냉장고 문이 열려 있었어요.

[The refrigerator door was open.]

지은이는 접시를 봤어요.

[Jieun looked at the plate.]

접시가 비어 있었어요.

[The plate was empty.]

“케이크가 없어요.”

[”The cake is gone.”]

어제까지 케이크가 한 조각 있었어요.

[Until yesterday there was one slice of cake.]

그 케이크는 엄마가 만든 케이크였어요.

[That cake was the cake her mom made.]

지은이는 그 한 조각을 먹고 싶지 않았어요.

[Jieun did not want to eat that one slice.]

내일 엄마가 오기 때문에 아껴 둔 거예요.

[She had saved it because her mom is coming tomorrow.]

그런데 지금 접시에는 포크만 있었어요.

[But now there was only a fork on the plate.]

지은이는 천천히 일어났어요.

[Jieun slowly stood up.]

그리고 하늘이의 방으로 갔어요.

[And she went to Haneul’s room.]

하늘이는 침대에 누워 있었어요.

[Haneul was lying on the bed.]

“하늘아, 자고 있어?”

[”Haneul, are you sleeping?”]

“아니, 안 자.”

[”No, I’m not sleeping.”]

지은이는 하늘이를 봤어요.

[Jieun looked at Haneul.]

하늘이의 입술에 초콜릿이 묻어 있었어요.

[There was chocolate on Haneul’s lips.]

“하늘아, 케이크 먹었지?”

[”Haneul, you ate the cake, didn’t you?”]

“아니야, 나 안 먹었어.”

[”No, I didn’t eat it.”]

“그럼 입술에 있는 건 뭐야?”

[”Then what is the thing on your lips?”]

하늘이는 입을 닦았어요.

[Haneul wiped her mouth.]

“이건... 그냥 초콜릿 우유야.”

[”This is... just chocolate milk.”]

지은이는 믿을 수 없었어요.

[Jieun could not believe it.]

“우리 집에 초콜릿 우유 없잖아.”

[”We don’t have chocolate milk in our house, you know.”]

하늘이는 아무 말도 하지 않았어요.

[Haneul didn’t say anything.]

지은이는 부엌으로 다시 갔어요.

[Jieun went back to the kitchen.]

그리고 쓰레기통을 열었어요.

[And she opened the trash can.]

쓰레기통 안에 케이크 종이가 있었어요.

[Inside the trash can there was the cake paper.]

“하늘아, 이리 와 봐!”

[”Haneul, come here and look!”]

하늘이는 천천히 부엌으로 왔어요.

[Haneul slowly came to the kitchen.]

“이게 뭐야? 케이크 종이잖아.”

[”What is this? It’s the cake paper, you know.”]

“음... 모르겠어.”

[”Um... I don’t know.”]

“하늘아, 거짓말하지 마.”

[”Haneul, don’t lie.”]

하늘이의 얼굴이 빨개졌어요.

[Haneul’s face turned red.]

“미안해. 내가 먹었어.”

[”I’m sorry. I ate it.”]

지은이는 화가 났어요.

[Jieun got angry.]

“왜 먹었어? 그건 엄마 케이크였어!”

[”Why did you eat it? That was mom’s cake!”]

“내일 엄마한테 드리고 싶었단 말이야.”

[”I wanted to give it to my mom tomorrow, I’m telling you.”]

하늘이는 고개를 숙였어요.

[Haneul lowered her head.]

그리고 갑자기 울기 시작했어요.

[And suddenly she started to cry.]

지은이는 깜짝 놀랐어요.

[Jieun was startled.]

“왜 울어? 케이크 때문에 우는 거야?”

[”Why are you crying? Are you crying because of the cake?”]

“아니야.”

[”No.”]

하늘이는 눈물을 닦았어요.

[Haneul wiped her tears.]

“오늘 회사에서 잘렸어.”

[”Today I got fired from the company.”]

지은이는 말을 할 수 없었어요.

[Jieun couldn’t speak.]

“밤에 잠이 안 왔어.”

[At night, sleep wouldn’t come.]

“너무 슬퍼서 냉장고를 열었어.”

[I was so sad that I opened the refrigerator.]

“그리고 케이크를 봤어.”

[And I saw the cake.]

“한 입만 먹으려고 했어.”

[I was only going to eat one bite.]

“그런데 다 먹어 버렸어.”

[But I ended up eating all of it.]

지은이는 하늘이의 손을 잡았어요.

[Jieun held Haneul’s hand.]

“왜 말 안 했어?”

[”Why didn’t you tell me?”]

“창피했어.”

[”I was embarrassed.”]

지은이는 한숨을 쉬었어요.

[Jieun sighed.]

“바보야. 우리 친구잖아.”

[”Silly. We’re friends, you know.”]

두 사람은 식탁에 앉았어요.

[The two of them sat at the table.]

“괜찮아. 너는 더 좋은 회사를 찾을 거야.”

[”It’s okay. You will find a better company.”]

“정말 그럴까?”

[”Will it really be like that?”]

“응, 그럴 것 같아.”

[”Yes, I think it will be.”]

하늘이는 조금 웃었어요.

[Haneul smiled a little.]

“근데 케이크는 정말 미안해.”

[”But about the cake, I’m really sorry.”]

“이제 괜찮아.”

[”It’s okay now.”]

바로 그때 초인종이 울렸어요.

[Right at that moment the doorbell rang.]

지은이는 시계를 봤어요.

[Jieun looked at the clock.]

“누구지? 아직 아침인데.”

[”Who is it? It’s still morning.”]

지은이는 문을 열었어요.

[Jieun opened the door.]

문 앞에 엄마가 서 있었어요.

[Mom was standing in front of the door.]

“엄마! 내일 온다고 했잖아요!”

[”Mom! You said you were coming tomorrow!”]

“하루 일찍 왔어. 보고 싶어서.”

[”I came one day early. Because I missed you.”]

엄마 손에는 큰 상자가 있었어요.

[In mom’s hand there was a big box.]

“이거 새 케이크야. 너희 주려고 또 만들었어.”

[”This is a new cake. I made it again to give to you two.”]

지은이와 하늘이는 서로를 봤어요.

[Jieun and Haneul looked at each other.]

그리고 동시에 웃었어요.

[And they laughed at the same time.]

“왜 웃어? 무슨 일 있었어?”

[”Why are you laughing? Did something happen?”]

“아니에요, 엄마.”

[”It’s nothing, mom.”]

“한 조각 때문에 싸웠거든요.”

[”We fought because of one slice, that’s why.”]

엄마는 상자를 열었어요.

[Mom opened the box.]

이번에는 케이크가 아주 컸어요.

[This time the cake was very big.]

“그럼 이제 많이 먹어.”

[”Then now eat a lot.”]

“싸우지 말고.”

[”And don’t fight.”]

세 사람은 식탁에 앉았어요.

[The three of them sat at the table.]

하늘이는 제일 큰 조각을 받았어요.

[Haneul received the biggest slice.]

“많이 먹어. 오늘은 슬픈 날이니까.”

[”Eat a lot. Because today is a sad day.”]

하늘이의 눈에 다시 눈물이 났어요.

[Tears came to Haneul’s eyes again.]

하지만 이번에는 슬픈 눈물이 아니었어요.

[But this time they were not sad tears.]

“고마워, 지은아.”

[”Thank you, Jieun.”]

지은이는 케이크를 한 입 먹었어요.

[Jieun ate one bite of the cake.]

“음, 역시 엄마 케이크가 최고야.”

[”Mmm, mom’s cake really is the best after all.”]

엄마는 웃으면서 말했어요.

[Mom said while smiling.]

“다음에는 냉장고에 두 조각 남겨 둘게.”

[”Next time I’ll leave two slices in the refrigerator.”]

세 사람은 오래오래 웃었어요.

[The three of them laughed for a long, long time.]