Chapter 0: Prologue

It had been about two months since my grandfather passed away.
I was sitting on a park bench with Ji-eun, eating fish-shaped bread, when she cautiously spoke to me.

“Oppa. I have something to tell you…!”
“Why? Not enough fish-shaped bread?”
“No-! That’s not it?!”
“Then, milk?”

When I asked, Ji-eun jumped up from the bench and said in a loud voice.

“That’s not it! Am I a big eater?!”
“You are, if anything. I’ve never seen a fifth-grader eat five fish-shaped breads besides you.”
“W-well…! Anyway! That’s not it…!”
“Then what is it?”

As I took a bite of my fish-shaped bread, Ji-eun hesitated.
I was worried if she had fought with her friends at school, but thankfully, that wasn’t it.

“It’s… I want to be family with you, Oppa!”
“Huh?”
“Oppa. I read in a book that you can become family through marriage, blood relation, or adoption-!”
“Wouldn’t it be difficult? We’re not related by blood, and I can’t adopt you either?”

Ji-eun stared at me and said.

“We can get married…!”

I had never even imagined getting proposed to in my life.
And to be proposed to by a ten-year-old elementary schooler…

Am I going to get put in handcuffs?

“How many years apart are we?”
“Only ten years! You can count them on your fingers-!”
“That’s a lot. And why would I marry you?”

When I nonchalantly said that, Ji-eun puffed out her cheeks.

“It won’t work even if you puff out your cheeks.”
“You won’t marry me? I’ll be good to you-!”
“If I had to say, I prefer older women to younger ones.”
“Why~ Let’s get married. Huh?! I’ll grow up pretty-! Huh?! So marry me!”

Ji-eun was persistent.

“I don’t make irresponsible promises.”
“Then will you marry me when I grow up pretty? Huh?! Huh?!”

Ji-eun shook my arm left and right as she asked.
I said okay since she wouldn’t even look at me when she grew up.

“Yeah. I’ll marry you when you grow up pretty.”
“Really?! You promised?!”
“Yeah, yeah. Okay~”
“Hehe. Yes~ I’m marrying Oppa!”

I answered absentmindedly, but Ji-eun raised both arms in joy.

“Hey, hey. Only when you’ve grown up pretty.”
“It’s okay-! I’m pretty now!”

Looking at Ji-eun smiling bashfully, the corners of my mouth went up too.

“What makes you so confident?”
“I’m pretty now?!”

I don’t know about pretty, but Ji-eun, yelling, was a bit cute.
I was already looking forward to teasing her with this in ten years.

“But, you know, we’re like family even without getting married, right?”
“Hmm~ That’s true, but. I’m going to marry Oppa!”

Ji-eun hugged me tightly.

“Hey, you’re heavy. Get off.”
“No~”