* * *
“Hey, he’s drunk.”
“Yeah, he does seem a little tipsy… but he’s still okay.”
As expected, Jaeyoon was the first to start nodding off, his words trailing lazily.
Luckily, he didn’t have any troublesome drinking habits, so it wasn’t a big deal.
“Just leave him be. He’ll either head to bed on his own or not—it’s up to him.”
“Alright.”
“Still, can you believe he’s already tipsy after just that much? No matter how much he drinks, he never builds tolerance.”
Yeonseok chuckled and clinked his glass with Siyoung’s.
From Siyoung’s perspective, Yeonseok also seemed a bit tipsy, though he was putting on a confident front.
“So, how are we going to split the rooms? Usually, we each take one, but we’re short by one, aren’t we?”
“You can sleep in the living room.”
“Oh, right.”
Taking advantage of Jaeyoon’s inebriation, Yeonseok casually claimed the host’s bedroom for himself, pouring everyone another round with an obviously cheery demeanor.
“Man, it’s nice to have four people for a change after it’s just been the three of us all the time. Should we do this again in winter? Doesn’t have to be here—anywhere’s fine.”
“You’ve probably got a ton of people who’d want to come with you. Why are you clinging to me?”
“That’s what makes it fun. Being popular isn’t all it’s cracked up to be; it makes making real friends harder.”
“Ugh, don’t go around saying stuff like that. You sound obnoxious.”
“Haha, don’t worry, I know better.”
Yeonseok laughed as he swept his hair back, his flushed face resting briefly against Siyoung’s shoulder.
“I used to think people who were good at studying lived in a completely different world than me. I figured I’d never get close to someone like that, but somehow, being around you feels… comfortable.”
“…If anyone heard you, they’d think I was your boyfriend or something.”
“Like that’d ever happen. No matter how open-minded I am, I don’t date friends. Not that I have many friends to begin with… To be honest, relationships are fragile—anything can break them. But this? This feels more special, doesn’t it?”
“What kind of nonsense are you spouting now? Special, my foot.”
Though Siyoung brushed off the comment, he couldn’t deny the strange fluttering in his chest.
Being called “special” made his heart race, only for disappointment to creep in right after.
It didn’t feel like the way you’d treat an ordinary friend.
“It’s funny, though. I thought you were the type to just date anyone without thinking.”
“Got burned once, that’s why. Back in high school… I had this friend I was close with for a while. I thought we were just friends, but then they confessed to me. Normally, if I don’t hate the person, I’d say yes to a confession, but that time… it felt weird.”
For a moment, a serious expression crossed Yeonseok’s drunken face. Jaeyoon, who had been dozing off while listening, chimed in.
“What’s surprising is that you didn’t notice. They probably thought you liked them. Everyone else probably assumed the same.”
“Just because I’m nice to someone doesn’t mean I like them like that. I genuinely liked them as a person. But realizing they saw me differently… it made me feel like I’d been played.”
Even now, Yeonseok frowned as if the memory still annoyed him. He hadn’t thought much about confessions before, but that one stuck with him.
“That’s why I hate it. I wish they hadn’t confessed. I could’ve just pretended I didn’t know.”
“…They must’ve been a good friend.”
“They were easy to be around, sure. But whatever, no point in dwelling on it now.”
Yeonseok waved his hand dismissively and raised his glass again.
Siyoung, still unsure of his own feelings, found himself reacting strangely to Yeonseok’s story.
“Yeah, it’s all in the past. What does it matter now?”
And yet, Siyoung also realized he could never voice the thoughts swirling in his heart.
The sting he felt—whether it was from the alcohol or something else—remained unclear.
“Oh, right. Isn’t today the day grades come out?”
The short trip flew by quickly. It was an ordinary getaway, so much so that Siyoung wondered if it had even been worth going so far, but it was fun in its own way.
On the day they returned, as they sat on the train after lunch, Yeonseok’s comment reminded Siyoung that grades were being released today.
Grades were usually something he kept track of meticulously, yet he’d completely forgotten about it this time.
It struck him that he must’ve been enjoying this trip more than he realized.
“Wow, I never thought I’d see an A+ on my report card. There’s an F too, but… overall, this is way better than I expected.”
Yeonseok checked his grades first, his eyes widening in surprise.
The subjects Siyoung had helped him with had slightly improved as well.
“This might be the best semester I’ll ever have on my report card.”
“You’re not checking yours?”
“I don’t really care about grades.”
When asked, Hyun, who wasn’t holding his phone, replied indifferently.
Oddly, out of the three, he was the one most focused on attending school meaningfully but also the least concerned about grades.
“What about you?”
“Mine… pretty much what I expected.”
One subject that had worried him slightly had turned out as an A, so maintaining his top rank wasn’t an issue.
The scholarship money would help offset what he’d spent on Jooyoung’s art supplies.
“Whoa. Not a single grade below an A? I’ve never seen a report card like that.”
“You must’ve worked really hard.”
As they peeked at his screen, both Jaeyoon and Yeonseok looked amazed.
Siyoung’s nonchalant expression had led them to assume his grades were worse this semester, but they were better than ever.
“Oh, speaking of classes… Are you planning to take any of the same ones next year?”
“…Group projects are a pain, though.”
“I’m not suggesting that. I just mean, different majors, different buildings—we’d never see each other otherwise. At least this way, we’d meet once a week.”
“Hmm… maybe.”
Siyoung hesitated, not seeing a strong reason to do so, but also feeling that without such ties, they might drift apart.
After a brief pause, he nodded.
“I’ll probably finish all my general ed requirements by the semester after next. So, one year is the most we can take the same classes anyway.”
“Only a year? You’ll still be in your third year.”
“Fourth year is for job prep. Realistically, I’ll need to finish all my credits by the first semester of my fourth year.”
“You live such a grueling life, man.”
Yeonseok shook his head, still not quite able to relate.
At first, he’d found Siyoung’s diligence annoying, but now it was more envy-inducing.
“Let me know when it’s time for pre-registration. If our schedules align, let’s do it.”
“With just the required credits left, it shouldn’t be hard to match up.”
“Hyun might not make it, though. Your department has pre-scheduled courses, right?”
“If it doesn’t work out, it doesn’t. You guys can take it together.”
Hyun’s tired voice betrayed the fatigue from handling most of the trip’s logistics.
“Then let’s touch base then. I’m going to be pretty busy over break with all my tutoring reschedules and everything else I’ve got to handle.”
Hiding his disappointment, Siyoung climbed aboard the train. It was time to return to their everyday lives.
‘Won’t see them again until we’re scheduling classes.’
Realizing he had to suppress his feelings just as they became clear—and that he wouldn’t see his friends for a while after this trip—left Siyoung feeling melancholic.
“I hope these three months pass quickly,” he thought, closing his eyes on the train.
But as it turned out, it wouldn’t take that long to see them again.
“Hyung, what are you doing tomorrow?”
“Tomorrow? I’ve got a group tutoring session, and the place I used to work asked if I could fill in for a few hours. After that… I’ll probably be home around dinner.”
It had been a little over a month since the start of summer vacation.
Even high school students were now on break.
Though for seniors, “vacation” was just a formality.
General stream students stayed at school for self-study, while academy-goers substituted regular school for cram school.
As for Jooyoung, whose focus was more on practical skills than written work, he spent his days shuttling between home and the academy.
“I was thinking we could have dinner together tonight.”
“Really? You’re always coming home late from the academy.”
“I’ll just go earlier and come back earlier. The director said if I came early, they’d tell me where the keys are.”
“Really? Alright, let’s do that then.”
Even during vacation, they rarely spent time together at home, so Jooyoung’s suggestion to have dinner together was unusual.
“Is there anything you want to eat? I just got some money in, and with the special summer tutoring sessions, I have some extra cash. Let me know if there’s something you’re craving.”
“Actually… You remember that hyung we met before? Are you close with him?”
“Hm?”
Why was he asking about that all of a sudden?
As Siyoung tilted his head curiously, Jooyoung gave a slightly awkward smile.
“I was looking at accepted portfolios and came across his artwork… It was really impressive.
There are things I’d like to ask him, and talk about.
But reaching out directly feels like I’d be bothering him too much.”
Jooyoung seemed to want to meet him again, but felt it was awkward to contact him directly.
Since they’d met through Siyoung, he hoped Siyoung could make it happen.
Siyoung thought about it for a moment before responding.
* * *
