* * *
At 7 p.m., with the last train approaching its final run, everyone began clearing the gym and heading outside.
Pyo Yoontae was the last to check inside, turning off the lights, and the kids from Class 4 had gathered in a small group nearby.
“Thanks for letting us use the gym. We got to practice comfortably because of you.”
When the class leader at the front expressed his gratitude, Yoontae simply gave a slight nod, as if it was nothing.
Most of the kids were visibly exhausted, so they quickly dispersed to head home. Jeongseo, who’d managed multiple people at once, also felt more worn out than usual.
Despite washing his face, he still felt sticky and planned to shower right when he got home.
With about 25 minutes left until his bus arrived, he turned to say goodbye to Yoontae.
“Let’s go together. I’ll walk you.”
With his hands in his pockets, Yoontae descended the steps in long strides, landing right next to Jeongseo.
Startled by Yoontae’s sudden proximity, Jeongseo took a small step back.
Noticing this, Yoontae raised an eyebrow, then seemed to realize something, mirroring Jeongseo’s position to give him a bit more space.
Unbeknownst to Jeongseo, Yoontae lifted his arm, subtly sniffing under his nose, wondering if he might have picked up a faint smell.
“How much longer until the bus comes?”
“About 20 minutes. Aren’t you hungry? I can go on my own.”
“It’s fine. Aren’t you the one who should be picking up snacks to eat on the way?”
“Well…”
In truth, Jeongseo was quite hungry, but he’d snacked a lot earlier, and there was a pork kimchi stew waiting at home.
“No, I’m not that—”
Growl.
His stomach growled loudly enough that he could feel the vibration in his chest.
Embarrassed, Jeongseo quickly grabbed his stomach, but the sound had already filled the air.
Glancing to his side, he saw Yoontae stifling a laugh.
“With a sound like that, you must not have eaten for two days!”
Jeongseo’s face flushed red with embarrassment at Yoontae’s teasing tone.
Why now, of all times?
He silently cursed his stomach’s lack of discretion.
“Let’s stop by a convenience store on the way.”
“…Alright.”
The bus stop was just a bit downhill from the dorm, with a convenience store nearby.
Inside, Jeongseo picked up random snacks until Yoontae reminded him, “Aren’t you going to eat at home?”
With that, he settled for a packet of cookies and an ion drink.
“Here, have one.”
Jeongseo handed Yoontae a cookie.
Yoontae looked at it for a moment, took it, and tore open the wrapper immediately.
‘He must be hungry too,’ Jeongseo thought, about to open his own cookie wrapper, when he felt something prickly press against his lips.
He stopped, looking down, and saw it was a cookie.
Confused, he looked up to find Yoontae holding a small piece of cookie in his mouth.
As the cookie poked through his slightly parted lips, Jeongseo had no choice but to eat it, tasting the nutty and sweet flavors spreading quickly across his tongue.
Crunch, crunch.
The sound of chewing filled his ears.
A cool evening breeze brushed over his skin, causing goosebumps to rise as sweat cooled on his back.
Despite the dinner crowd moving along the sidewalks, the street remained fairly quiet.
As Jeongseo took in the sights, munching on his cookie, he stole a glance at Yoontae.
“Don’t you find it stifling here, Yoontae?”
Yoontae looked at him without answering, as if wondering why he’d ask.
“I grew up in Seoul, so coming here always feels a bit claustrophobic. Especially since we can’t get deliveries and the nearest grocery store is a 20-minute walk. There’s really nothing to do once night falls.”
Having lived in the city, Yoontae must find this place stifling too, Jeongseo assumed.
“It’s true, there’s not much to do. Not many places to hang out, and all the good restaurants are far away.”
‘So he feels trapped too,’ Jeongseo thought.
He could understand, but it saddened him a bit that so few people shared his love for this quiet countryside.
“I bet you can’t wait to go back to the city.”
“Not really.”
Surprised, Jeongseo looked back up.
“Why? You just said there’s nothing to do here.”
“I said there wasn’t much to do, but I never said I felt trapped. I don’t actually like the city much; I prefer it here.”
Jeongseo’s brown eyes brightened at Yoontae’s unexpected response, and his gaze softened toward him.
“Then, are you planning to live in the countryside when you grow up?”
“That depends on the situation, but eventually, I’d like to settle somewhere quiet.”
“Even with all the things you can do in the city?”
“People put in a lot of effort to live where they want to, right? You should live where you want.”
A smile slowly spread across Jeongseo’s face as he took this in.
“I agree! I’m definitely coming back here one day.”
“Dangang’s nice, isn’t it?”
Yoontae didn’t completely understand why Jeongseo was so cheerful, but he found his smiling face pleasant and said nothing.
‘Is he just happy because he likes his hometown?’ Yoontae wondered as he slipped another piece of cookie into Jeongseo’s open mouth, causing him to smile and chew.
When Jeongseo finished, he spoke up.
“Then, it’d be nice if we could live in a place like this together someday.”
Maybe not too close, but close enough that they could meet easily.
Jeongseo had never pictured anyone else in his future besides family, but for the first time, he imagined Yoontae there too.
And thinking about it again…
“Yeah, I think it’d be really nice, living with you, Yoontae.”
He was picturing a future with Yoontae as his next-door neighbor when a low, purring sound came from beside him.
Surprised, Jeongseo turned to see Yoontae facing away from him.
Did he hear it wrong?
But he could hear the soft rumbling clearly; it reminded him of the contented purring sound big cats make.
“Yoontae?”
As Jeongseo leaned closer, Yoontae turned his face further away, gently pushing him back.
“The bus is here; get ready to board.”
Sure enough, he could see the driver approaching in the distance.
Jeongseo quickly waved, signaling for the bus to stop.
As he got on, he glanced back and found Yoontae’s face as calm as ever.
‘What was that?’
Jeongseo tilted his head in confusion, and Yoontae waved.
“Get home safe. See you tomorrow.”
“Oh, yeah! You too, take care!”
As the bus pulled away, Jeongseo ate the remaining cookie, dozing off on his way home.
After devouring two bowls of rice at dinner, he regained some energy and took a two-hour walk under the streetlights with Seobok.
By the time he returned, it was 11 p.m., and Jeongseo sleepily brushed his teeth, washed his face, and rolled out his blanket.
He fell onto his soft blanket like he’d collapsed.
Snuggled in, he quickly drifted into a deep sleep. He was exhausted.
‘Ah, I have to wake up early tomorrow to water the field.’
The day of the sports festival had finally arrived.
With a light breeze, Jeongseo jogged down to the front gate, dressed in a calm green basketball jersey and shorts.
On the back of his jersey was the large number 13, with “STEEL WEASEL” written in bold white letters above it.
Today, in case of unexpected excitement, he’d chosen pants with a special hole for his tail, so even if it peeked out during the game, it wouldn’t be a problem.
The school grounds were bustling with activity as tents were already set up, and teachers and students were marking lines, giving the early morning a lively energy.
When Jeongseo reached the classroom, he was surprised to find several students already there.
Those leaning on the teacher’s desk turned at the sound of the door opening, and their eyes met with Jeongseo’s.
“Hey, Jeongseo.”
The class president and Ha Sumin, along with others gathered around, waved lightly.
Ha Sumin held out a chocolate snack, gesturing for him to take it.
Smiling, Jeongseo greeted them back and walked over.
Although he hadn’t gotten close with all his classmates yet, he’d opened up a bit with those in his dodgeball team.
“Everyone’s here early today.”
“Yeah, it’s the sports festival! Had to get up super early to warm up.”
Ha Sumin swung his arm energetically, and Jeongseo chuckled, taking a bite of the snack.
Chatting with his classmates in the morning felt strange yet comforting, like a warm feeling spreading in his chest.
One of the girls sitting on the low table by the teacher’s desk glanced at Jeongseo’s hair.
“Jeongseo, want to wear a headband? I think it’d suit you.”
“A headband?”
The girl gestured for him to lean down a bit, and he obliged.
She took off a sports headband she had wrapped around her wrist and placed it on his head, adjusting his bangs.
As her fingers ran through his soft brown hair, which brushed slightly above his eyebrows, his round ears twitched, catching the attention of others around them.
“There, take a look!”
Between his bangs, a simple logo on the white background of the headband was fixed neatly.
He’d expected it to suit him, but even he didn’t realize it would look this good.
“It really suits you!”
“Really?”
Feeling shy under everyone’s gaze, Jeongseo awkwardly rubbed his cheek.
His casual basketball outfit paired with the sports headband enhanced his lively energy.
The girl gently pushed aside his bangs a bit more, making the headband stand out.
“What are you doing, Seo Jeongseo?”
Jeongseo felt a firm nudge from behind, almost stumbling.
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