It would be nice if I could talk to Chiwon as well as that, but I didn’t know why it was so difficult to say a single word to Chiwon. I did fine with other kids even if I didn’t know them.
But then their conversation flowed toward Chiwon’s younger siblings. At that moment, Chiwon, who had been talking, turned his head slightly and our eyes met. Seeing him seeming to gauge my reaction, I wondered if he was bothered by what happened earlier, so I smiled at him. It meant that any story would be okay.
“…I’m the oldest hyung at the orphanage.”
Chiwon, who had been looking at my eyes for a moment, brought up his own story like that and smiled while listing stories about his cute younger siblings. It must have taken courage for Chiwon too. I was happy about that, so I smiled back.
Still, I was a bit miffed that he was absorbed in conversation with Junsu and didn’t pay any attention to me. So I suddenly bent my head down and took a big bite of the steamed bun Chiwon was holding. Junsu teased me saying there was a beast here too, but I chewed and swallowed the steamed bun with a “hmph, so there” attitude.
“Hey, is that by any chance a habit?”
After fourth period ended, I spoke to Chiwon, who was standing blankly in front of the lockers at the back of the classroom. I was planning to ask him to eat lunch together, but different words came tumbling out instead. To me suddenly coming up beside him and asking the out-of-context question of whether it was a habit for the area around his eyes to turn red, Chiwon earnestly played along. While saying it turned red when he was surprised, Chiwon’s eyes turned red again. I leaned my arm against the locker, propped my chin, and looked at that face.
How strange. What was this feeling of being helplessly drawn to Chiwon? It definitely wasn’t unpleasant. Just puzzling. As I just looked without saying anything, Chiwon blinked. I was about to say it was nothing to his question of why I was looking, when something shot up from behind Chiwon and covered him in an instant. At that moment, Chiwon’s face turned pale.
“Chiwon-ah.”
As soon as Jung Woojin’s voice was heard, Chiwon’s shoulders, which had been hunched up, relaxed. Chiwon, whose face had looked exactly like he was scared, had returned to his usual state, no different from normal. Whether he was skilled at hiding it or really okay. Whatever it was, it was clear that Chiwon was tied up with ‘pheromones’ or ‘omega.’
“Woo, Woojin-ah.”
“Chiwon-ah, I’m hungry. What was lunch today?”
Maybe because he’d cried and exhausted himself playing basketball today, Jung Woojin had an expression that looked more languid than usual and was leaning on Chiwon. Since the kid with the biggest build in our class was doing that to Chiwon, Chiwon groaned.
I was talking with Jung Woojin with Chiwon between us, when Junsu suddenly interrupted. Earlier, when I said I was going to ask Chiwon to eat lunch together, Junsu said he would just watch me from a distance. I’d ignored him and left him alone because he was saying nonsense like “my baby’s all grown up now” and “dad is rooting for you,” so why did he suddenly come?
“Is Chiwon breathing?”
“Ah… I don’t think so…”
Chiwon answered in a voice that was still groaning. It was funny and cute, and on the other hand I was envious of Jung Woojin touching Chiwon without hesitation, so I pretended to be playful and ruffled Chiwon’s hair. I wished I had a personality like Jung Woojin.
But then Jung Woojin, who had a face that looked like he was dying of sleepiness, muttered that he was hungry, then started walking while half-lifting Chiwon, saying let’s go eat. While watching Chiwon being helplessly dragged away with a dazed face, I couldn’t continue speaking from the shock of having my turn stolen. Then Junsu, who was looking at my face, sighed and spoke to Jung Woojin and Chiwon. Watching Junsu instantly create a situation where the four of us would eat together, I realized in the middle why Junsu had suddenly interrupted. He probably thought I was unreliable. And that was true.
Was I this clumsy? I sighed and opened the back door. Junsu, who was already embracing the kids happily, led Jung Woojin and Chiwon.
Junsu seemed to quite like Jung Woojin. I knew more than enough from earlier that Jung Woojin wasn’t a bad kid, and he was actually quite fun too, so I accepted Jung Woojin as well. While Junsu worked hard to build friendship with Jung Woojin, Chiwon and I ate lunch while listening to their conversation. But throughout lunch, Chiwon’s expression was noticeably bright.
“Chiwon looks like he’s in a good mood.”
“Ah… does it seem that way?”
Chiwon gave an awkward smile and rubbed his cheek slightly.
“I always ate alone.”
To think no one recognized a kid like Chiwon. It was fortunate at least for me since opportunities to be together increased, but I tried not to feel grateful since Chiwon might have had a hard time from loneliness.
Whether Chiwon had opened up a lot from what happened earlier, he told me about himself. While talking about which school he attended before, it came up that he went there because he commuted with his younger siblings. But the moment he said those words, a subtly strange expression briefly crossed Chiwon’s face.
Suddenly Chiwon felt distant. Was it my imagination that Chiwon seemed to be measuring distance? To feel disappointed that the distance had grown when we’d only been talking for a day now—I must have felt Chiwon quite close inside. It might have been because I’d been following Chiwon around for weeks.
At that moment, Chiwon slightly raised his head and our eyes met. But Chiwon immediately turned his head away, and afraid that Chiwon would really grow distant, I hurriedly grabbed Chiwon.
“Chiwon-ah.”
“Huh, yeah?”
Chiwon’s face as he turned back to me at my call was no different from usual. Having nothing to say, I chose to close my mouth.
After evening study session ended and I returned home and changed clothes, I knocked on Grandfather’s study. Unlike me, Grandfather was someone who didn’t need much sleep, so he went to bed the latest and woke up the earliest. I heard Grandfather’s voice from inside the door answering my knock.
“Come in.”
“Grandfather, it’s me.”
“What are you doing not sleeping?”
Grandfather, who had been reading a book, took off his glasses and looked at me. I opened my mouth with only my head peeking through the door gap. A laugh escaped from my mouth without realizing.
“I played basketball with Chiwon today. We ate together and I said goodbye when going home too.”
“Really?”
Grandfather’s eyes widened. It was a satisfying reaction. I hid my shoulders shrugging behind the door and composed my face. This was enough bragging.
“I wanted to tell you that. Sleep well.”
“Ah, no, Eorin-ah! You have to tell me more before you go!”
Grandfather urgently grabbed me, but I squinted my eyes at him and closed the door. I’d never been good at winking since long ago. But well, this much probably looked like a wink.
When I returned to my room, Chari was lying on the bed taking up space. Chari was a breathtakingly cute cat, but no matter how much Mother and Father tempted her, she insisted on sleeping in my room. Ginger and Gami, whom Father had brought and raised since they were puppies, absolutely never entered rooms unless someone called them, but Chari would get in by any means if she wanted to enter. When I walked to the bed and flopped down, Chari slightly raised her body and climbed onto my stomach.
“Chari. Chari.”
As I murmured and stroked Chari’s back, Chari meowed softly. If I slept like this I wouldn’t be able to toss and turn as I pleased, so I picked up Chari and put her down on the inside of my side.
“Chari, what should I do if I like something too much?”
The words mixed with a sigh weren’t strong enough to chase away Chari’s sleepiness. Looking at Chari who fell asleep in an instant, I sighed.
Maybe because I’d almost never thought ‘I really want to become friends with this person!’ and tried to become friends, or maybe it was just a lack of sociability. Approaching Chiwon wasn’t easy. Still, today I felt we’d become much closer.
If this continues, won’t Chiwon talk about his pheromones someday? Whatever it is, keeping it to himself alone must be hard…
At that moment, the phone I’d left by the bed buzzed. It was a contact from Junsu. Chari, who was so used to it, didn’t bat an eye at phone vibration sounds, but she hated messenger notification sounds terribly, so I always had to keep my phone on vibrate mode even at home.
[Hey Eorin-ah]
[Why?]
[Let’s bet on who gets to school first tomorrow]
Junsu liked to bet on anything and determine a winner. He hated losing but threw himself into things like this. The only thing he didn’t do was bet on grades.
[? You and me?]
[ㅇㅇ Loser buys bread for breakfast at the school store]
[So pathetic I have nothing to say]
[? Hey you’ve been so cocky these past few days coming to school early]
[People have something called fundamentals, you know?]
[Yes that’s right Junsu-ya]
[Good that you know well, that’s fortunate]
[Are you trying to piss me off again?]
I laughed quietly in case Chari woke up.
[But why are you suggesting such a bet]
[I’m sleepy right now]
It was really rare for Junsu to say he was sleepy at a time that wasn’t even midnight yet. Normally he’d be clinging to the computer playing games hard.
[I’m gonna sleep now and wake up early to mooch bread off you^^]
[Junsu-ya people have something called fundamentals]
[Be quiet hyung is sleeping]
After sending Junsu a message to sleep well, I also turned off the lights and lay in bed. At that moment, I suddenly got a strange sense of defiance, as if it had transferred from Junsu. So separate from Junsu, I decided to make a bet with myself. Whether I could get to school faster than Chiwon or not. No matter how hard I tried until now, I’d never arrived at school earlier than Chiwon. So anyway, if I was going early, this time I really wanted to get there earlier than Chiwon and greet him first. Then Chiwon would accept my greeting with a surprised face, and we’d talk…
But if Chiwon came to school before me, then I would do something for Chiwon…
Well, what would be good? I closed my eyes while listening to Chari’s breathing.
