Chapter 45: Looking Forward To It

On my way home.

The night air brushed cold against my skin, but my mood was more elated than ever.

Gripping my phone tightly, I checked the screen again.

Additional acceptance.

No matter how many times I read it, the words stayed the same.

I wasn’t seeing things.

Unable to believe it, I checked once more, and then again.

My fingertips trembled.

“I… I got in.”

I muttered it quietly, but the emotions surged up, and a laugh escaped me before I could stop it.

At that moment, I instinctively turned toward Kim Dohyun, who was standing beside me, and threw myself at him.

“I got in! I really got in!”

Then, without thinking, I pulled him into a hug.

My heart pounded.

…But something felt off.

Kim Dohyun had frozen.

His arms stayed stiff at his sides, as if he had turned to stone, not moving an inch.

With my face buried against his chest, I slowly began to realize the situation.

This… is way too close, isn’t it?

The distance between us, the warmth of his body, the silence so thick I could almost hear his heartbeat.

My mind went blank.

“Uh, um…”

Flustered, I stammered and quickly pulled away.

When I saw his arm half-raised and frozen midair, the awkwardness only intensified.

It was like he hadn’t even processed my sudden embrace yet.

“S-Sorry. I didn’t mean to—”

I scratched my head, still embarrassed.

My heart, which had been racing just moments ago, still hadn’t calmed down.

Kim Dohyun stared at me blankly before slowly turning his gaze away.

“…You got in.”

Finally, a reaction.

“Yeah.”

I answered, but my feelings were still tangled.

Alongside the joy, an inexplicable awkwardness had settled in.

That just now… wasn’t too natural, was it?

And with Kim Dohyun, of all people?

The air between us grew heavy with discomfort.

The excitement from just moments ago now felt hollow as we stood there, unable to say anything.

Normally, I would’ve cracked a joke to lighten the mood, but right now, I couldn’t.

I bit my lip slightly, then cautiously glanced up at Kim Dohyun.

He still had that dazed look on his face.

Under the streetlight, his expression seemed stranger than usual.

…Why is he so quiet?

Even after pulling away, the lingering warmth from his body still faintly remained.

That residual heat bothered me in a way I couldn’t explain.

I fidgeted with my fingertips and averted my gaze.

The park was filled with the unique atmosphere of a quiet summer night.

The trees stood thick and lush, and insects swirled lazily under the streetlights.

Somewhere in the distance, a cicada let out a long, drawn-out cry, as if squeezing out the last of its energy.

Even at night, the sticky air clung to my skin, and there was barely any wind.

I wiped my neck for no reason. There was a faint sheen of sweat.

“…It’s hot in the park.”

I blurted it out, feeling like I had to say something.

It was an honest thought.

The ground, scorched by the daytime heat, hadn’t cooled yet, and warmth seeped faintly into the soles of my feet.

Kim Dohyun blinked lightly. Then he replied softly.

“Yeah.”

For some reason, that one word felt even more awkward.

It was as if we were both trying to hide the fact that we were conscious of each other.

Once again, the air was thick with silence.

I swallowed a sigh and looked up at the sky.

The summer night sky looked strangely hazy, perhaps because of the city’s murky lights.

Still, a few stars twinkled here and there.

For some reason, it felt even more ticklish.

“…The air is humid too. Doesn’t it feel kinda stuffy?”

When I asked that for no reason, Kim Dohyun slowly turned to look at me.

Then, hesitating for just a moment, he opened his mouth.

“Yeah. But…”

He faintly averted his gaze.

“Maybe it’s because you hugged me earlier.”

“……”

For a moment, I thought my breath had stopped.

Whether it was the summer night’s heat or not, my face was definitely burning.

***

“That’s not it!”

The sudden voice made all my nerves snap in that direction.

It was a sharp shout from not too far away.

The awkward tension that had been building in the air instantly dissipated.

Instinctively, I turned toward the source of the sound.

Honestly… I was relieved.

At least I didn’t have to deal with the aftermath of what I’d just said.

Casually shifting my gaze, I started walking toward the commotion.

Beside me, Lee Jian also took a quiet breath before following behind me.

As we approached, near a bench, I spotted two familiar faces.

Kwon Hyuk-tae, a senior from the filming department, and Seo Yeonhee, a senior from the directing department.

The two were sitting across from each other on the bench, but the atmosphere felt off.

Kwon Hyuktae looked somewhat flustered, while Seo Yeonhee had her arms crossed, eyebrows furrowed tightly.

Instinctively, we stopped in our tracks.

Lee Jian whispered beside me,

“What’s going on… Are they fighting?”

Maybe. The mood was definitely unusual.

I paused and glanced around.

A few steps away from the bench, there was a patch of bushes just outside the reach of the streetlight.

This seemed like a good spot to watch without being noticed.

Without hesitation, I crouched low and slipped into the bushes.

Lee Jian followed suit, carefully hiding herself as well.

Now… their faces were much clearer.

Kwon Hyuktae let out a long sigh, while Seo Yeonhee glared at him with sharp eyes.

I held my breath.

…What in the world is going on?

Lee Jian and I stayed low, secretly eavesdropping on their conversation.

Honestly… it was kind of entertaining.

Seo Yeon-hee’s grumbling tone and Kwon Hyuk-tae’s oblivious responses made for a strangely amusing contrast.

One was clearly bothered and paying attention, while the other was completely clueless.

“No, why are you talking about anime?!”

“You said to bond over shared hobbies.”

“Yeah, but how many girls do you know who are into that?”

“You like it.”

“What?! What are you talking about?”

I raised an eyebrow slightly.

…Huh?

“There was a manga in your bag.”

“Why were you looking through my bag?”

“It was open.”

I glanced at Lee Jian beside me.

Her eyes were wide with surprise.

She was probably thinking, Seo Yeonhee sunbae likes manga?

But something felt off to me.

Seo Yeonhee sunbae? Into manga?

That just didn’t seem right…

“You actually like comics or anime, don’t you?”

“I don’t.”

“Come on, no need to hide it.”

Seo Yeonhee gritted her teeth and spoke slowly, enunciating each word.

“I. Don’t. Like. It.”

I nodded to myself inwardly.

It turns out that Seo Yeonhee sunbae didn’t like manga— she only read them because Kwon Hyuktae sunbae liked them.

Only then did a few memories come back to me.

Seo Yeonhee sunbae would occasionally borrow the manga Kwon Hyuktae sunbae was reading.

She only ever borrowed from him.

Back then, she’d just say things like, “I was bored, so I read it,” or “Just killing time.”

…So it wasn’t just because she was bored.

I stifled a quiet laugh and lowered my head.

Lee Jian, next to me, seemed to have caught on as well, pouting her lips slightly.

But Kwon Hyuktae sunbae didn’t seem to notice, speaking firmly as if startled.

“Ah, got it.”

And the conversation that followed was even more interesting.

“No matter how I think about it, that kind of scene doesn’t suit you. What kind of high school student goes to something as tacky as a mixer?”

“Is that so? Well, then I guess I’ll just have to be satisfied talking to you like this.”

Kwon Hyuktae sunbae smiled faintly as he looked at Seo Yeonhee sunbae.

“Talking with you like this is the most fun anyway.”

Hearing that, Seo Yeonhee sunbae took a quiet breath.

The tips of her ears were faintly turning red.

“Hah, whatever.”

She tried to sound nonchalant, but her voice trembled slightly.

“See? You really do like anime. That much? Your face is even red.”

“Clueless bastard.”

Seo Yeonhee sunbae glared at Kwon Hyuktae sunbae with icy eyes.

“Why do you think I borrowed manga? And only from you.”

“Huh?”

At that moment—

Rustle—

A sudden silence fell.

…Oh no.

Lee Jian next to me jabbed my arm sharply.

Seo Yeonhee sunbae whipped her head around to glare in our direction.

“…Hey, who’s there?”

Her voice was freezing cold.

Kwon Hyuktae sunbae was still sitting on the bench, but he, too, looked at us with a bewildered expression.

Just as I was about to stand up—

From beside me, out of nowhere, came a soft “Meow.”

My heart dropped.

…What?

I turned to look, and it was Lee Jian.

She had her eyes tightly shut, trying her best to look natural.

But more than that… I couldn’t understand why she suddenly made a cat noise.

She immediately poked my arm again.

“…You want me to do it too? Are you crazy?”

I whispered, staring at her.

But Lee Jian, her face flushed, glared at me with terrifying intensity.

Then, in a short, forceful voice, she said again—

“Hey. Meow.”

Her tone was catlike, but the vibe was pure threat.

…If I didn’t do this, I had a feeling I’d really be done for.

I swallowed a deep sigh and reluctantly opened my mouth.

“…Meow.”

And in that moment—

“You, what are you guys doing?”

The voice of senior Seo Yeon-hee reached us.

I slowly raised my head.

Senior Seo Yeonhee, sitting on the bench, had a flushed face.

No— to be precise, her expression was hard to read, as if she couldn’t decide whether she was angry or embarrassed.

Beside her, senior Kwon Hyuktae just let out a hearty laugh.

I froze, and Lee Ji-an stiffened too.

The situation was so awkward it felt like my breath was stuck in my throat.

But—

Only Kwon Hyuktae seemed completely unfazed.

He looked at us with an attitude that seemed to say, Ah, these two are up to something weird again.

How… how can he stay so calm in a situation like this?

I tried my best to act natural and avoid eye contact, but my face was already burning.

Then, Lee Ji-an hastily spoke up.

“P-please keep it a secret.”

At that, Senior Seo Yeonhee narrowed her eyes and replied.

“Then you two keep quiet too.”

The two of them shook hands as if a negotiation had been settled.

It was absurd. I felt bewildered and utterly embarrassed.

In the end, I resigned myself and nodded in agreement.

At that moment, there was one person who still didn’t understand the situation.

Senior Kwon Hyuktae.

He tilted his head and asked.

“…What are you talking about? Am I the only one who doesn’t know?”

“Clueless idiot. Like a bear.”

“So, you two… what’s your relationship?”

Lee Ji-an watched them with interest as she asked.

The two people who were questioned— Senior Seo Yeonhee and Senior Kwon Hyuk-tae— exchanged glances for a moment.

Then, Senior Kwon Hyuktae answered nonchalantly.

“We’re just friends.”

The answer came out far too easily.

But.

Senior Seo Yeonhee said nothing.

Her expression stiffened ever so slightly.

Her eyebrows lowered a fraction, and her lips trembled faintly.

A fleeting sign that she had something to say but stopped herself.

I caught that tiny shift instantly.

That was… disappointment.

Just friends?

I quietly studied her expression.

At a glance, she might have seemed indifferent.

But if you looked closely, you could see her pupils wavering slightly.

She turned her head away, feigning nonchalance.

Then, forcing a smile, she spoke as if it didn’t matter.

“Yeah. Just friends.”

…She’s lying.

I was certain.

Senior Seo Yeonhee wasn’t happy with that answer.

But I didn’t press further.

Senior Kwon Hyuk-tae remained as indifferent as ever.

He acted as if he knew nothing,

Or perhaps he knew but pretended not to.

I alternated between the two possibilities before sensing the conversation had come to an end.

“Then I’ll go first.”

“Yeah, take care.”

With only a brief exchange of farewells, we left our spots.

The night air had grown slightly colder.

I absentmindedly shoved my hands into my pockets.

Then, suddenly, Lee Jian spoke up from beside me.

“…So, what kind of relationship do we have?”

Her words came out abruptly as we walked.

I reflexively stopped in my tracks.

Though the question was tossed lightly, its weight was anything but.

She was smiling playfully,

but I caught a hint of something subtle beneath that smile—

an expectation I couldn’t quite ignore.

I felt like I knew what it meant,

yet I wanted to pretend I didn’t.

Instead of answering,

I pulled my phone out of my pocket.

“…Why aren’t you answering?”

Lee Jian frowned slightly.

It reminded me of what Senior Kwon Hyuktae had once said— “Just friends, right?”

That small shift in her expression bothered me strangely.

Instead of replying, I took out my earphones.

Plugging one into my ear, I handed the other to her.

“Listen for a second.”

Lee Jian gave me a puzzled look.

But then, quietly, she reached out to take the earphone.

At that moment,

I instinctively pulled my hand back.

I suddenly wanted to put it in her ear myself.

I didn’t know why.

But moving my fingers was easier than I thought.

Slowly, I raised my hand,

Tilting it slightly to match the angle of her head as I brought the earphone closer.

And then,

I paused right by the curve of her ear.

It was too close.

Close enough to hear her soft breaths.

Close enough for her silky hair to brush against my fingertips.

Close enough to feel the faint warmth radiating from her.

I held my breath for a second.

And then,

Very slowly— I placed the earphone in her ear.

The moment it grazed the shell of her ear,

she flinched.

My heart lurched at her reaction.

Her shoulders trembled slightly as

she tucked a strand of her long hair behind her ear with her fingertips.

She didn’t say a word.

But I could tell.

The tips of her ears were turning red.

As she lowered her hand,

She fidgeted with her earlobe.

An awkward, almost ticklish movement.

I pretended to be nonchalant, but for some reason, my ears burned.

Even the faint sound of her fingers brushing through her hair seemed louder than usual.

I took a short breath.

And then—

The song began to play.

At the edge of the night sky, I called out to you,

Swallowing a tiny spark, unseen by anyone.

This heart of mine, about to blaze or fade away— Do you know how it feels?

I quietly glanced at her.

Lee Jian was also listening, her head slightly tilted.

The flame blooms in an instant, burning at its most beautiful,

Under that light, I gazed at you.

Will you drift away?

Will I reach you?

Will you disappear?

I just kept watching, until I caught fire for you.

Her pupils trembled faintly.

Without realizing it… I found myself staring at her profile.

Under the streetlight,

Her long hair swayed softly.

Sharing one earbud each, We were listening to the same song.

After a moment of silence, she spoke in a small voice.

“…What song is this?”

I shrugged, answering casually.

“Just something I’ve been listening to lately.”

She glanced at me briefly.

Maybe… She wanted to ask why I had played it for her.

But I didn’t offer any explanation.

Perhaps the song could speak for itself,

Without me having to say a word.

The song flowing through the earbuds—

Fireworks.

First love.

A confession.

I shoved my hands into my pockets and spoke lightly.

“Looking forward to the fireworks. Right?”

A brief silence.

Then, A soft laugh.

“…Yeah.”

Her voice sounded just a little lighter.

As if the heavy air between us had finally lifted.

But.

I still stole another glance at her profile.

Walking the same path, at the same pace, listening to the same song.

The night air was cool, yet strangely, my fingertips felt warm.

The song in my ears wasn’t over yet.