* * *

The sun had set, and the walking trail was dim, but streetlights were scattered throughout, making it easy enough to navigate.

Jeongseo and Yoontae strolled leisurely along the path, chatting about various topics.

From how Mr. Red Roof had agreed to watch Seobok temporarily, to Hayan already tackling his literature assignment due in two weeks—everything seemed fair game for their conversation.

Then, something that had been nagging at Jeongseo’s mind finally slipped out hesitantly.

“Hey, earlier… I wanted to ask you something.”

“Yeah, earlier?”

“Did you… give your number to Yeonwoo?”

Yoontae paused briefly before responding.

“No, I didn’t. I followed you right away.”

‘So, he didn’t…’

Jeongseo felt a wave of relief wash over him, the discomfort in his chest melting away.

But curiosity took its place almost instantly.

“You said you found your first love, right?”

Yoontae stopped walking, and Jeongseo stopped beside him.

“If you reconnect with your first love someday… will you still stay friends with me?”

Looking up at Yoontae, Jeongseo noticed his narrowed eyes.

His expression seemed displeased, and Jeongseo wondered if he had asked something he shouldn’t have.

But he couldn’t help himself—after all, Yoontae seemed so focused on this mistaken idea of his first love.

Jeongseo expected a casual reassurance, but Yoontae raised an eyebrow and replied.

“I don’t know.”

‘You don’t know?!’

Did that mean they might stop seeing each other entirely?

Regardless of whether Jeongseo liked Yoontae romantically or not, he was his first real friend.

The response struck Jeongseo as a shock, leaving him feeling betrayed.

As Jeongseo stared at him in disbelief, mouth slightly agape, Yoontae slid his hands into his pockets and stepped back, creating a deliberate distance.

It felt like Yoontae was drawing a line between them, and Jeongseo instinctively closed the gap.

“I told you before,” Yoontae said calmly.

“I don’t like splitting my attention between multiple people. I only cherish what’s truly important to me.”

Jeongseo was momentarily at a loss for words.

He remembered Yoontae saying that, but still…

Was he really so willing to push him away like this?

Jeongseo felt a pang of hurt.

“Then just make me one of those important things!” he shouted, voice trembling slightly.

Yoontae tilted his head at Jeongseo’s outburst.

“That depends on what you do, Jeongseo.”

“What I do?”

Was it conditional?

Could Jeongseo become one of Yoontae’s priorities if he did something specific?

But what was it?

He had no idea.

“What do I need to do?” he asked, desperate.

Yoontae looked at him for a long moment before leaning down, his lips brushing against the tips of Jeongseo’s brown ears.

“You’ll have to figure that out yourself.”

Jeongseo shuddered, frustration bubbling to the surface.

His eyes flared as he glared at Yoontae.

“Just tell me!”

“Nope.”

“Why not?!”

“Because I don’t want to.”

Without warning, Yoontae spun on his heel and began walking away briskly.

Jeongseo, thrown off by the sudden retreat, chased after him, demanding answers.

Their impromptu game of tag continued for two full laps around the trail before they finally had to stop for curfew.

In the end, Jeongseo never learned how to become one of Yoontae’s “important” things.

---

The second day of the school trip began with a schedule most students secretly hoped would be canceled due to rain: hiking Mount Hallasan.

Unfortunately for them, the skies over Jeju were painfully clear.

Despite Jeju’s reputation for unpredictable weather, the sunshine was relentless.

From early morning, groans filled the tour bus heading to Hallasan.

Some students feigned illnesses— ‘I think I have a headache,’ or ‘My stomach hurts’—but the teacher saw through their excuses, insisting they climb first and rest if it truly became unbearable.

Thus, the entire second year of Dankang High School stood at the base of the hiking trail.

Their chosen route led to Baengnokdam, Hallasan’s highest peak, with two shelters along the way.

While most students wore expressions of dread, Jeongseo’s eyes sparkled with excitement.

His chestnut-colored eyes reflected the beauty of the trail’s entrance.

“Do you like hiking?” Yoontae asked, noticing Jeongseo’s enthusiasm.

“Yeah, I can’t wait to…” Jeongseo began to reply cheerfully but abruptly closed his mouth.

The sting of yesterday’s betrayal hadn’t faded.

Turning his head sharply, he struck up a conversation with Ha Sumin instead.

“This is my first time climbing Hallasan.”

Startled, Sumin looked up from his phone.

Jeongseo’s sudden approach caught him off guard, but he quickly composed himself.

“Me too. I’ve been to Jeju with my parents but never climbed Hallasan. It’s probably going to be… exhausting, right?”

“But wouldn’t it feel amazing to reach the top?”

“…Yeah, probably.”

Sumin couldn’t understand why anyone would want to climb a mountain on a school trip, but Jeongseo’s excitement was contagious.

Smiling awkwardly, he nodded in agreement.

As Sumin watched the perky movement of Jeongseo’s ears, a chill ran down his spine.

Glancing upward, he saw Yoontae glaring at him.

Pretending not to notice, Sumin quickly turned away.

After a brief roll call, the climb began.

°❀•°❀°•❀°

Contrary to Jeongseo’s initial expectation that the hike would be arduous, the trail was neither steep nor challenging, with well-maintained paths that made it feel more like a leisurely stroll.

As he took in the surroundings, the dense trees briefly reminded him of the hill behind his house.

But the scattered black basalt stones served as a constant reminder that this was Jeju Island.

By the time some of the kids, complaining of hunger from skipping breakfast, began to lag behind, Jeongseo noticed a stone marker inscribed with “Elevation 1000m.”

A passerby was snapping photos in front of it, and Jeongseo’s attention was caught by the scene.

Hearing Jeongseo’s sharp breath, Ha Sumin, who was struggling up the slope, tried to strike up a conversation.

“Jeongseo, do you want to take a picture?”

But Pyo Yoontae beat him to it, making the suggestion first.

Ha Sumin sighed and clicked his tongue in irritation.

Jeongseo glanced at Pyo Yoontae, his expression conflicted.

The truth was, Jeongseo still harbored a lingering sense of betrayal from the events of the previous day.

But… he couldn’t keep holding onto it forever.

Besides, he really did want that picture.

Resolving quickly, Jeongseo handed his phone to Pyo Yoontae and hopped up to the spot near the marker.

Pyo Yoontae, standing confidently beside him, snapped several photos from different angles of Jeongseo, who was striking a proud V-pose next to the stone.

“How’s it look? Did it turn out well?”

When Jeongseo came back down, Pyo Yoontae handed him the phone and showed him the photos.

From scenic shots capturing the entire landscape to focused frames of Jeongseo and the marker, the pictures were perfectly varied.

Pleased, Jeongseo asked if Pyo Yoontae wanted a photo as well, but he declined with a casual wave.

Not long after passing the 1000m mark, the group arrived at the first shelter.

“Alright, everyone! Eat your breakfast by 9:00, and then we’ll start again!”

It was finally time to eat.

The lunchboxes they’d received earlier at the base were packed in their bags.

Since the trail hadn’t been particularly grueling so far, the kids wandering around the shelter still seemed energetic, though a few were already showing signs of fatigue.

For Jeongseo, who frequently climbed the hill behind his house, this was no more taxing than a casual stroll around the neighborhood.

Energetically, he pulled out his lunchbox and found a spot to eat with Pyo Yoontae.

Just then, he noticed Hayan sitting alone in a corner.

“Hayan’s eating alone.”

Jeongseo pointed him out with a finger, and Pyo Yoontae glanced over, shrugging.

“So what?”

“Let’s ask him to eat with us.”

Pyo Yoontae frowned, clearly displeased, but eventually muttered, “Do whatever you want.” Jeongseo set his lunchbox aside and quickly walked over to Hayan.

“Hayan! Let’s eat tog—”

When Jeongseo reached him, he froze.

Hayan sat clutching his lunchbox, his expression completely dazed.

His pale complexion betrayed just how unwell he was.

Hayan glanced briefly at Jeongseo but said nothing, seeming too drained even to speak.

“…Are you okay?”

“…Do I look okay?”

Jeongseo shook his head.

The trail hadn’t been particularly tough, but it seemed it had taken a toll on Hayan.

Concerned, Jeongseo suggested, “Maybe you should stop here and rest.”

“…I’m going up.”

The unexpected response left Jeongseo puzzled.

Knowing Hayan, he’d have expected him to dismiss the hike as a waste of time better spent studying English vocabulary.

Wasn’t he not particularly into physical activity? Jeongseo tilted his head.

“Why? You’re obviously struggling.”

“If I get into the habit of giving up halfway, it’s bad. This is… a way to train perseverance. Even though… ha, this is so freaking hard….”

Hayan declared he was determined to reach the summit, his complexion growing even paler as he spoke.

Despite his struggle, there was an unmistakable resolve in his eyes.

Watching someone so exhausted yet unwilling to give up, Jeongseo couldn’t help but think, ‘This is what it means to be someone destined for greatness.’

With an admiring thumbs-up, he said, “You’re amazing,” making Hayan chuckle faintly and wave him off.

“Anyway, I need to conserve my energy. Stop talking and go eat. I’ll manage.”

“Ah, okay! But don’t push yourself too hard. See you at the summit!”

Returning to Pyo Yoontae, Jeongseo grabbed his lunchbox.

“Why’d you come back alone?”

“Hayan said he’ll eat by himself. He’s not feeling great.”

“Good for him.”

Jeongseo wasn’t sure what Pyo Yoontae found so agreeable, but his companion finally smiled and opened Jeongseo’s lunchbox for him.

Time was short, and Jeongseo’s stomach had been growling non-stop.

He devoured the meal in just five minutes.

After carefully packing the trash back into his bag to dispose of later, Jeongseo took a sip of water, just as their teacher called out, “Alright, everyone! Time to get moving! Line up by class!”

---

Reaching the last shelter before Baengnokdam, the trail had grown steeper and occasionally slippery, leaving even Jeongseo feeling winded.

At this point, the group was given the choice to either rest or push on to the summit.

“Yoontae, are you going up?”

“If you’re going, I’m going.”

Despite the climb, Pyo Yoontae still seemed unfazed.

Meanwhile, many of the kids were utterly exhausted, some sprawled out inside the shelter without a second thought.

Just as everyone was catching their breath, commotion broke out at the back.

“Aigo, Hayan, please rest! You really need to stop now, or you’re going to collapse!”

The homeroom teacher of Class 5 looked exasperated.

Beside him, Hayan looked utterly spent, his face almost blue.

Even Pyo Yoontae, who was typically hard to faze, looked alarmed.

Despite his worsening condition, Hayan shook his head and managed to croak out, “No, I… I’ll keep going….”

But then his knees buckled, and he collapsed to the ground, supporting himself with trembling hands.

Silence fell over the shelter as everyone watched him gasp for breath.

After a moment, he finally muttered, “…I’ll rest.”

From somewhere in the crowd, a quiet voice muttered, “Geez, that guy’s something else.”

* * *