There’s a candy shop on this winding road.

Their house special is called “Miracle Candy”.

This candy has the power to cause miracles...

---

 

Everyday, girls from town visit this candy shop to buy “Miracle Candy” in hopes that their special someone will accept their confession.

Three years ago, I also gave this candy to a boy…

“Soo-Mi.”

I turned my head at the mention of my name to see my boyfriend, Minwoo. I tilted my head, waiting for him to continue.

“I’m sorry, but let’s break up.”

 

Those words came crashing down on my heart.

 

“…What are you talking about, Minwoo?” I was flabbergasted and at a loss for words. “You… you said you had something important to say, but… you want to break up with me?”

I stood there in shook, unable to believe the words he had just uttered.

“I’m sorry,” He lowered his head. “I like someone else.”

At that point, my spirits plunged as gloom took over my heart. Frustrated, I stomped off to a nearby riverside, chomping on that candy… was it called Miracle Candy?

 

Well, something like that.

 

*crackle*  *crunch*  *crunch*

 

“ Don’t joke with me,” I grinded my teeth, talking to no one in particular.

 

*crunch*  *crunch*

 

“We dated for three years! Ever since we were 14… how can he just dump me like that?!”

 

*crunch* *crackle*

 

“Back in junior high, you accepted my confession although I was plain. How can you dump me now, this beautiful me?!”

 

*crumple*

 

“Is he blind? Well, honestly speaking, I’ve become very, very beautiful now!” I was fuming; my anger was uncontrollable at this point. Littered around me were an increasing number of candy bags.

“Too beautiful to waste on a guy like him! Curse him!” Passer-byes quickly hurried by as they whispered and stared at me like I was crazy. That’s right, I am crazy.

 

And now that I think about it…

 

“What the hell is this mysterious candy for?!”  My eyes filled up with tears as I gritted my teeth and threw the bag of Miracle Candy into the air. I watched as the bag flew into the air as rainbow colored candy pieces landed around me. They twinkled in the light of the sun; and the irony of it nearly made me laugh. I must really be crazy now.

Three years ago, I had shyly confessed to Minwoo and given him a bag of Miracle Candy.

I closed my eyes, remembering the still-vivid scene that I would never forget.

 

“Minwoo… uhm… this…” I shyly the bag of Miracle Candy in front of myself, trying to contain my blushes.

“Are you serious?! There’s really someone who sells this, eh?!” His words shocked me at first, as I stood there mutely, taken aback by his words.

“Just kidding. Thanks, I’m happy.” He grinned and patted my head. “Well, this means that you’re my girlfriend from now on, right?”

I was so happy that I thought I was dreaming.

Minwoo was incredibly popular in school, and to make him fall for me, I worked hard to suit him. Dieting, fashion, make-up…

But, why…

 

“Uhmm, are you okay?” A voice startled me and shook me out of my deep thoughts. I lazily opened my eyes to see a girl that looked exactly like me- well, like me from three years ago.

“Anemia? Should I call an ambulance?” She hurriedly asked me, a worried expression plastered on her face.

“Ah… no, I’m fine…” I slowly responded, watching the girl worry.

She looked as plain as I did when I was in junior high… those freckles, the helmet cut, the plain black hair, and the shy demeanor.

‘What a poor girl,’ I thought, still deeply absorbed in my thoughts. However, something caught my attention. I grabbed her collar, and pulled her towards me.

“Eh?” She was surprised by my sudden action. On her skirt, pinned with a silver safety pin, was a nametag that read “Soo-Mi”.

 

Isn’t that my name?

 

“Are you a clone?” I suspiciously asked her, pulling her face closer to mine.

“Huh?” The girl was clueless as to what I was asking.

“Don’t give me that! It’s scary to see someone who looks like my junior high self with the same name!” I yelled in her face, scaring her quite a bit.

“I’m... I’m sorry! I’m a 2^ndyear junior high school student at Seoul Junior High! My name is Jung Soo-Mi and I live in 651-15 Sinsa-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul!” She hastily replied, tearing up a little.

“And your parents?” I interrogated.

“Ah... uhm… my father is Jung Tae Goo and my mother is Koo Min-ha…” She trembled, still unaware of what was going on.

“…and your pet?” My voice trailed off.

“Two turtles called Mino and Monta…” She bit her lip, looking down at the grass nervously.

That’s it. I was utterly confused as to what was happening. Why was she exactly like me?

 

There’s no way…

 

“TELL ME WHAT THE DATE IS TODAY!” I furiously demanded, shaking her shoulders impatiently.

“Ah! J-J-uly 17, 2008!”

 

Oh. My. God.

Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear….

OH MY GOD.

We don’t just look alike, this IS the me from three years ago.

Is this real? Did I leap through time?

 

My head felt heavy, and I groaned.

“I-I’m going to buy you a drink! Owwie…” She shyly stood up and accidently hit tripped over herself.

 

...this was pretty sad, seeing the me from three years ago. The me who was not someone, not anyone, but simply no one.

 

“You dropped his…” I handed her the handmade red wallet she had dropped in the process of tripping. The front of the handmade wallet sagged, and I glimpsed a picture of Minwoo- in his junior high days.

“Ack! Please give it back!” Her face flushed in embarrassment as she quickly snatched the wallet away from my grasp.

 

Ugh. This feeling of having a one-sided love, again…

 

“I… I’m sorry, I know it’s silly of me to be carrying this photo, but…” She clasped her hands in front of her, in some odd praying motion. A blush still faintly resided in her cheeks.

 

Geez, was he famous or something? I mean, there’s no need to act as if he was your idol or god…

 

“You’re going to date him anyways. Why don’t you just confess already?” I propped my head onto my hand, lazily running my hand through my hair. 

“D- Date him?! That’s... that’s impossible!” She stared at me, wide-eyed at my statement.

“You will.”

“He’s out of my reach!”

“You can reach him…” I sighed exasperatedly.

 

This is impossible… I’m getting pissed at myself.

 

“Bye.” I brushed pieces of grass of my skirt and stood up, ready to leave.

“Umm, where are you going?” The girl tilted her head, inquiring me with her curious eyes.

 

Good point.

 

Where can I go?

 

I’m stuck in the past for now…

 

“Hey, take me to your home.” I casually shifted my bag over my shoulder.

“Huh?” She stared blankly at me.

 

⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯

 

“Ahh, now this is comfortable,” I lay down on her bed, yawning as I made myself feel at home.  Beside me was a glass tank containing two turtles, which I assumed were Mino and Monta.

“Put on some music, and I’m thirsty, so get me a soda from the fridge,” My finger lazily waved around, pointing out my needs. She fretted and rushed to carry out my commands.

“May I ask you about yourself, unnie?” She smiled sheepishly at me, scratching the back of her head

“I’m Jung Soo-Mi, born May 27^th, Gemini, blood type A. Born and raised in Seoul.”

“Really?! M-Me too! We’re the same!” Her face clearly registered shock and surprise. “Everything is the same!”

 

Well, of course we are.

 

“That’s because you are me from three years ago,” I bluntly stated, shifting my weight on the bed. I didn't have the most tact or patience in the world.

“Ehehehe! That’s impossible, we don’t look like each other!” She shyly laughed and waved off that idea. I frowned at her statement. As much as I wanted her to believe it, I couldn't believe it myself.

 

I guess it isn’t very believable…

 

“… I was dumped by my boyfriend who I dated for three years,” My eyelids closed as I recalled today’s earlier events.

 

Why am I telling her this?

 

“Soo-Mi unnie, are you okay…?” She slowly reached her hands out and held mine reassuringly.

 

What a gentle hand…

 

⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯

 

“Soo-Mi! Soo-Mi unnie, please wake up,” The girl peeking at my face, then poked my cheek.

“Huh…?”

“Today we only have the closing ceremony, but I still need to go to school. Call my mom if there’s anything you need… Then, I’m off!” She beamed at me, bowing lower than 90 degrees.

“Yeah, take care…” Waving sluggishly, I watched her turn around.

 

Wait.

No way she was going like that!

 

“HOLD IT!” I quickly rose up, startling her. I stepped in front of her, inspecting her face and clothes.

 

“Fly-away hair, freckled skin, thick eyebrows… are you kidding me? Don’t you care about your looks at all?” My eyebrows twitched with slight anger and annoyance. “Come over here!”

“Eh? Ah? Wait!”

I forcibly pulled her into a sitting position. It was a daily habit of mine to dab make-up onto my face; I absolutely could not stand going out in public without any make-up.

“No! Make-up is not allowed in school!” She anxiously waved her hands around.

 “They won’t know if it’s just a little.,” I shrugged and continued to pin her hair up into a dainty half-bun. “Anyways, it’ll be more of a problem if you don’t put some on.”

I carefully applied make-up to her smooth skin, watching as her eyebrows furrowed with nervousness.

 

This was probably her first time trying make-up.

 

Little by little, each freckle disappeared under the touch of the concealing pencil; hair by hair, her eyebrows thinned.

 

Seeing myself so innocent set off a reaction of feelings...

 

“Pffft,” I chuckled as I patted her cheeks. “It’s like I have a younger sister.”

My hand reached out for the mirror besides me, as I held it up to her face. formed an “o” shape, as her eyes were filled with surprise.

“Is this… me?!” She continued to stare at herself in the mirror, starstruck.

“Obviously, yeah…”  My lips tugged out in a smile, satisfied by her reaction.

“Thank you very much! Summer vacation starts tomorrow. I won’t be seeing Minwoo for a while.” She bowed up and down, beaming.  “To be able to see him like this today, I’m really happy!”

 

Such a cute smile…

 

“Hey, can I go with you?”

“Huh?”

“I’ll only be watching from a distance.”

“Eh?”

 

⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯

 

We hid behind the bushes, watching as Minwoo walked past with several of his friends.

 

Yep. I should have known…

 

“He’s still little here,” I whispered as I peered through the thorny bushes. My hand supported my tilted head as I observed the younger version of Minwoo.

“Pfft. Soo-Mi, you’re cool!” She giggled as she looked my way. “You have the same habit as Minwoo.”

She mimicked my action by propping her head on her hand, with the arm at a 45 degree angle.

“Minwoo does that too, too. When he’s spacing out or thinking of something, he puts his hand on his neck and tilts his head.”

 

Her words immediately sparked memories from the past.

 

I remembered how Minwoo would have that habit; how he would smile at me, and his kind actions.

 

Well, being with him from three years….

 

Picking up a habit or two is normal, I guess.

 

“You there, you’re an outsider, aren’t you?! Leave now!” An angry teacher pointed accusingly at me.

“I’m an alumnus here and I’m here to watch my little sister. Is there something wrong with that?” He trembled slightly at my deathly glare. Heh. He believed my lies so easily.

“Um… but… it’s just a closing ceremony…?” I shot him another glare. He scampered off. My younger self gazed at me with an amazed expression. I quickly shooed her to the doors leading to the auditorium, as I sat on the balcony above the students. A bit bored, I scuffed the tip of my flats against the floor. 

“Have a great, summer vacation…” The speaker’s loud voice boomed over the crowd of students. My eyes glazed over, scanning the masses of students.

My eyes narrowed as I spotted the younger Minwoo in the crowd.

The memory of our first date suddenly appeared in my mind, blowing away any other thoughts.

 

“Thank you for today, Minwoo. I really enjoyed the zoo.”

I stood in the doorway leading to my house. Minwoo was silent; his hair fell over his eyes. He then gently my hair, and leaned in to peck my forehead.

“Well then, see you tomorrow!” His face was a shade of bright red as he immediately turned and left.

I blushed and covered my face, embarrassed and happy by his actions.

 

You know…

 

I really liked that awkward kiss.

When we just started going out, he always kissed me on the forehead after every date.

 

“To think that the day that I need to forget about him will come…” I murmured.

 

⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯

 

“Soo-Mi unnie?”

My head jerked up in surprise. The ceremony had ended; we were now walking out of the school gates.

“Is there something wrong? You’ve been silent for some time now…”

“No, I’m fine. It’s nothing.”

I watched as her hair shifted in the wind, a graceful smile bestowed on her face. A faint scent of sweetness and sadness floated in the air.

“There’s a candy shop near here, that’s why there’s always the sweet smell.” The younger version of me paused to sniff the air. “Their house special is called Miracle Candy. It’s a sugar candy with a mysterious power.”

I nodded, listening to her soft words.

“They say that it can create miracles. So the girls around here give it to the boy they like and confess their love,” She started to walk again, occasionally swinging her schoolbag in front of her.

“How can something that costs 4,000 won create a miracle…” I mumbled to myself. The sun was beginning to set, the rosy, orange streaks painting the sky.

Suddenly, I realized something that I should have known before. I turned around to look at the younger version of me, and remembered how the candy supposedly had “mysterious powers”.

 

Don't tell me… this is it?

 

The candy caused this time slip?

 

Ack.

 

“… this road.”

 

“Ah, yes?” I shook my thoughts off and paid my utmost attention too her.

“This road is not really my way home. This is the way to Minwoo’s home. But, I always take the long way home like this.”

 

Oh.

 

“I really like being able to see what Minwoo is seeing on his way home,” She continued. “And I think it’s a really good thing because I was able to meet Soo-Mi unnie.”

I observed her expression.

It was obvious that she sincerely loved Minwoo; those dreaming eyes, the kind smile- the things I lost over the past three years.

We walked back to the river bank in silence, then stood watching the water gush across the jagged rocks. Tired, I let my limp body drop onto the grassy hill. I opened one eye and patted the area next to me, motioning for her to sit next to me.

“Say, what do you like about Minwoo?” My eyes left the rippling water, instead watching the younger me.

“Eh? Ah, what’s with you so suddenly?”

“Oh, just answer me,” I grinned mischievously.

“Well… When school started, I was absent because I got sick.” She let out a twinkling laugh. “And then, at the back wall of the classroom, there’s this ‘Introduce Your Friends Card’.”

I nodded in understanding. “It’s a hellish event for someone who’s a loner.”

“School just started and I didn’t have any friends. No one noticed that I didn’t have a card. But after a few days, someone named Minwoo added a card with my name on it. No one noticed that there was a card added in the corner… but I was really happy.” She smiled faintly at the memory.

 

Ah…

I completely forgot about that event…

 

“I’m sure Minwoo is just being considerate, but… imagining Minwoo writing alone, I was really happy that time. That card is my greatest treasure.”

 

Such a blissful expression.

 

“Hey, I really think you should confess!”

“Huh?! No! I can’t!”

“It’s going to be fine! Have some confidence!” I cheekily grinned at the terrified girl. “…but being told by a newly dumped girl like me, it’s not all that convincing, eh?”

 

So embarrassing.

 

“… I don’t get it. Why is someone like Soo-Mi unnie…” She looked bewildered as her voice trailed off.

“Someone this beautiful?” I flashed a dazzling smile and flipped my hair and batted my eyelashes teasingly.

“Well… that’s true too, but…” She thoughtfully tilted her head. “Someone this kind…”

 

Kind?

Me...?

 

“… Stupid, I’m not kind at all…” I rubbed my misty eyes and buried my face in my arms.

“Soo-Mi unnie…”

“He was my first boyfriend. That’s why I loved him in my own way. But I think it didn’t reach him…” One by one my tears began to fall. “While we were together, I didn’t tell even one lie. Maybe I didn’t treat him that good, but just not seeing him for a week really makes me feel uneasy. So, I always waited for his call.”

 

Back then I had noticed a gap between Minwoo and me.

Sparkling people always surrounded him; their aura was completely different, and everyone admired his group.

I was always the quiet one that no one knew. The one who stood from afar, watching.

I wanted to become pretty and only cared about my appearance. I pretended to be strong, to be on the same level with Minwoo.

 

Little by little, I lost myself.

 

And beside me, Minwoo wasn’t smiling the way he used to anymore.

 

“But not even once did he confront me about it. He was really kind…” I hiccupped through my tears.

The distraught girl hugged me sympathetically.

 

This girl… the me from three years ago…

Her kindness, her shyness, the flustered expression...

 

“Right now, I think I know why he liked the me three years ago… But at that time, no matter how I thought about it, I couldn’t come up with the answer…”

 

That’s how deeply I was in love.

 

She started to shed tears as well, and uttered, “… And to realize all that, it really is a great love.”

At that point, I couldn’t keep my cries in.

I sobbed like never before.

 

I loved him the wrong way.

But even so, just being able to be with each other, I was really happy.

So happy that even if I turn back time, I don’t mind falling in love the wrong way again.

 

“Thanks,” I blew my nose on the handkerchief she handed me.

“… Shall we head back?” She inquired as we walked up the grassy hill. We stopped and turned to face each other as soon as we reached the dirt road.

“No, I still have something to do.” I thoughtfully tapped my chin. “I’m really glad I met you. No wonder Minwoo likes you.”

“You better do well and confess.” I patted her shoulders and gave her an encouraging smile, before turning on my heels.

“Eh?”

“It’s definitely going to be a great love.” I enthusiastically waved at her, and walked away; down the street of the candy shop. Before I knew it, I was back to the original time again. Perhaps it was because all my problem was solved. Maybe it was because the pain in my chest had stopped. However, I believed that I returned simply because my heart was at peace once again.

 

Crying, sulking, getting jealous and all…

Oh, how uncool…

Still, it was a very honest love.

 

⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯

 

“Is it true?! Does this sugar candy make a confession successful?” A crowd of high school girls scrambled around a shelf in the candy store and giggled amongst themselves.

“Go on, buy it!” One of the girls playfully pushed a blushing girl, picking up a bag of candy called “Miracle Candy.”

“But, does it really work?” Murmurs started to buzz again as the girls questioned the usefulness of the candy.

 

Miracles, huh?

 

“Yes, it works,” I skipped passed them, humming a happy tune.

After all, love can only be what you want it be.

Don’t cry because it’s over; smile because it happened.

---