* * *

“Sumin, would you mind switching seats with Ahyeon if that’s okay?”

Ha Sumin looked back and replied, “Sure, no problem.”

The friend sitting next to him teased that it was nice to get a back-row seat, and Ha Sumin just shrugged before moving to the seat next to Jeongseo.

Jeongseo was secretly pleased since he had grown closer to Ha Sumin compared to other classmates.

“Hi!”

“Never thought we’d end up sitting next to each other.”

“Right?”

Ha Sumin laughed softly at Jeongseo’s welcoming tone as he sat down.

The two began chatting quietly, but from directly behind them, Pyo Yoontae felt like his mind was about to explode.

‘Why, of all people, did that guy have to sit there? It must have been someone’s cruel joke.’

Pyo Yoontae glared daggers at the back of Jeongseo’s head, but the latter, busy chatting with his new seatmate, remained oblivious.

“Hey, want one of these?”

Beside him, Hyun Junhyun offered some crunchy corn snacks from his desk drawer, but Pyo Yoontae didn’t even glance at them.

He continued to fixate on Jeongseo, prompting Junhyun to nonchalantly pop a piece into his mouth.

Just as Junhyun reached out toward Jeongseo with a handful of snacks, Pyo Yoontae suddenly jabbed Jeongseo’s back with his fist.

“Ah!”

Startled, Jeongseo flinched and turned around.

Pyo Yoontae, feigning friendliness but with a sharp look in his eyes, said, “Jeongseo, shouldn’t you focus on class?”

“But there’s no class going on right now…”

“You still need to pay attention to the teacher.”

Jeongseo was confused—Pyo Yoontae used to chat with him during class all the time.

Before he could process the odd behavior, Junhyun seized the moment to place a handful of snacks into Jeongseo’s palm.

As Jeongseo, a snack enthusiast, was about to thank him, a large hand suddenly snatched the snacks away.

Jeongseo stared wide-eyed as Pyo Yoontae stuffed the stolen snacks into his own mouth.

“What’s wrong with you?”

Jeongseo, visibly upset, stared at Pyo Yoontae, but before he could demand an explanation, the teacher scolded him for being distracted.

Embarrassed, Jeongseo turned back to the front with a pout, wondering what had gotten into Pyo Yoontae.

---

By mid-September, excitement buzzed through Dangang High School.

The recent start of the school year, the upcoming Chuseok holiday, and most importantly, the school trip in early October all contributed to the lively atmosphere.

The 10th-grade students were particularly thrilled, as their destination was Jeju Island.

“Make your groups of four and let me know before the end of the day!” the class president announced during the break, causing an immediate stir.

While everyone scrambled to find their groups, Jeongseo turned to look behind him.

“We’re grouping together, right?”

“Of course.”

During last year’s school trip, Jeongseo had joined a group with an open spot.

This year felt different—he was happy to have someone to form a group with from the start.

With just two more people needed to complete their group, Jeongseo glanced around the room, his eyes meeting Junhyun’s.

“Ugh, too much trouble. How about the four of us just group up?”

Junhyun traced a circle with his finger, pointing at Jeongseo, Pyo Yoontae, himself, and Ha Sumin.

Amazed at the simplicity of the idea, Jeongseo nodded eagerly.

“Great! I’m in!”

Ha Sumin, overhearing from the front, turned around and chimed in, “I’m good with that too.”

“Awesome,” Junhyun said.

All three turned to Pyo Yoontae.

Though he looked displeased, he reluctantly agreed.

“…Fine.”

“I’ll go tell the class president,” Junhyun said, leaving to finalize their group.

Jeongseo was overjoyed—it was his first time forming a group himself.

If this school trip turned out to be as fun as the sports festival, it was bound to be a memorable experience.

---

The lazy Chuseok holiday passed, and the very next day was the long-awaited school trip.

Jeongseo’s pet, Seobok, had been left in the care of the red-roofed house’s owner, who reassured him everything would be fine.

Still, worried that Seobok might feel abandoned, Jeongseo had repeatedly explained to the pet that he’d return in three days.

When Jeongseo arrived at school with his pre-packed suitcase, Pyo Yoontae was already there.

“Yoontae!”

Dressed in a pastel hoodie and wide-legged dark jeans, Jeongseo waved enthusiastically and ran over.

Pyo Yoontae, who had been idly scrolling on his phone, looked up and gave a casual wave.

“You’re early today!”

“Woke up early.”

Pyo Yoontae set his phone down, resting his chin on his hand as he gazed at Jeongseo.

Though he had seen Pyo Yoontae in casual clothes before, it felt different now.

Today, he wore a dark gray knit sweater and black cargo pants, a style that matched his usual neutral-toned preferences.

Noticing Jeongseo’s lingering gaze, Pyo Yoontae tilted his head and lightly tapped Jeongseo’s nose with his finger.

“You look cute today.”

Feeling a tingle where Pyo Yoontae’s finger had touched, Jeongseo rubbed his nose and mumbled, “You too…”

“Me too, what?”

Pyo Yoontae leaned closer, his face nearing Jeongseo’s.

Embarrassed, Jeongseo instinctively stepped back, his cheeks flushed.

“You look… nice too,” Jeongseo stammered.

Though not entirely satisfied with the response, Pyo Yoontae let it slide—for now.

°❀•°❀°•❀°

The second-year students of Dangang High School arrived at Jeju Island Airport in the afternoon.

The first day was a leisurely schedule, with the plan to just visit the theme park before heading straight to the accommodations.

By the time they arrived at the theme park, the sky, which had been cloudy when they arrived at the airport, had cleared up and became bright and sunny.

Although the wind was strong, the intense sunlight made it feel warm rather than cold.

“Each group will complete the mission activities and then freely explore. Just make sure to gather back here by 5!”

The second-year students, who had been lined up, responded loudly, and finally, it was free time.

Ha Sumin and Hyun Junhyun approached Jeongseo and Pyo Yoontae.

Ha Sumin, the group leader, unfolded the mission sheet they had received earlier on the tour bus, and the four of them gathered in a circle to look at the paper.

The mission was simple: to take a group photo at various spots around the theme park.

It was a suitable task that allowed students to explore freely while still ensuring they saw the main attractions of the park.

“First, we need to go to the Green Bridge. Let’s quickly check it out and have some fun.”

“Got it!”

As the group leader, Ha Sumin immediately took charge and led the others.

Jeongseo, filled with excitement, wandered around the theme park.

They took photos, rode a short train, and then headed to a feeding experience area where they could feed the horses.

“Hey, let’s take a photo here.”

The four of them gathered in front of the fence.

Except for Jeongseo, the other three—Pyo Yoontae and Hyun Junhyun—were of a larger build, so the phone screen was filled to the brim.

Ha Sumin adjusted the angles to make sure it was clear that they were at a horse enclosure when taking the photo.

After they were done, Jeongseo stepped closer to the fence. It was his first time seeing a real horse, and he was fascinated.

“Wow, they’re much bigger than I thought,” he thought in awe. Just then, Pyo Yoontae approached with a cup filled with carrots.

“What’s this? Are you feeding the horse?”

“They said to stick the carrot on a stick and give it one at a time. Be careful not to get bitten by the horse.”

With bright eyes, Jeongseo stuck a carrot onto a long stick and held it out over the fence.

Horses nearby, swishing their tails like strands of hair, approached eagerly.

Watching the horses eat the carrots, Jeongseo couldn’t take his eyes off them because they were so cute.

Pyo Yoontae, who had been watching, also stuck a carrot on a stick and held it out.

As a horse approached him, their eyes met, and the horse immediately turned away.

“That crazy horse…?”

Pyo Yoontae, who was unexpectedly ignored by the horse, seemed quite flustered, his eyes darting around.

Jeongseo, who was standing next to him, couldn’t hold back his laughter.

“Yoontae, you looked too scary! See? If you smile like this, the horses will come to you!”

Jeongseo stuck another carrot on a stick and, laughing, said, “Horses, come get the carrots!”

As soon as he did, horses from far away started to gather around him.

With four horses crowding around one carrot, Jeongseo smiled brightly.

Looking around at the others, most had only one or two horses, while the horses were particularly drawn to Jeongseo, which made Pyo Yoontae’s expression grow complicated.

At this point, Pyo Yoontae crossed his arms and glared at the horses gathered around Jeongseo with an almost murderous gaze.

“Hey… Pyo Yoontae!”

A delicate voice came from behind.

Both Pyo Yoontae and Jeongseo turned around.

There stood an elegant-looking boy with silvery-gray hair swaying in the breeze.

* * *