By Zephyria 
After finishing course registration, we played a few games and then left the PC bang. Min Si-hu was the best gamer among us, likely because he loved games the most and had the most playtime.
When we left the PC bang, the sun was already high in the sky.
“Since course registration went badly and I’m feeling unsettled, let’s get some hearty gukbap.”
“On this hot day?”
“Then how about cold noodles?”
Seong Hae-min and Min Si-hu went back and forth choosing lunch menus. Seeing Seong Hae-min and Min Si-hu bickering even in the hot weather made me chuckle.
I made a makeshift shade with my hand and looked up at the hot summer sun. The dazzling sunlight of August, which I hadn’t seen before leaving the novel, poured down.
I looked forward to the next semester.
❖ ❖ ❖
The second semester arrived in an instant, and the busy life began again.
Thanks to matching my timetable roughly with Do Yun-hyeok’s, we could see each other more regularly than in the first semester when we met whenever our schedules aligned.
Indeed, the frequency of contact with Lee Beom decreased compared to the vacation.
In the second semester, Lee Beom had completed his university applications and was focusing on studying for the college entrance exam, so other than occasional essay feedback, there was no reason to talk. Since he lived far away and was hard to see in person, I occasionally sent him gifticons as encouragement. I hoped it wouldn’t interfere with his studies.
Min Si-hu became even harder to see than during the vacation. Even during the vacation, he went for practice all day, and I heard he was intensely rehearsing for an upcoming regular performance by the school orchestra.
Seong Hae-min was also busy with his work-study scholarship activities and numerous tutoring sessions. However, since we had one class together, we saw each other twice a week and had lunch together.
I also became busy with classes, assignments, and a newly started academic society, but every day was enjoyable.
During this time, I also became close with my classmates who joined the same academic society. Fortunately, all my classmates were good people, and we quickly grew closer.
I spent time with Do Yun-hyeok, going out or doing our own things at cafes.
Everything flowed smoothly, as if oiled.
As we spent the second semester like this, we encountered Jeon Jae-hyung in an unexpected place.
❖ ❖ ❖
‘Is this what private schools are like?’
It was a typical festival scene, but it felt unfamiliar to me. I was trying my best to restrain myself from looking around constantly, out of consideration for appearances.
Today, I came to visit the festival at Do Yun-hyeok’s university. My own school was known for its boring festivals, and I regretted not being able to enjoy things in the first semester due to my exhausting lifestyle. So, when I heard that Do Yun-hyeok’s university festival was on a day I had a free period, I decided to go for a date.
The stage performance featuring celebrities was scheduled for the evening, so we planned to explore and have fun during the day before the crowds grew. Even during the day, there were plenty of things to enjoy.
In the distance, the plaza was bustling with preparations for the daytime stage, and the road was lined with food trucks. Along the inner streets, various clubs were operating booths.
“Free cotton candy!”
“Play darts and win prizes-!”
We walked through the noisy booth street, holding takoyaki in one hand. We got free drinks and cotton candy intermittently, and at one club booth, we skillfully played balloon darts and received a bag of candy as a prize.
It was a shame that I didn’t feel a sense of belonging since it wasn’t my school, but it was still fun to look around, as expected of a festival.
“Whoa. I have to ride that.”
In a corner of the plaza, a large bouncy castle was in operation. I quickly finished my remaining takoyaki and went to ride the bouncy castle.
Riding something like a bouncy castle at this age was quite fun. Even though I generally preferred static indoor environments, my love for amusement rides hadn’t disappeared.
“The picture turned out really well.”
“…This one?”
“Yeah. I really like it.”
Do Yun-hyeok, who had captured the moment I tumbled down hilariously, burst into laughter. It was a shockingly ridiculous photo, but seeing him like it so much, calling it the photo of the year, I completely forgot about telling him to delete it. Instead, I forcibly put Do Yun-hyeok on the air bounce and took a funny picture of him.
We spent time playing like that, and it was still a leisurely afternoon. I heard music starting to drift from the plaza, and before I knew it, the daytime stage had fully kicked off.
[Alright—! Let’s begin the second game!]
The MC, holding the microphone, shouted with booming clarity. A crowd had gathered on stage for some game event. People were scattered everywhere, enjoying the stage after buying food and laying out mats.
Tired from playing, we also thought about taking a break and watching, so we wandered around looking for a suitable place to sit. We tried to find shade, but it wasn’t easy.
Even though it was September, it was so hot during the day that the ice cream in our hands would melt into a mess. Everyone who arrived earlier had already claimed their spots.
Still, we were lucky enough to find a relatively quiet spot. Sitting down, Do Yun-hyeok and I hastily devoured our ice cream, which was on the verge of becoming a drink.
“What game are they playing?”
“I don’t know.”
“Is it like a speed quiz?”
Lounging in the shade, Do Yun-hyeok and I chatted idly. It was around the time we were considering moving indoors if we weren’t planning to watch the celebrity performance in the evening.
[Now, let’s hear from the participating students—!]
While blankly staring at the big screen, feeling the gentle breeze, my eyes widened.
“Huh?”
That person…
‘Isn’t that Jeon Jae-hyung?’
The handsome man on the big screen bowed his head. Even from afar, he was the tallest among the contestants on stage.
If he had been holding a plush toy, he would have been exactly as I remembered Jeon Jae-hyung.
[Hello. I am Jeon Ji-han from the Department of Mathematics Education.]
[Yes, and with Ji-han! We’ve heard everyone’s introductions!]
“…Did I see wrong?”
I rubbed my eyes. The screen, which had been zoomed in on the man’s face, had now switched to show the entire stage. The man’s face was not clearly visible among the group.
Beside me, Do Yun-hyeok stroked his chin.
“…He looks like Jeon Jae-hyung?”
“I didn’t see wrong, did I?”
“No.”
We blinked, waiting for the big screen to show the man’s face again.
By the time the sweet taste of ice cream in my mouth disappeared, the man from before filled the screen again.
His languid eyes, his seemingly sweet, dark brown pupils. There was no room to doubt that I hadn’t seen wrong.
“It really is Jeon Jae-hyung,” Do Yun-hyeok muttered, confirming it.
[I will choose number 3.]
[Number 3! You won’t regret it, Ji-han?]
[Yes.]
As expected, I hadn’t seen wrong, nor had I heard wrong. I looked at Do Yun-hyeok. He was looking at me. As if I had been waiting, I opened my mouth.
“…His name isn’t Jeon Jae-hyung.”
Do Yun-hyeok shrugged. Then he gestured with his chin towards the stage. The person standing there undeniably looked like Jeon Jae-hyung.
‘Right, there were people of different ages, so what’s the big deal if the name is different!’
Jeon Jae-hyung was having a lively back-and-forth with the MC. Every word Jeon Jae-hyung spoke elicited bursts of laughter from the audience. I watched the stage, dumbfounded.
“He speaks really fluently.”
“Wasn’t he supposed to be taciturn?”
“Taciturn isn’t even enough to describe it.”
Do Yun-hyeok probably hadn’t had many interactions with Jeon Jae-hyung, so he wouldn’t know what kind of speaking style he used there.
But I remembered it clearly. The way he suddenly shoved a plush toy at me, said something I didn’t understand, and then left!
His reticence was so profound that anyone questioning him would give up. His slow speech, so slow that I had to finish his sentences for him. The gaps between words and the context, compressed into something like a coded message.
However, the current Jeon Jae-hyung was neither as reticent as in the novel, nor was his speech slow, nor was the logical distance between his words far.
His smooth conversation, accompanied by a bright smile, was so unfamiliar. He looked so accustomed to public speaking that I would believe him if he said he had been a student council president somewhere.
[Ah, I’m actually in charge of the first-year homeroom in the Department of Mathematics Education…]
[No wonder you speak so well. I felt threatened as an MC.]
Was it really true!
I watched the stage, unable to contain my shock. It was more shocking than seeing Min Si-hu not speak with a lisp, or hearing that Lee Beom was a year younger.
Not long after, Jeon Jae-hyung, having answered all the quiz questions correctly, won a prize. As the game ended, the MC tidied up the stage.
Do Yun-hyeok called me.
“Hae-jun. Shall we go?”
The contestants who had finished the game were coming down from the stage. There was no time to hesitate. I jumped up from my seat.
“Let’s go!”
I ran diligently, not wanting to lose sight of the people dispersing with their friends after coming down from the stage.
I didn’t usually prefer impulsive actions, but I didn’t want to miss this moment. Without even thinking about what I would say if I met Jeon Jae-hyung, I moved forward.
Should I say hello? It would be like meeting him for the first time, wouldn’t it? Should I get his number?
‘Whatever, anything!’