Park Dong stood there with the Papico still hanging from his mouth, visibly annoyed but he couldn't say anything.
She wasn't wrong.
Seolhyo suddenly paused, eyes narrowing."…Wait. Don't tell me you like Irina? You're jealous of her boyfriend, aren't you?"
Park Dong snapped his head toward her, eyes wide. The Papico slipped straight out of his mouth.
"NO-NO, FUCK!!"
Suwon burst out laughing so hard he nearly choked, hastily covering his mouth as saliva sprayed everywhere.
I couldn't help snickering too.
Seolhyo crossed her arms, grinning.
"Then why are you snapping at her for no reason? You're acting like a little kid who bullies the girl he likes."
I gave Park Dong a serious look. "We're Irina's friends too you know you should at least let us know what's happening. "
Park Dong hesitated, jaw tightening. "It's just… you know. Irina's boyfriend."
Suwon glanced at him nervously. What, is he actually going to say it? If Seolhyo finds out everything… she might actually murder someone, he thought grimly.
Park Dong finally spoke, quieter this time. "There's… a bad rumor."
"A rumor?" Seolhyo echoed his words.
"Yeah. That he's crazy about girls. Some people said they saw him with another girl… but nothing's confirmed."
Seolhyo fell silent, lightly squeezing the Papico between her fingers before taking a slow bite."…He doesn't seem like that kind of guy, though."
"So yeah," Park Dong muttered. "Just a rumor."
"Who told you?" she asked sharply.
"I seriously can't tell you. Absolutely not."
Seolhyo glanced at me. "What do you think, Seojin? It's not confirmed yet, right?"
I shrugged. "I honestly don't know. But if there's already a rumor, then… maybe there's something to it."
Park Dong shot me a look. "Don't tell Irina. If it's real, she'll figure it out herself."
Seolhyo smirked, clearly enjoying this way too much. "Got it. But is that why you snapped at her, huh? Yeah you're totally into her."
Park Dong's face went bright red. "Get lost, Seojin! Take your girlfriend back to her class!!"
-
Hai-an walked home beside Hong Aera, their footsteps echoing softly in the quiet night.
The air was cooler now, the kind that clung to your skin after hours spent indoors.
"Hey," Hong Aera said casually, kicking a pebble. "If you say you're attending some arts academy, they'll let you skip night study. Wanna sign up?"
Hai-an shook her head. "It's not like I'm good at anything in particular…"
"Fuck. Same here," Hong Aera scoffed.
Hai-an barely heard her.
Her mind drifted back to the snack store.
…So you didn't actually go home, she thought bitterly.
Hong Aera suddenly slowed. "Well, well."
Hai-an followed her gaze.
Up ahead, walking side by side no, closer than that were Kwangwoon and Irina. Their shoulders brushed with every step, arms nearly touching, as if there was no space left between them to breathe.
"Those two are basically fused together at this point," Hong Aera muttered.
Hai-an stopped.
Her jaw tightened, teeth grinding as she stared at their backs.
Irina's voice floated clearly through the air, bright and carefree. "Why are you picking me up so often lately, honey?"
Kwangwoon laughed softly. "Because I miss you… hehe."
"Aww, I love it!!" Irina chirped, looping her arm through his.
Hai-an looked away, her fingers curling into fists at her sides.
Kwangwoon, walking ahead, forced a smile but inside, his thoughts churned.
…I'm sure he didn't see me back then.
Yet the unease in his chest refused to fade.
-
Hai-an reached her apartment building late at night, the kind of quiet that only came after everyone else was asleep or resting.
She stopped in front of the elevator waiting for it to arrive, there she sees a mirror at the wall.
She stepped closer, lifted a hand, and fidgeted with her short hair tucking her bangs , then undoing it again.
Early 2005.
A memory surfaced without warning.
At a narrow alley behind an arcade, neon lights flickering overhead.
The air smelled of cigarettes and damp concrete.
Hai-an stood there with Hong Aera, both of them still young, still unsure where they belonged.
Hai-an ran her fingers through her short hair, nails trembling as tears pooled in her eyes. She kept her head down, shoulders tight.
Nearby, three guys that seem a year older to them are leaning against the wall, laughing and talking loudly.
One of them stood out immediately the kind of handsome that made people stare without doing anything. Fair skin, sharp nose, Large and expressive eyes, and a face so clean and striking he could've passed for an idol.
Even in the dim alley light, he looked unreal.
Hong Aera kept sneaking glances at them, especially him.
"Last time I smoked out front," one of the guys said casually, exhaling smoke, "some older dudes chewed me out. Said we should only smoke in this arcade alley."
"That's bullshit," He spat and sneer "They're smoking out there themselves. Why make such a big deal?"
"Right? Seriously,"
The handsome guy with long, dyed hair dug into his pockets, then clicked his tongue. "Hey, got a lighter? Mine's out of fuel."
Without thinking, Hong Aera stepped forward and held hers out. "Here."
He looked surprised, then grinned. "Oh thanks."
One of the guys nudged the handsome one with his elbow, lowering his voice. "Hey, who's that long-legged girl tagging along?"
He shrugged. "Someone I run into at the arcade sometimes. We just smoke together."
"What kind of relationship is that?" the guy laughed, then nodded toward Hai-an. "Then who's the one crying next to her?"
"No idea," he said, barely glancing over. "Probably a friend? First time I've seen her."
Kwangwoon, standing just beside the handsome guy, hadn't joined the conversation.
He didn't say anything just glanced over quietly at Hai-an and Hong Aera, his gaze lingering to Hai-an for a second longer than necessary.
"How old is she?" He asked.
"A year younger. She'll be a high schooler soon."
"Then introduce her to me or Kwangwoon," the guy teased. "You're popular, aren't you?"
"Not like I'm that close with her, dumbass," he laughed.
Hong Aera heard it clearly.
Her smile faded as she glanced back at Hai-an.
Hai-an stood a few steps away, fingers nervously combing through her short hair again and again.
"Why are you even crying? Im telling you , your hair doesn't look weird."
Her lips parted slightly, a quiet murmur slipping out.
"…I'm screwed."
"It'll grow back," Hong Aera said, trying to sound casual. "And honestly, I think it looks nice."
"This isn't the style I was going for," Hai-an muttered, shoulders sagging.
"It's not weird at all,"
Hai-an's gaze drifted to where the voice came from its from a boy standing a little apart from them.
Kim Kwangwoon.
He was glancing at her. While smoking his cigarette, his other hand in his pocket, eyes calm but observant.
When their eyes met, he spoke, voice smooth but certain.
"It's pretty. Your hair."
Hai-an stiffened slightly, caught off guard.
Heat crept up her cheeks as she turned her head away.
"…It's weird, though," she said still unsure.
He shook his head trying to reassure her.
"It's not. It really suits you."
For a moment, the noise of the alley the laughter, the smoke, the clink of a lighter fell away.
Hai-an's fingers finally stilled in her hair, her chest tightening with something unfamiliar she didn't yet have words for.
-
Hai-an stopped short of the elevator.
Instead of stepping inside, she turned toward the stairwell and sat down on the cold concrete steps.
After a moment's hesitation, she dialed Kwangwoon's number.
Across town, Kwangwoon was still walking beside Irina.
His flip phone vibrated in his pocket.
He glanced down and froze when he saw Hai-an's name on the screen.
Almost instinctively, he slipped the phone back into his pocket.
Irina tilted her head."Didn't you just get a call?"
"Ah yeah," he said quickly, forcing a light tone. "Just a friend. I can ignore it. He's probably asking me to hang out again."
Irina hummed, satisfied, and continued talking.
Kwangwoon slowed his steps just enough to pull the phone out again, angling it away from her.
His thumbs moved fast.
Hai-an's phone buzzed.
"I'll call you later."
She stared at the screen for a long second.
Her shoulders sagged, the tension finally giving way to something heavier.
Without a word, she stood up, climbed the stairs instead, and unlocked her apartment door.
The door clicked shut behind her, the hallway falling silent.