A month had passed since Seol-i and I became friends, and December was already here.
Once December arrived, the kids seemed even more excited.
The biggest reason was Christmas, then snow, and finally elementary school.
We were seven years old. Next year, we'd start going to elementary school.
The kids all seemed to have high expectations for it.
Naturally, I didn't feel that way much.
I'd already gone through elementary school once before, and I knew exactly what it meant to move on to even higher levels of schooling.
-Rustle… rustle…
Today, too, Seol-i was carefully reading a picture book she'd brought from home.
The book she was reading today was Snow White. For some reason, it made me a little worried.
Not about Snow White, but about Seol-i.
Seol-i was extremely shy and loved reading books.
For a girl like her, school wouldn't be a kind place at all.
I was a boy, so I didn't know the ins and outs of girls' relationships exactly, but I knew there were subtle power struggles and conflicts among them.
If Seol-i got caught up in something like that, it could really hurt her.
I didn't want this little hamster to go through anything like that.
Truth be told, that was part of why I'd become her friend.
So she wouldn't get hurt, so this small, kind child could be happy.
As I was lost in those thoughts, I noticed the kindergarten teacher posting something on the wall.
It was none other than the list of birthdays for this month.
I walked slowly toward the list as if drawn to it, and there at the very bottom was Seol-i's birthday.
December 24th, Christmas Eve.
Even the day Seol-i was born was incredibly lovable.
Next to the list was the date for the kindergarten birthday party.
"A kindergarten birthday party…"
I glanced at Seol-i, then back at the party date.
I'd experienced this kindergarten birthday party before.
We kids didn't have to do much; the kindergarten provided gifts for everyone and threw the party.
In other words, if I wanted to give Seol-i a gift on that day, I'd have to give her something separate.
…What would be good to give her separately?
I started pondering, then decided on the simplest method.
I toddled over to Seol-i and spoke to her.
"Hey, Seol-i."
"Yeah?"
"Do you want anything by any chance?"
"Want anything…?"
Seol-i thought for a moment, then shook her head side to side.
It seemed she didn't really think about things she wanted.
Then I'd have to try a different approach.
I started recalling everything we'd done together so far.
So, what had I done with Seol-i…?
…Pretty much just watched her read books?
The one other thing was eating the carrots she wouldn't touch because she was picky.
Honestly, I hadn't expected her to be picky, but she was so cute then, just like any other kid her age.
But that wasn't the point.
The point was I still hadn't figured out what Seol-i wanted or if there was anything she desired.
I racked my brain some more.
What would be good? What item would fit perfectly into Seol-i's heart?
As I kept thinking, a memory flashed through my mind.
It was less a fond memory and more something that might leave a slight trauma for Seol-i.
The time Seol-i and I got lost.
The reason Seol-i got lost then was because she was staring so intently at some cute animals that she lost track of the group.
Right, Seol-i loved cute animals. She loved them a lot.
So, wouldn't she like an animal-shaped doll? Something super cute.
The problem was, I had no money right now.
I didn't get an allowance, and I had no way to earn any.
But there was a good solution for times like this.
What was it?
"Mom."
"Yes~ my Haneul?"
"If it's okay, could you buy me a teddy bear?"
Just ask Mom.
"A teddy bear? Does my son want a teddy bear?"
"No, it's not that…"
I explained briefly.
About how there was this friend named Seol-i at kindergarten, and I wanted to give it to her as a birthday present.
I knew it was a bit shameless.
After all, asking your parents for money to buy a gift for a friend? It was more than just "shameless"—it felt like a whole different level.
But I was a kid right now. A seven-year-old who didn't even get an allowance.
Kids like that were allowed to make such impudent requests.
Of course, it was a request I'd never made before coming into this novel world.
Fortunately, Mom graciously accepted my plea.
Then she looked at me with a very serious tone.
"Haneul."
"Yes, Mom."
"Do you like her or something?"
…The problem was she was seriously saying something weird.
"No, it's not like that."
I didn't like Seol-i. If it was as a friend, then obviously yes.
But as a girl, romantically? No.
For starters, inside I was a man in his early twenties. How could I possibly like a seven-year-old girl romantically?
My goal was simple.
Become friends with Seol-i so she wouldn't meet the novel's protagonist, Kim Do-yun.
If they met, she'd surely fall for that alpha male's handsome looks and kind personality.
And then she'd get hurt, big tears falling from those huge eyes.
My goal was to make sure that never happened.
Things like dating because I liked her? Never going to happen.
"Not at all?"
"Yeah. I don't like her like that."
"Then why ask me to buy a gift?"
"Because she's my friend."
"Hmmm~ You're not being honest~"
Mom grabbed my cheeks and shook them wildly, as if my not-quite-excuse was adorable.
"Alright, if my son wants to give a gift to the girl he likes, of course I'll buy a teddy bear! With pretty wrapping too!"
"...Okay."
It was embarrassing, but I felt relieved anyway.
She was saying it so emphatically that I knew she'd really get the gift.
And the next day, Mom really brought home a teddy bear.
An incredibly cute one, just the right size to carry around.
This would definitely make Seol-i happy. It was that adorable and lovable of a teddy bear.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
About two weeks passed.
During those two weeks, I'd done my best not to let it show, and today was finally the day.
Seol-i's birthday.
The kindergarten birthday party was actually next week.
But since today was her real birthday, I'd been timing when to give her the teddy bear.
The problem was, the timing wasn't coming together as well as I'd hoped.
"Sigh… When should I give it to her?"
For some reason, today there was no time when we were alone. There was always something going on.
Thanks to that, the teddy bear filling my bag still hadn't reached its rightful owner.
In the end, time flew by until the end of kindergarten, and as soon as it ended, the kids started heading home with their parents.
I watched the other kids slowly disperse and spoke to Seol-i.
"Hey, Seol-i."
"Yeah, Haneul?"
Seol-i no longer kept her guard up around me.
Before, she would've glanced at me, stepped back a bit, and answered from there. Now she just stood and looked at me.
That alone made me so grateful to her.
I pulled the teddy bear out of my bag.
A super cute brown teddy bear with a pink ribbon on its chest.
It was wrapped in paper, of course.
"Here, take this."
"This?"
"Yeah, birthday present. It's your birthday today, right?"
"…The party is next week?"
"Still, it's your birthday today. You know that, right?"
-Shake shake
Seol-i shook her cute little head and looked at me.
In those sparkling eyes, I could faintly see a glimmer of anticipation.
Seizing that moment, I held the teddy bear out to her.
"Happy birthday. This is your present."
"Present…? For real…? A real present…?"
"Of course~ Unless you don't want it?"
-Shake shake shake shake
Shaking her head even harder than before, Seol-i carefully started unwrapping it…
And then I watched her expression change in real time.
Seol-i's face lit up brightly. Her mouth opened a little wider, and it looked like drool might start dripping.
"What do you think? Like it?"
-Nod nod nod nod
"Seol-i, happy birthday."
"Hehe… Thank you…"
Seol-i beamed at me, then hugged the teddy bear I'd given her tightly.
At that moment, I had no idea.
How long that teddy bear—given to grow closer to Seol-i—would stay by her side.