Memories in Paint

"Did my bear gain weight? It feels heavy like June. Wait, why are my hands touching soft skin? Is it really June beside me, not the teddy?" Sushi realized upon waking but didn't open her eyes.

She slowly opened her eyes and saw to her surprise that June was already awake and staring at her. Feeling startled, she asked, "When did you come? What did you do to me?" Quickly, she pulled herself out from beneath him and placed the covers over her chest.

"Do you think there's anything left to do?" June chuckled, his voice playful and husky.

Sushi pushed him away, saying, "Leave me alone. You don't love me anyway." She tried to get up from the bed after removing the blanket.

But June swiftly turned and positioned himself on top of her. "Even if I don't love you, it seems you had quite a sexy dream about me last night," he said, adjusting her hair with a smirk.

"No way. Get off me," she protested, trying to push him away.

"Yeah, you were calling out to me in your dreams last night, 'June!! June!! Come back to me'," he teased.

"There's no way I said that," she insisted, pushing him off and rushing into the restroom.

After she left, June's expression shifted. Memories of the previous night flooded back.

"June, go away, go away," she had cried.

June rose from the couch and moved to the bed, laying down beside her and gently holding her in his arms until she calmed down and fell asleep peacefully.

"Does she really not want me in her life? What could be bothering her so much that she cries in her sleep? Is it because of Huan thing yesterday?" June pondered, lost in thought.

As he contemplated, Sushi emerged from the restroom, having freshened up. Her hair was still damp, with water droplets glistening on a strand that brushed her face. In the morning light filtering in from the balcony, her face looked even more radiant and beautiful.

June was mesmerized as he looked at her, his gaze fixed on the tiny droplets adorning her neck and her cherry-red lips. Her eyes were slightly puffy from crying the night before.

Unable to resist, June slowly rose from the bed and approached her.

Sushi was about to move away, but June swiftly wrapped his arm around her waist and intertwined her fingers, bringing his face close to hers until his chin touches her forehead. Gently, he pushed her backward until her body was pressed against the long mirror.

Sushi couldn't bring herself to move as she melted under his touch. With his lips nearly touching hers, she closed her eyes, anticipating a kiss.

But to her surprise, June slowly moved his hands to the back of her dress and pulled up the zipper to close it.

As reality set in, Sushi opened her eyes and felt embarrassed. She attempted to move away in her embarrassment, but June wouldn't let her go.

"Were you expecting a kiss?" June's morning husky voice caressed her cheek as he spoke.

The tension in the air, Sushi remained silent. She didn't run off, she didn't move an inch, and she didn't utter a word.

June hesitantly pressed his lips against hers, and as he felt Sushi not pulling away, he took it as an unspoken approval. Pulling her closer, he wrapped his arms tightly around her, kissing her passionately. The intensity grew with each passing moment until they moved back and fell onto the bed. It seemed they didn't want to stop.

As things heated up even further, a sudden knock on the door jolted them back to reality.

Quickly disengaging, June rushed to the restroom to freshen up while Sushi hurried to open the door.

"Breakfast is ready. Come downstairs. I went and brought clothes for June, give it to him," Chloe said, handing Sushi a bag of clothes before leaving.

Sushi took the bag and returned to the bed, placing the clothes on it for June to find.

She then began drying her hair in front of the mirror, unable to wipe the smile off her face as she thought about the morning kiss.

She couldn't help but giggle to herself. However, when she suddenly realized that the shower had been turned off, she quickly finished getting ready and headed downstairs to avoid any awkwardness.

When June returned after freshening up, he noticed the clothes on the bed. "When did she prepare all this?" he wondered, smiling to himself as he got ready. As he was about to head downstairs, he suddenly remembered the closet.

Turning back, he approached the closet door and slowly opened it. Carefully, he moved aside the clothes that were covering a picture and was shocked by what he saw in the portrait.

It wasn't a photograph but a hand-painted frame, depicting a beautiful scenery of trees and butterflies. In the frame, a boy resembling June walked, tall for his age, carrying a little girl on his back. The girl held an ice cream cone, which was spilling over onto his shoulder, yet he appeared unfazed by it, his smile radiant.

Seeing this triggered a memory in June's mind from his past.

Third Summer Year

"Brother, I want ice cream," little Sushi tugged at June's shirt as he played video games from morning until evening.

"Just wait, Chloe. Just 10 more minutes, then I'll buy you a big ice cream," June tried to deflect her.

But she was persistent. Standing in front of him, she blocked his view, causing him to lose the game.

"Chloe, look, I lost because of you," June exclaimed.

"Ice cream," Sushi said with her adorable face.

June sighed and reluctantly got up. "Okay, it's not like I have a choice. If your mom finds out, I'll be in trouble," he remarked, offering his pinky finger for her to hold.

She laughed and grasped his hand, resembling a little girl following her father's footsteps as they walked outside together.

As they approached the ice cream store, Sushi's excitement bubbled over, and she ran inside, letting go of June's pinky finger. But in her haste, she tripped and fell, hurting herself and bursting into tears.

June rushed to her side, lifting her up. "Why did you run? You need to be careful, Chloe. It's okay, don't cry. I'll buy you ice cream," he reassured her, wiping away her tears before settling her in a seat and heading inside the store.

He returned with an ice cream, a band-aid, and some medicine, then knelt in front of Sushi. Slowly, he applied ointment to her wound and bandaged it.

But Sushi had forgotten about her injury in her excitement over the ice cream. June couldn't help but smile at her.

"Chloe, can you walk home?" he gently nudged her, but she seemed unable to.

"Get on my back. Today, big brother will give you a piggyback ride," he offered, bending down for her to climb onto.

Sushi eagerly jumped onto his back, thrilled that her beloved June was giving her a piggyback ride.

He began walking home.

"Isn't this me and Chloe during our third summer together? But why is it here?" June questioned himself after came into present moment.

"Wait, but who painted this? And why?" he pondered, closely examining the painting.

"But why? Why do I get the feeling that I was carrying Sushi instead of Chloe in this picture?" June wondered aloud.