episode_0250

***

Kang In-ho couldn’t remember how he spent the afternoon classes after that.

I think I wrote down something and solved the problem, but when I tried to remember, I felt like a wanderer wandering aimlessly in a hazy fog.

When I came to my senses, I saw Jongrye.

When the homeroom teacher finished the bell, showing off that everything was annoying, everyone in the classroom rushed out of the school, including me.

“See you tomorrow.”

Even as Jeong Sang-hoon, who was sitting next to him, said hello and left, In-ho just nodded his head mechanically, his eyes still looking into space.

Before we knew it, two students remained in the empty classroom.

Kang In-ho and Shin Jeong-ah, Shin Jeong-ah and Kang In-ho.

The two had not pretended to know each other for several days, but today was different.

Shin Jeong-ah got up from her seat, and the stool moved and made a sound of scraping the floor.

Shin Jeong-ah, who had already packed her bag, came and stood next to Kang In-ho’s desk.

“Let’s go.”

Shin Jeong-ah spoke to him cautiously.

“…uh.”

Kang In-ho stood up without hiding his complicated face.

The place Shin Jeong-ah went to after leaving school was a cafe.

It was a franchise cafe with nothing special, but it had a spacious store on the second floor.

The two sat in a quiet corner of the second floor.

“Honestly, I thought you would ignore me…”

Shin Jeong-ah smiled awkwardly.

It seemed like he really didn’t know how to talk to himself.

“Ah… that…”

He couldn’t bring himself to say that because he was told by Kim Jin-tae, and he only hesitated.

“No. Why is it important?”

Shin Jeong-ah smiled brightly and placed her hand on In-ho’s hand on the table.

“I’m grateful that you came this far.”

Seeing Shin Jeong-ah smiling sadly, Kang In-ho felt his stomach twist.

“So… what are you talking about?”

Seeing Shin Jeong-ah’s uncharacteristically reserved appearance, Kang In-ho asked carefully.

“Um….”

Shin Jeong-ah also seemed to have difficulty opening her mouth, so she traced the rim of the coffee cup with her index finger.

And as the hesitation continued, Kang In-ho’s mouth became dry.

He still didn’t know what the story would be, but his sixth sense was sounding an alarm to him.

– You’re screwed.

That’s it.

He quickly lifted his cup and swallowed his coffee. I didn’t drink it, I swallowed it.

As I filled my mouth with that bitter black water, my dazed mind seemed to become a little clearer.

Shin Jeong-ah continued to trace the rim of the cup with her finger.

“Inho.”

Suddenly, the ice in the cup melted and fell down.

Kang In-ho looked into Shin Jeong-ah’s eyes.

She still had her gaze focused on her drink and moved her mouth slightly as if complaining.

“I….”

It was a small sound, but the meaning of the words was clearly conveyed to Inho’s ears.

Kang In-ho froze in his posture as he looked at Shin Jeong-ah.

He kept licking his lips.

It seemed like there was a lot he wanted to say.

But he couldn’t bear to say such insensitive and insensitive words.

It was because he remembered what Kim Jin-tae had said to him.

“Ah….”

A long meaningless sigh fell on the table.

There was such silence. The situation continued where it was difficult for anyone to speak up.

Kang In-ho remained silent, and Shin Jeong-ah looked at his facial expression.

“I know it’s hard to believe…”

Shin Jeong-ah said in a hushed voice.

Her hands shook like a sinner.

“But it’s true… I only did it with you.”

Like a criminal claiming innocence, she sought In-ho’s approval.

“…….”

Knowing that no matter what he said, it would not be enough, Kang In-ho remained silent.

Perhaps she took that as a rejection, Shin Jeong-ah bit her lower lip and took something out of her bag.

It was pink and white plastic.

Shin Jeong-ah gently pushed what looked like a thermometer at first glance towards him.

“…Ah.”

A short sigh came out of his mouth.

Seeing the two red lines clearly emerging, Kang In-ho heard someone whispering in his ear.

– You’re screwed.

***

From what I heard, Shin Jeong-ah didn’t come to Kang In-ho hoping for an immediate answer.

“First of all, you know it right… So…”

“Yes. That’s right.”

Suddenly, it didn’t occur to me that she was lying.

However, Shin Jeong-ah’s face, attitude, and even the evidence she brought with her shouted that everything was true.

What happens when you cross countless dimensions? I’ve never experienced anything like this before.

Kang In-ho thought so.

“First of all, it’s still early days… Let’s take some time to think about it.”

“Parents….”

He opened and closed his mouth.

Because I realized it was a stupid question.

“Haha, of course…”

Shin Jeong-ah laughed bitterly.

“…Sorry.”

After thinking of many words, what I finally uttered was a clichéd apology.

“No. I am also responsible for this.”

Shin Jeong-ah received the words with a brighter face than before.

Suddenly, the ice in the cup melted and collapsed again.

“Inho, you won’t pretend not to know me, right?”

Shin Jeong-ah bent down and brought her face close to him, as if she wanted confirmation.

“…How could I pretend not to know.”

Kang In-ho leaned back and reassured Shin Jeong-ah.

Shin Jeong-ah smiled brightly at his words.

“Thank you. When you say that, I feel a little stronger.”

She spoke as if she had been pulled out of a deep mire.

There was no further conversation after that.

We just drank the coffee that was placed on the table.

What has changed is that the distance between the two walking on the street has become shorter than before.

Shin Jeong-ah took two steps towards him.

Well, Inho’s heart broke.

Whether she knew his feelings or not, Shin Jeong-ah had a happy face.