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Join the ServerIt was undeniably a school break.
As morning arrived, the dormitory felt utterly deserted. Even though I had come out at the usual time, the hallway was quiet.
For some reason, Im Jeong-woo was the one who suggested we walk outside, remarking on the beautiful weather.
I should not have accepted that offer.
The two figures visible in the distance seemed oddly familiar. It was that very couple I saw at lunchtime, throughout classes, and would likely see again today.
It was scorching hot, even in the morning. I was already sweating, yet the two, clad in identical school uniforms, walked clinging to each other like gum.
‘Weren’t they hot?’
I felt like they would soon start appearing in my dreams.
“Just a moment.”
Unable to bear it any longer, I stopped walking.
“We still have some time, don’t we?”
“Why, did you forget something?”
“No. Let’s just wait five minutes before we go.”
Im Jeong-woo nodded, a bewildered expression on his face.
“Shall we sit somewhere?”
“Where?”
Though no one else was around, standing idly in the middle of the path felt a bit strange. I asked, but a quick glance revealed no suitable spot.
“The grass…?”
“If we sit now, we’ll get soaked from the dew.”
“Then let’s sit on that bench over there.”
“It’ll be the same over there, I bet.”
I grumbled about never being able to sit on that bench—too cold on chilly days, too wet from dew on warm ones.
“This reminds me of before.”
“When?”
“The day we first met. We had a similar issue with sitting back then.”
“Didn’t we just sit on the grass then?”
“Not just grass; we sat on grass baking under direct sunlight.”
“Right, we did. Now I remember.”
Im Jeong-woo remembered even the most trivial details concerning me, from remarks I’d made in passing to actions I’d taken. Even if it was from a long time ago, he cherished those memories.
I was always touched by that, and it was no different now.
“We sat then, so should we just sit now?”
“That’s possible if we’re going home. If we’re going to our rooms, not the school.”
“…Hmm, I guess not.”
I wasn’t disappointed in the least, but I pretended to be.
“Speaking of which, what did you think when you first met me?”
“What do you mean, ‘what’?”
“You know, like, did you think we’d become friends, or did you want to be friends… or did you *really* want to be friends?”
I deliberately offered only positive options, hoping for a good answer, but Im Jeong-woo shook his head with a serious expression.
“None of those.”
“Then what?”
“I…”
Having said that much, Im Jeong-woo closed his mouth.
“You… what’s after that? Why, was it completely awful?”
Suddenly feeling uneasy, I pressed him, and his expression grew quite serious this time. ‘Was it really that bad? Did he find me irritating, or didn’t he want to hang out with me?’
As various thoughts flooded my mind, I regretted asking. ‘Why would I ask such a cringeworthy question between friends?’
“It wasn’t completely awful.”
“…Then was it just awful?”
“No. It wasn’t awful, but I thought we wouldn’t get along. Which, in reality, was true.”
“But you kept hanging out with me. Why?”
Fortunately, it wasn’t the worst, but I was still puzzled that he continued to deal with me, despite our supposed incompatibility. While a kind-hearted Im Jeong-woo might have found it difficult to refuse, he had never once turned me down, even though I sought him out every day.
“Because I realized something.”
“What?”
“That Seo Gi-hyeon is someone I constantly want to see.”
Im Jeong-woo always moved me.
“Jeong-woo.”
“Yeah?”
“I truly… I truly, truly love you.”
His face showed no surprise as he looked at me. His calm voice replied,
“I know.”
It was a sentiment I had expressed hundreds of times before.
****
Im Jeong-woo smiles too freely. Far too freely. Lately, it seems even more so.
“Look, they’re together again. Yu-min and Jeong-woo.”
“That’s because they have the same classes.”
“But they walked together this morning too, didn’t they?”
“Because they have the same classes. And I was there too.”
“No, I saw them together in the dorm last night too.”
“How many times do I have to say it? It’s because their classes are the same. Of course, their assignments would be the same too.”
This conversation unfolded as I waited for Im Jeong-woo in the spacious student lounge after classes. A couple, who insisted on sitting next to me even though they didn’t need to wait with me, kept making baseless remarks as they watched the two approaching from a distance.
“That’s not it. Just look, they seem incredibly close.”
“I’m closer.”
“Wow, honey’s practically dripping from Jeong-woo’s eyes.”
“Honey always drips from Jeong-woo’s eyes, doesn’t it?”
Im Jeong-woo, who had been engrossed in conversation with Song Yu-min, finally spotted us and offered a silent greeting. His gentle eyes softened even further.
‘See? Honey drips from his eyes when he looks at me too.’
“What brings you here so early?”
“They let us out twenty minutes early because we had a quiz.”
“Twenty minutes? Then you should have gone ahead.”
Even though I knew he meant it kindly, I felt a little disheartened. As if my mood wasn’t already poor, the person beside me chimed in.
“Exactly. Seo Gi-hyeon is so tactless.”
‘You’re the tactless one.’ No matter how much I denied it, those around me kept making remarks that invited misunderstanding.
“I’ll go ahead next time.”
“Okay. You don’t always have to come with me, so go with the others.”
It was an empty platitude I’d tossed out, yet unnecessary advice flew back at me.
From that day on, Im Jeong-woo spent more and more time with Song Yu-min.
“Wake up.”
Opening my eyes at the sound of his gentle voice, I caught a familiar scent of cologne nearby. His dark eyes were gazing at me.
“…Where are you going so early?”
“To meet Yu-min.”
“Again?”
“Yeah. I think we might have a pop quiz on Monday. She said she has something to do in the afternoon, so she asked to meet a bit earlier.”
“Where are you meeting?”
“Yu-min reserved a study room.”
Despite the inconvenience of meeting due to the separate male and female dorms, the two met frequently to study. Im Jeong-woo, who had previously disliked the noisy common areas, had, at some point, started frequenting the study rooms there. Even today, a weekend.
“Then I’ll come with you.”
“Didn’t you say you were meeting your uncle today?”
‘Ah. Right.’
A forgotten appointment suddenly struck me, and I instantly regretted it. ‘Should I have asked to meet this week? I should have postponed it for another week.’ The unwanted appointment became even less appealing.
“Did you forget? That’s unusual.”
“I didn’t forget. I just briefly spaced out.”
“That’s the same thing.”
His handsome face quirked into a small smile as he looked at me. Im Jeong-woo, perfectly prepared from head to toe, and me, who had just woken up and couldn’t even properly open my eyes. It was hard to believe we lived in the same space and time.
“Should I just not go?”
“Can you do that?”
“…No.”
The appointment had already been postponed as much as possible, making cancellation impossible.
“Then get up and get ready. That’s why I woke you before I left.”
But the sweet allure of sleep wouldn’t easily dissipate, and my heavy body struggled to rise.
“It’s the weekend, so why does Uncle always want to meet in the morning?”
“Calling 11:30 AM ‘morning’ is a bit of a stretch.”
“Then what should I call it? Afternoon? That’s not right.”
“Just say ‘late morning’.”
“What? That’s the same thing.”
This time, I laughed.
“Anyway, get up. If you go back to sleep, you’ll be late.”
“Alright. Since you’re saying it like that, I’ll get up.”
I wriggled one last time under the soft blanket.
“Are you staying over tonight too?”
“Probably.”
“Okay. Have a good trip.”
His overly cool farewell bothered me. ‘Was he perhaps happy that I’d be gone for a day?’ I shot up from the bed.
“I’ll take you.”
“Who? Me?”
“Yes.”
“I don’t mind, but won’t you be late?”
“I have time to take you to the front of the building. I can get ready quickly after I come back.”
Im Jeong-woo seemed a little surprised by my sudden offer but soon nodded, agreeing. Honestly, there was no reason for him to escort me, but he didn’t ask why. He seemed to understand my impulsive nature, simply attributing it to one of my whims.
We met Song Yu-min in front of the building. The first thought that struck me upon seeing her was… ‘Ah, I must be the only lazy person in this world.’
Even though it was summer session, it was still break, and it was 10:45 AM on a Saturday. Yet, Song Yu-min had her hair stylishly set and her face made up. While it was impressive enough that she had come out early to study, it seemed even more remarkable that she would primp herself during a time when she could be resting, even if not sleeping. Her already pretty face seemed to shine even brighter today.
“Oh? Gi-hyeon, you came too?”
Upon seeing me, Song Yu-min’s expression was clearly flustered. It wasn’t one of dislike, but not exactly pleasure either; it was an odd look.
“Why, can’t I come?”
“No, it’s just a surprise. Jeong-woo didn’t mention it.”
“I’m leaving right away anyway. I just came to drop off Jeong-woo and get some fresh air.”
“Ah…”
“But you said you had something on this afternoon; are you going somewhere nice?”
“No. Why?”
“You just seem to have put in extra effort. Or maybe not.”
What I was truly curious about was whether Song Yu-min had dressed up to meet Im Jeong-woo, or if it was for a later appointment. If it was neither, then perhaps her looking prettier than usual was just my imagination.
“Anyway, it’s a good thing I came. Song Yu-min looks so pretty today, someone should appreciate it. Aren’t you super grateful?”
At my words, her round eyes curved into crescents.
“Yes. I’m super grateful.”
As expected, no one dislikes a compliment. Song Yu-min, who had not exactly welcomed me moments before, now seemed pleased.
The problem, however, was Im Jeong-woo. His face, which I’d glimpsed briefly, hardened before returning to normal.
“Go now. You’ll be late.”
“I still have five minutes?”
“Then get ready five minutes early.”
“…Alright. Study hard, and I’ll contact you.”
I turned and left as if nothing were amiss, but a nagging feeling lingered.
It stayed with me as I walked away from the two of them, as I returned to the dormitory, and even after I was back in my room. The expression I had seen moments ago wouldn’t fade.
‘What exactly had made Im Jeong-woo so annoyed?’
You think this chapter was thrilling? Wait until you read The Moon Reflected In The Water! Click here to discover the next big twist!
Read : The Moon Reflected In The Water
