Sihyun emerged from Seowoo's training room and briefly stopped by a couple more before returning to his own. Everywhere he went, the topic of conversation was Haru. Had he apologized? He muttered apologies but avoided any real conversation, leaving things unsettled. Feeling uneasy, Sihyun slumped onto a bench.
"Is someone unwilling to make amends?"
He wanted desperately to address it right then and there, but considering the offense, he knew waiting for Haru to come around was the right move.
Thinking of Haru, timid like a frightened cat, Sihyun sighed.
Even after training and a meal, silence lingered unchanged in the room. Uncomfortable in the silence, Sihyun went to sleep, anticipating the next day.
Days passed by.
One, two, three.
A long while passed.
What was anticipated to resolve quickly dragged on for over a week, leaving Sihyun disheveled as he glanced at Haru. When their eyes met, Haru looked away. That was the extent of it.
They exchanged greetings when their eyes met, but that was all. Neither made a move, causing frustration among those around them.
"When are you two going to make up?"
"We're getting impatient too."
Two roommates, feeling most affected, approached Sihyun to air their grievances. It was a predictable reaction. Sihyun turned his gaze toward Haru, who sat nearby.
Given Haru's proximity, his discontent was audible. As expected, Haru flinched at Haewoon's complaints. Observing this, Sihyun spoke up.
"Yeah."
When will they reconcile?
While the words were directed at Haewoon, Sihyun's gaze tilted toward Haru, who hunched slightly in response.
"No matter what, we need to resolve this quickly."
"People are noticing. Hamin flaunts his sole ownership of the only 'normal' badge every day." Sihyun nodded in agreement. Ten days had passed since the subtle dispute. Even if Haru continued to resist, Sihyun planned to initiate a conversation after today.
***
The skills in the Inspector class included basic moves like footwork, straight slashes, downward strikes, and thrusts. Combining and applying these, a practitioner could create a unique swordsmanship style that solidified as a skill within the class. Sihyun, listening to Seowoo reveal the class's secret, urged him to demonstrate the skill he copied.
"Can you reveal all that?"
"What can't I reveal?"
"It seemed like a class secret."
"You're not going around telling everyone, are you?"
Confident in his statement, Seowoo's certainty left Sihyun speechless. Seowoo, with a sword at his waist, looked at Sihyun.
"Why?"
"Why did you fight with your partner?"
"Oh..."
No one had asked about the reason, so Sihyun assumed no one cared.
"I messed up a bit."
"That's rare."
"What is?"
"You were so upset it felt like life and death."
So I thought, seeing how you didn't even want to acknowledge your partner, Haru.
Seeing Haru still not yielding, Sihyun furrowed his brow.
"Why get tired of someone?"
"Hmm," Seowoo hummed, squinting. Hearing his meaningful tone after a while, Sihyun shrugged as if nothing had happened. It had been a frustrating few days of not seeing him, the unfortunate side of their situation.
"It's a little unfair."
"What else?"
"Some people are trying hard to impress. It's disheartening for someone openly sidelined while you're not even interested in your partner. It's frustrating to be joked about in front of others."
With a gentle, almost nursery-teacher-like tone, both consoling and scolding, Seowoo's words sounded. I found it absurd to hear such words at seventeen, so I stared at him with a bewildered expression. Seowoo, gazing at Sihyun, smiled faintly.
"It's just a tantrum."
"For a tantrum, it seemed serious."
As I stared with disbelief, Seowoo unsheathed his sword once again after a brief rest, resuming training in silence. Suddenly, the door to the training room creaked open.
"Shall we have a match?"
Haru, entering without knocking, proposed a spar out of the blue. Seowoo, in the midst of practicing with a metal scarecrow, turned his head.
"I'm in."
As they slowly geared up to spar, exchanging lines like, "You're good at this," "You're the one," it seemed like a scene out of a youth movie. Just as Haru was about to walk toward Seowoo, he glanced briefly beyond the entrance and then looked at Sihyun.
"Earlier, Ban Haru was looking for you."
"What?"
The suggestion to adjust the title was promptly registered before Haru's words. Who was looking for whom? Doubting my hearing, I asked again. Haru pointed his sword toward the entrance.
"Not precisely looking for you. He was standing there before entering, asking if you were inside."
"Why didn't you tell him you were?"
"Well..."
"I can tell him, but it's a hassle. After bothering to relay the news, Sihyun's critical gaze fell on Hamin. Sihyun, whether indifferent or not, turned his attention towards the entrance. He seemed disappointed not to see Haru around.
"You could've just walked in..."
"Instead of saying that, why don't you go in yourself? You guys aren't Cowherd and Weaver Girl."
As the voice teasingly pointed out the unnecessary sentimentality, Sihyun's piercing gaze locked onto Hamin. Being a third party allowed for such comments. But in reality, when facing it firsthand, one would feel equally awkward.
Considering Hamin's temperament observed over time, it was predictable how he'd react in such a situation.
"Just give it a try."
"Why are you suddenly saying this?"
"Encouragement. Go on."
Sihyun, knowing that speaking further would only yield dissatisfaction, casually shifted towards the entrance. He scanned the area just in case but found no one. It was natural for no one to be around by now, considering the incident had occurred before Hamin's arrival.
With a composed breath, Sihyun's gaze trailed down the corridor, stopping at a room about ten meters away from Seowoo's training room.
It was Haru's training room.
"..."
After brief contemplation, he closed the training room door and started walking towards the spot at the end of his gaze. Ignoring the sound of footsteps behind him, his heart thumped inexplicably.
Am I rushing this? I might still be uncomfortable. What if my actions from that day still make him wary?
Knowing one's own shortcomings was more sensitive than others' perceptions. It led to unnecessary suspicions, wariness, and discomfort. Realizing this, Sihyun shook his head slightly.
Since Haru had approached him first, it felt like a signal for improving their relationship.
Knock.
No response came to the cautious knock. Sihyun, retrieving his phone from his pocket, checked the time. It was midway through the seventh period... Haru was undoubtedly inside unless he had briefly gone to the restroom. He gazed at the white training room door again.
"Haru hyung."
"..."
"Are you in there?"
Remembering the dormitory situation a few days ago and feeling a hint of overlap in his mind, Sihyun raised his head and knocked on the door again, repeating the words 'Haru hyung' about ten times before the closed door slowly opened.
With a creaking sound, a glimpse of black hair appeared through the cautiously opening door. It was a color he hadn't seen up close for a while.
"Um, well..."
"Talk to me, hyung."
Seeing him hesitate even after opening the door, Sihyun, seizing the opportunity before he withdrew, stared at Haru. There was a brief silence as there was no response. Examining Haru as if trying to gauge his reaction, Sihyun glanced around the training room visible behind Haru.
Daun's training room, Geonu's training room, Hamin's training room. He had seen every place, even Jihey's training room, but the only place he hadn't entered was here.
"...Can I come in?"
After a pause and a significant gap, Haru nodded. Feeling the unspoken permission, Sihyun stepped into the training room and settled on a small bench, surveying the surroundings. It was no different from any other training room, but it felt unfamiliar.
After Sihyun sat down, Haru, who had taken a bench and sat far away, finally raised his head.
Even after coming in and meeting face-to-face, the continued silence felt suffocating. As he waited for the right moment to say something, he could sense Haru's movements seeming restless.
It was about ten minutes, give or take, when a deeply buried voice was heard.
"...Do you... dislike me?"
"....?"
Sihyun's gaze turned towards Haru. Wondering if he misheard, he observed him attentively. After a brief pause, Haru looked up without saying anything, his shoulders slouched. It felt like his shoulders had sagged heavily. Through his shaggy hair, it seemed like his moist, red eyes were visible, blinking slowly.
"Sorry."
At the faint apology, Sihyun flinched. The subdued tone carried the weight of a rainy season. His red lips parted slightly before closing again.
In a situation where someone else was saying what he should say, Sihyun found himself contemplating an apology that wasn't originally in his plan."
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