Chapter 1: A Confession and a New Morning

Cheongil High School

Passing through the school gate adorned with a metal nameplate, the campus I re-entered was the epitome of silence.

Just a couple of hours prior, it had been bustling with excited students and parents for the graduation ceremony.

Yet now, it was utterly tranquil and still, as if such a commotion had never occurred.

Jung-hyun strode across the athletic field, his steps crunching on the dry sand.

He then crouched by the wisteria stands, where only bare branches remained due to winter, and began to wait for someone.

Despite his usual impression, which gave off a cool aura when silent, a rare tension now crept onto his face, typically quick to break into a smile.

His heart pounded like that of someone who had just sprinted, and though he clutched hot packs in both hands, his fingertips felt as cold as ice.

It wasn’t solely due to the frigid weather.

In a situation like this, on the cusp of a confession, he would surely be sweating and trembling even in the middle of summer.

This was especially true because it was his very first confession, directed at the person who was, for him, the very definition of first love.

He’s here!

As his legs trembled uncontrollably, another figure entered the school grounds.

Even from a distance, he was instantly recognizable: Yoon Tae-yeol, a junior from the basketball club, a year younger than Jung-hyun but more than a span taller.

Wiping his backside, Jung-hyun rose and approached him, concealing his nervousness.

He subtly clicked his tongue internally.

It was February, and the wind was still biting and sharp, yet Yoon Tae-yeol wore only his school uniform, without even a scarf or gloves.

“Why did you come out without your padded jacket? Just seeing you makes me cold.”

“It was too much hassle.”

“Oh really? You call it a hassle when your senior calls you?”

“…What did you say you were giving me?”

Cornered, Yoon Tae-yeol deftly changed the subject.

It was a fundamental question, albeit one laced with indifference.

After all, when Jung-hyun had run into Yoon Tae-yeol at the graduation ceremony earlier, he had enticed him with the words, ‘I have something to give you.’

At that, Jung-hyun extended his right hand, which he had kept in his padded jacket pocket.

Clutched in his hand was the hot pack he had been fiddling with while waiting for Yoon Tae-yeol.

“Take it.”

“…”

Yoon Tae-yeol checked the contents and let out a short, hollow laugh.

He then looked down at Jung-hyun with an undisguised expression of bewilderment.

“You called me out for this?”

“No.”

‘There’s more.’

The hot pack from his left pocket was also extended forward.

“Take this too.”

“…”

“Come on, why aren’t you taking it? My arm’s getting tired.”

When Jung-hyun urged him on, even using a meaningful glance, Yoon Tae-yeol’s reaction was unvarnished.

It was as if Jung-hyun could hear the unspoken thought, ‘What kind of person is this?’

However, even though they were close enough to be informal with each other—or, to be more precise, Jung-hyun had persistently engaged him, weaponizing his natural sociability until they grew close—there was still a minimum level of order between them as senior and junior in an athletic club.

Moreover, given the constant trivial pranks over the past year and a half, it was easy to assume this was just another extension of their usual antics.

‘Hmph,’ Yoon Tae-yeol sighed, but still moved his hands.

His large, thick-knuckled hands, boasting a length commensurate with his height, were awkwardly extended forward.

Jung-hyun then placed the still-warm hot packs into them.

His gaze dropped, and the smile on his face had vanished, replaced by a profound seriousness.

At the moment their hands brushed against each other, Jung-hyun quietly, almost murmuring, released the words of his heart.

“I like you.”

“…!”

“I debated whether to tell you or not, right up until the moment I waited for you.

But I felt like if today passed, I wouldn’t be able to.

I’ve liked you for a long time.”

From the moment he realized his feelings, he had imagined this situation countless times.

He had envisioned the confession and even decided on the outcome beforehand.

Thanks to this, he was able to speak in a calm, steady voice without trembling, but his true feelings were anything but.

Thump, thump, thump, thump.

His heart hammered like that of someone who had played four quarters without a break.

His gaze, which usually met others’ eyes directly during any conversation, was now tilted downwards, unable to lift.

Fortunately, the suffocating tension and awkwardness did not last long.

Yoon Tae-yeol, who had been silently looking down at Jung-hyun’s rounded head, spoke a moment later.

The words that flowed from his low voice were precisely what Jung-hyun had expected.

“I’m sorry, Senior.”

***

Beep-beep-beep-beep! Beep-beep-beep-beep!

The diligent alarm rang tirelessly every morning.

Jung-hyun flinched awake at the sound.

With his face buried in the pillow, he fumbled around to find the source of the noise.

Part of him wanted to pretend he hadn’t heard it and continue sleeping, but despite contorting his face into a grimace, he somehow managed to sluggishly pull himself up.

He staggered into the bathroom, splashing water on his face in an unenthusiastic attempt to wake up, then put a toothbrush in his mouth.

Yet, his eyelids felt impossibly heavy.

He brushed his teeth with his eyes closed, like someone sleeping standing up, when suddenly, the dream he had last night came to mind.

‘I’m sorry, Senior.’

‘Huh,’ a short, hollow laugh escaped him.

Even thinking about it again, it was absurd.

Given how many stories they had accumulated during their time knowing each other, why did he have to dream of the moment he confessed and was rejected?

It wasn’t that he felt particularly bitter or upset, though.

Whether it was a meaningless dream or not, he had at least seen his old high school self again after a long time.

‘Now that I think about it, it’s been quite a while since we last contacted each other.’

If his memory served him right, the last time was a brief text exchange last month.

After washing up and returning to his room, Jung-hyun picked up his phone, which lay face down beside his pillow.

The time difference with Wellington was three hours.

In other words, it was morning there too, making it a perfectly acceptable time to reach out.

[You alive? Your big bro is getting ready for work now]

[You appeared in my dream last night lol]

A playful smile touched his face.

‘If he asks what kind of dream it was, I won’t tell him.’

He cranked up his phone’s volume so he could immediately check for a reply, then stood before his open-style hanger to choose his outfit for the day.

Befitting a successful shopping mall CEO, the hanger was filled with an array of clothes.

However, despite the abundance of apparel, his taste was quite distinct.

A light green vintage shirt, summer pants that revealed his ankles slightly, and a bracelet and wristwatch that added understated accents.

Finally, he lightly spritzed on some pheromone-deodorizing perfume, grabbed his car keys, and left the house.

“The weather today is insane.”

A groan escaped him the moment he opened the car door.

Having been parked outside overnight, the interior was as hot as a sauna.

Jung-hyun immediately blasted the air conditioning to maximum.

Perhaps because he was born in December, when winter begins, he was unusually susceptible to heat.

Then again, his twin sibling was fine with it, so maybe it was just his constitution…

Anyway.

‘Why haven’t I heard back? Is he very busy?’

Quite some time had passed, but there was no news from Yoon Tae-yeol.

When a message finally arrived, Jung-hyun checked his phone as soon as he stopped at a red light, only to find it was from another friend.

He sent a casual reply and hummed along to the song playing from the speakers.

The road was quite empty, long past rush hour.

Not being bound by the strict schedule of an office worker, the flexibility of his time was a significant advantage in moments like these.

After a series of relaxed drives and stops, he soon arrived in front of the old building where his office was located.

“You’re here?”

“Good morning, CEO.”

As soon as he opened the door, greetings came from all directions.

Jung-hyun, who simply replied with a general “Good morning,” placed something on a table in a corner of the office.

It was a heavy paper bag and a cup carrier.

“Those who haven’t had breakfast, come and eat.”

“Wow, CEO, you’re the best.”

The employees, who had been engrossed in their work since morning, happily swarmed the table like zombies who had found a human.

Only one person, Chae Song-hwa—a childhood friend who had grown up in the same neighborhood and his co-founder for the shopping mall—remained unmoving at her desk.

Jung-hyun looked her way and raised his voice.

“Come and eat.”

“I’ll just finish what I’m doing and then go.”

“Much left?”

“No, I’ll be done soon.”

“Then I’ll eat first, alright?”

He averted his gaze and reached for the bag containing the sandwiches.

Meanwhile, Choi Seon-ho, the second most senior employee, was already displaying a voracious appetite, having devoured almost half of them.

Peeling open a sandwich wrapper, Jung-hyun asked,

“It’s a lot today too, isn’t it?”

It was a question without a clear subject, but Choi Seon-ho somehow understood and mumbled his reply.

“Yes. It feels like it’ll be incredibly tight to meet the deadline. I almost wish I could learn how to pack with my toes.”

“Oh, then I’ll double your salary.”

“Really?”

“Just kidding.”

“…”

Jung-hyun shrugged at the silent accusation in his eyes.

“Why be disappointed over something you can’t do anyway?”

“I might be able to.”

“Then I’ll treat you as my elder brother.”

Exchanging their usual frivolous banter, Jung-hyun took a long sip of his iced coffee through a straw.