After Sihyun's disheveled hair caught his attention, he regained his composure while a long-unseen homeroom teacher entered and concluded a brief ceremony, hastily sorting out his hair. As the teacher announced the usual gathering in the auditorium for special school events, Sihyun, who hadn't yet resolved his dilemma, urged the kids to go ahead, saying he would use the restroom and catch up.
As Haru and Seowoo, who had promised to wait, pulled him from both sides, insisting on "fair play," Sihyun sighed as soon as the classroom door closed. The prolonged contemplation of his partner choice seemed to be leaning in one direction.
"Maybe it's Haemin after all..."
Not choosing either side would complicate things whenever he faced Haek during encounters. When considering the potential burden of feeling indebted to Yeosu and the guilt towards Haru, it was clear that the latter was the greater loss. However, being human, he had consistently appealed to Seowoo for partnership, even though he had pushed her away. The headache persisted. It was at that moment he unexpectedly encountered someone he hadn't thought of before.
"Why didn't you go?"
When he left the classroom slowly, he met Gunwoo, who asked why. When asked why, he calmly replied, "Because you're directionally challenged," and Sihyun couldn't deny it. Thankful for his consideration, Sihyun lightly tapped his shoulder as a sign of gratitude, and Gunwoo's deep eyes stared at him.
"Why are you looking at me like that?"
As if wondering if he had asked something after staring for a long time, he approached when questioned. Startled, Sihyun stepped back as Gunwoo came closer. The proximity made him flinch. It took a considerable amount of time, about two minutes, for Gunwoo to open his mouth after scrutinizing Sihyun as if examining something for a while.
"Did you cry?"
"Huh?"
"That day."
"...."
Sihyun lost his voice and only his mouth twitched in response to the sudden question. Judging Sihyun's reaction as an answer, Gunwoo slowly stood up. The time it took for the face in front of him to rise gradually felt exceptionally long.
Despite the atmosphere that seemed like he might grope around like before, Gunwoo's hand, which was going down unexpectedly, remained quiet.
"Kang Sihyun."
"Yeah."
The voice calling his full name felt unfamiliar. It was even more so because the person who used to rarely call him by his name. When he answered briefly, Gunwoo, who had been silently observing his back, spoke after the classroom door closed.
"You can come to me."
"...What?"
As always, Baek Gunwoo's words were unexpected. When he asked again, cutting off everything before and after and only stating the conclusion, Gunwoo's thick eyebrows moved slowly from below. The gaze that had been directed towards the stairs turned towards Sihyun. Perhaps because of the intense color of their meeting eyes, it was hard to guess what the boy in front of him was thinking.
"Why are you looking at me like that for so long?"
It seemed like he must have asked something after staring for so long. Puzzled, he approached when asked. When he came close, the distance to the buttocks felt trembling. After a long time of silently examining something, Gunwoo opened his mouth.
"Have you cried?"
"Huh?"
"That day."
"...."
Sudden question pierced Sihyun's heart, and he lost his voice. Trying to answer such a question with just a reaction, Gunwoo slowly raised his upper body. It felt like a very long time until the face that was in front of him slowly rose.
Although the atmosphere was like he might grope around like before, Gunwoo's hand going down unexpectedly was quiet.
"Kang Sihyun."
"Yeah."
The voice calling his name was unfamiliar. It was even more so because the person who used to rarely call him by his name. When he answered briefly, Gunwoo, who had been silently observing his back, spoke after the classroom door closed.
"You can come to me."
"...What?"
Baek Gunwoo's words, which were as always, were out of the blue. When he asked again, cutting off everything before and after and only stating the conclusion, Gunwoo's thick eyebrows moved slowly from below. The gaze that had been directed towards the stairs turned towards Sihyun. Perhaps because of the intense color of their meeting eyes, it was hard to guess what the boy in front of him was thinking.
"Late."
"I'll take you there."
As he spoke as if nothing had happened, his figure heading towards the stairs was visible to Sihyun. Sihyun, who filled his sight and looked at the broad back that came and went, furrowed his brow with a blank expression.
"What's going on?"
With the sudden addition of a partner request, the awkwardness only intensified. Confused by the conversation that left only chaos, Sihyun belatedly moved towards the stairs where Gunwoo had disappeared. Gunwoo, whom he thought had gone first, was either lying about leaving because he was directionally challenged or was waiting below.
Thinking of saying that I also know the way from the classroom to the auditorium, Sihyun realized that the school route felt unfamiliar, quietly following Gunwoo.
As they entered the auditorium, Haewoon and the kids who were already inside waved for them to come over. The voices of the kids greeting each other were loud against the backdrop of the formal opening ceremony. Despite the teachers being present, the voices of the kids greeting each other resonated boisterously. In the midst of all this, Sihyun, who had been quiet, looked at the space in front of him with a dazed expression.
As the opening ceremony proceeded with the national anthem and calling for subjects, Sihyun, too, felt drowsy when suddenly an announcement echoed through the speakers in the auditorium.
"The talk has been lengthy. Now, let's move on to what you all might be looking forward to next."
The school principal, seeing the visibly tired students, subtly began laying the groundwork. The students, who were losing interest during the monotonous opening ceremony, straightened up at the mention of parting with someone they had been with during the last semester. The principal paused for a moment before continuing.
"And it's also time to say goodbye to someone you've been with for the past semester."
Perhaps it was the thought of letting go of someone who had become dear. Those who had been looking forward to it just a while ago sighed in disappointment. The principal, as if to change the atmosphere that had become awkward, lightly tapped the podium twice, chuckling. The students held their breath.
"Everyone, you've all worked hard in the past semester. Now, let's begin partner changes for the second semester!"
"Wow!"
Thunderous cheers erupted. Kang Sihyun, formerly Yoo Sihyun, who had come alone, adjusted the pairing attached to his hand. From March to August, for about six months, it had become a ring that now felt like a part of his body.
When he lifted his head, he saw Haru, eyebrows drooping, staring at the pairing. Suddenly, Haru seemed to want to ask if the next partner was scheduled, but the principal's voice interrupted him.
"Before changing partners, you must first release the existing pairings with your current partners. Return the pairings you've been holding to your partners, then press the reset button in the pop-up window that appears when you press the received pairing."
At those words, Haru and Sihyun's eyes met. Haru, hesitatingly taking off the pairing, looked at it as if praying, then closed his eyes and approached Sihyun. Sihyun, who had removed Haru's pairing from his finger, gently brushed the ring with his fingertips. It was the ring that marked the beginning of their connection.
The events from six months ago, at the time of admission, were still vivid in Sihyun's memory. Haru, who seemed small and shy back then, now stood quite robustly in front of him. Despite still being somewhat awkward and heavily reliant on him, seeing the visibly changed Haru made Sihyun feel warm inside. In the unfamiliar emotion, Sihyun smiled faintly.
"Good job all this time."
"...Yeah."
Haru, who answered quietly, received the pairing from Sihyun. Looking at Haru, who had just removed the pairing and was staring at it, Sihyun felt a bit conflicted about returning the ring that had become a significant part of him.
The day of admission six months ago was still a vivid memory. Haru, who looked small and introverted at the time, now had a considerably fuller figure. Despite still being somewhat awkward and heavily reliant on him, seeing the visibly changed Haru made Sihyun feel warm inside. In the unfamiliar emotion, Sihyun smiled faintly.
"Thank you for saying you'll be my partner back then."
"...."
"You've changed a lot since then... Good luck with your next partner, too. Haru?"
Trying to make a light joke, Sihyun looked at Haru but was taken aback when he saw Haru staring at him. Haru, who had been silently crying while looking at the pairing, finally looked up at Sihyun. His red eyes were filled with tears for a long time. The attention of everyone around them focused on Sihyun and Haru.
"Ah."
As the surroundings fell silent, Haru, who realized he was crying a bit late, wiped away the tears flowing down his cheek with his hand. The soundless tears flowed down his wrist to his forearm. Sihyun, surprised by the unexpected crying, stammered.
"...Sorry."
"What for?"
"I haven't done anything for you... Now, I can do better..."
What if you're not there? Now...
Haru, who seemed nonchalant about changing partners earlier today, now seemed not to have felt the reality of it. Sihyun, who comforted the sobbing Haru, realized the gravity of the situation and hugged him. Ignoring the fact that they were in front of the entire first-year class, Sihyun comforted Haru with one hand and gently stroked his head with the other. A bit late as a teacher and a student, everyone's attention was on them, and Sihyun realized this, biting his lips. Although Haru was the one crying, embarrassment washed over Sihyun.
Trying to endure it, Sihyun comforted Haru until he stopped crying. When Haru finally calmed down, Sihyun approached him, wiped away his tears, and spoke softly. Even though he tried to talk to Haru, who seemed to be hesitating between his own self and the public image, Haru remained silent for a while.
Finally, Haru, who had taken a deep breath, initiated the pairing reset with his remaining hand. Following Haru, Sihyun also pressed the reset button. The speaker emitted a buzzing noise as the voice from the speaker announced that all students had completed the reset.
"Ah, um, it's been reported that all students have finished resetting. Now, please exchange pairings with your new partners for the new semester!"
The calm atmosphere, which had settled after the announcement, became lively like a marketplace. During the partner selection time, all the kids had gathered around the supreme rankers, but this time, for some reason, they stepped back one by one and looked at this direction with curious eyes. Thanks to the unwanted attention, Sihyun, except for himself, looked at Class A.
Except for himself, Seowoo, and Hamin, the five other students in Class A—
They were all looking at him.
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