Chapter 48: Wait…?

Even after the fireworks ended, Kim Dohyun didn’t come.

At the moment the last firework burst, I looked down at my phone screen.

The light blurred and shimmered across the display.

Still, there was no contact.

I took a deep breath.

And called him again.

This time, too, only the long dial tone continued.

But he didn’t answer.

I clenched the phone in my hand.

Why hadn’t he come?

Ever since that day, Kim Dohyun had seemed different.

Since the day the photography contest results were announced.

Everyone else said it was amazing.

For a first-year to make it to a national competition was rare in itself, so regardless of the outcome, it was already a meaningful achievement.

But Kim Dohyun, hearing those words, looked as if he were being crushed by something.

As if he himself were suffocating under the weight of the results he had created.

Was it pressure?

Or was there another reason?

I couldn’t tell.

Kim Dohyun always seemed to have drawn a line for himself.

Not a boundary set by someone else, but one he had drawn on his own.

As if declaring,

This is as far as I go.

And as if he refused to step beyond that line.

But this time, even that self-imposed boundary seemed to be pressing down on him.

Trapped within his own limits, he looked like he was enduring the tightening pressure from within.

It bothered me.

His expressionless face had become more readable lately.

The blank look he always wore didn’t seem as blank as before.

Subtle emotions had started to surface—tiny tremors, moments when he avoided eye contact, brief silences.

It weighed on me.

Kim Dohyun always pretended to be composed, but I was starting to understand what he might be hiding beneath.

And that made me worry even more.

Is he really okay?

He always said he was fine, but could I believe that?

I quietly looked down at my phone.

Eight missed calls.

In the end, he hadn’t picked up.

I waited for a long time in that spot.

The night sky, which had been filled with the fading echoes of fireworks, gradually returned to its usual quiet.

People left one by one, and the surroundings grew emptier.

But I still couldn’t bring myself to move.

*Maybe he’ll show up.

At the very least, maybe he’ll realize I’m still here.*

Holding onto that hope, I stayed.

Even after the fireworks ended, I was still waiting for Kim Dohyun.

“Jian.”

A familiar voice made me turn my head.

Senior Nayul and Yoon Jihoo were there.

Both of them looked ready to leave.

“You’re still here?” Jihuu asked, glancing at the phone in my hand.

I forced a smile.

“Yeah. I thought I’d wait a little longer.”

But the senior just looked at me and let out a small sigh.

“It’s getting too late. Let’s go together.”

I hesitated briefly.

Is there really no point in waiting any longer?

But even if I stayed, maybe nothing would change.

I nodded slowly.

“…I’ll wait just a little more. If he doesn’t come, I’ll go home.”

At that, the senior nodded, and Jihoo pointed toward the vending machine.

“Then let’s grab a drink while we wait.”

So we walked over to the vending machine.

Standing next to Jihuu, I got a drink out of habit—barley tea.

The carbonation in the drinks Kim Dohyun used to hand me every day came to mind—comfort, encouragement.

I wanted to give him the same.

Just like how he had comforted me at the playground.

On the way back, a familiar silhouette caught my eye.

I stopped walking abruptly.

On the steps by the road, in a spot where few people passed, Kim Dohyun was sitting.

And standing in front of him was Senior Nayul.

I instinctively moved to approach but then froze.

Something was off.

Kim Dohyun looked like he was keeping his usual blank expression, but there was an odd unease about him.

His fingertips were trembling slightly, and his gaze wasn’t fixed on anything.

He looked visibly restless.

He kept looking down at the ground, then back up into empty space, shifting his focus repeatedly.

Normally, he would just sit quietly, unmoving—but now, he seemed unmistakably anxious.

It was a side of him I’d never seen before.

I opened my mouth to say something but then closed it.

I didn’t know what to say.

Kim Dohyun looked anxious, unsettled.

And I couldn’t ignore the fact that his emotions were now too obvious to hide.

Then, Kim Dohyun turned his head.

That’s how our eyes met.

I took a deep breath.

The fireworks had ended, and the city had returned to its original darkness.

People moving away, the noise fading, the faint lingering smell of gunpowder.

The afterglow floated in the air.

And in that silence, Kim Dohyun was looking at me.

The moment our eyes met, I knew instinctively.

That he was breaking.

He staggered.

Like smoke about to disappear.

Precariously, uneasily.

And in that state, he came toward me.

I didn’t move.

His steps were cautious yet unsteady.

And then—

Without a word, he hugged me.

I froze for a second.

His arms wrapped tightly around my waist.

Then he held on.

As if he wouldn’t let go.

I was momentarily startled, but the sensation was so vivid that I quietly wrapped my arms around his back.

The sound of his heartbeat echoed in my ears.

Fast and unsteady.

But a definite warmth.

His body heat reached me.

In that moment, I realized.

That he was so, so fragile right now.

“…Hold me.”

He whispered softly.

I gently placed my hand on his back.

“Okay.”

A slight tremble passed through his embrace.

His fingertips subtly tightened around my waist.

He whispered again.

“Hold me. Don’t let go.”

His voice was faintly shaking.

I hugged him tighter.

“I will.”

I answered without thinking, almost like a whisper.

His breath brushed past my ear.

In the silence after the fireworks, only our breaths were distinct.

In his arms, I caught a familiar scent and a faint tremor, then quietly added,

“I won’t let go until you tell me to.”

I felt his grip tighten slightly.

Kim Dohyun stayed silent for a while.

Then, quietly, he spoke.

“…I’m sorry I’m late.”

I gently stroked his back.

“I tried to come. I tried to make it on time…”

His voice kept trembling.

What had made him so uneasy?

“It’s okay.”

I said softly.

And hugged him tighter.

Steadying him.

I could feel him shaking.

I wanted to hold him, to anchor him.

“…Was it a dream?”

I asked, a hint of playfulness in my voice.

“Did you have a bad dream?”

He took a breath.

For a moment, he said nothing.

His arms tensed slightly.

Then, barely above a whisper, he answered.

“A dream I didn’t want to wake up from.”

I held my breath.

His voice was thin with tremors.

A dream I didn’t want to let go of. I wanted to stay in it forever.”

His fingers gripped me tighter.

I slowly rubbed his back.

His voice continued.

“But dreams… have to end someday.”

“Because someday, you have to close the book.”

His whisper sounded unbearably lonely.

I didn’t fully understand his words.

But I could sense they were tied to his usual observer-like demeanor.

I quietly cupped his face.

And looked closely.

His pupils were trembling.

A faint wetness glistened at the corners of his eyes.

“…I know.”

He said, barely audible.

“I know, but…!”

His voice rose slightly.

Quiet, but swelling with emotion.

It sounded like a silent scream.

I gently took his hand.

“It’s okay.”

Holding his hand tightly, I spoke.

Meeting his wavering gaze, I added softly,

“I’ll stay by your side.”

I looked into his trembling eyes.

At a close distance, close enough for our breaths to touch.

“I’ll keep searching, just like you said.”

Slowly, I cupped his face in my hands.

His pupils swayed slightly as they followed my movements.

His lips quivered faintly.

“And I’ll catch you.”

At that moment, the teardrops pooled in the corners of his eyes slowly rolled down.

I hugged him again.

The echoes of the fireworks were fading.

Now, only his warmth and his scent remained.

In the quiet summer night, the figure clinging to me felt smaller, lighter, and far more fragile than I had imagined.

So I held him even tighter.

The walk home wasn’t as heavy as I thought it would be.

I glanced sideways at Kim Dohyun. The vulnerable, uneasy expression from earlier was gone, replaced by his usual face.

But my heart felt even more tangled than before.

“……Why are you staring like that?”

Dohyun asked expressionlessly.

“W-what? Nothing.”

I averted my eyes awkwardly. Dohyun let out a small sigh. When I didn’t answer, he didn’t press further.

To hide the awkwardness, I deliberately took a big step down the stairs and said,

“It’s really dark here. If your face looks even slightly handsome, it must be pitch black.”

“…What?”

Dohyun made a disbelieving face.

I grinned mischievously and turned away.

That’s when it happened.

“Whoa—!”

My foot slipped.

My body lurched forward, and suddenly, a hand grabbed me from behind and yanked me back.

But the problem was the location—

The nape of my neck.

“Ghk?!”

Grabbed by the scruff, I let out a choked gasp as I was dragged backward.

When I came to my senses a few seconds later, Dohyun was staring at me with a flustered expression.

“Jian, are you okay?”

Still catching my breath, I glared at him.

“You… you were trying to strangle me, weren’t you?”

“What are you talking about?”

Dohyun looked utterly bewildered.

Still clutching my neck, I scowled.

“Normally, people grab someone’s wrist or waist in situations like this! Why did you drag me by the neck like I was some kind of stray cat? I almost suffocated!”

Dohyun froze for a moment, then averted his gaze and muttered softly,

“…I panicked.”

Though he turned his face away, the tips of his ears were turning red.

Seeing that, the corner of my mouth twitched involuntarily. The awkwardness and heaviness from earlier vanished in an instant.

“You really panicked, huh?”

I said, laughing.

“I’ve never been grabbed by the scruff before.”

“Sorry.”

Dohyun looked genuinely apologetic. I waved it off playfully.

“It’s fine. Thanks to you, I didn’t fall.”

Then, Dohyun quietly followed behind me and added,

“…Next time, I’ll grab your wrist.”

I couldn’t hold back my laughter.

Dohyun grumbled under his breath, but I could hear the faint embarrassment in his voice.

Trying to suppress my grin, I walked side by side with Dohyun.

The night air had grown crisp again, and my heart felt a little lighter too.

It was a thrilling night.

In a slightly ridiculous way.

Me, walking ahead.

Him, quietly following a step behind.

Honestly, I had been hoping.

Back then, the lyrics flowing through my earphones were unmistakably about a confession.

The faint hope grew stronger as the day approached.

And today—

It’s okay. Even if it’s a little disappointing.

I chattered cheerfully, pretending nothing was wrong as we walked down the street.

Looking up at the sky, I took bold, exaggerated steps.

The sound of my footsteps, followed by another set of footsteps.

Just as his footsteps overlapped with mine,

Dohyun stepped closer and quietly grabbed my wrist.

Then, he interlaced his fingers with mine.

His fingers slipped between mine, locking them in place—

As if to keep me from running away.

Before I could even react, he said calmly,

“……I like you.”