* * *

“I think Ian is really amazing,” said Jeongseo as he sat resting in his chair.

Pyo Yoontae, who had been watching Hayan being assisted to the corner by the teacher, shifted his gaze to Jeongseo.

“He’s just overly ambitious.”

When someone desires too much, it only leads to suffering and exhaustion.

And in the end, it’s easy to lose everything without gaining anything.

It’s better to desire only as much as one can handle.

As Hayan disappeared from view, Jeongseo looked up at Pyo Yoontae with an enigmatic expression.

“Why do you dislike Ian so much?”

The two of them hadn’t gotten along from the start, but if you thought about it, Hayan hadn’t liked Jeongseo at first either.

Even if the first impression was bad, it wasn’t the entirety of a person—this was something Jeongseo had learned through Pyo Yoontae.

Because of that, Jeongseo felt upset and disappointed by the constant bickering between Yoontae and Ian.

Maybe it was because Ian had grown close to him, and he wished Yoontae would get along with Hayan too.

“It would be nice if you two got along…”

Of course… not as close as he was with Ian, but a little more than now would be fine. Jeongseo kept that last thought to himself.

Pyo Yoontae, who had been watching Jeongseo intently, crossed his legs and rested his chin on his hand, his elbow propped on his knee.

With his back hunched slightly, their eye levels aligned.

“And why do you like Hayan so much?”

“Well, even if he’s a little prickly, he’s actually very kind and considerate. If you get to know him, you’ll warm up to him quickly.”

Prickly? Pyo Yoontae found that hard to agree with.

To him, the one who quickly warmed up to others wasn’t Ian but Jeongseo.

He always welcomed others with a grin.

In this school, the only person who would call Ian “kind” was probably Jeongseo.

Thinking about it that way, Pyo Yoontae felt relieved that Jeongseo lived in this secluded countryside rather than a bustling city.

If Jeongseo had grown up surrounded by people, Pyo Yoontae might have been nothing more than “friend number one” in passing.

Though he had searched for Jeongseo after briefly meeting him as a child, Jeongseo didn’t remember him at all, so it must have been inevitable.

Was Jeongseo keeping silent because he found it burdensome?

To Jeongseo, his childhood memory of Yoontae might have been just a fleeting and forgettable moment, but to Yoontae, it was his first love—a memory he had pursued even years later.

Yoontae hadn’t expected Jeongseo to reciprocate his feelings when they met again.

Such a rare stroke of luck might only come once in a lifetime.

But he had thought it would be enough to make Jeongseo fall for him again.

Now, though, the disparity between their feelings left a bitter taste.

“Yoontae?”

Jeongseo, noticing Yoontae staring at him with a dissatisfied expression, felt uneasy and fidgeted awkwardly.

If Jeongseo’s silence meant he was burdened by Yoontae’s feelings because he had no interest in him, then Yoontae would have no choice but to accept it.

But if he liked Yoontae—even if not as much as Yoontae liked him—

Yoontae reached out and pinched the bridge of Jeongseo’s nose lightly between his index and middle fingers.

“You’re mean.”

“Ah!”

Though it wasn’t painful, the slight sting made Jeongseo’s brown ears perk up, and his eyes widened.

When Yoontae let go, the tip of Jeongseo’s nose turned a faint red.

“Was that directed at me?”

Jeongseo touched his nose, looking utterly clueless, but Yoontae didn’t explain.

He just pouted and stared ahead.

Had he overstepped by meddling in Yoontae’s relationships?

“I’m sorry!”

Jeongseo apologized, prompting Yoontae to look back at him.

“For what?”

“For meddling… Who you get along with is your choice, but I butted in…”

Of course. Yoontae leaned back, lifting his chin as if he hadn’t expected much.

Jeongseo couldn’t tear his gaze away from Yoontae as he moved.

“I don’t mind. Jeongseo, you can meddle as much as you want.”

“Then what’s…”

Before Jeongseo could finish, a teacher at the shelter entrance announced for the students going to Baengnokdam to line up.

Yoontae stood up abruptly, leaving Jeongseo wondering what exactly Yoontae’s “you’re mean” was referring to.

---

As Jeongseo climbed, he felt his lungs burning.

Sweat trickled down his jawline as he wiped it away, gasping for breath with his mouth open.

It was hard to breathe, and the steep slope made it even harder to move.

He clung to a nearby rope to catch his breath.

Not much further to go.

His legs throbbed, begging him to rest, but a fiery determination flared in his chest.

“Jeongseo! How much further to the summit?” the gym teacher called from behind, panting heavily.

Jeongseo peered ahead, spotting a stone marker in the distance.

Picking his way over rocks, he climbed to the marker and read, “Altitude: 1,900 meters.”

“It says 1,900 meters above sea level!” he shouted back.

The gym teacher waved, laughing breathlessly.

“Jeongseo, wait for me. You’re too fast!”

“Just a little more to the summit!”

With a smile that sparkled brighter than before, Jeongseo grabbed Yoontae’s wrist.

“Let’s go together!”

Though Yoontae’s eyes wavered briefly, he could only nod as Jeongseo’s enthusiasm pulled him forward.

Before long, the two of them reached the summit, the first among their schoolmates.

Standing at the peak, Jeongseo froze, mesmerized by the view.

Clouds hung low over the mountain basin, as if the sky was within reach.

“Wow… It’s so beautiful.”

The sight left Jeongseo in awe.

As he turned to glance at Yoontae, he noticed the other boy’s dark hair swaying gently in the breeze.

Caught staring, their eyes met.

Yoontae’s intense gaze held him captive, and a soft smile spread across Yoontae’s face.

He brushed a finger lightly against Jeongseo’s hand.

“A-ah!”

Realizing he was still holding Yoontae’s wrist, Jeongseo quickly let go, the air where their skin had touched feeling strangely cold.

“Climbing Hallasan was tough, but… this makes it worth it.”

Jeongseo clutched his chest, trying to calm his racing heart.

Surely it was just from the climb, nothing more.

“Right? It’s so rewarding!”

“Yeah. Thanks to you, Jeongseo.”

“…”

Jeongseo hung his head low, clutching the hem of his clothes tightly.

His heart pounded uncontrollably, racing even more wildly than before.

A strange urge to hug Pyo Yoontae surged through him, but he couldn’t bring himself to act on it.

Instead, Jeongseo abruptly buried his head into Pyo Yoontae’s chest.

From above, he heard a muffled “Ugh,” as if he had misjudged his strength.

Afterward, Jeongseo and Pyo Yoontae managed to safely take photos at the summit of Baengnokdam, spending some time enjoying the scenery.

The second-year students of Dangang High School all returned safely to their lodging.

The climb up Hallasan Mountain had been so exhausting that many students dozed off while eating dinner.

Jeongseo, too, chewed his food sluggishly while nodding his head drowsily, and even Pyo Yoontae couldn’t escape the fatigue.

That night, the dorm was unusually quiet as everyone fell into a deep sleep.

---

The next morning, in Jeongseo’s room, the early risers who had gone to bed early now stared at one spot with wide, wavering eyes.

Yeonwoo, who had been sleeping next to one of them, rubbed his eyes and sat up.

“…What’s wrong?” he asked groggily, his voice still heavy with sleep.

One of the kids beside him wordlessly pointed to a spot in the room.

At the end of their finger lay a small weasel, curled up on its back, tiny paws exposed as it slept soundly.

Yeonwoo, now fully awake, instinctively clamped a hand over his mouth, whispering under his breath, “It’s so… cute…!”

* * *