Chapter 121: Where Time Stands Still

“Really?”

Did he overhear our conversation…?

Or maybe he’d already talked with Song Jihan about me.

Jaeyul’s eyes looked as if he already knew everything and was only asking to confirm it.

“……”

“If that’s what you say, then I guess that’s how it is.”

Thankfully, he didn’t press further.

Thinking about it, even if he had talked about me with Song Jihan, there wouldn’t have been much to say anyway.

So why had I been this tense?

It wasn’t like Song Jihan even considered me a friend yet.

He hadn’t suggested dinner either—he’d just said he was busy and run off.

The more I thought about it, the more irritated I became.

It felt like getting rejected without ever confessing.

If it weren’t for old ties, I wouldn’t have spared him a second glance.

Annoying bastard.

“Then why did Song Jihan come to our center?”

I asked Jaeyul the question I hadn’t gotten answered.

He might not know the details, but he understood what was going on at the center better than I did.

“…Why are you curious about that?”

Had I asked something strange?

It felt like there was an unspoken line in Jaeyul’s question.

You said you weren’t close—why do you care why he came?

Or maybe, Is there some other reason you need to know?

His face was full of questions.

“You’re usually not that interested in what’s going on around the center.”

It sounded like: You don’t care about anything else, so why do you care about Song Jihan?

I understood the hidden meaning perfectly, but because there were things I hadn’t told him, I hesitated to answer.

Only now did I regret what I’d said earlier.

Why had I acted like there was no connection at all between Song Jihan and me?

If I’d just said we’d gotten a bit closer and decided to be friends, this wouldn’t be so complicated.

The reason I hadn’t explained Song Jihan was simple.

I didn’t want to talk about him with Jaeyul.

I’d been sent on an unwanted short assignment to Busan, and Jaeyul had gone into an SS-rank gate with no guarantee of returning safely.

How could I casually say I’d been laughing around and becoming friends with another guy during that time?

I wasn’t that clueless.

…And honestly, back then, I just didn’t want to bring up another man in front of Jaeyul either.

“I-I was just curious. Song Jihan’s application was there, but he wasn’t among today’s test participants…!”

Whew.

I blurted it out without thinking, but it turned out to be a decent excuse.

That level of curiosity was natural enough.

“Hm… Something feels strange today.”

“…Why? What’s strange?”

Jaeyul tilted his head and started walking toward me.

What was this?

Had my excuse not worked?!

Or had he noticed my heart pounding like crazy?

As he closed the distance, I felt an inexplicable urge to run away.

Why was the hallway completely empty today of all days?!

“No matter how I look at it, it’s weird.”

But I couldn’t move a single step.

It was as if my legs had forgotten how to work.

I stayed frozen even as Jaeyul bent down and peered into my face.

His dark eyes moved back and forth, fixing on mine, as if searching for something.

I’d definitely been found out.

My lie must have been obvious.

Just as I was debating whether to come clean, Jaeyul cupped my cheek with one hand.

In an instant, my racing heart fell silent.

All the noisy thoughts in my head sank beneath the surface.

The warmth of his palm against my skin calmed me immediately.

“…What is this…?”

Then my heart started pounding again.

Faster. Louder.

Being this close, face to face, with his hand on my cheek—

it was enough to remind me of a moment I was supposed to forget.

An act with no affection at all, yet one that held countless meanings for me.

An impulse surged.

I wanted to lace my fingers with his, pull him closer, and kiss those lips.

I wanted to feel again the heat of that kiss that had begun in cold water.

Because of my emotions, even Jaeyul’s gaze looked like it wanted the same thing.

But it was just my imagination.

“You’re sweating. Are you feeling sick?”

Jaeyul wiped the bridge of my nose and my philtrum with his finger.

That touch snapped me back to reality.

The soft, hazy feeling vanished in an instant.

Why—why did I have to sweat there of all places?!

It wasn’t like I was trying to impress him, but I at least didn’t want to look pathetic.

“I-I’m fine! Ah—there’s something I need to do. I just remembered.”

I scrubbed my face with my sleeve, told the most obvious lie ever, and turned to run.

Before Jaeyul could ask another question.

It was an uncomfortable day in more ways than one.

“Doesn’t today feel kind of strange?”

“Yeah. Like everyone went to school and I’m the only one skipping.”

“…When did you ever skip school?”

“……”

While chatting and looking out the window with Jaeyul, I learned one of his secrets.

He’d actually ditched school at least once.

Well, he’d been good at studying, good at sports, and grown up well, so there was nothing to scold him for.

It was all in the past anyway.

The reason we were enjoying a weekday afternoon like this was because we’d both taken leave.

Not just us—every team member had taken time off.

With new members possibly joining next week, we’d decided to rest beforehand.

“Still, just staying home feels like a bit of a waste.”

Watching movies, eating good food, and doing a deep clean wasn’t bad.

We had three days off starting today, so staying in for a day was fine.

But knowing something and feeling it were different.

Before, I wouldn’t have minded at all, but after returning to center work, staying home all day felt stifling.

“Really? Then let’s go out. There’s somewhere I wanted to take you during the break anyway.”

“Really? Where?”

That was good news.

The fact that he’d already planned it without telling me—Jaeyul really did know everything about me.

“It won’t be fun if I tell you in advance. You’ll see when we get there.”

How unfair.

We were going anyway—why not just tell me?

“Ang! Ang, ang!”

The moment we showed signs of going out, Poppy came running over like the wind, tail wagging furiously.

Jaeyul looked displeased but reluctantly allowed Poppy to come along.

That was unusual.

He never used to give in to Poppy’s whining.

On the other hand, Poppy looked smug.

What, did he have some leverage now?

No way. That couldn’t be it.

“Wow, the weather’s amazing today. The breeze feels so nice, right?”

I rolled down the passenger window and let the cool air hit my face.

The sunlight pouring in was warm but gentle, and the breeze was refreshing.

The air felt so clean that I could see farther than usual.

It was perfect weather for going out.

“Yeah. It might be a bit early, but… still, I’m glad the weather’s nice.”

“Huh? Early for what?”

“No, nothing. Just saying the weather’s nice.”

What was up with him?

Was he in a good mood because of the weather?

He tapped the steering wheel lightly with his fingers, and there was a faint smile on his face.

It wasn’t the mask-like expression he wore at work.

Then again, who wouldn’t feel good on a day like this?

“But… where are we going? This area is…”

Every road we passed felt familiar.

No—more than familiar.

The farther we went, the more recognizable the neighborhood became.

Wide, flat roads gradually turned narrow and uneven.

Tall, sturdy buildings gave way to half-collapsed, shabby ones.

I knew this place too well.

The car stopped in front of a narrow road it couldn’t pass through.

“Here. Our neighborhood.”

“Ah…”

Seeing the town again stirred strange emotions.

It felt like everything that had happened until now had been a dream, and I’d finally returned to reality.

Faded signboards.

Cracked, ugly roads.

A chaotic web of power lines.

And the large, green zelkova tree at the entrance of the village, unchanged as ever.

It was exactly as I remembered—like time had never passed here.

“It’s still standing… That’s amazing.”

A massive gate break had swept through the area long ago, yet this place seemed untouched.

Poor neighborhoods in remote areas were never prioritized for protection.

If a small gate break happened here, no one even responded.

For it to remain safe all this time required near-miraculous luck.

“Right? I wanted to come here too. It’s where I first met you.”

This was the town where I’d spent my childhood—twice.

A shitty place I’d wanted to escape from more than anything, yet now, even those hard days felt like good memories.

Everything was the same except Jaeyul.

The small, scruffy kid had grown into a dependable adult.

“But… why did you bring me here?”

Maybe because this place was filled with shared memories, but Jaeyul looked different.

Seeing how well he’d grown made my chest tighten with pride and gratitude—and something warmer.

I felt a lump in my throat and turned my gaze away.

Then Jaeyul took my hand and wrapped it in both of his.

Naturally, my eyes returned to him.

It looked like he had something to say.

His throat bobbed as he swallowed, and he bit his lip.

His grip tightened around my hand.

After taking a deep breath, Jaeyul finally spoke.

“That’s because….”