“What does that matter?”
Chanhyeong made a sulky face. Children from the orphanage mature earlier than their peers. Chanhyeong too—though he might seem like a completely innocent and mischievous older brother to his younger siblings, he wasn’t really that young. I knew, having watched him all this time. Still, I hoped Chanhyeong would remain a little child for just a bit longer, so I smiled and patted his head. The corners of Chanhyeong’s eyes, which always looked slightly sullen, drooped.
“Hyung, you smell like wood.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah…… You smell like trees……”
Now, it’s me, he muttered incomprehensibly as he lowered his head, then suddenly lifted it up.
“Vanilla smell.”
“Hm?”
“This is alpha pheromones, isn’t it?”
“Ah…… I have an alpha friend. It’s probably that friend’s scent.”
“……I see.”
Chanhyeong, who had been making an unreadable expression, urged me once more. Take care of yourself and come back safely.
“Don’t get separated from your friends.”
“I told you I know. How old am I that I’d get lost?”
“That’s not what I meant……”
Chanhyeong, who had been sticking out his lips, soon said goodnight and left the room.
In the morning, a little past eight o’clock, I left the orphanage carrying a large bag. The teachers tried to give me more money, but I declined. Since I wouldn’t be wandering around outside and would be staying at the training center the whole time, the only place to spend money would be the canteen. When I arrived at the playground, Eorin and Woojin were there.
“Wow, you’re here early.”
“I woke up early.”
For saying that, Eorin kept yawning the whole time. Woojin had already opened a bag of snacks and was eating.
“You said you didn’t have motion sickness medicine.”
Eorin took out motion sickness medicine from his pocket and handed it to me. I accepted it with thanks.
“You need to take it now. They said to take it 30 minutes before getting on the bus.”
“Ah, okay.”
I wrinkled my nose as I opened the cap of the motion sickness medicine and poured it into my mouth. A strange taste similar to carbonated drinks went down my throat. As I was smacking my lips, Eorin opened a strawberry milk and handed it to me.
“Uh…… thanks.”
Suddenly remembering him holding cola to my lips, I lowered my head and quickly took it with my hands. Eorin nodded without saying anything particular.
“Want some snacks too?”
“Um…… no. If I eat too much, I’ll get motion sickness……”
“You should stop eating too, Jung Woojin. Otherwise you’ll throw it all up on the bus.”
“I won’t.”
Woojin stuck out his lips and grumbled. What Eorin wore today was a gray hoodie that looked oversized. I was blankly staring at the edge of the hood that came down slightly to his back when Eorin turned his head.
“What?”
“Nothing. Nothing at all!”
“Really?”
Eorin made a puzzled expression at my hasty denial. Why did my gaze suddenly go to his protruding shoulder blades? As I lowered my head to look at my toes, warmth settled on my shoulders.
“Whoa.”
“I’m sleepy.”
Eorin leaned against the back of my head with his cheek. I could feel Eorin’s cheek pressing against my head. As I was awkwardly bending my waist, Eorin stuck right to my back. Woojin stuck out his lips.
“That’s cheating. I want to lean too.”
“Then lean on me.”
“No way. You’re not cute. I like cute Chiwon.”
“Too bad. I already claimed Chiwon.”
Grinning, Eorin rubbed his head back and forth. I struggled desperately to suppress my pheromones that felt like they would explode.
“But isn’t Junsu coming?”
“I know, right. He’s not still sleeping, is he?”
“Should I call him?”
Woojin picked up his phone. Looking at the clock, it was now 10 minutes before assembly time.
“……He’s not answering.”
“……He’s not really sleeping, is he?”
Woojin kept trying to call. After pressing call about six times, the ringtone suddenly cut off.
“What?”
“He hung up.”
“Did he think it was a wake-up call……?”
“No. He just woke up after hearing the ringtone, looked at the clock, got startled, and hung up. This isn’t the first or second time.”
“Ah, you said you went to middle school together.”
“Yeah.”
Eorin sighed. Eorin in middle school…… I’d never imagined it. I was a little envious of Junsu. It would have been nice if I’d been with him then too.
I shook my head vigorously. I’ve been getting greedy lately, really. But with Eorin leaning against me, I ended up rubbing my head near Eorin’s chin. Perhaps it tickled, because Eorin laughed a little.
“What, are you dating?”
While Woojin was contacting Junsu, Yeongjin saw me and Eorin and said bluntly. But Eorin immediately nodded.
“Yeah. Didn’t you know?”
“Well, well.”
Yeongjin made a dumbfounded face and disappeared. He’s not really misunderstanding, is he……? I still wasn’t good at distinguishing jokes. It was clearly a joke for Eorin, but was Yeongjin’s reaction a joke too?
While I was confused, Woojin waved his phone.
“He says he’s brushing his teeth and taking a taxi.”
“He won’t be too late then.”
“He’ll come while we’re assembling, anyway.”
A whistle sound came from the front and the teacher shouted to gather on the playground by class. Eorin grabbed my shoulder and walked with me in front. When we went to where the Class 5 kids were, the kids greeted me. I smiled and waved my hand.
“Taking attendance. Kang Daeun. Kang Yeongjin. Go Seonho. Gi Taejun……”
The teacher called out the children’s names one by one. When Junsu’s name was called, Eorin raised his hand.
“Teacher, Junsu is taking a taxi and coming now.”
“I knew it. When will he arrive?”
“Within 15 minutes.”
“Good grief. Alright. Roh Jinho.”
The teacher shook his head and continued attendance. After attendance ended, while waiting for morning assembly to begin, Eorin asked.
“What did you bring?”
“Um, clothes, toiletries, towels. And emergency medicine…… tissues and garbage bags.”
“Toothbrush?”
“I brought it.”
“Didn’t you bring snacks or anything?”
“No. I think I’ll sleep right away on the bus.”
“Then eat mine. If you’re hungry.”
I hadn’t even finished the strawberry milk he gave me earlier. Eorin shook his bag. The sound of bags crinkling rustled.
“Is the Chair…… the Chairman coming today?”
“Yeah. To say hello. I came in the car with him this morning.”
“I see.”
While we were whispering, a crackling sound came from the playground speakers. It was the math teacher who was the grade head teacher. After the math teacher gave a few words of advice, the microphone was passed to the Chairman who had been standing in the back at some point. While the advice to not cause trouble and come back healthy continued for about 15 minutes, a taxi stopped at the school gate and Junsu got out in a hurry. The Chairman seemed to have glanced at Junsu too, but deliberately didn’t mention it. Junsu quietly went and stood at the very back of Class 5.
After the Chairman’s words ended, it was time to move to find the buses. Since it was decided to board the buses in order from Class 10, while waiting for our turn, we went to find Junsu who would be at the very back.
“Na Junsu!”
“Wow- I’m not late!”
“Do you oversleep even on a day like this?”
“Na Junsu, you really never change.”
“……? That’s such a compliment?”
“Yeah, you’re so lucky. I want to be like you too.”
While me and Woojin were giggling at Eorin and Junsu’s conversation, the teacher appeared from behind. The laughter disappeared.
“Na Junsu.”
“Yes…… sir.”
“Saying ‘sir’ and all. I told you not to be late, didn’t I?”
“Yes, sir!”
“Your answers are good. It’s fortunate you came before getting on the bus. If you were late, I really would’ve left without you.”
“I’m sorry, sir!”
“Did you forget anything? Toothbrush?”
“……I’ll buy it there!”
“Good grief. Don’t oversleep anymore!”
“Aye, aye, sir!”
As Junsu saluted crisply like in an American war movie he’d seen, the teacher also saluted back as if unable to resist and disappeared. Junsu sighed and we giggled.
On the bus, I decided to ride with Eorin. Originally we all wanted to sit together in the very back seat, but they said that wasn’t allowed because of danger. Still, unable to give up on the back seats, as soon as it was our turn, Junsu dashed forward and claimed the four seats in the second row from the back.
“Did you sleep well yesterday?”
“No, that’s why I overslept! On days like this I can never fall asleep until dawn. The more I think I have to wake up early, the more it happens.”
“You should’ve asked for a wake-up call. I would’ve called and woken you up.”
“I can’t even hear my phone ring well. It’s no use.”
“True. You barely woke up even after calling six times.”
Woojin, who sat down, opened a new snack first. I poured the remaining strawberry milk into my mouth in case I spilled it. When milk leaked a little from my lips, Eorin took out a tissue and wiped my chin.
“Uh…… thanks.”
Since this was usually my role at the orphanage, it felt strange to be looked after. I pretended not to notice and folded the milk carton and tucked it into the pocket attached to the seat.
“Did you sleep well?”
“Yeah. Didn’t you?”
“……A little.”
Eorin rubbed his eyes. Actually, I wonder if Eorin is weak in the mornings. He comes to school early though…… somehow I thought that.
We got off at a rest stop in the middle to eat lunch, and as soon as we got back on the bus, the kids fell fast asleep. Eorin was one of them. When I glanced to the side, Woojin was also in dreamland, and Junsu seemed to be playing games on his phone with earphones in.
Sway, sway. Every time the bus swayed, sleeping Eorin’s head swayed gently. If Eorin had sat by the window, he could lean comfortably and sleep, but Eorin was dozing off without even reclining his seat back. Wasn’t he planning to sleep? I carefully reached out and reclined Eorin’s seat back. Being the backmost seat was good because I could recline it all the way without worrying about the person behind.
But perhaps because of the feeling of his body falling backward, Eorin woke up with a start. He trembled as he opened his eyes, and since he made eye contact with me right away as I was reaching across his body, I was startled too. When I blinked, Eorin confirmed that my hand was touching the lever and seemed to grasp the situation, rubbing his face as he leaned back deeply.
“Sorry. Did I scare you?”
“……No.”
Eorin’s ears seemed to have turned a bit red. Was he embarrassed about waking up startled? I suppressed my laughter. But after looking at my face, Eorin made a sulky expression and grabbed the back of my head and pushed it down.
