I stood there for a full minute, alone on the court, my chest heaving, my hoodie sticking to my back with sweat. The game with Myung-Dae had been... intense. He was right. I wasn't terrible. And neither was he.
I was finally, truly, bone-tired. The jet lag and the day's insanity were catching up. It was time to go. For real.
I picked up my new phone from the bench and started the short walk back, sticking to the shadows, my sneakers silent on the perfect, clean pavement. This neighborhood was surreal—a high-security, silent bubble. I passed Myung-Dae's dark, modern house on the left. I approached the house on the right—Chae-rin's.
I was just about to pass it, my head down, when I heard voices. Low and intimate. My "sneak-out" instincts kicked in. I ducked behind a thick, sculpted pine tree that marked the edge of her property.
There, by the ornate front gate, was Yoo Chae-rin. She wasn't in her uniform. She was wearing a simple, expensive-looking white dress. And she was not alone. Standing with her was a guy I didn't recognize. He looked older—maybe university-age—and, of course, he was ridiculously handsome, like a model from a menswear ad. He had his arm casually draped around her shoulders. They were talking quietly. He leaned down and kissed her on the forehead.
"Well, it's obvious that she had a boyfriend."
My brain, already deep-fried by the day's events, went right back into K-drama mode. The Ice Queen has a secret boyfriend. This is... this is an event. I knew I should go home. My soft, comfortable bed was fifty meters away. But... where was the fun in that? This was drama.
They started to walk, not into her house, but back toward the park I'd just left.
My fate was sealed. I felt like a main character in a cheap thriller. I gave them a ten-second lead, then slipped out from behind the tree, my heart thumping a stupid, excited rhythm. I followed, ducking behind designer hedges and tastefully-lit oak trees, my sneakers making no sound on the manicured grass.
They sat on a bench near the koi pond, not far from the basketball court. The guy was trying to be smooth, his arm still around her.
I was crouched behind a large, decorative rock, feeling like a total creep.
They were talking about something, it was the first time San saw Chae-rin smile.
What am I even doing? I thought, my knee starting to cramp. I'm not a detective. This is ridiculous. This is as bad as...
The memory hit me, sharp and sudden.
Me, age 13, my face illuminated only by the Minecraft loading screen. My heart hammering in my chest as I typed, Bogoshipo (I miss you). I remembered LunarRabbit_04 calling me Jagiya (My honey).
I remembered promising I'd come to her school.
Looks like I have allergy to relationships.
I remembered how, at the time, it felt like the most profound, epic romance in human history.
Thinking about it now, crouching in a bush in Seoul while spying on my new nemesis... It was... so cringey. Shivers went down my back. I'd been that guy.
A small, sharp sound escaped my lips. A scoff. Half a laugh, half a pained groan at the memory of my 13-year-old self. It was tiny. But in the dead-silent park, it sounded like a gunshot.
The talking on the bench stopped.
"Mwoya?" Chae-rin's voice, sharp and cold. "Who's there?" My blood turned to ice.
"What was that?" the boyfriend asked, his voice low and annoyed. He stood up. They were both staring directly at my rock.
I was dead.
I was a sweaty, hoodie-wearing creep, spying on the girl I'd called "filthy". I was going to be arrested. I was going to be deported.
They started walking toward the rock. I didn't wait. I didn't try to be stealthy. I just ran. I scrambled backward, out of the bushes, and bolted, sprinting across the grass, my sneakers slipping. I didn't care about noise; I just needed to be gone.
I heard Chae-rin yell, "Ya!" behind me, but I was already moving, my basketball adrenaline coming back. I rounded a corner, vaulted over a small hedge, and didn't stop until I was back on the main, empty street, gasping for air.
I was safe. I leaned against a lamppost, my chest heaving, my heart about to explode. That was close. That was so, so, SO stupid. I am an idiot. My life here was a comedy of errors. I took a deep, shuddering breath, trying to calm down. Okay. Home. Now. Bed. Sleep. I straightened up, wiped the sweat from my forehead, and turned to walk the last few steps to the Lee house.
Tap. Tap.
A light, distinct tap on my right shoulder. From behind.
I froze, my blood turning to liquid nitrogen. It wasn't Chae-rin; I'd outrun her. It wasn't Myung-Dae; he'd already left. It wasn't...
Slowly, my whole body rigid with dread, I turned around.