After finishing the game and returning home to rest briefly, I went out grocery shopping with Jiu.
It was Jiu who dragged me along, saying she would make a special meal today.
Thanks to that, both hands holding the shopping baskets felt heavy.
While walking home with fairly high expectations, Jiu asked.
"Hey. You know, earlier."
"Huh?"
"You got your uniform taken? By that tall guy."
"...What are you talking about."
"You got it taken. That guy came and said this and that, so you quickly took it off and gave it to him, didn't you."
"...I didn't get it taken."
"Then what?"
At the absurd interrogation, I let out a sigh and shook my head.
Like anyone would get something taken from them.
"People call that an exchange. It's not being taken."
"To anyone watching, it looked like you were being shaken down."
"...Why would I get shaken down?"
"Don't you remember the old days? Whether it was when we were in 5th or 6th grade. In front of the bookstore at the central shopping center. You, by kids from another school..."
"Shut up—"
"You were surrounded and about to get shaken down before I saved you."
"...I said shut up."
Jiu giggled at something funny.
Just how long ago is she talking about.
"I remember your eyes were welling up with tears back then. Even after I chased the kids away, you were scared and kept saying let's go home."
"..."
I looked off into the distance for no reason.
She really has a good memory. I don't know how she remembers something from over four years ago.
...Though I do remember it too, actually.
"If we met them now, they wouldn't even be able to squeak in front of our Jian. Right?"
"...Right."
I snickered at Jiu's words, and Jiu giggled too.
Come to think of it, when we were young, I really... was like that.
Timid by nature and short on top of that, so things like that happened a few times.
My classmates were all nice, so it was fine, but when I went out to play with Jiu on weekends, there were always kids like that.
When I sat alone waiting for Jiu, kids moving in groups of two or three would come talk to me.
Of course, it wasn't anything nice.
Embarrassingly, Jiu saved me every time that happened.
Back then, Jiu was bigger than me.
That was how small I was.
"Sigh, our Jian was really tiny back then. What on earth did you eat to grow this much?"
"Why are you talking like a grandma?"
Well, after I started soccer, those things stopped happening.
Strangely, no kid bothered me when I wore the soccer club uniform.
I remember I always wore the uniform even on weekends because of that.
As if the uniform was some kind of armor.
Lost in thoughts of that time, I said to Jiu.
"...Hey, since we're talking about uniforms, I just remembered something."
"Huh?"
"That uniform I gave you back then, do you still have it?"
"The uniform you gave me back then?"
Jiu tilted her head at my question.
I remember when I first said I'd play soccer, Jiu begged that she wanted a uniform too, so I gave her one.
Our school soccer club uniform, that is.
I wonder if she still has it.
"Maybe? Well, it must be somewhere."
"...Really?"
"Yeah. Why?"
"No, just... Since we were talking about uniforms, it came to mind."
When I shrugged, Jiu smiled as if amused.
"I don't remember where I put it. Well, it's not important anyway."
"Well... I guess."
Hmm.
Is that so...
Seeing that she can't even remember, it seems she shoved it away in some corner.
Well... I didn't expect her to treasure it, but I thought she'd at least remember it.
Because I gave it to her with great difficulty back then.
In our soccer club days, uniforms weren't overflowing like they are now.
I had to do laundry more often because I gave one to Jiu.
But to Jiu, it seems like too distant a memory.
Indeed. It was an important uniform only to me; to Jiu, it was probably just gym clothes.
...Still, I think she wore it often during PE.
"Hey, wait a minute."
For some reason feeling slightly dejected, as we passed in front of Jiu's house, Jiu spoke.
"I'm going to run in and come back out real quick."
"Why?"
"I need to grab something. Wait here a bit."
"Okay."
Jiu ran into the house like that, and I stood there holding shopping baskets in both hands.
"..."
Hmm.
Standing alone breathing the night air, my mind felt restless.
The dark sky and its characteristic damp smell definitely possessed some kind of magic.
If not, simply feeling the night breeze couldn't make a person this sentimental.
Well... old stories had come up suddenly too.
Come to think of it, the weather had already gotten much warmer.
Just as I was about to fall into strange sentiments for no reason, I turned my head at the sound of the door bursting open.
"Sorry! Let's go!"
And Jiu came running out, and I stared at Jiu blankly for a moment.
Jiu's outfit had changed.
Seeing me making a stupid expression, Jiu giggled.
"What, are you surprised?"
"Uh... no..."
"You haven't seen this in a really long time, right? I'm wearing it after a really long time too. It still fits? Guess I haven't gained weight."
Jiu said casually, and I was dumbfounded.
Because the clothes Jiu had changed into were that uniform from back then.
Hwaryeong Elementary School No. 10 I Jian...
"...What the heck. You said you didn't remember where you put it."
"Did you believe that? Of course I've kept it well."
"Unbelievable. Seriously..."
When I clicked my tongue, Jiu peered into my face and laughed again.
"You were disappointed earlier, weren't you? When I said I didn't remember."
"Why would I be disappointed?"
"You were. You suddenly got all gloomy when I said I didn't know where it was."
"Why would I..."
...Did it show?
My face grew hot, so I turned my head away for no reason.
Then Jiu laughed even louder.
"Ah, really, I Jian. This is why teasing you is so fun."
"What are you on about."
"Hey. What do you take me for? You think I'd just shove this anywhere? Of course I've kept it well. It's the first gift I've ever received from a friend in my life."
"...A gift, you say."
"What! It is a gift. It might mean nothing to you, but it's precious to me. I'm probably the only one who still has this, aren't I?"
"...I have mine too."
"Ah, of course you'd have yours! No one but you and me has..."
As if frustrated, Jiu started to say something, then suddenly closed her mouth.
"Well, anyway. Wearing it after so long brings back old memories. When I walked around wearing this during PE, the kids all teased me."
"...Teased? About what?"
"What do you think. They teased me about dating I Jian. Everyone was so childish back then."
"They really were..."
"Of course, the boys who teased me like that all got punched by me once."
Jiu raised her fist as if throwing an uppercut, and we both burst into laughter.
"You really were scary back then."
"Why are you talking like I went around bullying kids?"
"...You did, though."
"...Want me to show you what real bullying is?"
"Ah, no."
Sigh, Jiu throws this punch with a "pow" right in front of my eyes, but that fist only looks cute.
Back then, it was a scarier fist than any boy's... now it just looks small.
"Come to think of it, you've changed a lot."
"Me?"
At my words, Jiu points at herself with her hand, and I nodded.
"What changed?"
"Back then, you used to dress like a guy."
"Tch. My hair was a bit short in elementary school. And I didn't wear skirts or anything."
"Why were you like that back then?"
Jiu shrugged and said.
"Who knows? Because it was comfortable? There are only three women in our house. Me, my older sister, and Mom. So every morning was a war."
"Why?"
"Hey, imagine three women washing and drying their hair all at once. It's a real war. So I just got frustrated and cut it all off."
Strangely, the memory of that time rose clearly.
It was probably in 4th grade.
There was a time Jiu came in with a boy's haircut and left a deep impression.
Back then, I had the fixed idea that boys absolutely had short hair and girls had long hair.
But Jiu, despite being a girl, suited short hair so well that I remember being confused.
Thinking about it now, it's funny.
Why would something like that be confusing...
Well, I was young and didn't know anything.
"But why did you grow it out again? Short hair was comfortable."
Jiu's hair, which had been like that, gradually grew longer, and I remember it being close to a bob from around 5th or 6th grade.
I asked because I remembered that, but suddenly Jiu looked at me with a scary face.
"...What?"
"Why? I'm asking why you grew it out."
"...Huh. Why...?"
Did I ask something I shouldn't have?
I hunched my shoulders as if reverting to elementary school under Jiu's scary gaze, and Jiu let out a frustrated sigh.
"Ha... you're asking why I grew it out? This is really absurd."
...Is this something you don't ask a girl?
No, but asking why someone grew their hair isn't a strange question...
But Jiu kept grumbling and then started walking ahead with quick steps.
Mumbling something.
I couldn't hear it well, but it seemed like she was saying something about because of someone.
"L-let's go together."
I didn't know what was going on, but...
The Jiu who was famous back then came to mind, and a chill ran down my spine after a long time.
...
"What are you looking at."
"..."
"I said what are you looking at. I Jian."
"...Huh? Ah, no..."
"Why are you staring like that! Aren't you going to tell me quickly?"
Classroom of Class 3, Grade 4, Hwaryeong Elementary School.
Gim Jiu leaned her face toward I Jian, who sat at the next desk, and asked.
At that Gim Jiu, the already tiny I Jian shrank even smaller, becoming the size of an eraser.
Just as Gim Jiu reached out her hand, I Jian finally spoke in a timid voice.
"Y-your... you cut your hair..."
"So?"
"...So I looked... because it's fascinating..."
"What's so fascinating? Is it your first time seeing short hair?"
"...First time..."
"Shut up. It's first period Korean, so take out your book."
"Okay..."
Gim Jiu clicked her tongue and took out a book from her bag, and I Jian quietly took out a book too.
"Hmm."
After taking out their books and waiting for the teacher like that, Gim Jiu touched her own hair with her hand.
...It definitely feels really awkward.
Her hair, which used to come down to her back, now doesn't even reach the nape of her neck. The most fascinating thing is the hair on the sides. She had never known how refreshing it was to have her ears exposed like this.
Yesterday, the weather was hot, and washing and drying her hair for almost an hour every morning had been annoying, so Gim Jiu had cut her hair off.
There had been many times she almost got in late because her sister always monopolized the bathroom and hair dryer first.
That's why she cut it, but she hadn't actually planned to cut it this short.
She was sure she had asked the salon lady for a short bob. But the lady just chopped it off. That lady had been a bit aggressive since she started cutting while taking a phone call.
Well, anyway.
It had gotten much shorter than expected, but it was incredibly comfortable.
Now twenty minutes was enough to get ready in the morning, and she wasn't hot because of her hair.
Above all, it was extremely light.
Even though she had only cut her hair, it felt like she had gotten about 1kg lighter.
She was quite satisfied.
Except for one thing: it felt very awkward when looking in the mirror.
"...Hey."
"Huh...?"
"Does my hair look weird?"
When Gim Jiu asked, I Jian flinched and looked at Gim Jiu's hair with uneasy eyes.
At that gaze, Gim Jiu pouted.
Up until coming to school, she had been completely satisfied, but now Gim Jiu was getting slightly annoyed because of I Jian's reaction.
Because I Jian had looked at her as if she were strange.
"...It's not weird..."
"It's not weird?"
"Yeah..."
"Then why are you looking at me with those eyes?"
"Eyes...?"
"Why are you staring at me like I'm some strange thing?"
At Gim Jiu's semi-threatening question, I Jian scratched her head.
But still, she said what she had to say.
"...It is a bit weird..."
"..."
"It's a boy's haircut... You look like a guy..."
"...Like a guy?"
I Jian nodded hesitantly, and Gim Jiu got angry.
"So what. Huh? So what?"
"Ah, no..."
"What does it matter if I have a boy's haircut? Huh?"
I Jian spoke with her eyes as if to say 'you asked first,' but Gim Jiu ignored her and plopped down, resting her chin on her arms.
Although it couldn't be seen because of that, Gim Jiu's lips were pouting out a foot.
'Damn... like a guy?'
Then her face became a bit gloomy.
Until yesterday, and even earlier, it had been a very satisfying haircut.
Suddenly she started regretting it.
She had cut it for no reason. She wanted to go back to yesterday.
She wanted to go back to before cutting her hair!!!
"..."
Gim Jiu thought she should go home and ask her mom how to grow her hair out quickly.