SMW 84

Irritation flared up for no reason, and I quickened my pace, running my fingers through my hair, but I came to a dead stop before long.

I must have walked halfway there by now, as a large tree appeared before my eyes. I didn’t know when that old tree had been planted, but it had been a resting spot where I often stopped during walks with my grandmother when I was young. Until last year, it was a place I frequently rested at while running along the stream for exercise, but my visits had dwindled recently as things became complicated.

Regardless, why was Han Yeo-reum here, in a place that held my own memories? Especially since he was a guy who should be at home right now, grilling meat with his parents.

I leaned my back against the tree and stared blankly at Han Yeo-reum, who was sitting with his eyes closed. The day was growing darker, but not so much that I could mistake him for someone else. Moreover, there was no way I could have forgotten the face I had seen in the classroom just a few hours ago.

Did he collapse?

His posture looked too comfortable for that, but just in case, I quickly approached him.

“Hey, Han Yeo—”

“Mmm, lots of rice. With meat on top…”

“…”

At least he hasn’t collapsed.

I was relieved for a moment, but since the situation wasn’t exactly resolved, my mind grew even more unsettled. I had been thinking about Read on Read BL Novelshim until just a moment ago, so I felt a strange prickle of guilt. As if a thief were betraying himself, I looked away from Han Yeo-reum, only to see [stolen content]a convenience store bag sprawled out next to his school bag. On top of the bag lay a triangular kimbap wrapper—empty, with only the peel remaining—and a drink bottle.

Did he actually settle for that for dinner? He said he was going home to eat meat. Then, did he make an excuse to leave earlier because he felt embarrassed by whatever that guy—Sang-min or Seong-min—said?

Suddenly, an inexplicable heat churned inside me. Is he an idiot? Eighty percent of what guys say usually bypasses the brain entirely. To get along with them, you had to be thick-skinned enough to either laugh it off or curse back. Seeing him talk with the other kids in class, I thought he was the type to say whatever was on his mind, but it seemed he was unexpectedly soft.

No, honestly, what did this guy do wrong? The ones who made a friend feel embarrassed over a mere free buffet coupon were the ones in the wrong. What on earth is wrong with eating a lot of rice?

Just as I was getting worked up and feeling a surge of irritation, Han Yeo-reum, who had been tossing and turning while leaning against the tree trunk, let his head drop and tilt to the side. My hands shot out reflexively to catch his falling head. For a split second, I felt my own heart drop. I held my breath, worried he might hit something, but as time passed, the head in my hands didn’t budge an inch. When the sound of steady breathing reached my ears shortly after, a hollow laugh escaped me.

To fall fast asleep like this on a roadside, open on all sides… he seemed to have an unexpectedly oblivious and easygoing personality. The more I saw of him, the more novel he seemed.

Is that why I keep finding myself looking at him?

I stared quietly at the head resting in my hands. His appearance was truly ordinary. Of course, that wasn’t a bad thing. His neat face, without a single sharp edge, was plenty likable. It was just that he didn’t have a striking or attention-grabbing look. I suddenly remembered my grandmother saying that the people who are truly genuine are the ones you appreciate the more you look at them.

Perhaps that was why I found myself focusing on Han Yeo-reum. To be precise, my nerves were on edge, attuned to the sensation in my hands. The half of his face pressed against my palm and his hair felt damp. Whether it was because the stream flowed right beside us or because summer was approaching, he seemed to have broken into a sweat from the muggy heat. Strangely, it wasn’t particularly unpleasant.

Separate from that, the hair brushing against my palm and wrist was soft. Setting aside the humid heat, the skin where we touched was also smooth. Perhaps because of these unintended sensations, my palms felt persistently ticklish.

I should probably fix his posture.

Staying like this was uncomfortable for both of us. It would be a bit awkward if Han Yeo-reum woke up during the process, but that couldn’t be helped. If anything, I felt confident. I thought it wouldn’t be too bad to watch Han Yeo-reum be startled and flustered. It might even be a good way to naturally start a conversation. Who knows, I might even find out the title of that book.

Having considered the various advantages, all that was left was to put it into action. And yet, moving wasn’t easy. A strange sense of reluctance held me back. An impulse to let the humid heat slowly seeping into my palms linger a bit longer kept occupying my mind. I visit our sitewas aware that [Read on Read BL Novels]this wasn’t a normal thought. Yet, just as I was unable to pull my hand away…

Something dropped onto my knee, which I had bent while leaning in to check on Han Yeo-reum. Looking down, I saw a book, half-open, wedged between my knee and Han Yeo-reum’s body. I clicked my tongue. It seemed to be the very book I had been so curious about, but if it was going to fall, it could have flipped over so the cover was visible; all I could see was the yellow background and black text I had seen a thousand times at school.

I felt like I could manage it with my remaining hand, but since it had fallen near my left side, which was supporting Han Yeo-reum’s head, it was difficult to pick up the book with my free right hand.

Determined to lean Han Yeo-reum back against the tree first and then check the title, my hand moved on its own this time. It was just as I was leaning Han Yeo-reum back against the trunk and trying to pull my hand away from his face.

“Mmm…”

Han Yeo-reum’s head moved, and he rubbed his cheek right against my palm as it was about to leave. Then, he tilted his head further down. At that moment, his lips brushed against my palm.

For a second, I took a deep breath. I froze, as if everything had come to a standstill.

Then, the sound of a vibration began to ring out from somewhere. I felt a slight movement in my hand. I don’t know what was possessing me in that moment. Driven by the sole desire to get away from that spot, I pulled away from Han Yeo-reum and quickly hid behind the tree. A split second later, I heard a rustling sound.

“…Mom?”

He must have woken up just before the call cut off to manage to answer, as his voice sounded half-asleep.

“Huh? Uh, uh… No, I wasn’t sleeping. I’m still outside. I think I was just sleepy because I’m so full. Ahem. Anyway, is your work finished? …Not yet. Our Mrs. Choi is so busy. Sigh, that company has had no conscience then or now. Forcing you to work overtime and all that bullshit… Uh, I didn’t swear. Huh? Food? Hey, I told you earlier. One of my friends had a free meat buffet coupon, so I ate my fill. They even refilled the rice, so I had about three bowls. Either way, I was destined to eat meat today. So don’t worry about me. Dad? Not yet. Dad said he had a sudden company dinner, so he’ll probably be late, right? I’m worried about you, Mom. Dad will eat something regardless. What about you? You had dinner, right? Yeah, yeah. Okay. I’m heading home now, so don’t worry. See you later.”

As soon as the call ended, a deep sigh was heard.

“Lying is so exhausting. I stolen contentshould ask Gyeong-ho to make an alibi for me, just in case. But what time stolen contentis it? Hic! Why is it so dark?”

I heard the sound of him hurriedly packing his things, followed by the sound of running footsteps. The tension that he might come this way finally turned into relief as the sound of his footsteps faded. Just to be safe, I pulled my hat down further, circled around the tree trunk, and looked in the direction Han Yeo-reum had run.

Just as Han Yeo-reum said, the sky had turned dark in an instant. Lights were twinkling on the road next to the stream bank, so the way back wouldn’t be too dangerous yet. I, too, had to start heading toward the snack shop. Since I had called, the owner was surely waiting.

And yet, I couldn’t move for a while.

I stared quietly at the palm that had been supporting Han Yeo-reum’s face. The humid heat still lingered in my hand. First, his face, and then his hair had touched me. I had been surprised by how soft it was. And what else was there?

At the very end, definitely… his lips touched.

It was only for a brief moment, but the sensation, that body heat, came back to me so vividly that my face suddenly flushed hot. I felt suddenly too warm. A cool breeze was clearly still blowing, yet it felt as if a thick, humid heat had permeated my entire body.

It felt as if summer had suddenly rushed inside me.

It was strange. Had I ever felt this way before? As far as I knew, this was the first time.

“This is driving me crazy.”

It seemed that, following his name, this sensation would also remain in my head for a very long time, refusing to be forgotten.

An early summer was beginning.

“Are you coming to the supplementary classes during break?”

When lunch time arrived and I was lost in thought on the rooftop, Baek Hee-won approached me as usual.

“Why suddenly ask that?”

“What do you mean why? Our homeroom teacher told us to submit the application for supplementary classes today, so I’m asking what you’re going to do.”

Did that come up in class today?

The thought didn’t last long. It was a conversation that didn’t matter either way.

“I’m not going. I don’t want my time taken by school during the break.”

“I think it’s reflected in the GPA?”

“If the GPA is bad, I’ll just do well on the CSAT. I have no intention of faithfully attending a school someone else picked out for me.”

“You really have an incredible amount of confidence in your grades. Well, even if your GPA isn’t great, it shouldn’t be a problem getting into college. If worst comes to worst, you can just go study abroad.”

That was exactly the kind of thing a rich young master would say. It was unpleasant that he included me in that, but this time I remained silent. Then, Baek Hee-won seemed to gauge my reaction for a moment before hesitantly speaking.

“Then, do you want to go abroad with me during the break? To the US or Europe…”

“Baek Hee-won.”

“Yeah?”

“You’re not asking because you actually think I’d go, are you?”

When I replied coldly, intentionally lowering my voice, Baek Hee-won looked flustered.

“No, I just… I thought it would be good for you to gain some experience, so I asked. People our age all gather there. It’s good for networking, and if you look around in advance…”

“And if I look around in advance, it’ll be easier to adjust when I go study abroad.”

This time, Baek Hee-won’s mouth shut instantly. I wasn’t stupid enough to simply ignore the mindless rambling he’d been doing.

“Did that man tell you to test the waters? To observe if I’d wag my tail in happiness if offered a chance to study abroad?”

Baek Hee-won seemed to give up on denying it, sighing and shrugging his shoulders.

“Not exactly wagging a tail, but… I did hear that I should see how you’d react. But in this world, studying abroad is a given. Many kids go from a young age, and going abroad for college is almost a requirement.”

“What does that have to do with me?”

“Well, obviously, you are Baek—”

“If you open your mouth any further, get lost. You seem to have forgotten that I’m tolerating you; if you want to stay by unauthorized copymy side, at the stolen contentvery least, don’t cross the line.”

At the more explicit warning, Baek Hee-won flinched.