ep 3

That evening, after returning home, Kookie quietly went to his room.For the first time in a long while, the house didn't feel quite as lonely as before.

As he sat by the window, his thoughts kept drifting back to the park.To the strange man who refused to leave.

To the man who kept coming closer every time he was told to go away.

A small smile unknowingly appeared on his face.

"Mr. Bear..."

he whispered softly to himself.The nickname still sounded funny, yet somehow it felt right.As the evening sky slowly darkened, Kookie found himself replaying every moment they had spent together.

And without realizing it, he had already started looking forward to meeting Tae again.

Time Skip ☺️

The next morning, Kookie woke up earlier than usual.

For some reason, he felt unusually excited.

After finishing his breakfast, he kept glancing at the clock from time to time.

The day seemed to move slower than ever.

Finally, unable to wait any longer.That afternoon, Kookie was already waiting at their usual spot.As soon as he arrived, he sat down on the grass and pretended to play with his toys.

Minutes passed.

The moment he saw Tae approaching from a distance, his face brightened.

However, not wanting Tae to notice, he quickly looked away and pretended to be busy with his toys.

Then suddenly, a familiar voice reached his ears.

"Did you come early today, Kookie?"

The little boy immediately looked up.

There stood Tae with his usual gentle smile.

Kookie quickly looked away.

"No."

Tae raised an eyebrow.

"Really?"

"Really."

A few seconds of silence passed.

Then Kookie quietly asked,

"Why did you take so long, Mr. Bear?"

The moment those words left his mouth, Tae couldn't help but laugh softly.

Maybe the little boy had been waiting after all.

The warm afternoon breeze gently passed by as Tae and Kookie continued sitting on the grass.

For the first time in a long while, Kookie found himself enjoying someone's company. The sadness and loneliness that usually surrounded him seemed a little lighter whenever Tae was around.

As they played together, Kookie suddenly noticed a small flower growing nearby. His eyes lit up with curiosity. Carefully picking it, he looked at it for a few seconds before turning toward Tae.

"Mr. Bear."

Tae looked up from the toy in his hands.

"Hmm?"

Without saying anything else, Kookie stretched out his hand and offered him the little flower.

Tae blinked in surprise.

"For me?"

Kookie quickly looked away.

"Don't think too much. I just found it."

A small smile appeared on Tae's face as he accepted the flower.

"Thank you, Kookie."

The little boy tried to act indifferent, but the corners of his lips lifted slightly.

Soon they returned to playing with the toys. Every now and then Kookie would correct Tae whenever he made a mistake.

"No, no! That's not how you do it!"

"Really?" Tae asked dramatically.

"Of course! You're doing everything wrong!"

Hearing the child's confident voice, Tae laughed softly.

The more time they spent together, the more comfortable Kookie became. The walls around his heart were slowly disappearing without him even realizing it.

After a while, both of them lay down on the grass and looked up at the sky.

The clouds drifted lazily above them.

"That one looks like a rabbit," Kookie said while pointing upward.

Tae stared for a moment.

"I think it looks like a bear."

Kookie immediately turned to him.

"Then that's you, Mr. Bear!"

Both of them burst into laughter.

For a brief moment, neither of them thought about the sadness, loneliness, or pain they carried inside.

They simply enjoyed being together.

As the sun slowly began to set, Tae stood up.

"I should go now."