Just A Friend

#39

Their lips, filled with hot breath, sought each other without hesitation. Whenever the slightest gap formed, they turned their heads to connect more deeply, filling each other’s lack of breath. The hand that wrapped around Nam Seonwoo’s nape soon lifted his small head, pulling him even closer. They burrowed into each other so deeply that their noses were buried in each other’s cheeks.

Just as they were about to surrender to this hazy feeling, the bell sound shook Nam Seonwoo awake.

At the cheerful sound intruding into their private space, Nam Seonwoo, who was slowly coming to his senses, suddenly opened his eyes wide. Kang Jihan still had his eyes closed. Either he hadn’t heard the sound, or he had no intention of stopping. Gripping the arm supporting his face tightly, Nam Seonwoo restrained him.

“St-stop. Stop it.”

The eyes that finally revealed themselves were half-dazed. The pupils that were always clear and dark were now blurry like ink spread in water. Nam Seonwoo pushed away the face trying to approach again with his palm.

“The bell… rang… Hey! Stop it already!”

Kang Jihan blinked. Watching the half-unfocused gaze return to normal, Nam Seonwoo pushed him away forcefully.

“Go, quickly. Come to your senses.”

In the corridor separated by just one wall, the sound of footsteps began to grow louder. Someone could barge in at any moment. The background that had seemed hazy until now suddenly became fully conscious.

I’m crazy. This is crazy. Even if I wasn’t in my right mind, how could we… at school…

Nam Seonwoo wiped his mouth as if trying to erase the traces. His lips were swollen from how much they had been at it. He didn’t know how more than half of the class time had passed so quickly; all that remained after the instantly evaporated time was the tingling sensation on his lips.

As he was smoothing out the crumpled bed sheets with his hands, Kang Jihan muttered absent-mindedly.

“…Wow.”

Because that gaze was fixed on his lips, Nam Seonwoo covered his mouth with the back of his hand and hit him repeatedly.

“What are you doing? Hurry up and go to the classroom! The homeroom teacher will say something!”

Saying “Okay, okay” as he got up, Kang Jihan went straight to the adjacent bed and flopped down.

“Hey!”

“I think I caught it too.”

Lying spread-eagled and staring at the ceiling, he touched his forehead. Then, turning only his head to the side, he grinned.

“I’m hot too.”

“…”

It looked that way. The redness was visible even on his dark skin. It looked so foolish that Nam Seonwoo couldn’t look away.

The corridor was still noisy. The sound of people running and shouting, giggles of laughter could be heard, but as he met those dark eyes staring straight at him, his anxious heart gradually calmed. Although the pounding in his chest wouldn’t subside.

“I really like it.”

The low voice blurred all the noise from the school. Yet, as if wanting to convey it more clearly, Kang Jihan looked straight into his eyes and said,

“I like you.”

In contrast, Nam Seonwoo swallowed his words. Kang Jihan, who had been staring at his stubbornly closed lips, turned to lie on his side and asked,

“What are you thinking?”

“…I’m thinking I’ve been scammed.”

A pleasant laugh came across. Even though their bodies weren’t pressed together like before, the bed seemed to vibrate every time Kang Jihan’s shoulders shook. Kang Jihan said,

“You like me too.”

Nam Seonwoo put strength in his eyes as if his turbulent feelings had been exposed, but Kang Jihan seemed unaffected. No, he even seemed to welcome such a sharp gaze.

“Isn’t that why you’re dating me?”

“I only agreed because you kept singing about wanting to date so persistently.”

“…”

“What’s with that expression? I don’t like you that much. I just… Hey, why do you keep smiling?”

“Because you’re cute.”

Heat rushed to his face, which couldn’t get any redder. Unlike Nam Seonwoo, who couldn’t continue speaking as his wide-open mouth quivered, Kang Jihan’s face was brazen. He seemed like someone who had already figured out exactly how to provoke Nam Seonwoo into malfunctioning.

Nam Seonwoo threw a pillow. The pillow aimed at Kang Jihan’s face hit his shoulder and fell limply to the floor. Kang Jihan picked up that pillow and threw the one he had been using to Nam Seonwoo. Of course, that pillow immediately flew back towards his face.

The starting bell rang. There was still no sign of anyone coming into the infirmary. Given that no one had come looking for them from their class, it seemed the homeroom teacher had forgotten about their absence. Through the gradually fading noise in the corridor, Kang Jihan spoke.

“Next time, I’ll do even better.”

“Do whatever you want.”

Wrapping himself tightly in the blanket, Nam Seonwoo vowed never to make such an absurd bet again. While being out of his mind with fever was partly to blame, if he hadn’t promised to grant a wish in the first place, this wouldn’t have happened.

“With this score…”

But Kang Jihan seemed completely unconcerned about such things. The eyes looking at the report card seemed to want something more than just the bet or the wish.

“Can I go to the same school as you?”

Nam Seonwoo was briefly reminded of what Kang Jihan had said at the red playground. The words about how after the college entrance exam, when they take off their uniforms, seeing each other in the same classroom would no longer be a given. That was also the impatience that the nineteen-year-old Nam Seonwoo had felt. After hesitating a bit, Nam Seonwoo gave a harsh answer.

“Not a chance. How could you get into Korea University’s medical school with those grades?”

“Medical school?”

Nam Seonwoo closed his mouth. Kang Jihan hadn’t decided on a major yet. Of course he would be puzzled by the sudden mention of medical school. Just as Nam Seonwoo was about to brush it off by saying something like “Isn’t medical school where you make a lot of money?”, Kang Jihan asked an unexpected question.

“Are you going to medical school?”

Before Nam Seonwoo could reply that he was talking about Kang Jihan, not himself, Kang Jihan nodded. Muttering “Medical school” as he scanned the report card again, he looked as serious as if he had encountered a difficult problem. Nam Seonwoo belatedly opened his mouth.

“No, it doesn’t have to be medical school…”

“I think I can do it.”

With a confident voice, Kang Jihan folded the report card.

“I don’t know why, but it felt like problems I’ve solved before.”

“…Come on, don’t be so cocky. Haven’t you considered that it might be because I guided you?”

It was both amusing and somewhat… cute that he was getting so excited over doing well just once. So when Nam Seonwoo spoke with a hint of sarcasm, Kang Jihan smiled as if it was obvious.

“And you’re here too.”

There was nothing more to say to the guy who said he thought he could do it because of that. Nam Seonwoo, who had been silently taking in Kang Jihan, turned his back and lay down. At this rate, it was clear he wouldn’t be able to sleep a wink during this period either.

“I’m going to sleep.”

As he forcibly closed his eyes and spoke, he heard a “Mm” in response from behind. That insignificant answer was so ticklish that his curled-up body burrowed deeper into the blanket.

The thumping of his heart seemed like it would burst out of his body at any moment. As the sound of his heartbeat grew faster rather than subsiding, Nam Seonwoo belatedly realized something.

It seemed his feelings had grown too big.

* * *

In the season when autumn had approached in earnest, the school was bustling with the sports festival. Of course, the third-year students were an exception. Whether there was a sports festival outside or not, their packed class schedule remained unchanged.

The gloomy third-year students sought their own solution. That was to wear their gym uniforms. Since no teacher would object to them wearing gym clothes to at least feel the mood of the sports day, by lunchtime, the third-year floor was full of students in gym uniforms.

Nam Seonwoo was no exception. He had no lingering attachment to the sports festival, but there was no reason to refuse comfortable gym clothes. If there was one thing that bothered him a bit…

“Can you pull back a little?”

It was the leg that kept crossing over to his desk. Normally he would have ignored it, but today they were wearing shorts. He had put on the summer gym uniform because that was all he had in his locker, but the feeling of bare legs touching was strangely distracting, and he hadn’t been able to concentrate since earlier. Nam Seonwoo pushed away the knee sticking out beyond the desk legs and said,

“You’re not going to ride the bus like this, are you?”

“Why?”

“Why? Because it’s completely inconsiderate. I’m telling you to sit modestly with your legs together whether there’s someone next to you or not.”

“I don’t do that. Don’t worry.”

“I’m not worrying, okay? Ah, come on! Didn’t you say you don’t do that?”

Annoyed by the leg that kept coming back like a roly-poly toy no matter how much he pushed it away, Nam Seonwoo brought his fist down on the knee, eliciting an “Ah” sound from the side that didn’t sound pained at all. Only after the frustrated Nam Seonwoo hung his bag between the desks did the constant illegal intrusion stop.

With a sigh, he picked up his mechanical pencil again. As he tried to finish the problem he had been working on during lunch break, he inevitably felt a gaze on his cheek. Usually, Kang Jihan would just quietly steal glances, but today felt different. Sensing a gaze that seemed to want something, Nam Seonwoo finally put down his pencil.

“What.”

Kang Jihan was lying on his desk with his head turned this way. Even when Nam Seonwoo gestured for him to speak if he had something to say, he just stared blankly. Unable to understand his intention, Nam Seonwoo frowned, and Kang Jihan asked with an expression Nam Seonwoo had never seen before,

“Do you know what day it is today?”

Nam Seonwoo glanced at the wall. There was no mark on the calendar. It’s not like he doesn’t have eyes, and it didn’t seem like Kang Jihan was asking about the date. As he was thinking this, Kang Jihan suddenly buried his face in his arms.

…Oh?

He thought he might know what emotion that unfamiliar expression from earlier had been conveying.

“Kang Jihan.”

Despite calling him in what he thought was a kind manner, Kang Jihan turned his head completely to the opposite side. And that confirmed it for Nam Seonwoo. The meaning of that expression Kang Jihan had worn earlier.