※ The content of this work is entirely fictional and has no relation to any actual history, places, people, events, or organizations.
Over the Wall
Before they knew it, the season had reached the height of midsummer. As if to prove his words, Baek Iseon contacted Jang Juwon frequently and came to see him often. Whenever their eyes met, he would kiss him and endlessly whisper sweet words close to his ear. Even amid all this affection, Jang Juwon couldn’t shake a small suspicion.
‘Not that he likes me, but that he seems to like me—what’s that supposed to mean anyway?’
Whenever a situation arose that seemed like their relationship might progress, those words from back then always prevented them from crossing that threshold. He wanted to grab him by the collar right away and force him to speak clearly, but he knew that he needed time too. Time to clearly define his own feelings.
It seemed like the summer vacation would pass idly like that, but an unexpected incident came without warning from an unexpected person.
Choi Yeonho
Hey guys
I know you’re all doing nothing
Come to my house and help pick peaches!
Shin Jisu
If we pick peaches, do we get peaches?
Choi Yeonho
You should at least work off all the food you’ve mooched off me!
A faint smile appeared on Jang Juwon’s face as he looked at his phone screen. He was happy to see his friends’ everyday conversation after such a long time since they’d checked in.
“What are you looking at so amusingly?”
Baek Iseon suddenly thrust his face forward and asked. Inside a quiet cafe they’d found to escape the heat, two people sat facing each other with smiles.
“Ah, it’s nothing special. Choi Yeonho’s family runs an orchard and it seems they’re short on help. He’s asking us to come help.”
“Really? What kind of orchard?”
“Peaches.”
“Are you going to go?”
“Well… I think I will. My part-time job ended and I don’t have anything special to do.”
“Seeing me isn’t something special?”
“Ah, no, why do you say things like that again…”
Jang Juwon’s face turned the color of a ripe peach. Ever since that moment when Baek Iseon said he seemed to like him, all of his actions felt strangely unfamiliar. Actually, there wasn’t much difference from the first semester except that they saw each other more often. Baek Iseon had always been like this. Nevertheless, even Jang Juwon could clearly feel that the meaning behind these embarrassing words and actions had changed. It was just that he wasn’t certain about the identity of the emotion that had made him change.
Buzz. Jang Juwon’s phone rang again, displaying a pop-up window.
Shin Jisu
So when?
Choi Yeonho
As soon as possible ^^ Would I be asking you guys if I wasn’t desperate?
Shin Jisu
Then should we go tomorrow? How long will it take?
Choi Yeonho
Well, the urgent stuff should be done in about 2 or 3 days
Shin Jisu
Sounds good, it’ll be fun to see auntie and uncle after so long? I’ll go
Choi Yeonho
Jang Juwon! I know you read the message, you’re coming too, right? You will, right? Juwon, please!
Jang Juwon’s body flinched at Choi Yeonho’s urgent message looking for him. When he looked up from his phone, Baek Iseon was staring at him with an all-knowing expression.
“Sunbae, I…”
“You’re going to say you’re going, right?”
“Yes… Haha…”
Jang Juwon laughed awkwardly. Even though there was no reason to, he felt unnecessarily self-conscious.
“When are you going?”
“He’s saying to come as soon as possible? I think we’ll leave tomorrow morning. Shin Jisu said she’s going then too.”
“Tomorrow? Tomorrow… I haven’t prepared myself mentally yet…”
Baek Iseon repeated Jang Juwon’s words and muttered something with blank eyes. The sound was so quiet it didn’t reach Jang Juwon’s ears well.
“What?”
“No, nothing. How long will you be there?”
“Um… I don’t know? About two to three days?”
Jang Juwon rolled his eyes upward, recalling what Choi Yeonho had said earlier. He’d said the urgent work would take about that long.
“Wait.”
At his voice, which carried a sense of urgency, Jang Juwon straightened his gaze to find that Baek Iseon’s complexion didn’t look good at all. A shadow was deeply cast over that handsome face. He pursed his lips and blurted out his words.
“I want to go too.”
“What?”
“You said they’re short on help. Then wouldn’t it be better if one more person went?”
“That’s true, but won’t it be uncomfortable for you?”
“Being apart from you would be more uncomfortable.”
“What, it’s not like you have separation anxiety…”
Even as he said that, Jang Juwon barely suppressed the corners of his mouth from curling up.
“Then I’ll ask Choi Yeonho.”
I’ll go
Choi Yeonho
Yeah, my friends are the best, I knew you guys would have some decency
But… can I bring one more person?
Choi Yeonho
Of course! I’m at the point where I’d even borrow a cat’s paws
But do you have someone you can bring?
***
A sleek white car that didn’t match the quiet village located in Namyangju, Gyeonggi Province came to a stop. Even though it was a car he was seeing for the first time, Choi Yeonho could guess who was inside, so he approached the car with a welcoming smile on his face. Click. Three doors opened simultaneously. The three people got out of the car and stretched their bodies that had been folded for a long time. Choi Yeonho’s eyes wandered, lost, after confirming their identities. There were two welcome people and one who was not.
“The person you brought is this, this person… No, sunbae-nim… was it?”
Choi Yeonho unconsciously pointed his finger at Baek Iseon and looked at Jang Juwon with eyes that pleaded for an explanation. But wasn’t Jang Juwon turning his head away to avoid Choi Yeonho’s gaze and pretending to admire the countryside scenery? Choi Yeonho’s index finger, which had been so energetic, gradually curled inward.
“Hello?”
“Hello… sunbae.”
Baek Iseon smiled casually and took a step closer. Choi Yeonho unconsciously took a step back. Choi Yeonho found Baek Iseon uncomfortable. It was natural. Somehow, every time they met, all he’d seen was him being angry.
At the hospital, hadn’t he suddenly gotten angry and stormed out? Hadn’t he come all the way to the classroom to glare at his friend? How was the timing like that every single time? And that friend of his—he couldn’t understand what was so good about that sunbae that he kept hanging around with him.
Choi Yeonho approached Shin Jisu and whispered in a low voice.
“Hey, if you knew that person was coming, you should have told me!”
“Do I need to spell that out for you?”
“Of course. Am I some kind of psychic?”
“Oh my, just live your whole life like that.”
“Why are you suddenly cursing at me?”
“That’s not a curse, it’s your charm, so treasure it and live on, our Yeonho.”
“Huh?”
Shin Jisu smiled contentedly and patted the shoulder of the bewildered Choi Yeonho. Glancing over his back, she could see three people who looked exactly like Choi Yeonho approaching. A rare bright smile bloomed on her face.
“Mother, Father! Yeonsu!”
“Jisu unnie!”
“Jisu, you’re here? It’s been a while.”
As if to prove they were Choi Yeonho’s family, a pale girl who looked like soft tofu came running over and hugged Shin Jisu tightly.
“Unnie!”
“Yeonsu, did you miss unnie?”
“Yeah!”
“That Choi Yeonsu, she doesn’t even glance at her own oppa…”
Choi Yeonho glared at the back of his younger sister’s head with eyes mixed with resentment and envy. Yeonsu, still hugging Shin Jisu, only stuck her head out slightly to check the unfamiliar faces who had come to her house. Then she stood on tiptoe and began whispering in a small voice against Shin Jisu’s chest. To hear Yeonsu’s voice, Shin Jisu had to bend her head down low. Yeonsu’s small, chubby cheeks were flushed.
