잊힌 선물

할아버지harabeoji는neun 매년maenyeon 겨울gyeoul이i 되면doemyeon 그날geunal을eul 떠올렸다tteoollyeotda.ⓘEvery winter, the old man would recall that day. 1967년1967nyeon, 스무sumu 살sal의ui 그geu는neun 눈보라nunbora가ga 휘날리는hwinallineun 밤bam에e 연인yeonin에게ege 작은jageun 나무namu 상자sangja를reul 건넸다geonnetda.ⓘIn 1967, at the age of twenty, he handed his lover a small wooden box on a night when snow swirled in a blizzard. 「 이i 안an에e 내nae 마음maeum이i 담겨damgyeo 있어isseo. 절대jeoldae 열지yeolji 마ma 」ⓘ“Inside this is my heart. Never open it.”

그녀geunyeo는neun 미소miso 지으며jieumyeo 고개gogae를reul 끄덕였지만kkeudeokyeotjiman, 그geu는neun 그geu 후hu로ro 그녀geunyeo를reul 다시dasi 보지boji 못했다mothaetda.ⓘShe smiled and nodded, but after that he never saw her again. 그러던geureodeon 지난주jinanju, 낯선natseon 편지pyeonji 한han 통tong이i 도착했다dochakhaetda.ⓘThen last week, a single letter from a stranger arrived. 「 아버지abeoji, 그geu 상자sangja는neun 아직도ajikdo 제je 손son에e 있어요isseoyo. 열어보니yeoreoboni 빈bin 상자sangja뿐ppun 이더군요ideogunyo. 그래도geuraedo 그geu 빈bin 공간gonggan이i 제je 인생insaeng을eul 채워chaewo 주었어요jueosseoyo. 이제ije 돌려드릴게요dollyeodeurilgeyo 」ⓘ“Father, I still have that box. When I opened it, it was empty. Yet that empty space filled my life. Now I will return it to you.” 할아버지harabeoji는neun 편지pyeonji를reul 내려놓고naeryeonoko 오랜만에oraenmane 눈물nunmul을eul 흘렸다heullyeotda.ⓘThe old man put down the letter and shed tears for the first time in years.

그geu가ga 선물한seonmulhan 것geot은eun 빈bin 상자sangja가ga 아니라anira, 평생pyengsaeng을eul 지켜야jikyeoya 할hal 약속yaksok이었음ieosseum을eul 이제야ijeya 깨달았다kkaedaratda.ⓘOnly now did he realize that what he had given was not an empty box, but a promise that had to be kept for a lifetime.