PUPPY 75

Was it stress from yesterday’s incident, or was it the strain on his body from going to school after a long time? He couldn’t pinpoint the exact cause, but Seowoo was not in good condition. It was ambiguous to say he was sick, but he had been feeling strangely dizzy since the morning, making it hard to concentrate in class. Seowoo blankly rested his chin on his hand and listened to the teacher.

“Starting from the second semester, physical education classes will be self-directed. Those who want to study can study in the classroom, and those who want to run out and play can go out quietly.”

As soon as the teacher’s words ended, Juwon stood up and spoke. As if he hadn’t heard the part about going out quietly, he began to gather people for soccer in a boisterous voice.

“Who wants to play soccer.”

In Juwon’s hand, there was already a soccer ball. A few kids who were still lounging, soaked in the afterglow of summer vacation, got up and headed towards Juwon.

“There are people studying, so don’t be loud and go out quietly.”

“Yes, sir.”

At the teacher’s words, the standing students rushed out. Juwon, who had passed the ball to his friends, didn’t go out right away but came over to Seowoo.

“Seowoo, let’s go out together.”

Juwon, who had bent his knees and sat down, whispered to Seowoo in a small voice.

“I don’t usually play soccer…”

“But it’s our walk time right now.”

Throughout the summer vacation, Juwon and Seowoo, who had matched their study room and academy lecture schedules, moved in a set routine. Unusually, that routine included a ‘walk time’ that Juwon had strongly insisted on. The walk had started with Juwon’s argument that high school seniors should naturally manage their physical fitness.

“That’s true… Hmm.”

Seowoo, who didn’t want to say he was sick, let out a small sigh and gave a lukewarm response. At that, Juwon reached out and pinched Seowoo’s cheek gently.

“Are you tired because you went to bed late yesterday?”

“How did you know I went to bed late?”

At Seowoo’s question, Juwon froze for a moment. He couldn’t very well say that he had been lying in front of Seowoo’s door until the lights in his room went out.

“You’ve got dark circles under your eyes.”

“…Ah.”

As if bothered by the mention of dark circles, Seowoo gently pressed under his eyes with his hand. Seeing Seowoo like that, Juwon’s conscience pricked and ached as if stabbed by a needle. It seemed that the proportion of lies in the things he said to Seowoo had increased recently.

“I have something to organize, so I’ll just finish this. You go out first. I’ll sit and watch you play.”

Seowoo said to Juwon with a faint smile.

‘In reality, you’re just fair-skinned and pretty…’

Juwon had to swallow those words.

🦴

Seowoo’s brows were deeply furrowed as he came out to the sports field. The biggest reason for his frown was the scorching sun, but it was also because of Juwon, who was visible up ahead.

In the middle of the field stood Juwon, wearing a black short-sleeved T-shirt and gym pants. Juwon was not alone. Nor was he with the group of boys from their class who had rushed out earlier.

In front of Juwon stood Lee Yerin.

Lee Yerin, with her hair tied up tightly just like when he saw her at the study room, was holding a ball under one arm. Juwon had his back turned, so Seowoo could only see Yerin’s expression. He didn’t know what they were talking about, but Yerin looked happy.

Seowoo knew well that Yerin was pretty. Yerin had been famous since they started school. Since the boys’ and girls’ classes were separate, and he had no particular interest in the opposite sex, Seowoo had never once been conscious of Yerin. But since he started dating Juwon, Seowoo had been conscious of Yerin.

Watching Yerin tilt her head back and smile brightly, Seowoo once again confirmed the type of emotion he was feeling.

This was probably… jealousy.

Seowoo started walking towards the two of them as if drawn by something. He was curious about what they were talking about so cheerfully.

“I told you to do whatever you want.”

“So you should tell Unnie…”

The closer he got, the better he could hear their voices. He couldn’t figure out what conversation they were having, but when he was close enough to understand the words that came up in between.

Seowoo felt his head spin. He felt as if the ground he was standing on was sinking. Just then, he heard someone calling his name from far away.

“Hey.”

“Hey, Ryu Seowoo!”

The moment he raised his head to find the source of the voice, Seowoo winced at the bright sunlight. When he finally opened his eyes, he saw a soccer ball flying in an arc from a distance. Seowoo tried to move his feet to dodge the ball. But his efforts were in vain, as his body only swayed greatly.

When he turned his head, he saw the faces of Yerin and Juwon, who had been chatting affectionately.

“I’m dizzy…”

Before the soccer ball, which was getting closer and closer, hit his head, Seowoo whispered in a small voice. At the same time, he felt the area below his nose getting wet. When he lowered his head, drops of blood fell to the ground with a pitter-patter.

“Seowoo!”

Seowoo’s eyelids slowly closed, thinking he couldn’t hold on any longer. Through the gap, he could see Juwon sprinting towards him at full speed.

“…I’m.”

Seowoo’s lips moved slightly, but he couldn’t form a sentence and they closed again. What Seowoo wanted to tell Juwon was this.

‘I’m not fainting because I got hit by the ball, I’m collapsing because of the weather and my already poor condition…’

It was true that he was collapsing because he was weak, but there was a big difference between collapsing due to poor condition and collapsing with a nosebleed from the impact of being hit in the head by a ball. The latter was too embarrassing even for Seowoo.

🦴

When he slowly lifted his eyelids, he saw Juwon with his hands clasped together as if in prayer.

“Seowoo, are you okay?”

Juwon asked worriedly in a low, cracked voice. Seowoo nodded in response, as if to say not to worry.

“…Yeah.”

“Does your head hurt?”

“It doesn’t hurt anymore…”

He didn’t know how long he had been unconscious, but perhaps because he had gotten some sleep, the headache that had been pressing down on his head earlier was gone.

“You fainted after getting hit by the ball, Seowoo.”

“I didn’t faint because I got hit by the ball… I was dizzy before the ball hit, so I fainted first.”

Seowoo told Juwon what he had wanted to say before closing his eyes.

“Really? Ah, Gwak Jonghyun must feel a bit wronged then.”

“Huh? Gwak Jonghyun?”

Gwak Jonghyun was a classmate who had gone out to play soccer with Juwon earlier. Gwak Jonghyun feels wronged. His head was working slower than usual, so it was hard to understand what Juwon was saying. But Juwon placed a hand on Seowoo’s forehead as if it was nothing to worry about and asked with concern.

“You don’t need to go to the hospital?”

“No. I’m fine.”

“…That’s a relief.”

Seowoo stared blankly at Juwon, who looked relieved. Then he opened his mouth as if to say something, then closed it again. He moved his lips like that a couple of times, but the question he wanted to ask wouldn’t come out.

‘What were you talking about with Lee Yerin?’

The image of Lee Yerin’s happy face came to mind.

“Don’t be sick. Okay?”

Juwon brushed back Seowoo’s bangs and pressed his lips against his forehead as if stamping it. Then he lowered his head and nuzzled his face into the nape of his neck.

The affectionate and charming Cha Juwon.

“Yeah…”

Cha Juwon, who looked like a well-matched pair with Lee Yerin.

Seowoo filled his eyes with Juwon.

He didn’t know what expression Juwon, who had his back turned, had been making, but if he had been smiling as brightly as Lee Yerin, he thought it would be a little sad.

No, he thought he would feel very sorrowful and dejected.

🦴

There are days like that. An ordinary day, but a day you want to do something different from usual.

For Seowoo, today was such a day.

The start of the day was ordinary. He woke up in the morning, went to school with Juwon, and after school, he stopped by home for a moment just to change clothes and then headed straight to the study room. And they ate together at the restaurant in the study room building.

‘My noona is home, so I think I have to go.’

‘Are your parents there too?’

‘No, my mom and dad are away on a business trip.’

Juwon’s noona, who was busy with her business, had stopped by home after a long time. Because of that, Juwon had to go home first instead of staying at the study room to study with Seowoo.

Seowoo, who left the study room much later than expected, had to walk home alone. The alley that he used to feel was short felt particularly long today. When he arrived home, Seowoo lay down on his bed, then sat up.

「Seowooㅠ, g’night」

Normally, he would have gone straight to sleep, but suddenly, the will to see Juwon’s face, even for a short while, welled up. It might have been because the typo-filled text Juwon had sent earlier seemed particularly cute today.

“I’ll be back.”

“Okay. Just throw that out and come back quickly. It’s already late. You should get to bed soon.”

“Yes. I’ll be right back.”

It was embarrassing to say he was just going out to see Juwon, so Seowoo deliberately took on an errand and came out of the house. Normally, once he was in his room, he wouldn’t come out of the house because it was a hassle, but today it was rather enjoyable. After quickly throwing out the trash, he thought he could meet Juwon for a moment and give him the kisses he hadn’t been able to give him much of earlier.

Seowoo straightened his clothes and left the house with trash bags in both hands. In front of him, he saw that the gate to Juwon’s house, which was always closed, was open. There, several people were standing and talking.

“Unnie, thank you so much for the clothes.”

“Get home safe. And say hi to Ahyeondong for me.”

“Okay. You should go in now.”

A strangely familiar voice and the voice of someone he was hearing for the first time were mixed together. His hands holding the trash bags tightened on their own. The gate opened a little wider and people walked out. The conversation continued amicably. Among them was a familiar voice.

“Should I walk you to where you can get a taxi?”

Juwon’s low, pleasant voice turned into an arrow and pierced Seowoo.

Thud—.

The strength drained from his hands, and the bag full of trash that Seowoo was holding fell to the ground. The sound was quite loud, as the gazes of the people standing in front of the gate all turned towards Seowoo.

“…Seowoo.”

Even without a separate explanation, Seowoo immediately recognized who the people standing with Juwon were.

“…Seowoo, I’ll explain everything.”

They were Lee Yerin, Juwon’s noona, and Juwon’s parents, who were supposed to be away on a business trip.