Little one, I love you

Author: (Korean) Lim In-hee
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-06-09
Features: It's really me who's taller than him, you know. And since we were kids, every time we compared heights, I always won. So I've always teased him. I'd always laugh at him, but he never said a word, just lowered his head deeply. What an awkward guy,! "What can a man of such a short stature do? Grow taller, for goodness sake!!" Occasionally, he would retort, "Little guys have their uses too!" But other times, he couldn't help it—gasp! He would burst into tears and run into his mother's arms. What a wimp,! That's how it was back then. I used to be such a brave, tall girl who seemed capable of doing anything, while he was like the little dwarf from Snow White. But then, bad luck struck. What happened? It was like a bolt from the blue? Starting from 8th grade, he was like he'd swallowed a potion for growing taller, and his height shot up at an unbelievable speed—"whoosh, whoosh." You see, in 7th grade, he was still under 160 cm. Absolutely! I swear it's true! But my own height, for some reason, didn't budge when he was skyrocketing. Now I'm stuck at 157 cm—a number I'd rather not even think about—"157." Gods, how could this be so unfair? Thanks to him, from 8th grade to now in 12th grade, we've been in the same school, so I have to endure his teasing every day. I really don't know how this quiet, awkward guy turned into such a comedian, never missing a chance to laugh at me. The heavens are so biased! I, I really hate him, hate him with all my might. No, wait, let me correct myself—I still have some feelings for him, so let's just say I hate him a little. The little guy used to be much taller than me, so she always teased me, and I hated it. In truth, no one likes being teased, but the person teasing me was a girl—a girl I liked. I was so frustrated about my short stature that I ate excessively, drank milk, and ate bean sprouts—people say that's good for growing taller, so I kept exercising. They say doing handstands often helps you grow taller, so I did handstands day and night, nearly fainting and falling to the ground. Then, my height shot up at an unbelievable speed, and by 12th grade, I was already 186 cm tall. But the little guy is still short, and she was just as tall when she teased me as she is now. Every time I see the little guy, I can't help but tease her back, though not sincerely. "Did the little bean sprout finally sprout?" "I can't see you." But then again, she's short, yes, but her skin is snow-white, her hair is as black and lustrous as black pearls, her body is plump, and her cheeks are round—she's becoming more and more adorable. What's wrong with me? I've known her for so many years. I'm 19 now, and I've known the little guy since I was 6. My love for her has lasted over 10 years. How could the little guy not notice? I'm only really cheerful when I'm with the little guy; normally, I'm quiet and reserved. Although, maybe it's my fault that teasing the little guy has become a source of joy in my life. Every time I laugh at her, her snow-white face turns red, and she mutters nonsense no one can understand. Hahaha, she's so cute!