Meanwhile, Park Dong and Seojin were heading toward the bathroom.
"Man," Park Dong grumbled, stuffing both hands into his pockets, "isn't peeing such a hassle? Sometimes I wish I could just carry a chamber pot around."
Seojin, who was casually greeting a few girls along the way, glanced at him while rolling the lollipop stick in his mouth. "That's disgusting."
Park Dong shrugged. "Whatever, I'm just saying."
They reached the bathroom.
Park Dong pushed the door open, and they stepped inside only to see Kim Inseop already there, standing at the urinal.
"Yo, Kim Inseop," Park Dong greeted casually, walking over to a urinal one space away.
Seojin took the one beside him.
"Hey… sup…" Park Dong added.
Inseop didn't look at them, just stared straight ahead. "…Park Dong… Seojin…"
Park Dong unzipped. "What are you doing after school today? The guys are probably just hanging out at the park, shooting the breeze."
He paused, noticing Inseop's gloomy expression.
Seojin noticed too, but just shrugged it off.
Park Dong frowned slightly. "…Why's this punk so gloomy?"
"…Just… something," Inseop muttered.
They stood there in awkward silence, the only sound being the steady stream hitting the urinals.
Seojin finished first, zipped up, and walked over to the sinks.
As he washed his hands, he stared at his reflection in the mirror.
"…Did you get dumped or something? You're acting weird."
Inseop froze.
Then, without a word
Tears started rolling down his cheeks.
Park Dong and Seojin both turned, stunned.
"…Oh."
"..Shit."
Park Dong's stream faltered then suddenly splashed back onto his hand.
"Ah-fuck!!"
-
A moment later, they stepped out and leaned against the hallway window, afternoon light washing over them.
Park Dong glanced at Inseop. "So what happened? Why are you so gloomy, you brat? It's unsettling."
Inseop let out a long, shaky sigh, his voice low.
"Hyewon and I… broke up."
Park Dong blinked in surprise. "You guys broke up?"
"…No. She broke up with me."
Seojin shrugged slightly. "So you got dumped. That sucks."
"…It seriously fucking sucks."
Park Dong let out a dry laugh. "Ha… you're really living up to being Suwon's friend. Look at how gloomy you've gotten. How'd you even break up?"
Inseop lowered his head gloomily. "…I don't know… She said she doesn't feel anything for me anymore. She said sorry."
Park Dong scratched the back of his head and clicked his tongue. "Ughh… what a bitch. I thought Hyeju was a nice girl. Guess not."
"It's Hyewon," Inseop muttered with a sniffle.
"Right, right. Whatever. Still a bitch move."
Inseop's eyes watered again as he spoke, his voice cracking.
"Fuck… she's the one who said she liked me first… that damn girl…" Tears rolled down his cheeks. "At the very least… you shouldn't break up over text, right…?"
Park Dong stiffened.
He's crying!?
Seojin glanced at him lazily with one eye. "Look on the bright side. Now that you're single, you can look for another fish in the sea."
"That's right, you punk!" Park Dong said quickly, panicking a little. "What are you crying for? So embarrassing. There are tons of girls out there. I'll even see if I know anyone decent for you…"
"I don't want a fish or anyone else," Inseop muttered miserably. "I want Hyewon…"
Just then, voices drifted out from the stairwell.
"Five hundred thousand won for cram school?! Ugh, that's expensive!"
Suwon walked out from the stairs with Suji beside him.
"I heard it's even more during winter break," Suji said softly. "Like… almost double?"
"Whoa…" Suwon muttered. "Why does learning comic art cost so much?"
As they kept talking, Suwon finally noticed the three boys standing in the hallway staring at them.
"Huh?" He blinked. "What are you three doing?"
The three of them staring at him blankly.
Park Dong answered after a moment.
"....Just hanging out."
Suji spotted the three of them and immediately grew shy. She hurried ahead of Suwon, stammering as she bowed slightly.
"W-Well… I'm heading off!"
Suwon waved casually. "Okay, bye."
Suji quickly walked away, patting down her bangs nervously.
The three boys' eyes followed her.
Seojin smirked, shifting the lollipop in his mouth.
Meanwhile, Park Dong and Inseop had both frozen, staring at Suji's flustered retreating figure.
Suwon watched her for a second before turning back to them then jolted when he noticed the tears on Inseop's face.
"What the heck?! Why is Kim Inseop crying!?"
Park Dong answered without taking his eyes off Suji.
"…He got dumped. No, wait more importantly…"
Up ahead, Suji was greeting someone near her classroom.
Park Dong narrowed his eyes. "That girl with the glasses from before… what's going on with you two?"
Suwon blinked, loosening his tie. "What are you talking about? The art teacher called us, so we just went to the office together."
"…You were talking about manhwa again, weren't you?"
"Ugh… yeah," Suwon admitted. "Because you guys never talk about that stuff with me."
Inseop, who had been silent the whole time, stared at Suji in the distance before muttering gloomily,
"…I never thought I'd say this to you… but I think someone who likes you has appeared."
Suwon froze mid-motion, holding his loosened tie in his hand, and his vest hanging at his arm.
"…What? Me?"
Seojin smirked. "Our Suwon's starting to become a heartthrob, huh?"
Park Dong stared in disbelief. "…Is this actually happening?"
Inseop looked devastated. "…Please tell me this is all a lie."
-
In front of her classroom door, Suji looked back one last time.
When her eyes met Suwon's, a smile slowly bloomed across her face.
I can't believe we talked that much…
She stared at him for another second before slipping inside the classroom, lightly clasping both hands against her cheeks.
…If this keeps going…
maybe…
just maybe…
Meanwhile, in Seolhyo's class
She sat by the window, her chin resting on her palm, a small smile tugging at her lips as she flipped through the stack of photo prints on her desk.
Beside her, Irina had her forehead slumped against her desk.
An open textbook stood upright in front of her, shielding her from the teacher at the front of the room.
Soft afternoon light poured over them, each picture capturing little moments of laughter, faces pressed close together, the kind of warmth that made the memories linger.
Her eyes stopped on two photos in particular.
One was Seojin kissing her cheek.
The other was her kissing his.
She stared at them for a moment, her cheeks slowly turning pink.
I should tell Seojin…
he should post this one.
Her finger tapped lightly against the photo where he kissed her.
Then she picked up the one where she kissed him, smiling faintly to herself.
And this one…
I'll post on my Cyworld.
She tilted the photo slightly, watching the light catch across their faces Seojin's playful grin, her own eyes half-closed mid-laugh.
For a second, the teacher's lecture continued on in the background along with Irina's quiet snoring faded away.
We really do look like a couple here…
Well… we are a couple.
The thought made her heart flutter a little.
I hope those girls on his Cyworld stop pestering him already.
Quietly, she slipped the photo into her notebook, biting back a shy grin.