By Zephyria 
“I should contact the teacher and go home…”
“Hae-jun’s not feeling well…”
“No, no…”
I waved my hands at the kids who were hovering around, worrying endlessly.
Even if I had to go home, I needed to rest for now, and more importantly, if I went home now, I’d have to cancel my meeting with Ban Seo-yi. So, I planned to rest and see how I felt. It was just before noon. It was still a long way until 2 PM, when I was supposed to meet Ban Seo-yi.
“It’s just distracting if you’re by my side… I’ll rest, so you guys go ride what you want. Then let’s eat.”
“Hae-jun-ah……”
As I stubbornly insisted, they all reluctantly moved their feet. Seong Hae-min tried to stay by my side on the bench, but I desperately waved my arms to refuse him. I hated it intensely when Seong Hae-min gave up on other things to take care of me. I sent Seong Hae-min away, telling him to go ride in my place.
After I chased everyone else away, only one person remained by my side.
It was the taciturn Jeon Jae-hyung, as expected… but surprisingly, it was Min Si-hu. The guy who had been bouncing around so energetically until just now was quietly staying by my side for the first time.
“……”
“……”
The silence was familiar. The joyful screams of people enjoying themselves in the distance made me feel miserable.
‘Sigh……’
The kids went to ride an attraction not far from the bench. It was a gentle ride that seemed suited for loving couples.
Lying there blankly like a corpse, I watched the kids riding the attraction. If it were in the past, I wouldn’t have even glanced at it, thinking it was boring, but it looked so fun.
“Ah.”
“Is Juni more sick? Do you want to go to the hospital with Si-hu?”
As I lay there blankly watching Ban Pyo-ran and Lee Beom ride an attraction side-by-side, dust suddenly got into my eye. With a stinging pain, tears streamed down.
“Ah… just a moment.”
“……Hae-jun-ah?”
“Just a moment. Dust in my eye. Don’t follow me.”
I quickly got up and turned my back. With Min Si-hu’s personality, if he saw me with red eyes and tears streaming down, he’d make a fuss, and if Seong Hae-min saw that fussing Min Si-hu, his excessive worry might even cause the ride to stop so he could rush to me. I couldn’t let such an embarrassing thing happen.
I quickly fled to a spot out of the sight of the kids on the ride. Standing with my back to passersby, I hastily wiped away my tears.
But this darn dust wouldn’t stop coming from my eyes. Seong Hae-min would throw a fit again if he saw I had left my spot. In my haste to let the dust flow out, I even held my breath and forced out tears.
“……Seong Hae-jun.”
A familiar voice called my name. Despite my request not to follow, Min Si-hu had stubbornly trailed after me. I had clearly told him dust got in my eye, but honestly, that guy never listened.
Unable to speak due to my gasping breaths, Min Si-hu called me again, calmly.
“Hae-jun-ah.”
“Uh, uh. What?”
But when Min Si-hu calls my name normally, it always leads to some stupid misunderstanding…
My voice, trembling from squeezing out tears, was shaky. I felt an unusual sensation emanating from Min Si-hu standing behind me. I didn’t know what misunderstanding he had, but to resolve it as quickly as possible, I strained my eyelids and squeezed my eyes shut. Tears streamed down.
Done! My eyes finally felt comfortable. I roughly wiped my tear-stained face.
“…You’re doing it again.”
“…Doing what?”
“Bottling up your tears alone.”
“No… I told you, dust got in my eye.”
I know it sounds like a lie, but it’s the truth. My life feels like a fabrication.
I explained, as kindly and calmly as possible.
“A lie.”
It was completely pointless. How could he be so certain it was a lie?
At the same time, irritation surged. It felt like I’d spent ages explaining myself, but not a single person believed me! I was tired of explaining.
‘Have I accumulated that much bad karma?’
“Sigh… Think whatever you want.”
“You ran to the kitchen and cried then too.”
I muttered in resignation, but Min Si-hu’s mumbled words made me clamp my mouth shut like a clam.
I tried to recall when this kitchen incident could have been, and my memory led me back to the time a month ago when they all barged into my room under the guise of visiting me before the midterm exams. It was a little creepy that he remembered something from a month ago.
Back then, it was a yawn; now, it was dust in my eyes. Even I thought it sounded like a flimsy excuse, but the fact that it was the truth made me the most wronged.
“The kids are off the ride now. Let’s go.”
“Seong Hae-jun. I saw you swallowing your tears alone…”
Here we go again.
“I told you it was a misunderstanding. Let’s go quickly.”
I let out a deep sigh and looked at Min Si-hu. But Min Si-hu had a face that looked like he was about to cry, and he was biting his lower lip hard. I was left bewildered, like someone hit with a toy hammer.
‘What’s wrong with him?’
“Hae-jun…”
Min Si-hu called me with a voice trembling as if he were holding back tears. I let out a long sigh and pressed my forehead. My eyes, already bloodshot, were stinging terribly. The motion sickness had subsided, but my head ached for a different reason.
“I can’t even guess what misunderstanding you’ve had, Min Si-hu, but whether I cry or not…”
“Do you like Ban Pyo-ran that much?”
“What?!”
What nonsense is this!
I instinctively pulled my hand away from my forehead and jumped. I gestured with all my might, conveying my utter confusion. I was so dumbfounded that my mind went blank. It felt like I hadn’t been hit with a toy hammer, but a regular one.
“Is it because Ban Pyo-ran likes Lee Beom… that you’re holding back your tears and pushing Lee Beom towards him, do you love him that much?”
“What?!”
What kind of nonsense is this now!
“Then what about you? Where is your heart going…?”
“No!”
“You don’t have to act tough in front of me. It’s okay. Si-hu, you’re known for being perceptive. I’m the only one who knows Pyo-ran likes Lee Beom. And that you like Ban Pyo-ran…”
“No! What are you talking about! I don’t like him!”
I struggled with all my might. But Min Si-hu didn’t even try to listen to me; he ignored all my thrashing and pulled me into a hug. I pounded on Min Si-hu’s arms. I hadn’t realized it before because he usually acted so cute and childish, but this guy had some serious muscle and strength.
“I told you I’d buy you candy… If you need anything, don’t hold back, just find me…”
‘Get lost, please!’
“It’s a misunderstanding! I don’t like Ban Pyo-ran! And let go, you’re suffocating me!”
“Are you that untrustworthy?”
My blood pressure shot up vertically. I wouldn’t be surprised if lava was flowing from the top of my head!
“I told you I don’t like him! Why won’t you believe me!”
I finally screamed, unable to hold back. My anger boiled over. My rapidly rising blood pressure might lead to my demise soon. These guys were making my vocabulary expand with curses.
But Min Si-hu tightened his grip, as if to crush me, and rested his chin on my head, whispering.
“Would you believe me?”
“Believe what? Get your chin off my head!”
“Can you believe a hedgehog who always swallows everything alone…?”
“No, hey!”
I was about to retort, asking where he got such nonsensical ideas and to just believe me when someone spoke.
“Hae-jun? Where did you go? Min Si-hu?”
“That’s strange. I thought I saw them come this way after getting off the ride.”
“Hae-jun~!”
The voices of the kids who had gotten off the rides, searching for me and Min Si-hu, could be heard. The arms that had been holding me loosened their grip. I quickly broke free.
Then, summoning superhuman patience, I suppressed the words I was about to spit at Min Si-hu and glared at him. My eyes, which had gotten dust in them, were now bloodshot and stinging. Min Si-hu also looked like he had a lot to say, but I had even more.
“We’ll talk properly later. Don’t have such stupid misunderstandings.”
I gritted my teeth and whispered through them. Otherwise, I felt I would lose control and shout loudly. Min Si-hu pouted like a disgruntled student.
Ah, my blood pressure is rising. At this rate, I’ll be added to the list of people who died of stress.
“Hey, Hae-min, I’m here.”
“Why were you there? I was worried. Are you feeling better? Phew, Hae-jun, what’s wrong with your eyes!”
Seong Hae-min jumped when he saw my red eyes. It wasn’t just Seong Hae-min; the other kids crowded around, looking worried.
“What’s wrong with Hae-jun’s eyes? Oh my!”
“Hey. What’s wrong with your eyes?”
“Rabbit eyes…”
“Really! Why is Hae-jun like a rabbit!”
Fatigue was slowly creeping in. Seeing the kids fussing over me, I wavered, wondering if I should tell Ban Seo-yi I couldn’t make it today and go home early.
“It’s just dust in my eyes. I’m fine now.”
“They’re really red, are you sure you’re okay?”
“Yeah.”
“Then that’s a relief…”
“Why dust of all things…?”
“Haha. Yeah, I guess I’m just unlucky.”
I put on a brave face, but thanks to Min Si-hu’s torment, I felt more drained than when my motion sickness was at its worst. I thought I had hit rock bottom then, but there was an even lower point. Human limits were truly astonishing.
“Let’s go back to the bench for now.”
“Uh-huh…”
Even as the kids pulled me along, I didn’t turn my head towards Min Si-hu once.
I thought the picnic plan was ruined from the start, but Min Si-hu’s finishing touch made it perfectly deserving of the name ‘ruined.’ I seriously considered breaking my promise with Ban Seo-yi.
But I had barely managed to secure today’s meeting. It was uncertain when else I could meet her, so I felt I had to endure.
I changed the subject.
“Um, shouldn’t we eat? I’m hungry too.”