Chapter 19: The Coastal Ride and a Quiet Revelation

Just then, the bicycle’s speed gradually tapered. It began to navigate the narrow coastal road once more, much as it had earlier.

Yoon Heesung expertly maneuvered through the dilapidated stretches of road, riding more slowly than before. Even so, I attempted to persuade him once more.

“Can’t you go just a little slower?”

Responding to my plea, Yoon Heesung eased the pace even further.

“It’s still dangerous, so keep holding on to me.”

“Oh.”

‘He worries so much. Yet, he’s the one who knows it’s dangerous, carelessly touching a plate and hurting his hand…’

I was disheartened by the memory that resurfaced. Fortunately, the wound wasn’t as severe as I’d thought, healing enough by the next day to remove the bandage.

Still, that day often sprang to mind these days: the vivid blood, and Yoon Heesung, who seemed so accustomed to tending to wounds alone.

“…I’ve never been this way before.”

We continued along the coast, past the alley leading to my villa and even the turn-off for school.

Splash!

The distant crash of waves sounded invigorating. The sea, mirroring the sky’s hue, was a dazzling, brilliant blue today, as clear as the weather itself. Salty sea breeze swept through every strand of my hair.

“Let’s turn back now.”

Feeling we had ventured too far, I lightly tapped Yoon Heesung’s shoulder. Of course, I felt a pang of regret myself. I yearned to ride all the way to the end of the road, but I decided to hold back, assuming his legs must be starting to ache.

Yoon Heesung’s response to my suggestion was lukewarm, but after I urged him once more, he finally turned the handlebars. I remained clinging to his waist as we returned to the slope.

“I want to walk now.”

Before Yoon Heesung could continue pedaling, I quickly dismounted from the seat. I was conscious of how much I’d been sweating earlier, and frankly, I felt tired.

Yoon Heesung glanced at me and mumbled something unintelligible.

“You seem quite stubborn, you know.”

“Me? Not you?”

“Yeah. You really don’t listen.”

I was dumbfounded. Not listening? What kind of talk was that? Moreover, I had never once in my life been called stubborn.

Yet, no matter how I looked at it, Yoon Heesung seemed far more disobedient and stubborn than I was. We bickered about who was more stubborn and listened less as we ascended the uphill path.

Then, feigning nonchalance, I asked.

“Did you always ride like this?”

“Like what?”

“You ride too dangerously. It was fun, but the road here is so bumpy…”

It wasn’t just now. Earlier, too, when he caught up to me on the way to the villa, Yoon Heesung had ridden excessively fast. So fast, in fact, that it nearly made me fall over in shock.

My fingertips and toes tingled, just like that time I almost collided with the madam’s car in front of the villa.

After a moment of deliberation, I finally revealed my true feelings.

“Can’t you just… not ride your bike?”

A frustrated sigh escaped me before I could stop it. Certainly, the thrill of the ride had been exhilarating and refreshing. But even a single pebble could have sent us tumbling down the slope.

His demeanor, suggesting this wasn’t his first time riding like that, also troubled me.

“It’s not dangerous?”

“What are you talking about? It’s incredibly dangerous. If you fall, you’ll surely break something.”

Having chastised him, I added, my voice tinged with worry.

“If you really want to ride, at least wear a helmet or something.”

It was then that I glanced at Yoon Heesung, wondering if I had overstepped. Yoon Heesung, however, resolved the situation with surprising clarity.

“Then, from now on, I’ll either wear a helmet or just not ride, right?”

“Huh? Oh, yeah.”

“Okay. I will.”

Yoon Heesung nodded, seemingly giving it no further thought. In stark contrast, my heart lurched, just as it had when we descended the steep path earlier.

“…”

Had there ever been anyone in this world who listened to me so attentively?

Even my own mother dismissed my worries, only truly listening when Lee Sunwoo spoke.

But Yoon Heesung…

“…”

We crossed the garden, passing through two already wide-open doors. Perhaps it was from the sweat, but my body felt light and refreshed.

Inside the annex, it was cool and pleasant. We started with preliminary scoring. I paused marking my own paper to watch Yoon Heesung grade his.

“Wow. You did well.”

My earlier worries about having failed the exam proved unfounded; his score was excellent.

“You could really get into Seolhan University, couldn’t you?”

“Really? What about you?”

Yoon Heesung, having asked that, noticed I hadn’t finished marking mine. He took my paper and began scoring it himself, working with a speed that rivaled a machine.

“If I get in, you can too.”

Just as he said, our scores were similar. When I was with Yoon Heesung, I often heard such endearing words. I considered suggesting we review the incorrect answers, but then a sudden curiosity struck me: what did Yoon Heesung do when I wasn’t around?

He rarely attended school, and was likely alone at the villa most of the time. What did he usually do then?

“What do you do when you’re alone at the villa?”

“Just read books, and exercise.”

“Where do you exercise?”

“There’s a gym at the end of the second floor.”

So, he liked exercising. I learned one more thing about Yoon Heesung. He must have done it in a different room, which was why I hadn’t known.

“And I watch movies, too.”

“Movies?”

I whipped my head around.

“You like movies?”

“No. I just watch them.”

Yoon Heesung replied dismissively. He had reacted similarly when I’d asked if he liked books before. However, someone who truly disliked books wouldn’t buy so many in the first place, nor would they fill an entire wall of their living space with them.

In this regard, I simply didn’t believe Yoon Heesung’s words.

Yet, I had no idea Yoon Heesung liked movies. He had never watched a movie with me, nor had he ever mentioned them, let alone asked if I wanted to watch one together.

Overwhelmed by a tidal wave of disappointment, I found myself helpless. Consequently, words tumbled from my mouth before I could even stop them.

“You’ve never watched one when I’m around, have you?”

I was surprised by my own words, my eyes widening. Unable to recover, and not being the type to smoothly gloss things over, I simply rolled my eyes, utterly speechless.

Yoon Heesung spoke nonchalantly.

“I didn’t watch them because I thought it would be noisy while you were studying.”

“…”

There was no artifice in his words. I stared blankly at his innocent face, as if he had never told a lie in his life. I understood immediately that he meant it literally.

He hadn’t deliberately avoided watching movies in front of me, nor had he hidden his enjoyment of them. Yoon Heesung’s thoughtfulness left me utterly speechless.

It wasn’t just my words that vanished. My emotions soared, leaping upward as if they had never plummeted. With a pleasant awkwardness, I cleared my throat, then turned my gaze to Yoon Heesung’s fine, black hair and asked.

“I want to watch movies with you too…”

The only movies I had ever watched were those shown by teachers when there was awkward leftover time at the end of a school semester. So, Yoon Heesung chose a movie instead.

I had always thought the world only contained action movies where buildings and villains were all smashed to pieces. But the one Yoon Heesung put on was entirely different.

“It’s interesting…”

I found myself murmuring in admiration. Yoon Heesung, on the other hand, immediately turned off the screen as soon as the credits began to roll.

In the now black screen, our reflections appeared, sitting side by side. Yoon Heesung somehow looked relieved, almost as if he had finished homework or completed a chore he had been putting off.

Yoon Heesung must not have found it very interesting. He had been quiet throughout the film, and I had a hunch. After the movie ended, the atmosphere wasn’t as warm as I had hoped.

Determined to chat with him, I began racking my brain for conversation starters.

“…That fireworks scene at the end was good, wasn’t it?”

“Fireworks? Was there such a thing?”

As if he didn’t even remember, Yoon Heesung turned the screen back on. I was about to say there was no need to restart it, but Yoon Heesung was faster.

He rewound the movie and quickly found the scene I had mentioned.

The screen was filled with a pitch-black sea. Waves surged like a murky swamp, then suddenly, the surroundings brightened. Following a series of cheerful “bangs” and “booms,” vibrant colors erupted, completely transforming the scene.

While it was true I had strained my mind to prolong the conversation with Yoon Heesung, the scene was undeniably beautiful even on a second viewing. Perhaps fireworks over the sea, reflecting on the water’s surface, appeared twice as lovely.

Yoon Heesung, however, remained indifferent.

“This?”

“Yeah.”

“Why?”

He even asked why. If I truly looked at him, it seemed he had a habit of asking “Why?” at the drop of a hat.

“It’s pretty.”

Feeling that wasn’t enough, I added.

“Look at the lights reflecting on the water there. It’s pretty, isn’t it?”

Anyone observing might think I was desperate for Yoon Heesung’s empathy. And in part, it was true. I wished he would share my sentiment and say it was beautiful too.

Yoon Heesung, however, showed not the slightest interest in my efforts. He simply leaned his head casually against my shoulder.

“…”

My nape tingled, and my body stiffened. Our reflections reappeared in the now-darkened screen, a stark contrast between my startled expression and Yoon Heesung’s impassive face.

I still tensed up whenever Yoon Heesung came close, yet he was always utterly unconcerned. He was the youngest, with an older brother and sister, so perhaps that was why he was so naturally affectionate with others?

As if that weren’t enough, he even ruined the mood.

“That’s illegal.”

“What?”

“Doing that on the beach is illegal.”

“…”

It was a fact I hadn’t known, and frankly, didn’t want to. Unable to find anything else to say, I closed my mouth. Assuming I hadn’t understood, Yoon Heesung repeated himself once more.

“You shouldn’t do it.”

“…I won’t. I don’t have anyone to do it with anyway.”

I conceded readily, fearing Yoon Heesung would persist if I didn’t acknowledge him. Even so, I couldn’t let go of my lingering disappointment and mumbled.