We Should Have Slept While Only Holding Hands, And Yet?!: Volume 1 – Author’s Afterword

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Author’s Afterword

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The entire world had been dyed white.

And I, was becoming a snowman.

My steps which had stopped, the piling snow, and my frozen heart.

Leaving behind me who was like that, that child had begun to walk.

As if they had no regret.

I, who was unable to move because the snow that was piled on top of me had become too heavy, could only watch the child’s back.

⎯⎯⎯It’s okay.

I could only hear a soft voice, being carried by the wind.

⎯⎯⎯This isn’t goodbye.

That child’s head, stopped as it was slightly turning around.

That face which could only be furtively seen due to the hair that was covering it.

The thing that was flowing from their eye, was probably spring. They say that spring is what comes after the snow melts after all. Moreover, that child, compared to me who was like the winter, was like the spring.

⎯⎯⎯When you release a book one day, we’ll meet again.

⎯⎯⎯At that time, please write a beautiful love story.

Snow continued to pile on top of me.

As if it truly intended to turn me into a snowman. As if something like spring didn’t exist.

Nevertheless, even within my winter-like body, there was a single spot where there was still warmth.

The lips which spring had momentarily visited.

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Is what I would vacantly wish would happen as I live my life. Hello. I’m known as the lazy Ryu Hosung, everyone’s friend, and our friend. This is my first time greeting you all through a book. Ah, that’s my real name.

First things first, I give my sincere thanks to everyone for reading my book 〈We Should Have Slept While Only Holding Hands, And Yet?!〉. Thank you very much. It’s important so I said it twice. Your love gives me the strength to live through this rough life. You all provide me with the fuel. People say that you can’t live on only bread. However, you can’t live at all if you don’t even have any bread.

Additionally, I’d like to apologize to those of you who bought 〈We Should Have Slept While Only Holding Hands, And Yet?!〉 at an offline market. I’m sorry. This is important as well so I said it twice. If there’s someone who asked a female employee at a bookstore this,

“U-Uhm, c-can you tell me w-where ‘We Should Have Slept While Only Holding Hands, And Yet?!’ is located?!”

then I’m truly sorry. It’s incredibly important so I said it three times.

 

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I believe that all of you had experienced asking your parents ‘Where do babies come from?’ with sparkling eyes. Normally, parents who do not want to break their children’s innocence would teach them that if you sleep with someone while holding hands, then a stork would bring a baby and place the baby in a cabbage patch, but I was told that I got picked up from under a bridge. Thanks to that, I was crooked during my childhood. Not too long ago, I realized the truth hidden behind those words and my childhood innocence was scarred. It’s better if pure and simple children didn’t know.

Nevertheless, babies don’t pop out of nowhere just by sleeping with someone while holding hands. It takes about 10 months before a baby can see sunlight. Even after that, they’ll most likely be raised by their family’s love and affection for a long period of time.

Of course, they probably won’t be raised with solely their family’s love and affection. You can tell by just watching TV. In my case, since I lived in a double-income family and because the age gap between me and my little sibling was large, I was traumatized during my childhood. Furthermore, they even said that I was a child they had picked up from under a bridge! Hmph!

People often compare the pain of their creations with labor pains. Although I don’t know what that feeling is exactly since I’m a guy, and the mothers of the world might would most likely laugh in ridicule at that saying, I felt that a lot while I was writing this book. There were a lot of difficulties and times that I wanted to quit while I was working on this, but since I’m now here writing the afterword, I feel so happy because it feels like you’ve taken in my child.

I hope that all of you were able to at least feel a little bit happy as you read my son and daughter-like story. Please blame the flaws of the children on me, the parent.

 

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Now my words of thanks.

First, Yoonameul who had drawn such fantastic illustrations. Every day, I recite a prayer 3 times towards the direction where they reside a total of 5 times a day. I plan to visit and prostrate before them as soon as I’m able. Please don’t be surprised if you open your front door one day and find me on my knees.

Additionally, I’d like to thank my editor. If I’m the mother(?), then my editor is the father(?). I’m sorry for not listening. I’m sorry for not being able to meet the deadline. Next time, I promise to not film an escape scene in order to avoid the deadline by jumping down from the 4th floor.

I’m also grateful to everyone who I’ve been indebted to until now. Although I had truly discovered a miraculous way to show my gratitude to each and every person that I’m indebted to, there isn’t enough space in this afterword. No, seriously.

Finally, I’d like to thank my parents who had picked me, their son, up from underneath a bridge and for raising me to this day. I now have to go stand in front of my parents and say,  “Beloved father, beloved mother! I hath released a book!”, and then they’ll ask “I see, what kind of book is it?”, which I will then have to answer by telling them the title of the book. My future is dark.

It’d be nice if you all enjoyed this story. I’ll see you in the next volume. Yours truly!

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TL note: Thank you for reading volume 1 of Handholding. I’m not sure when I’ll work on the side story for volume 1, but I’ll make an announcement about it later on. See you guys in my next update.

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