Ch.138138. Peak

Week 3 of October.

It was midterm exam period.

Following Suhyeok’s sick leave and overlapping with exam period, Spirit faced a forced two-week break.

“Students who have finished writing their answers can come forward to submit their answer sheets and test papers, then leave.”

Students began leaving the exam hall one by one.

Suhyeok twirled the pen he was holding.

Ah… I don’t know this…?

He thought he had reviewed all the PowerPoint slides, but there were several questions where he couldn’t even guess the answer.

Suddenly, Suhyeok’s gaze fixed on Juyeon, who had been the top student in their department last semester.

Today, as always, her neat brown bob haircut.

Juyeon, apparently finished with her answers, stood up from her chair, submitted her test paper, and walked out.

Suhyeok left three minutes after she departed, leaving blank spaces for the questions he didn’t know.

Since that incident, he had encountered Juyeon quite often.

Even without band practice, they were in the same department.

On days with exams or classes, they had to share the same lecture hall.

Normally, they would have always stuck together after class…

Now they didn’t even greet each other.

At least, Suhyeok didn’t have the courage to greet Juyeon first.

-Vrrrrr

A vibrating sound.

Suhyeok pulled his phone out of his pocket.

[Where are you?]

[I just finished my exam]

The name displayed at the top was [Hana♥]

After becoming intimate, the two had officially started dating.

It was a natural progression.

Hana liked Suhyeok, and Suhyeok liked Hana too.

Now they had even shared their bodies.

Suhyeok didn’t refuse when Hana suggested they make things official.

But the start of their relationship, as expected, became an enormous burden weighing down on Suhyeok.

Seo-eun noona and Kang-i still didn’t know they were dating.

Being in different departments, they were unaware of the current situation.

When practice resumed, he would have to properly face Juyeon again.

He also needed to finish composing the song.

A song that came about because Juyeon liked Suhyeok.

Whenever thoughts of Juyeon came to him like this, Suhyeok couldn’t help feeling melancholic.

His heart ached.

Suhyeok was the one who had created the song “Maze.”

Having learned how terrible an illness unrequited love could be, Suhyeok felt so sorry for Juyeon that he didn’t know what to do.

Now he couldn’t reciprocate her feelings.

Even if Hana hadn’t been in the picture, it might have been feelings he shouldn’t accept.

It was love too generous for Suhyeok to receive.

The heart Juyeon had offered with both hands was too pure and warm for him to approach with half-hearted feelings.

[I’m in front of the Engineering building, come here!]

[Okay]

Suhyeok put his phone back in his pocket and started walking.

The early stages of dating.

If there were a timeline for couples, this would be the sweetest, most sugar-like period.

Despite being in the early stages of his relationship, Suhyeok felt very sorry to Hana that he thought about Juyeon when he was alone.

Honestly, when he was alone, he thought about Juyeon more than Hana.

Worries about the future.

Anxiety about his choices.

It wasn’t so much romantic feelings for Juyeon as it was a complex mix of emotions.

Even though he knew he should focus on Hana now, the human heart isn’t structured to easily erase thoughts.

Hana, who said she’d be waiting on the bench in front of the Engineering building’s main entrance, was wearing jeans with a navy cardigan.

The t-shirt she wore underneath had the logo of the famous band Nirvana on it.

“Hana.”

When Suhyeok called her, Hana looked up from her phone.

“Hana?”

“Ah. Well…”

“Hana?”

“Honey…”

Suhyeok still couldn’t get used to such terms of endearment.

But he couldn’t refuse Hana’s request to establish pet names.

“Yes! Honey!”

Hana immediately linked arms with him.

Her playful smile appearing lovable was an unavoidable physiological response, even amid his inner turmoil.

“I told you to call me ‘honey’ when we’re alone!”

“Ah. But there are a lot of people watching.”

“Honey. That’s just your self-consciousness.”

Hana raised one eyebrow as if to say “what are you talking about?”

In reality, the people passing by didn’t seem to have any interest in the two of them.

“Still… juniors might see us.”

“So what? They’ll find out eventually anyway.”

Suhyeok and Hana had the same opinion about going public with their relationship.

They would make it public.

It didn’t seem like they could hide it even if they wanted to, and it didn’t feel right to hide it either.

Juyeon was his main concern, but Seo-eun was also one of Suhyeok’s worries.

She was the one who had asked them not to date for the sake of peace.

If he announced the fact, he was sure he wouldn’t hear anything pleasant.

“Hey.”

Hana poked Suhyeok’s cheek repeatedly.

“Hmm?”

“You were thinking gloomy thoughts again.”

Suhyeok would sometimes space out with a blank expression like that.

“No, no.”

“Another woman?”

“Of course not. I have you.”

Suhyeok naturally stroked Hana’s hair.

“Hmph. Have you improved? Doing things like this?”

“You told me to do this.”

“Well learned. Well learned.”

Hana smiled brightly.

The arm-linked couple left the main gate and headed toward home.

“Wouldn’t it be better to eat at a restaurant?”

“No. I want to eat at your place.”

Since becoming his girlfriend, Hana had practically been living at Suhyeok’s place.

She didn’t want to be apart from Suhyeok for even an hour.

After all, he was a boyfriend who would soon leave for military service.

After she explained this reason, Suhyeok didn’t refuse any of Hana’s requests.

He also wanted to cherish their time together.

“Which Chinese restaurant should we order from today?”

“Wasn’t that place from last time good?”

“No, no. Let’s eat somewhere with discount coupons.”

A conversation just like a married couple.

Hana, who was busily searching for reviews on her phone, looked incredibly cute to Suhyeok.

“Honey. Look at the visual of this jajangmyeon platter! Just insane! Wow… I’m drooling, see?”

“Hahaha… Then that place is fine.”

* * *

She failed the exam.

It was an expected result.

Because she hadn’t been able to study at all.

After that night when Suhyeok rejected her.

Juyeon had developed a new habit.

Sitting in the park, watching children play.

Watching that scene seemed to calm her heart a little.

Her room, filled with many memories of Suhyeok, no longer functioned as a “home” for her.

It meant she wasn’t comfortable there.

Because she had cried so much.

Feeling like she might really collapse if she stayed there, Juyeon kept wanting to go outside.

“Heehee. Try to catch me!”

“Ah! Stop it! Teacher!”

“Children~ Don’t run~”

The leaves that were gradually losing their green color and turning golden.

The cooling breeze made the hole in Juyeon’s heart feel even more chilly.

What should she do now?

She had promised herself to try everything possible before giving up.

But now she couldn’t readily think of what more she could do.

She had told him she liked him.

She had followed what he liked.

She had even asked him to take her first time, saying he didn’t need to take responsibility.

What more could she do?

If there was nothing more she could do, what should she do now?

She still loved Suhyeok.

There hadn’t been just one or two days when she wanted to call him.

But she couldn’t.

Because the more she approached, the more Suhyeok would run away.

He might stay by her side physically, but his heart would distance itself even further.

Juyeon still vividly remembered Suhyeok’s eyes.

That night when she kissed his nape, saying she loved him.

The emotion in his eyes was “pity.”

That expression, as if looking at a pitiful creature.

As if he couldn’t bear it, he apologized and left the room.

As a woman.

No. As a human being.

It felt… truly cruel.

“Haah…”

As dark clouds gathered in her mind, Juyeon closed her eyes and got up from the bench.

I should study for the exam.

Love might be painful, but it would be a disaster to keep getting grades bad enough to retake courses.

I’ll buy some sweet desserts and drinks and go home.

If I study until dawn, tomorrow will surely come.

With heavy, lifeless steps, Juyeon entered the convenience store she used to frequent with Suhyeok.

As she turned her body to go to the refrigerator inside, at that moment.

“Hey. Let’s try this today.”

“…We still have some left at home.”

“But this one has a different shape.”

“Is it really that different…?”

A voice Juyeon knew well.

A voice she had desperately wanted to hear.

But the person beside him wasn’t her.

The owner of the glamorously shining blonde hair.

The item the woman, who had her arm linked with his, was fiddling with was a box of condoms.

-Thud

The wallet she was holding fell to the floor.

The couple, lost in their own world, only then turned their gaze toward the source of the sound.

“Juyeon…”

Before Suhyeok could finish calling her name, Juyeon hurriedly turned her back.

Without picking up her wallet, she ran out of the convenience store.

“Juyeon!”

From the fallen wallet, a pink guitar pick fell out.