Chapter Text
01.
Ryu Sunjae was a transfer student. He arrived around the middle of their senior year of high school, during that season when spring ends and summer begins. Appearing at that somewhat ambiguous timing, Sunjae seemed like a boy standing at the complete opposite end of the spectrum from her. Among the average-looking high schoolers, he had striking looks, a towering height, and a background story with just the right amount of pathos—an athlete who had to quit sports due to an injury. He wasn't overly assertive, but he didn't seem timid or shy either. "Solid" was the word that suited him best; Sol quietly wrote that sentence next to the image of Sunjae in her mind. Little did she know she would be adding footnotes to it so soon.
It was a day when Sol woke up exceptionally early. It followed a night when falling into a deep sleep felt harder than usual. Since they were in the same class, meeting him was inevitable, but this encounter happened much earlier than that. The moment she pushed open the front gate, which made an unpleasant creaking sound from its worn-out hinges, Sol had a minor "collision" with someone's back.
"...! Sorry."
It was only for a split second. But in that instant, his face, shadowed with deep emotion, looked markedly different from the male student she used to see at school. Although he quickly returned to the boy she knew with an apologetic expression. Sol, lightly brushing her forehead once, shook her head. It meant she was fine. Sunjae gave an embarrassed smile before resuming his stopped pace.
The path to school was full of stairs. Only after passing dozens of low-slung houses, none of which looked particularly neat, did a single bus stop appear. Since there weren't many students living nearby, Sunjae and Sol were the only ones in school uniforms. There were few people around in general. Sunjae walked a couple of steps away, but his awareness of Sol was transparently felt. Thinking he was just being apologetic—though it wasn't really his fault—Sol didn't bother to point it out and let it slide. She wasn't in a delicate or leisurely enough position to be swayed by such minor attention.
02.
Their commute together, which she thought would be a one-time thing, continued unexpectedly and consistently. Usually, by the time Sol stepped out the door, she would see Sunjae's back as he walked a few paces ahead. Even after getting on the bus, they maintained a fairly close distance, but they didn't talk or greet each other. Though if their eyes happened to meet, he would offer an awkward smile.
This strange and quiet companionship met a change in about a week. It was the day Sol went to school with a swollen cheek. Sunjae, who was walking ahead as usual, saw her face just before reaching the stop and looked startled. "He's so transparent," Sol was thinking, when he suddenly grabbed her wrist. He must have been quite struck by her appearance, considering she allowed his behavior, which she would normally have been wary of.
"Why?"
"You... you're hurt. It doesn't look like you've applied any medicine. Uh, just sit here for a second."
The sight of him flailing his long arms while making excuses and then hurriedly running off was something new. Sol, looking at the minute hand of the round watch on her wrist, decided to go along with it just this once. There was still plenty of time left.
"I was afraid it might scar if left alone... Is it okay if I touch it?"
"Just do it. You already bought the medicine, so why ask?"
After a brief hesitation, Sunjae tapped the area with a cotton swab dabbed in ointment. He was so careful it almost felt ticklish. Casting her gaze back to the clock hands, Sol grabbed the back of Sunjae's hand.
"We're going to be late. It doesn't even hurt that much. Just put it on roughly."
"Oh? Sorry, I was trying to be thorough."
Unable to make the excuse that it was particularly hard to control his strength because he had nowhere appropriate to rest his other hand, Sunjae just laughed sheepishly and moved his hand a bit faster. He was still careful.
"...There, done."
Sunjae straightened his upper body, which had been bent over to apply the medicine. She hadn't realized it when they walked far apart, but seeing him up close, he was very tall. He wasn't a former athlete for nothing. The narrowed distance didn't feel uncomfortable. The look in his eyes, filled with worry rather than curiosity, made her let down her guard.
"Um, hey."
Should she take back the thought that it wasn't uncomfortable right away? She hoped not. Erasing any such sign, Sol gave a nod.
"Do you want to take this ointment with you and apply it? I think you'll need to use it for a few days."
The unexpected question almost broke her composed expression. He could have just given it to her without asking. He's a peculiar kid. That was the first real impression of Ryu Sunjae that formed quite a while after they first met.
03.
The two became companions who went to school together, but nothing much changed. There were still many people around Sunjae, and Sol enjoyed her quiet time. Occasionally, the gaze flying toward her from behind was intense, but it wasn't to the point of being a problem. Though she never asked, seeing Sunjae not go out of his way to act like he knew her made her think, "He's quick-witted." If they were seen as being close for no reason, troublesome things would surely happen.
That temporary mutual ignoring would usually end when they got off at the stop halfway through the way home. Without any formal agreement, the two—or more accurately, mostly just Sunjae—would start talking only after getting off the bus.
"Have you had dinner? They don't serve it today since there's no night self-study."
"I haven't."
"Me neither... Do you want to eat together, by any chance?"
It usually went like this. Sunjae's interest hovered precariously on the line between being meddlesome and caring, and Sol would accept it if there was no reason to refuse. Even so, it was just sitting on worn-out convenience store chairs sharing triangular kimbap or cup noodles. Sunjae was always the one to pay first, but as if she had a vendetta against being indebted, Sol never forgot to press bills into his hand. Even on that first day he bought the ointment, Sunjae had found a bill tucked into the corner of his bag.
"Here, this."
"Thanks."
As soon as she receives it, the exact amount of cash is returned. Sunjae quietly put the money away and handed her one more drink.
"This... they said it's one-plus-one. Do you want to drink this too?"
His gaze, fixed on the bottle he held out, even trembled slightly. It was nothing special. Sol nodded with an indifferent face. Sunjae barely swallowed the exclamation that almost escaped his lips. It was ridiculous to feel so good just because someone else was eating one more thing, but he didn't want to stop. Because the lukewarm wind touching his cheeks and the noise of the plastic chairs following every small movement of the two were strangely comfortable. It was the first time since he left the swimming pool.
04.
You know those days when bad things just keep piling up? The day she had to go to school in a crumpled uniform from a house her father had turned upside down the night before, it just had to pour rain, her useless umbrella lay broken by the door, and even after leaving the gate, she was alone, just as she had always been.
"Late for once, I see. Im Sol, just do a quick cleaning of the classroom before you leave later."
Sunjae, who had run in late and sat down, turned his head toward where the low "Yes" came from, but because she was diagonally behind him, he had to look back at the chalkboard before she even came into view.
"And Ryu Sunjae, you... come to the teachers' office later."
"Yes, teacher."
Even while answering with an upright posture, his attention kept drifting backward. It rained a lot today; was that why she was late? Did she bring an umbrella? I should have left one in front of her door before I left at dawn. Sunjae barely managed to bury the cascading thoughts. If he tried to talk to her for no reason, it was obvious the other kids would bother Sol. I'll ask her after everyone leaves. I'll help her clean, too.
"Alright, no special closing announcements. Go home."
Sunjae waited for all the students to leave the classroom like a child anxious in front of a gift box. To think he'd feel this frustrated just because he couldn't say a few words.
"Sol, was everything okay this morning? I couldn't come with you because something came up. If you don't have an umbrella, let's share mine. Oh, I'll help you clean! It'll be over faster if we do it together."
"Ryu Sunjae."
"Yeah?"
"Don't mind me. Mind your own business."
Sol, who had picked up a broom and didn't even give him a glance, kept her mouth shut tight. Sunjae, unable to hide his confusion, just withdrew his hand that had been frozen in mid-air like a broken machine.
"...What's wrong all of a sudden?"
Sol turned her back. Ryu Sunjae wouldn't notice anyway, but she didn't want to show even a single frame of a wavering expression. She had to cut it off clearly before it got any deeper. It was only natural to organize a relationship that wouldn't be beneficial before suffering a loss. A boy who was foolishly kind was just a comfort for a season. That's as far as it goes.
"It's uncomfortable when you act like this."
So don't come any closer. That swallowed sentence dangled at the tip of her throat. If their eyes had met, it might have spilled out. The broom that had been moving regularly stopped as she gripped the handle tightly. The early summer sunlight, growing slightly longer, dyed the world outside the window red. Sol's long, neat hair swayed in a light brown hue as she stood with her back turned.
05.
Sunjae missed Sol every morning during the commute. It was a signal that even the most oblivious person would notice. That Sol was avoiding him. At one moment, he couldn't think of a single reason, and the next, they would multiply into ten thousand. He couldn't understand the reason at all, yet at the same time, it felt like every one of his actions was the cause.
"Im Sol."
"..."
"The teacher told me to give this to you."
"Okay."
It's already been a week. Sunjae realized that the time at school was his only chance to see Sol. She didn't ignore him outright, but there was a distinct distance compared to before. Instead of a calm comfort, a stiff atmosphere flowed between them. But Sol acted that way toward most people, and no one else felt anything was strange. Except for Ryu Sunjae.
"Hey, Ryu Sunjae! Pass!"
"Huh? Oh, right, right."
Sunjae's gaze, which had been directed toward the shaded stands, returned to the ball. His eyes found their place, but his ears were still far away. Enough to hear the voices of the girls passing by the edge of the playground.
"Did she say she's okay?"
"Yeah, apparently it's not because of us. Did she fall somewhere?"
...Is she hurt?
It was excessive meddling. He knew she would definitely think he was crossing the line again, but it was so hard to just let it go. In the end, Sunjae stood hesitating in front of the gate again, holding a bag filled with all sorts of ointments and bandages. Since it was dawn, long before the commute time, Sol wouldn't be there to reject him directly, but he was worried all the same.
What if she hates it? No, even if that doesn't matter... what if she hasn't even applied any medicine? It shouldn't be left alone. Just as he was about to shake off the cascading thoughts and set the bag down in front of the gate, the iron door opened with a clatter.
"...Ryu Sunjae?"
"Huh? Im Sol, uh, that is—"
"Please save me, Sunjae. Please..."
A startled Sunjae caught Sol as she collapsed into his arms. His gaze naturally drifted and caught sight of Sol's house, which was making sounds as if everything inside was being destroyed. Seeing Sol's fingertips trembling even as she was held, Sunjae pushed the blue gate shut just a few steps behind them. Only after putting the distance of the narrow path and the door between them did the sounds ringing in his ears subside a little.