* * *

Jeongseo eventually raised his hand in greeting.

Ha Sumin, who had rushed over to him, now stood awkwardly fiddling with his bangs.

“I heard it’s market day. I haven’t really come here since I was a kid.”

Even though no one had asked why he was at the market, Ha Sumin explained first.

Thinking back, Jeongseo realized that he’d never been to the market with friends, not even Pyo Yoontae.

Accepting that he now had a companion to explore and chat with, Jeongseo decided to enjoy the moment.

The two wandered around, browsing the market stalls and picking up essentials.

By the time they’d bought most of what they needed, Jeongseo turned to Ha Sumin with a question that had been nagging at him.

“Your home’s in Dangang, right?”

Technically, he meant to ask if Sumin lived in Dangang County, but it was common for locals to simplify it like that.

“Oh, yeah. Migok-ri.”

“Then the market’s super close. You should come more often—there’s so much to buy.”

“What do you usually get here? Isn’t it easier to shop at the mart or just order delivery? Why bother coming to the market?”

Ha Sumin glanced at the plastic bags dangling from both their hands. Jeongseo followed his gaze, pondering the question.

His house didn’t offer overnight or same-day delivery, but parcels still arrived, and there was a large supermarket just a bus ride away in the neighboring city.

Objectively, the mart or delivery would be more convenient and offer a wider selection.

After a moment of hesitation, Jeongseo pointed to a rice cake shop in one corner of the market.

“When I was little, whenever I came here with my grandma, she’d always buy me injeolmi and baramtteok from that shop.”

Ha Sumin stared at the shop Jeongseo indicated when a loud bang startled him.

He flinched, making Jeongseo laugh.

“My grandma loved their popcorn, too.”

Coming to the market, Jeongseo had unconsciously been reliving memories with his grandmother.

To him, those memories were far more valuable than the convenience of modern shopping.

Thinking about his grandmother made his nose sting, and he sniffled quietly.

Even though he thought he’d come to terms with her absence, every fresh realization that she was no longer there left him feeling blue.

“Jeongseo, are you crying?”

Ha Sumin’s pupils trembled as he noticed Jeongseo’s reddening eyes.

From their conversations, Ha Sumin knew Jeongseo lived alone and had deduced that his grandmother had passed away.

“Thinking about my grandma made me a little sad,” Jeongseo admitted.

“Oh… I’m sorry…”

As Sumin fretted over having upset Jeongseo, the latter shook his head and wiped his eyes.

“No, it’s okay! Thanks to you, I think I’ll enjoy coming to the market more from now on.”

“Enjoy it…?”

Why would revisiting a place filled with memories of his grandmother make it more enjoyable?

Sumin looked at Jeongseo, puzzled.

“Yeah. Lately, I’d just come, quickly grab what I needed, and leave. But now I can walk around and feel like I’m shopping with my grandma again. It makes it more meaningful.”

“Wouldn’t that still make you sad, though? If she keeps coming to mind?”

“Maybe. But that’s just how goodbyes are—they’re sad by nature.”

“…Then wouldn’t your grandmother feel upset about that?”

Like the old saying about lingering souls who can’t move on if the living refuse to let go.

Though hesitant to even broach the topic, Sumin hated seeing Jeongseo upset.

Jeongseo stopped walking, looking up at him as the sound of a nearby river reached them.

They had unknowingly wandered toward the market’s exit.

“I think my grandma would prefer I remember the happy times we shared rather than try to forget her. Just because I can’t see her anymore doesn’t mean I should let go of what was important to me.”

Jeongseo’s brown eyes glimmered like gemstones, and something within Ha Sumin swelled rapidly, filling his chest with warmth.

Regret flashed through him—if only he’d befriended Jeongseo back in their first year, he could’ve seen this side of him more often.

Flustered, Sumin’s cheeks flushed.

He averted his gaze and murmured, “…You’re right.”

“See? I knew you’d agree!”

Jeongseo beamed, nodding cheerfully as he spotted a stall selling fish-shaped buns.

“Hey, Sumin, want some? My treat!”

“Oh? Uh, sure…”

Even as he avoided eye contact, Jeongseo didn’t mind.

Grabbing Sumin’s arm, he led them to the stall.

Despite the chill in the air, Sumin was acutely aware of Jeongseo’s warm touch through his thick coat.

He’d only rushed to clean up and come out to spend time with him.

Yet now, unspoken words crowded his throat, his lips twitching as if to speak.

Watching Jeongseo buy the buns, Sumin found himself staring at the back of his round head, his feelings growing more complicated.

They sat on a bench near the riverbank to eat.

The cold wind off the water made the air bite, but the warmth of the freshly baked buns was comforting.

The red bean filling was sweet and satisfying.

Jeongseo, gazing at the river, noticed Sumin had barely touched his bun.

Turning toward him, Jeongseo asked, “What’s wrong? Don’t you like them?”

Startled, Sumin waved his hands frantically.

“No, I like them! They’re delicious.”

“Then what’s on your mind? You’ve been zoning out.”

“Well… um…”

Trailing off, Sumin leaned back slightly.

Was he cold?

His flushed face hinted otherwise.

Jeongseo waited patiently, watching him closely.

Sumin’s pulse thundered, his unease visible in his darting eyes.

“You said… you and Pyo Yoontae are just friends, right?”

Surprised by the mention, Jeongseo tilted his head, recalling their earlier conversation from the start of the semester.

He nodded, confused.

Sumin lowered the bun onto his lap and said hesitantly, “If you’re still just friends… then what about me?”

Jeongseo froze, the silence between them growing thick with unspoken tension.

For a while, Jeongseo stood there, staring at Ha Sumin without uttering a word.

It wasn’t until much later that he finally let out a dazed, “Huh?” in response.

Ha Sumin, though expecting this reaction, couldn’t help but feel a pang of bitterness.

After all, he thought he had made his feelings obvious enough for Jeongseo to pick up on.

It was his first time confessing, and he hadn’t anticipated how nerve-wracking it would be.

The words wouldn’t come out again, leaving him awkwardly frozen.

Perhaps confessing earlier than he had planned contributed to his nerves.

Clearing his throat, Ha Sumin resolved to speak more softly this time.

Earlier, his nerves had gotten the better of him, making him blurt things out too loudly.

“Seo Jeongseo, I… I like you.”

He stopped short, unable to muster the courage to say, ‘Let’s go out.’

Embarrassed, Ha Sumin clamped his mouth shut after the brief confession.

Jeongseo didn’t respond.

He simply blinked, wide-eyed, as though trying to process what he had just heard.

The realization made Ha Sumin’s face flush so hotly it felt as if it might melt away.

In the end, it was Ha Sumin who couldn’t endure the awkward atmosphere.

He abruptly stood up, stepping back with his face still bright red.

“You don’t have to answer right away. Just think about it… and let me know. I’ll go now!”

Before Jeongseo could even get a word in, Ha Sumin turned and bolted, leaving him staring blankly at Ha Sumin’s retreating figure.

“…Did he just say he likes me?”

Jeongseo murmured softly, but there was no one nearby to answer him.

---

Jeongseo didn’t even remember how he made it home.

His mind was tangled up in confusion, grappling with the completely unexpected confession from Ha Sumin.

He’d received a confession once before, back in his first year of high school, but it had been from a total stranger, making the rejection simple.

But Ha Sumin was a friend. This was a first for Jeongseo, and though his answer seemed clear in his heart, rejecting Ha Sumin felt unexpectedly daunting.

They were classmates and even sat next to each other.

Imagining the awkwardness that would inevitably follow was enough to make his stomach churn.

And as he dwelled on it, he couldn’t help but see an eerie parallel between his current situation and a possible future scenario where he confessed to Pyo Yoontae.

The thought of Pyo Yoontae awkwardly rejecting him pierced Jeongseo’s chest with a sharp, stinging ache.

* * *