* * *

“…A suit.”

“Yeah.”

Not just any suit but the same brand as the one Elliot had once bought me.

The price tag nearly gave me vertigo, but fortunately, I now had a well-padded bank account.

Since I wouldn’t be around much longer, and I had enough to leave Eunsoo and Huimang comfortably, I splurged without hesitation.

“It’s a Christmas and New Year’s gift.”

“…It doesn’t seem like it’ll fit.”

Eunsoo eyed me skeptically, as if questioning how I could have gotten his size so wrong.

But he misunderstood.

I hadn’t bought the wrong size.

I bought it bigger on purpose.

“Don’t wear it now. Keep it safe and wear it later—on a special occasion. Like a wedding.”

“…A wedding?”

“Yeah, a wedding.”

I wouldn’t be able to attend his wedding myself, but if he wore the suit I picked, it would feel like I was there in spirit.

Of course, he’d have to carefully choose a wedding outfit with his husbands, but there’d still be occasions—receptions, honeymoons—where he could wear this.

At the word wedding, Eunsoo, who had been scowling like I’d woken him up for something trivial, suddenly brightened.

His blue eyes sparkled like stars in the night sky.

“If it fits, that means I’ll be bigger than you—both in size and height.”

“Yeah. You’re already growing. You’ll fill out soon.”

“You think I’ll get as big as those guys?”

Though he seemed intrigued by my gift, he didn’t hide his disdain for the three espers, calling them “those guys.”

It made my heart skip a beat.

Still, it was true—Eunsoo would grow just as tall as they were.

Maybe not as tall as Rex, but he’d reach Elliot’s height.

When I nodded, Eunsoo’s face lit up with a radiant smile, showing his white teeth.

“I like it. Thanks.”

I guess he’d been feeling insecure about being smaller than them.

Eunsoo always had a competitive streak, especially when it came to the Special A Team espers.

In any case, he carefully stashed the suit away in his closet, treating it like a sacred treasure, which filled me with satisfaction.

“Since I’ve received a gift, I’ll work harder.”

“Yeah. Let’s beat this and get better soon.”

Though my main reason for the gift was my desire to symbolically attend his wedding, it was also meant to cheer him up.

Sadly, it seemed to have the opposite effect.

After receiving the suit, Eunsoo slept even more.

At least he managed to eat properly and work diligently, never showing his fatigue in front of others.

But the moment he came home, he’d pass out.

It made me a little sad.

My days with Eunsoo were numbered, and I wanted to spend more time talking to him.

But what could I do?

His exhaustion was partly my fault for relying on him so much.

I even considered calling the three espers over to host a small year-end party, but in the end, I decided against it.

Letting him rest was more important.

Instead, I practiced making rice cake soup while he slept. It was a struggle.

What Eunsoo made so delicious and aromatic turned out strange, mushy, and overly salty in my hands.

Still, after days of trial and error, using the soup as my meals, I finally got it right.

On December 31, the day marking both the New Year and my goodbye, I produced a bowl of soup I could be proud of.

“Wow, this is good.”

Eunsoo, a picky eater, gave his approval, which felt like a miracle.

Thank goodness I succeeded on the last chance I’d have.

“You must’ve worked hard while I was asleep. Your cooking’s gotten much better.”

“No, this is the only thing I can make. I’m just glad you like it.”

I’d failed to control the portion size and ended up with over three servings, but Eunsoo cleared the pot, which made me smile.

Maybe he was just hungry from sleeping all day, but I chose to see it as a win.

One more bucket list item: accomplished.

“You must’ve had a hard time while I was sleeping all the time. But it’s okay now. It’s finally over.”

“Yeah, the year’s ending already.”

“No, I mean…”

“Hm?”

Eunsoo gave me an exasperated look as I grinned cluelessly at him.

But then he broke into a laugh.

“…Never mind. You’ve always been oblivious. Besides, it’s the last day—nothing matters now. I’m going to take a bath.”

With that, he shrugged and disappeared into the bathroom, leaving me staring after him.

Every second with him felt precious to me, but he seemed so calm, as if he had all the time in the world.

I wanted to stay by his side, but I couldn’t exactly suggest bathing together to someone almost an adult.

Asking him not to bathe was even more absurd.

Here’s the rewritten text in the first-person point of view from Heewon’s perspective:

---

Unable to distract myself from the growing unease of waiting for Eunsoo, I turned on the TV.

Award shows and music festivals filled the screen as the new year approached.

The hosts interviewed participants about their hopes for the coming year, their lively voices strangely affecting my mood.

Watching people treat what I knew to be my “last” day as their “beginning” made me feel both lonely and oddly comforted.

Yes, I was about to die, but the world Eunsoo lived in would continue, unaffected, like nothing had happened.

So, I decided, I would spend my last day as ordinarily as possible.

“Ugh, I’m so sleepy…”

Eunsoo shuffled out of the bathroom, his voice drowsy.

Despite having slept through most of the evening, he still seemed exhausted.

Fearful he might head straight to bed, my heart sank.

Hurriedly, I grabbed a soft towel and stood.

“Eunsoo, let me dry your hair,” I offered.

“Mmm… sure,” he mumbled.

He sat on the sofa, and Eunsoo plopped down on the floor between my legs, leaning back and offering his head.

Eunsoo’s head was small and round, his hair soft and fine, carrying the fresh scent of shampoo.

A smile tugged at my lips.

“It reminds me of the first day you came to live here,” I said, chuckling softly.

By some strange coincidence—or perhaps fate—I found myself drying Eunsoo’s hair on both our first and last days together.

But this time, it felt different.

What was it?

I pondered the difference until it hit me.

Eunsoo had grown.

His eye level, once so clearly below mine, was now nearly the same.

Even his voice had deepened into a huskier tone.

‘Has all the extra sleep been helping you grow?’

I wondered aloud.

If so, that was a relief.

I hoped he would grow into the suit I’d bought him, carefully picked to match the stats listed in the author’s notes. In case it didn’t fit, I’d even bought a larger size just in case.

As I dried his hair, the TV began the New Year’s countdown.

Five. Four. Three. Two. One…

The chime of a bell echoed as cheers erupted, and people exchanged greetings for the new year.

“Happy New Year,” I said, unable to resist.

“Hey, I’m an adult now,” Eunsoo replied, grinning.

“Yeah, I know,” I said quietly.

The day Eunsoo officially became an adult.

How long had I waited for this day?

And, at the same time, how much had I wished it wouldn’t come?

Though his birthday was still a few months away, making him technically only half an adult, it felt like my responsibilities as his guardian had finally ended.

“You’ve had it rough, stuck with an awful guardian. Now that you’re grown, it’s time for you to be independent.”

My chest tightened painfully.

To avoid breaking down in tears under Eunsoo’s gaze, I fixed my eyes on the TV, forcing a smile.

I wanted him to remember me smiling in my final moments.

But then, something unexpected happened.

“…?”

Eunsoo’s fingers slipped between mine, and before I could react, something soft and warm brushed my lips.

His blue eyes, trembling, fluttered open and softened as they met my gaze.

“I wanted to kiss you right away,” he said, his voice tinged with embarrassment.

“But I pushed myself too hard to time it right. So… this is as far as I’ll go for now.”

Cheeks flushed red, he nuzzled his nose against mine and stood.

“I’m going to sleep. See you in the morning,” he said casually, strolling into his room as though it belonged to him.

Stunned, I sat motionless, unable to process what had just happened.

Once the door clicked shut, my tightly sealed lips finally parted.

“…What the…?”

It had happened so quickly, so unexpectedly.

It wasn’t like the kiss was particularly deep—it had only moved from my cheek to my lips—but it felt entirely different.

It wasn’t joy I felt—it was confusion.

The noise from the TV only seemed to worsen my dazed state, so I turned it off.

The silence didn’t help much either.

Sitting alone in the quiet living room, I buried my face in my hands, trying to steady my breathing.

This wasn’t the time to be distracted.

I needed to leave before the streets emptied completely in the early morning hours.

Quietly, I opened the door to his room and found Eunsoo fast asleep, exhaustion evident on his peaceful face.

Gently brushing the boy’s forehead, I hesitated before speaking softly.

“Eunsoo, just because it’s the new year doesn’t mean you’re old enough to kiss me,” I said with a sigh.

A kiss—especially one of such depth—wasn’t appropriate. Not yet.

Not even close.

Even if Eunsoo’s feelings were genuine, even if I didn’t mind the boy’s affections, our relationship made it impossible.

I bent down, pressing a kiss to his forehead.

“I love you, Eunsoo,” I whispered.

As if in response, he murmured my name in his sleep.

The sound tugged at my heartstrings, reminding me just how deeply I mattered to him.

But it was precisely because of that love that I had to leave.

With my packed bag slung over my shoulder, I stepped out into the frigid winter air.

It was time to go.

What I didn’t expect was to learn, just a week later, that I couldn’t die after all.

* * *