* * *
Only now did Jeongseo finally think of Hayan.
He hesitated as he reached for his phone—should he contact him?
But would Hayan really climb a wall just to get food?
He’d probably just look at them with that exasperated gaze of his and declare he’d eat alone.
But before Jeongseo’s worries could take root, Pyo Yoontae casually jumped down from the wall and said,
“He already went ahead and ordered, Jeongseo.”
“Hayan did?”
Jeongseo’s eyes widened in disbelief.
He had never expected this.
Pyo Yoontae nodded and stretched out his arms toward Jeongseo as if telling him to jump.
Without much thought, Jeongseo leaped down, and Pyo Yoontae caught him with ease.
After setting him down safely, Pyo Yoontae turned towards the riverside.
“He saw today’s school lunch menu and said it was all just greens, so he insisted we leave first.”
“That’s unexpected… I thought Hayan wouldn’t be into this kind of thing.”
Hayan was always the perfect model student—he even wore his school blazer properly and always sat upright, listening to class quietly.
But perhaps, now that college entrance exams were over, even a model student could change.
“Unexpected? Have you seen that bastard’s personality? If he wasn’t studying, he’d be a thug.”
“Hayan? No way!”
The thought of Hayan with a scowling face, leading a gang, made Jeongseo burst into laughter.
Just then, a notification from their group chat popped up.
[Hayan: (Photo)] 12:03 PM
It was a picture of two large pizzas and drinks.
Jeongseo grabbed Pyo Yoontae’s arm and shook it excitedly.
“Looks like the food’s already here.”
As they hurried over, another message arrived.
[Hayan: Are you asking for death? Get here now.] 12:03 PM
Jeongseo blinked.
‘…Maybe being a thug wouldn’t be too far off for him.’
The three of them leisurely devoured two large pizzas and a plate of wedge fries before strolling back into their classroom through the front entrance without a care.
By now, the teachers didn’t even bother coming into the class anymore, so there was no one to scold them.
Jeongseo watched a movie on Pyo Yoontae’s laptop while Hayan, seated by the window, used a dropper to aerate his Sea-Monkey tank.
The little creatures swirled around in the water, bobbing up and down with the bubbles.
It was a peaceful moment—until the back door of the classroom suddenly slammed open.
The room fell silent instantly, and all eyes turned to the entrance.
A student, face flushed with excitement, ran in and shouted,
“Hey! Holy shit, Korea University’s early decision results are out!”
“Already?”
The kid near the door echoed the question in shock.
Jeongseo, equally startled, glanced at the clock.
Korea University’s results were supposed to be announced at 5 PM, but it was barely past 4.
Even Pyo Yoontae, who had been casually watching his laptop, turned his head towards the back door.
In their class, only two students had applied to Korea University: Pyo Yoontae and Hayan.
Jeongseo instinctively glanced toward the window.
Hayan, still holding the dropper, had gone completely still.
Their eyes met, and Hayan, looking unsettled, abruptly rushed out of the classroom.
As soon as he left, the attention shifted to Pyo Yoontae.
The entire class watched him with bated breath.
Strangely enough, Pyo Yoontae remained as nonchalant as ever.
While everyone was visibly anxious, he looked as if he had no intention of checking the results anytime soon.
The tension was unbearable, but no one dared to pressure him.
Eventually, Hyun Junhyun, seated in front of Pyo Yoontae, chuckled.
“Jeez, did you guys apply? You’re all staring too hard.”
That broke the spell, and the students laughed awkwardly before returning to their activities—though the distraction didn’t last long.
The moment Pyo Yoontae picked up his phone, even Hyun Junhyun shut his mouth and swallowed hard.
The quiet tapping sound of numbers being entered filled the air.
Jeongseo, who was right next to him, felt his own hands tremble.
Was he even allowed to watch this?
Confused, he glanced at Hyun Junhyun, who mouthed,
“Is it up?”
Jeongseo gave a small shake of his head and turned back—only to suddenly have Pyo Yoontae’s phone shoved right into his face.
He flinched in surprise, but his eyes quickly scanned the screen.
And then, they went round as saucers.
Hyun Junhyun, unable to hold back his curiosity, fully turned around.
“What? What is it? What does it say? He passed, right? I mean, of course, Pyo Yoontae—”
Pyo Yoontae handed him the phone, and the second Hyun Junhyun saw the screen, he shot up from his seat.
His gaze landed on the single word next to the admission status:
“Accepted.”
“Accepted! H-He got in! He passed!”
The classroom erupted into cheers and applause.
Students crowded around Pyo Yoontae, celebrating more than the man himself.
“I knew it! Pyo Yoontae was 100% getting in.”
“Look at this guy—his expression hasn’t changed at all. Does he just think this was a given?”
Their laughter and teasing filled the room, but Pyo Yoontae merely propped his chin up with one hand and shrugged smugly.
Jeongseo, watching from beside him, couldn’t help but admire his composure.
Even during the entrance exams, he hadn’t been nervous.
And now, with his acceptance, he remained just as calm.
That’s when he felt a hand slide onto his thigh.
Startled, he looked down—Pyo Yoontae had placed his palm up, fingers curling slightly, wordlessly asking him to hold it.
Jeongseo glanced around, then carefully took his hand.
A small smile formed on his lips.
Despite his unreadable face, Pyo Yoontae’s palm was damp and trembling ever so slightly.
Jeongseo squeezed his hand firmly—a silent congratulations, an acknowledgment of all the effort he had put in.
As word of Pyo Yoontae’s acceptance spread, even students from other classes came by to congratulate him.
That was when Ha Sumin, after some hesitation, spoke up.
“…But didn’t Hayan also apply to Korea University?”
“Yeah… I think so.”
The excitement quieted as everyone exchanged uncertain glances.
Hayan had left the classroom abruptly and hadn’t returned since.
Jeongseo couldn’t shake the memory of his unsettled expression.
Leaning close, he whispered to Pyo Yoontae,
“I’m gonna go check on Hayan.”
“You know where he is?”
“…I’ll find him somehow.”
If he had his phone with him, a simple message would work.
Though Pyo Yoontae didn’t look thrilled about it, he eventually let go of Jeongseo’s hand.
Without hesitation, Jeongseo stood, weaving his way through the crowd before stepping out of the classroom.
He sent a message in their group chat asking where Hayan was, but the read count didn’t change.
He started heading toward the restroom but suddenly had a thought—
Where else could he be?
The question was whether Hayan would really be in the noisy third-year floor restroom, where there was no distinction between break time and class time.
Jeongseo, watching students who weren’t even wearing their uniforms, changed direction.
He arrived at a restroom near the first-floor shoe lockers.
It was a place where students rarely went.
Jeongseo stopped in front of the frosted glass door and cautiously pressed his ear against it, but he heard nothing.
Thinking that Hayan might not be there, he pushed the door open and peeked inside.
And immediately, he saw him.
A familiar figure, head bowed low over the lone sink.
His face was completely downturned, showing only the top of his soft, dark hair in the mirror.
Something about the atmosphere felt off, making Jeongseo freeze, even holding his breath.
Then—sniffling.
It was clear he was crying.
Jeongseo’s eyes widened, and he quickly rushed toward the sink.
“Hayan, are you crying?”
Hayan remained silent for a moment before slowly lifting his head.
Without his glasses, his eyes looked even bigger than usual, filled with unshed tears, making them appear even darker.
His nose and both cheeks were red and swollen, his brows furrowed with sorrow. Jeongseo panicked, unsure of what to do.
Whenever someone cried, his thoughts always became a tangled mess.
His arms, hovering awkwardly in the air, instinctively wrapped around Hayan and pulled him close.
Normally, Hayan would have pushed him away immediately, but this time, he let himself be drawn in, resting his face against Jeongseo’s shoulder.
The sound of his sniffling didn’t stop, and soon, Jeongseo’s clothes became damp.
“H-Hayan, are you okay…?”
It didn’t seem right to ask if he was okay, Seo Jeongseo simply closed his mouth and gently patted Hayan’s back.
As he struggled to find the right words for the situation, something tickled his forehead and cheek.
Curious, he turned his head slightly—between the soft white strands of hair, a small ear twitched.
Hayan’s ear.
* * *
Cuties