cause of the accident and plan to investigate further. In other news….Grandma and Yeonwoo fell asleep with the TV still on. No matter what happened in the world, the stars in the hillside neighborhood continued to shine brightly.