Part 10

After the first round of barbecue in the yard, they went inside the pension to start the second round.

As they drank and played light games, the atmosphere grew more relaxed. As time passed and more people got tipsy, they started retiring to their beds one by one.

“It’s already 2 a.m. Seowoo, aren’t you sleepy?”

“No, I’m fine.”

Yoohyun asked with concern in his voice. Obviously, she hadn’t slept well last night, and she couldn’t sleep today either.

It was because of Kwon Jiwook, who made his presence felt even though he was sitting far away.

“Hey, Oppa, do you like Seowoo?”

“Me?”

Yoonmi suddenly asked Yoohyun. Seowoo knew that Yoonmi secretly had a crush on him. She seemed quite intoxicated, finally blurting out such words after pouring drinks repeatedly.

“Hey, you’ve had too much to drink. Let’s go to bed.”

“No, it’s not like that. You always talk about Yoon Seowoo. We see you so often, oppa, is it because of her, right?”

“Is it that obvious?”

Seowoo’s expectation that Yoohyun would say no didn’t come. Yoohyun’s sudden affirmative answer instantly froze the atmosphere.

“Ahn Yoohyun, do you like Seowoo?”

“Yeah.”

“Wow.”

An awkward expression spread across Seowoo’s face. She hadn’t anticipated such an answer, so she felt flustered. It was awkward knowing that Yoonmi, her closest friend, liked him, making the situation doubly uncomfortable.

“Come on, stop pretending. It’s not like I’m the only one here who likes Yoon Seowoo.”

“Uh… um… I’ll just step out to get some fresh air.”

Unable to bear it any longer, Seowoo stood up and grabbed her phone. 

“Where are you going in the middle of the night? I’ll come with you then.”

Yoohyun didn’t back down and stood up as well.

“No! I’ll go out alone. Please don’t follow me!”

With a firm refusal, Seowoo quickly left the pension. At her firm words, everyone just stared at her, not knowing what to do.

“Ha, what’s going on?”

Seowoo’s face looked distressed as she quickly ran outside. Because of Han Yoonmi’s sudden strange words and Yoohyun’s confession, she felt awkward.

Things weren’t going as they should in this supposed-to-be enjoyable MT atmosphere.

Deciding to take a short walk before going back and going to sleep, Seowoo started walking along the path next to the pension house.

“This is bad.”

She thought back to what had happened earlier, but it was clear that there was no way to salvage the situation.

Anyway, since it’s vacation now, by the time the second semester starts, I’ll probably forget all about it.

It was when she was walking down the street, barely clinging to a thread of hope.

“Mom!”

With a large hand grabbing her shoulder, Seowoo squealed and slumped to the floor.

“You go out alone at night without any fear. It’s dangerous.”

A familiar voice rang in her ears, and when she opened her eyes and raised her gaze, she saw Jiwook staring down at her with a furious expression on his face.

“Ha. Seriously. You scared me!”

She was startled for a moment as if she had been robbed.

Her voice rose in pitch to match her surprise.

“If it’s so scary, why did you go out alone?”

“No… Ha.”

Seowoo squeezed her eyes shut and took a deep breath. Because of his sudden appearance, her heart couldn’t calm down from yesterday until now.

While trying to calm down her racing heart, a large hand reached out towards her.

“Get up or are you going to sit there forever?”

“I-I can get up on my own.”

Seowoo grunted and stood up, reluctant to take his hand. Jiwook withdrew his hand and put it in his pocket.

The awkward air hung in the air again.

It’s always awkward when Kwon Jiwook shows up.

It’s as if every nerve in her body is rejecting his presence.

“What are you going to do after ruining the mood and leaving?”

“Is that my fault?”

“Then whose fault is it?”

“It’s…….”

 Is it because of Yoohyun’s confession, or is it because of Yoonmi?

“Ha. I don’t know.”

I’m annoyed. What’s with the sudden confession, seriously?

Yoohyun, an overachiever in the Business Administration department, was popular not only in his own department but also in Seowoon’s department. 

Yoonmi was one of them, and Seowoon was confused as to why she was the one Yoohyun liked.

“How much did you drink?”

“Me?”

Seowoo’s breath caught in her throat as he came closer. No, it felt more like her breath stopped involuntarily. Her body stiffened at the close proximity.

“Let’s walk. It’ll help sober you up.”

“….”

“Breathe.”

As if he knew she wasn’t breathing, he casually uttered a remark.

Seowoo pursed her lips and bowed her head deeply. Leaving only that one word, Jiwook began to walk first. Seowoo, who had been watching him quietly, followed behind.

It was a clear summer night, still as hot as ever, even in the darkness. While cooler than during the day, just a little walking was enough to make sweat beads on their foreheads.

“What time are you leaving?”

Seowoo approached him a little closer and whispered softly.

“Soon. I’ll leave right after.”

She wonders if she’ll still be able to see him when they return to their daily lives.

As she hesitated, unsure of what to say, he slowed down and began walking side by side with her.

A warm breeze brushed her cheeks. The distance between them narrowed, and with each step, their hands brushed lightly.

“What are you doing during the vacation?”

Jiwook was the first to speak.

“Well, I’m doing part-time jobs and tutoring.”

“What kind of part-time job?”

“Just at a cafe……a franchise cafe in front of the school.”

Even as they conversed, her entire focus was on his hand. When the teasing touch became too much to bear, she clenched her fists tightly, trying to suppress the urge to flinch away.

“…….”

Then, the large hand enveloped her small hand entirely. When the warmth touched her fist, Seowoo’s jaw stiffened.

Unable to look at him or pull her hand away, she only pursed her dry lips and tried to keep a straight face.

Then his grip on her hand tightened.

“You’ve grown a lot taller.”

Eventually, Seowoo’s steps came to a sudden halt at his words. When she turned her head to look at him, Jiwook also stopped walking and lowered his gaze. 

“Am I the only one who remembers?”

“…….”

“Well, you were young back then.”

It felt like a blow to the head, leaving her mind blank.

He really did remember me.

A shiver ran through her body as her guess was confirmed. His hand, which was wrapped around hers, felt both comforting and eerie at the same time.

Without a word, he took her other hand, which was holding her phone. Then he entered his own number and pressed the call button.

“That’s my number. Save it.”