PUPPY 13

The mock exam was over.

For his first mock exam as a third-year in high school, Seowoo had been extremely nervous, but he did surprisingly well. As if to release all the energy they had held in while taking the exam from morning to afternoon, the classroom was bustling with noise after the mock exam ended. Oh Dongjae, a friend from another class that had ended early because homeroom was skipped, also contributed to the clamor.

The friends who had gotten considerably closer to Juwon recently didn’t show the same polite respect as before, instead joking around and messing with him in a moderately cheeky way.

This time, the topic was dating.

There was a consistent repertoire to this. The chat usually started with the failed love lives of the Dong-Dong trio. Then, the topic would somehow shift to the ‘goddesses’ who had expressed interest in Juwon. Juwon’s unwavering lack of reaction was followed by jokes about him being gay.

“Why are you always crying ‘gay, gay’ like an azure-winged magpie?”

Juwon, who had turned his body and was leaning diagonally in his chair, said in an unconcerned voice. Although Juwon showed a relaxed reaction, Seowoo, who was listening to the conversation, felt somehow uncomfortable.

“How does an azure-winged magpie cry? Look it up.”

“It cries in a loud, gruff voice, ‘Gei—. Gei—.’ It’s so funny.”

Kim Dongwon and Oh Dongjae giggled as they looked at a phone screen. But Yang Juhyeon, who usually would have joined in on the jokes with the two, had an uncomfortable expression, like someone who needed to use the restroom. Then, as if he had made up his mind, he spoke to Oh Dongjae.

“Seeing you sing that gay-around-the-rosie song, aren’t you the gay one, Oh Dongjae?”

Oh Dongjae looked dumbfounded at Yang Juhyeon’s out-of-the-blue attack.

“What are you talking about.”

“Whoa, Dong-dong, is that why you broke up with your girlfriend?”

Kim Dongwon, delighted to have found a new target, put on an exaggeratedly surprised expression. And Seowoo, who was next to them, also asked Dongjae.

“Really?”

It wasn’t the first time Kim Dongwon had acted like this, but at the question from Seowoo, who had been quiet until now, Oh Dongjae looked flustered.

“What’s Oh Dongjae’s favorite food?”

“What is it.”

“What?”

“Spicy tuna.”

At Kim Dongwon’s words, reactions of ‘fuck off’ and ‘ah, that’s so funny’ erupted simultaneously from Oh Dongjae and Yang Juhyeon. It was ridiculous but funny, so Juwon and Seowoo also burst out laughing. Spurred on by this, Kim Dongwon threw out another question.

“Where does Oh Dongjae sleep with his boyfriend?”

“Ah, for fuck’s sake… Ah, ah!!! I got it. A red dragonfly!”

“Correct!”

“I said, fuck off.”

Oh Dongjae was disgusted by Kim Dongwon’s antics, which didn’t stop at just one round. Juwon, the star of the gay scandal, who had been watching, mediated between his friends and said.

“Let’s stop this, and since we finished early today, how about a game of soccer?”

“Deal.”

“I’m in too.”

“Okay.”

As the friends agreed one after another, Juwon’s gaze fell on Seowoo, whose turn it was last.

“Seowoo?”

At Juwon’s noticeably softer tone, Yang Juhyeon glanced back and forth between the two of them.

“I….”

“Ryu Seowoo can’t. I’ll go get Jung Hyunwoo.”

Before Seowoo could even refuse, Oh Dongjae cut in with an answer and stood up from his seat.

“Oh, I don’t think I can. I’m just going to go to the study hall.”

Seowoo said to Juwon with an awkward smile. He had no talent for soccer or basketball, and his stamina was poor, so he rarely participated. The uncomfortable stares he would inevitably receive if he made a mistake in a competitive situation were also unpleasant, so he always declined. He had never once felt envious or regretful while watching the other kids run around the field.

Looking at it that way, he thought he was probably just born to dislike running around and sweating. But today, he felt a little different.

Being naturally excluded felt a bit… disappointing.

It felt strange and jarring how his friends had suddenly gotten so close to Juwon. He wasn’t a child, and he would be an adult next year, yet he felt a quiet sense of self-loathing for seeming to be jealous of a friendship between friends.

Sighing, Seowoo returned to his seat. Not long after, the homeroom teacher entered the classroom for announcements.

“Did everyone do well on the mock exam?”

“……”

At the teacher’s question, the kids who had been restless and noisy all fell silent at once. The atmosphere was chilly, as if someone had thrown cold water on them.

“It’s the first mock exam, so don’t be too discouraged. This is just the beginning, so let’s all work hard.”

“Yes.”

“Don’t go out to play just because you finished early. Go over what you got wrong while writing in your wrong-answer notebooks. Got it?”

Sensing that homeroom was about to end, some were already zipping up their bags, preparing to bolt. Seowoo, who would have to go home alone if his friends went to play soccer, was in no hurry. Just then, Seowoo lifted his head and his eyes met the teacher’s.

“Class president, let’s see the teacher for a moment before you go. Everyone else, get home safely.”

🦴

“Teacher.”

Seowoo entered the teachers’ office and approached the homeroom teacher to greet him. The teacher, who had been looking at the mock exam papers, put down his pen and smiled.

“Oh, Seowoo. Sorry for keeping you, especially since you finished early.”

“It’s okay. But what is this about…?”

Seowoo asked the teacher in a cautious tone. He hadn’t done anything wrong or anything to be scolded for, but being summoned for an unknown reason made him a little nervous.

“Should we talk in the counseling room?”

“Ah, yes.”

The teacher stood up, holding a work notebook. If it were something trivial, they would have had a brief chat in the teachers’ office, but the suggestion to go to the counseling room made Seowoo even more nervous. As they walked down the hallway to the counseling room, Seowoo had many thoughts. Career counseling was scheduled for this week, so it couldn’t be about that. He had no clue what it could be.

“Should we sit?”

“Yes.”

“It’s nothing much…. I had a brief call with Seowoo’s parents a while ago.”

“With my mom and dad?”

Seowoo’s face showed surprise at the homeroom teacher’s words. It was a completely unexpected topic.

“It wasn’t for any other reason, they seemed worried about whether the exam period was physically demanding for you, or if you were overdoing it. They called me to match the time difference.”

“Ah…. Yes, but I’m okay.”

Seowoo replied with a faint smile to reassure the teacher. Are you sick anywhere, is it physically overwhelming and difficult for you. They were ordinary questions, but for Seowoo, they carried a slightly different weight.

“Your parents also said that you need to go to the hospital regularly.”

The teacher seemed to have already heard the detailed situation from his parents.

“I’m fully recovered, so it’s not for treatment or anything. It’s just regular check-ups.”

“So you’re completely fine now?”

“Yes.”

“That’s a relief.”

The teacher smiled a good-natured smile along with a look of relief. While Seowoo was grateful for the teacher’s consideration and sincerity, it also left him with a sense of discomfort.

“I’ve said this before, but if you’re not feeling well or are even slightly unwell, let me know right away.”

“Yes, I will. But, I’m all better now, so I’m really okay.”

When he thought back on his childhood, all he could remember was being sick and lying in a hospital bed. The illness Seowoo had suffered from was rare, but research on it had been steadily progressing overseas, and thanks to new drugs and treatments, he had been declared fully cured. Other than having to pay special attention to his health for the rest of his life, he was no different from anyone else.

At least, that’s what Seowoo thought.

His father, who worked for Haesung Group’s heavy industries company, had a considerable salary even when Seowoo first got sick. But it wasn’t enough to cover the continuous tests, hospitalizations, and treatment costs that went on for several years.

Because of that, Seowoo’s father voluntarily went on dispatched assignments to places like Africa and the Middle East, where the overseas allowance was high. That career path continued, and he was still working abroad now.

Seowoo’s older brother, who was much older, developed a dream of becoming a doctor because of his sick younger brother, and he achieved that dream. Seowoo’s illness had affected his family in so many ways.

“Your parents seem to be very worried. They were also wondering if you might be lonely. From what I’ve seen, you seem to be getting along well with your friends, so that’s what I told them.”

“Yes, Dongwon and Juhyeon are in the same class, and I’ve gotten close to Juwon recently too, so I’m having fun.”

“That’s good. Well, that’s what I called you for. I’ve kept you too long.”

“Not at all. Thank you for your concern.”

Seowoo stood up and left the counseling room. He had been hospitalized only a handful of times since graduating from elementary school, so having been sick felt like something from a very long time ago to Seowoo. He had gained weight and grown much taller since then, but to his family, he was probably still the ‘sick’ and ‘weak’ little Ryu Seowoo.

He had to go back to the classroom to get his bag. Seowoo walked alone down the empty hallway leading from the counseling room. Compared to other high school boys who looked like they could chew through steel bars, his stamina was weak, but he wasn’t as delicate as a single cosmos flower blooming on the street.

As Seowoo was thinking this, Juwon’s words suddenly came to his mind.

‘Don’t get sick.’

Our little one shouldn’t get sick, Seowoo, don’t get sick, you need to get better now and not be sick anymore. These were words Seowoo had heard so often he was sick of them.

When he was very ill, his mind would get exhausted along with his body, and hearing these words often made the young Seowoo irritated. Knowing this, his family never told him not to get sick when he was sick.

Juwon’s words, ‘Don’t get sick,’ uttered without knowing this fact, left a deep afterimage in his heart. The worried expression and the concerned tone of his voice conveyed Juwon’s pure heart perfectly.

How did his thoughts turn back to Cha Juwon again? As Seowoo shook his head, Juwon appeared before his eyes like an apparition.

“Did the teacher give you another task?”

Juwon, who had approached with large strides, asked Seowoo.

“No. We just talked. But, weren’t you supposed to be playing soccer with the guys?”

Juwon shook his head at Seowoo’s question. Then he held out Seowoo’s school bag, which he had already packed, and said.

“I just didn’t go.”

“Why?”

He was so crazy about playing ball, so why didn’t he go to the soccer game? Why was he waiting for him in front of the empty classroom? Juwon’s answer to Seowoo’s question, which held so many meanings, was simple.

“I was waiting for you.”