11-3
by Han Yong-un
Sun-young looked at Dae-cheol and slowly smiled.
“But I think differently.”
“……?”
“If you truly love someone…”
She spoke while touching the edge of her glass with her fingertips.
“Isn't it right to share happiness or pain together?”
Dae-cheol quietly looked at her.
Sun-young smiled softly, lowering her eyes.
“I want to take all of your pain, Teacher.”
At those words, Dae-cheol's gaze momentarily wavered.
“Thank you.”
He slowly opened his mouth.
“But…”
It was a moment when Dae-cheol hesitated to speak.
Sun-young opened her mouth first.
“Teacher.”
“Yes?”
“I heard you’re going to mine gold?”
Dae-cheol's eyes narrowed slightly.
“Where did you hear that?”
“I heard everything.”
Sun-young said without hiding anything.
“I heard you need money for the gold mine application.”
Dae-cheol paused for a moment and nodded his head.
“I'm not actually mining gold… I'm planning to.”
“I heard there are many people who became rich from mining gold these days.”
“Well…”
Dae-cheol smiled bitterly.
“I also want to become rich, but I don't know if it will go as planned.”
Sun-young immediately got to the point.
“But you haven't secured the money yet, right?”
“……”
“How much do you need?”
Dae-cheol looked at her.
“About one hundred fifty won should be enough.”
“Then…”
Sun-young spoke almost without hesitation.
“I will take care of it for you.”
Dae-cheol's expression hardened.
“No way.”
“Why not?”
“How could Sun-young have that much money…”
“I do.”
Sun-young said firmly.
“And if I have money, there's no reason not to help.”
She looked directly at Dae-cheol.
“I would give my body to you, Teacher…”
Her face turned red.
“What’s money compared to that?”
Dae-cheol was momentarily speechless.
Sun-young hurriedly continued speaking.
“So don’t worry and just go ahead with the application.”
And she smiled slightly.
“If the gold mine does well, won't I also enjoy a good life?”
She seemed to hold back words she couldn't finish and momentarily closed her mouth.
Dae-cheol quietly watched Sun-young for a while and then spoke softly.
“The order of words has changed.”
“What?”
“I…”
Dae-cheol spoke as if he were catching his breath.
“I want to live with you, Sun-young, for the rest of my life.”
Sun-young's breath stopped.
“……!”
“Would you marry someone like me?”
For a moment, it felt like the world had stopped.
Sun-young had already been waiting for those words countless times in her heart.
She had also expressed her feelings several times.
That she wanted to rely on him for a lifetime.
That she wanted to live by his side.
But—
When the word “marriage” came directly from Dae-cheol's mouth, her heart raced wildly.
Her voice trembled as well.
Sun-young lowered her head to hide her reddening face and then looked up again.
“Teacher…”
Her eyes filled with tears.
“Is this for real?”
Dae-cheol answered immediately.
“Do I look like someone who jokes about such things?”
Sun-young finally burst into laughter and tears at the same time.
“No…”
She said in a trembling voice.
“It feels too much like a dream…”
The tears slowly flowed down her cheeks.
Dae-cheol quietly watched her and then spoke as if to change the atmosphere.
“Well, how about a drink?”
“Ah!”
Sun-young finally came to her senses.
“I got so caught up in the conversation that I forgot.”
She hurriedly stood up and went outside.
As she did, she turned back once at the door to look at Dae-cheol.
And she smiled.
A moment later, Sun-young returned with a tray of drinks and poured some into a glass as she asked.
“Then…”
She cautiously swallowed.
“If you get money tomorrow, will you leave right away?”
“Yes.”
Dae-cheol nodded his head.
“It's still a bit late.”
He said with a serious expression.
“These days, mining applications are a race against time.”
“……”
“Since it's a place I discovered, there's a good chance others don't know about it yet…”
He looked down at his drink.
“Because you never know what happens in the world.”
Sun-young felt unnecessarily anxious.
“Then where are you going?”
“First, I'm going to Seoul.”
“Seoul…”
“Because the application has to be made in Seoul.”
“What about after that?”
“I need to head down to where the mine is soon.”
Sun-young quietly asked.
“Where is it?”
Dae-cheol smiled for a moment.
“I usually don't tell others before applying…”
And then he looked at her.
“Do you really think Sun-young would take my mine?”
“Oh dear.”
Sun-young laughed as well.
“What difference does it make if I have one and you have one?”
She was laughing when suddenly her expression changed.
“Then…”
And she asked very softly.
“When will you come back?”