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The class ended. Jinsol dragged herself over to the lockers, carefully pressing in the four-digit code.
5301. With a soft click, the locker door opened.
There was nothing inside, except a few textbooks and her gym uniform. Jinsol put away the books from the previous class, then took out the uniform to get ready for the next one.
Right then, a bright voice rang out beside her.
“Are you confessing today?”
“...Jesus!” Jinsol clutched her chest.
Behind the locker door stood Oh Haewon and Seol Yoona. The one who had just asked that question so cheerfully could only be Haewon - Jinsol and Yoona’s close senior.
Jinsol froze, staring at the two of them. Or rather, she was only looking at Yoona. Her gaze lingered briefly on the shoulder of Yoona’s uniform shirt.
Yoona looked different today. She hadn’t tied her hair into that usual ponytail with the purple hair tie. Instead, it fell past her shoulders, softly waved. Prettier than usual, no, more radiant than usual. Though to Jinsol, there had never been a day Yoona wasn’t beautiful.
Yoona was holding a math textbook, the same subject Jinsol had just put away. She was probably here to switch her books for the next class too.
“Hey!” Seeing Jinsol stand there like a statue, Haewon snapped her fingers. “Bae Jinsol!”
“Ah…” Jinsol took a breath, pulling herself together. “Why are you suddenly asking that?”
“Everyone in school knows what today is. Right, Yoona?”
Being called out, Yoona smiled faintly. “Yeah, I know.”
Today wasn’t Valentine’s Day, nor Christmas, nor any officially special occasion. It was just a day passed down by word of mouth from upperclassmen, eventually turning into a tradition.
A locker confession tradition, something every student learned about the moment they entered tenth grade. On this day, people with feelings for each other would leave a gift in the other’s locker instead of saying it out loud.
“But since our lockers have locks…” Haewon - the one who had introduced this tradition to Jinsol and Yoona when they first started - had once tapped on a locker door while explaining, “…you can only confess if you already know each other’s code.”
To people in love, the idea that only the other person knows your chosen code feels incredibly romantic.
“So, are you confessing?” Jinsol raised an eyebrow, throwing the question back.
“Lily’s locker code is 252.” Haewon puffed her chest proudly. “Do you think I should?”
“Haewon has been bragging about that since earlier.” Yoona giggled beside her.
The gentle sound landed in Jinsol’s ears, making her absentmindedly stare at Yoona’s black hair shimmering in the afternoon sunlight. Every time Yoona spoke, even if it was something trivial, Jinsol found herself hanging onto every word.
Maybe that was why she wanted to know Yoona’s locker code.
Or rather something more than that.
Had Yoona told anyone? Or had someone told her theirs? Or maybe they had already exchanged codes, and she was just waiting for today to become a couple with that person? Jinsol’s eyes drifted to Yoona’s hands. The casual movements on the textbook seemed almost teasing. Had she hidden a love letter inside it? Why was she holding it so carefully?
“…Jinsol? Jinsol?”
Her heart skipped at the sound of her name. She looked up, meeting Yoona’s wide eyes.
“What were you thinking about?” Yoona tilted her head.
The hallway between classrooms was always crowded and noisy before the bell rang. But when it was just Jinsol and Yoona, it always felt like they were frozen inside a still frame.
“Yeah… Today’s assignment was really hard.” A clumsy lie, but she had no other choice. “Where did Haewon go?”
“She went to the senior lockers.”
“Oh. Straightforward, huh?”
“Well, the person she likes set their code as her birthday.”
“Haha…” Jinsol held back a laugh. “That’s so cliché.”
“I think it’s romantic.”
Yoona’s voice suddenly turned distant as she looked toward the end of the row of lockers. Once again, the sunlight played its role perfectly, highlighting her glowing profile.
The topic should’ve ended there. No one knew Jinsol’s locker code, and she didn’t know the code of the person she liked. Nothing would happen this year, and even next year, she wasn’t sure anything would.
But somehow, maybe it was Yoona’s clear eyes following the lockers, or the way she smiled softly and said “Yeah, I know.”, or the way she absentmindedly toyed with that textbook, something about it all made Jinsol restless.
“Are you confessing today?” she finally asked.
And Yoona answered right away, her calm voice resting on a faint smile.
“Yes.”
***
Throughout the following gym class, Jinsol couldn’t focus at all.
She kept thinking about the lockers. About how her own stupid locker was empty, while someone else’s had probably already received a gift from Yoona.
What if I had come earlier?
The thought appeared, then was quickly shaken away. Jinsol and Yoona had been friends since the very first day they stepped into this school together. She remembered that day vividly.
A sunny day, just like today. When Yoona shyly walked into the classroom and sat beside her, a soft scent seemed to wash away the exhaustion of long school days.
Jinsol hesitated before turning to her, casually offering a greeting.
“Hi.”
“Hi.” Jinsol noticed the faint blush on Yoona’s cheeks as she pointed at her. “You’re Bae Jinsol, right?”
“How do you know?” she asked, wide-eyed.
Yoona simply looked down at the name tag sewn onto her chest. Bae Jinsol - Jinsol’s name was right there.
“Oh… Then you must be Seol Yoona, right?” Jinsol blinked, looking down at her own uniform.
After registration day, Jinsol realized her uniform had been swapped by mistake. She had no choice but to wear one with someone else’s name on the first day, hoping that person would be in her class. She had even thought, worst case, she’d just ask every tall girl in school, since the shop assistant had been surprised someone needed the largest size.
Luckily, that person was indeed in her class and also tall, though Jinsol was just a little taller.
In front of her, Yoona nodded shyly.
“Yeah, I’m Seol Yoona.”
Her hands fidgeted together as she looked at Jinsol in silence. Jinsol didn’t respond either. They just stared at each other in the sunlight.
Finally, as if remembering something important, Jinsol cleared her throat.
“Do you want to switch uniforms?”
“Switch?” Yoona’s eyes widened. “How?”
“Um…” Jinsol scratched her head. “Maybe we go to the restroom… and toss them over the stall wall?”
It was probably an idea no one else in the world would come up with, so even though Yoona was still shy, she couldn’t hold back a soft laugh.
“If you don’t like it, then—”
“It’s okay.” Despite Jinsol’s fluster, Yoona nodded. “Let’s do it your way.”
So they went to the restroom together, then each took a stall. Moments later, the quiet space filled with the rustling of clothes, making Jinsol flush slightly.
She figured Yoona must be embarrassed too, so they quickly passed their uniforms over the divider.
“Here’s yours.” / “Here’s yours.”
Speaking in unison made Jinsol feel oddly amused. She hurried to put her clothes back on. As she did, a faint scent surrounded her.
Not fabric softener, something more natural, less artificial. Later, Jinsol would realize it was Yoona’s scent.
But at that moment, stepping out of the stall, all she could do was stare.
“Now I’m officially Seol Yoona.” Yoona smiled, reaching out her hand. “Nice to meet you, Bae Jinsol.”
From that day on, they became deskmates.
Being Yoona’s deskmate was incredibly comfortable, at least for Jinsol. Yoona studied diligently, though sometimes she’d get playful and secretly read comics under the desk. Jinsol would keep watch for her, only to end up staring when Yoona looked up and grinned after getting away with it. Sometimes, Yoona would take Jinsol’s messy notes and return them the next morning, neatly rewritten, as a silent thank you.
In moments like that, Jinsol remembered how her heart would unconsciously warm.
Maybe it was because of that uniform mix-up, but Jinsol always felt a strange connection between them. The kind that made your heart race when that person said your name. The kind that made you whisper their name before falling asleep.
Seol Yoona. The name Jinsol had once worn on her uniform. The name she had traced over and over in her notebook, her heartbeat fluttering like a wind chime outside a flower shop.
And even when unlocking her locker.
5301. If Haewon knew it was a twisted way of writing “Seol”, she’d probably laugh her head off at Jinsol.
Thinking about lockers again made Jinsol fall silent. She sat stiffly on the bench, watching Yoona play volleyball with their classmates.
Yoona had tied her hair up now. Of course, no one wanted it sticking to their neck. But those soft waves still bounced in the wind, as if teasing Jinsol. As if Yoona was showing the whole world that today, she wanted to look prettier than usual.
“…Hey!”
The sudden voice snapped Jinsol out of her thoughts.
Somehow, Haewon had appeared out of nowhere again.
“…Can you at least warn me before scaring me like that?” Jinsol exhaled in relief. “Why are you here? Don’t you have class?”
“Nope.” Haewon plopped down beside her.
“Then why aren’t you going home?”
“I’m waiting until school ends.”
Jinsol blinked in disbelief. “Huh?”
Haewon just laughed, swinging her legs as she leaned back into the sunlight, gazing at the blue sky.
“Confessing at the end of the day is more romantic.”
“Where did you even learn that?”
“I just think so.” Haewon shrugged. “Imagine waiting all day, wondering if something might happen. And then at the end, you open your locker and everything explodes into that moment. That’s better.”
Jinsol could only shake her head with a helpless smile.
“You and Lily really love cliché things.”
“So what? Better than someone who’s too scared to confess.” Haewon clicked her tongue.
“Who said I was going to confess?” Jinsol shot back.
“Your face did.” Haewon turned to her, poking her forehead. “All day, it’s been saying, ‘I want to confess but I’m too scared they don’t like me back.’”
“My face isn’t big enough for a sentence that long…” Jinsol muttered, unable to win against Haewon’s sharp tongue.
Seeing that, Haewon stopped teasing. The two sat there, watching the volleyball game without keeping score. Yoona seemed especially happy today, she was definitely smiling more than usual.
Thinking about that, a quiet sadness crept into Jinsol’s chest, almost spilling out through her eyes.
“Haewon, to confess through lockers, you have to know their code, right?” Jinsol sighed.
“Yeah.”
“That means… there had to be something between them already, right?”
“…Yeah.”
And just like that, Jinsol’s last bit of hope completely collapsed.
***
Jinsol went straight home after school. There was clearly no reason for her to stay.
But even after getting off the subway, Yoona was still on her mind. Her confession, and the friendship that had quietly held Jinsol’s unspoken feelings all this time.
How was I supposed to face Yoona from now on? Now that I knew Yoona was no longer just someone I could freely dream about?
Her phone ticked over to 6 PM. By now, most students had already gone home. Maybe a few couples were still lingering by the lockers, waiting for each other. Haewon and Lily were probably like that. Yoona probably was too.
Jinsol’s heart trembled with a bitter sting. Yoona had slipped away from her over something as stupid as a locker.
Watching the blazing sunset spill across her window, curiosity stirred restlessly in her chest. Jinsol grabbed her phone and sent a short message.
[Did you confess yet?]
Surprisingly, Yoona replied almost immediately.
[Not yet.]
Jinsol blinked, her fingers trembling as she typed.
[Why not?]
[I don’t know their locker code.]
That message made Jinsol sit bolt upright on her bed. Questions flooded her mind.
[…Then why are you still confessing?]
[I don’t know. Silly, right?]
[Do they know your locker code?]
[Nope.]
[So you’re waiting for them now?]
[Yeah.]
[Why are you waiting this late…?]
As she typed that, Jinsol let out a heavy sigh.
And then Yoona’s next message made her heart shake all over again.
[Confessing at the end of the day is more romantic ^^
Don’t you think so, Jinsol? Would you want to receive a confession like that?]
Jinsol didn’t reply. Something pushed her to her feet. She rushed out of the house without a second thought, sprinting to catch the late train back to school.
Imagine waiting all day, wondering if something might happen. And then at the end, you open your locker and everything explodes into that moment. That’s better.
Her heart churned strangely at the thought of Yoona waiting there alone. Other people waited because they knew something would happen. But Yoona waited because she hoped something would.
Even if she didn’t understand why Yoona would be that foolish, even if no one else was left at school by now, Jinsol still decided to go to her. A fleeting thought crossed her mind.
If the person Yoona was waiting for didn’t come, then at least she wouldn’t be alone.
After getting off at the station near school, Jinsol rushed up the stairs, running so fast she forgot to breathe. The path into the school felt unusually clear, even as the sun had nearly set, leaving only faint streaks of purple light across the floor.
Her steps carried her down the hallway toward the lockers. Her heartbeat grew more and more chaotic.
Until she saw her. A girl with hair falling past her shoulders, the name tag on her chest reading Seol Yoona.
The moment she saw Yoona, Jinsol unconsciously slowed down. And finally, she stood in front of her.
Yoona was leaning lightly against a locker door. A locker that felt so familiar, because every morning, Jinsol would stand in front of it, take a deep breath, and press in four digits.
5301.
“It’s late. Why haven’t you gone home yet?” Out of everything she wanted to ask, that was the first thing that slipped out.
Yoona looked up, her clear eyes meeting Jinsol’s.
“I’m waiting.”
“For the person you want to confess to?”
“Yeah.”
Her firm answer made Jinsol irrationally jealous of that lucky bastard. But in the end, all she could do was sigh.
“Who is it? I’ll ask for their locker code for you.” Jinsol bit her lip. “I’ll keep it a secret. I promise.”
At the determined tone that came out trembling, Yoona couldn’t help but smile. She stepped closer, until the tips of their shoes touched, until Jinsol’s swallow was audible.
And then she said softly:
“Then tell me your locker code.”
Jinsol froze completely.
“…What?”
“Your locker code.” Yoona lifted her gaze slowly. “Tell me.”
Something just exploded inside Jinsol.
Why would she ask that?
No. Why would she ask me that?
“My… my code…”
“What is it?” Yoona didn’t take her eyes off her. In those clear eyes, Jinsol could see her own flustered reflection.
Somehow, instinctively, the number slipped past her lips.
“…It’s 5301.”
Hearing what she wanted, Yoona raised her brows slightly, then nodded as if she understood.
A few seconds of silence stretched tight inside Jinsol, like a shaken soda can ready to burst. Her heart pounded, like the tapping of Yoona’s pen whenever she was deep in thought.
And then she heard Yoona ask:
“That’s my last name, isn’t it?”
“…H-How did you know?!” An utterly inappropriate response, even by her own standards.
But Yoona didn’t mind. She just smiled, a smile as clear as summer lemonade and as sweet as the jar of honey Jinsol always forgot to close.
“Because I like you.”
The soda liquid suddenly spilled out of the tin can.
Reflected in Yoona’s sparkling eyes was a completely frozen Jinsol, rooted to the spot.
“...What did you just say?”
“I said I like you, Bae Jinsol.”
The words left Yoona’s lips with such certainty, as if she were stating a law of nature.
“And since I didn’t know your locker code, I didn’t prepare a gift.” Yoona’s calm, gentle voice brought Jinsol slowly back to reality.
“...”
“So… will you take me instead?”
As she said that, Yoona opened her arms, the corners of her eyes curving as a bright smile bloomed on her lips.
Suddenly, Jinsol remembered. Today Yoona looked prettier than usual. Today, she wanted to confess. And today, she had waited until the very end of the day to do it.
“Bae Jinsol.” Seeing her still frozen, Yoona giggled. “My arms are getting tire—”
She didn’t get to finish, because the taller girl suddenly pulled her into a tight embrace. Arms wrapped gently around her waist, chin resting on her shoulder. The distance disappeared in an instant, and with every movement, Yoona caught that familiar scent.
The one she remembered from their very first day. The one that had lingered around her for so long. Just like this embrace now.
“I like you too.” Buried against Yoona’s shoulder, Jinsol whispered without thinking. “I like you, Yoona. I’ve liked you since the first day we met.” She talked incessantly, as if afraid Yoona wouldn't hear her.
“Me too.” Yoona replied softly, still holding her.
“I set my locker code as your name because I like you.” Jinsol kept going. “I like you so much, I really wanted to confess to you today.”
At that, Yoona smiled and looked up, pulling back just enough to see Jinsol’s flushed face.
“Then why didn’t you confess to me?”
Jinsol almost answered, “Because I didn’t know your locker code.” but stopped herself.
She blinked awkwardly, then stammered:
“I…”
Her fluster made Yoona laugh. Not wanting to tease her further, she cupped Jinsol’s cheeks and tilted her head, asking gently:
“Is that question too hard? Let me ask something else.”
“…Okay. Go ahead.”
“Do you want to kiss me?”
Yoona never heard the answer. Because in the next moment, her back was pressed against the locker door. Her eyes shut instinctively. And her lips were claimed, then pulled into a clumsy first kiss.
***
“So what’s your locker code?”
“I already confessed to you and you’re still curious?”
“Come on, tell me! I’ve wanted to know for so long!”
“Fine… It’s 843.”
“…Huh? Why?”
“Because I like you, silly Bae Jinsol.”