ABM CH12

Chapter 12: I Ended Up Saying I Missed You

The next day, despite all the temptations, I decided to completely give up my perfect attendance award that I had accumulated for ten years. It wasn’t really because of Woo Yeonho; I had genuinely caught a cold. In fact, aside from a slight fever and a heavy head, I didn’t feel too bad otherwise.

“Cough, cough…”

However, by putting on a little show of coughing, my dad ended up taking half a day off from work to take me to the hospital, while my mom dragged him down to the parking lot. After that, she brought back some medicine and I spent the entire morning sleeping. 

Lately, whenever I closed my eyes, Woo Yeonho’s face would float in my mind, but thankfully, due to the medication, I didn’t dream at all this time. After sleeping for a few hours, by around two o’clock, my appetite returned, and I finished a whole bowl of beef porridge. 

With my slight fever gone and feeling better, I finally thought about checking my phone. I really needed to tackle the task I had postponed. The idea that I wouldn’t have to apologize face-to-face gave me a bit more courage to send a message. Though it was uncertain whether I could face Woo Yeonho in person at school.

‘How many times have I unintentionally rejected him now?’

Even I could see why that would feel upsetting.

I hadn’t even looked at my phone since I had carelessly tossed it into my bag yesterday, so I didn’t realize the battery was dead and it had turned off. It was the first time that happened to me, which was a bit fascinating. I usually didn’t use my phone much, so it could last a couple of days on a single charge, but I had kept the screen on all day to read the messages I exchanged with Woo Yeonho, and it seemed to drain quickly.

‘…Ah, this is all because of Woo Yeonho, too.’

After connecting the charger, it didn’t take long for my phone to power back on, and as soon as the screen booted up, it blared with notifications and alarm sounds competing with one another.

There shouldn’t be anyone contacting me, so was it spam? One of the things that should vanish from the world is definitely spam texts. It was tedious to delete them one by one…

[Did you get home okay?]

[I’ve thought a lot about it, Seungwoo.]  

[Next time, I’ll be sure to ask for permission first, please forgive me.(ಥ_ಥ)]

The notifications were all from Woo Yeonho, aside from the occasional ads and a couple of group chat alerts.

‘He used an emoticon last time…..Does he usually use these kinds of things?’

It was unnecessarily cute. The emoticon with tears streaming down looked just like Woo Yeonho’s face, causing me to bite my lips. My mouth involuntarily curled up into a smile. The thought of seeing a crying Woo Yeonho, even though it didn’t seem to fit him, was something I wanted to witness at least once. 

Imagining tears streaming down his large eyes made me feel so happy, so I pounded the blanket in delight.

Woo Yeonho sent such cute messages and even left three missed calls in between. It felt strange, as if he was genuinely anxious about making me forgive him. But I had never been angry, so it was ridiculous to think that Woo Yeonho would care this much about me. It was an incredibly special feeling that, despite being someone who could do whatever he wanted, I was included in what mattered to him.

Oh, my heart began to flutter again against its will. Thoughts of wanting to be special to Woo Yeonho began to crawl out from somewhere inside me, leaving me feeling restless.

Woo Yeonho, after a series of unanswered calls and messages, seemed to have finally given up yesterday. The only messages from today included a brief check-in from my homeroom teacher in the morning, followed by more of Woo Yeonho’s persistent messages.

[Why didn’t you come to school today? You were supposed to come and scold me.]

[Did you get a stomachache from eating too much ice cream yesterday?]  

[Are you very sick? Did you go to the hospital? Did you take your medicine?]  

[They served your favorite side dish for lunch today. (picture attached)]

The last message even had a picture of his lunch tray, sent while he was still eating. 

‘What on earth is this adorable behavior? Is someone playing a prank with Woo Yeonho’s phone?’

I couldn’t help but wonder if his face was reflected somewhere on the tray, so I zoomed in with a glimmer of hope. Just then, another message came in from Woo Yeonho. This time, it was a picture of him slumped over his desk, looking dejected. He had used one of those trendy filters, giving him dog ears and pink-tinted cheeks.

“Oh my god…!”

The moment I saw it, I nearly let out a scream but quickly buried my face in the pillow to stifle the sound. It felt like I had just witnessed something I wasn’t supposed to see.

‘Is this really Woo Yeonho? No way! This is too cute!’

I rolled around my bed like a fish flopping around after being pulled out of water, all the while sneaking a peek at the photo with one eye. I checked it again and again—no way, it really was Woo Yeonho.

‘Can I save this? I mean, it’s his photo, so it should be fine, right? If he gave it to me, it’s mine to do with as I please!’

Feeling emboldened by my own logic, I promptly made puppy-eared Woo Yeonho the background on my phone. Every time I looked at it, the overwhelming cuteness threatened to undo me. I had never dared to take a photo of him secretly, but now he had given me one outright. The thought was so touching that I wanted to show it off to everyone.

‘None of you have a picture of Woo Yeonho, do you? But I do.’

Not just any picture, but a selfie taken by Woo Yeonho himself. A selfie this cute, and it’s all mine.

But that wasn’t the end. I hadn’t even noticed the message he sent after the photo until I checked again, and it hit me like a second wave.

[I miss you.]

At this point, I couldn’t help but wonder if Woo Yeonho had somehow mistaken my number for someone else’s. It was the only logical explanation. There’s no way he would show this kind of affection to just a random classmate. Did Woo Yeonho have a girlfriend now? Should I delete the photo I just saved? It didn’t seem like that yesterday. Was that neighborhood actually where his girlfriend lives? And if he did have a girlfriend, what was he doing kissing me? That’s definitely breakup material if she found out. Does she know her boyfriend kissed another guy?

I almost wanted to go find her and tell her. That Woo Yeonho kissed me, fed me his ice cream, held my hand, and even won a basketball game just to get me that apple juice.

“Ugh, this is so annoying.”

Before I could think more about it, the words slipped out. I was beyond frustrated. As if on cue, Woo Yeonho messaged me again, completely unaware of how I was feeling.

[You saw my messages, so why aren’t you replying? Don’t you miss me?]

‘It’s his fault for sending the message to the wrong chat, but why do I have to be the one to tell him?’ 

The thought annoyed me so much that I gave up on any niceties and just typed out the most straightforward reply I could muster.

[Hey, I think you sent this to the wrong person.]

He read the message almost instantly, which made me wonder if he was just sitting there staring at his phone instead of paying attention in class. Despite that, his reply didn’t come immediately.

‘Is he scrambling to send it to his girlfriend now?’ 

But then again, the thought of Woo Yeonho panicking over something seemed completely impossible. Could anything really shake him that much? If someone like that existed, I might even feel a bit envious.

‘Stupid Park Seungwoo. Of course, you misunderstood. Did you really think you were anything special to Woo Yeonho?’ 

I was bitterly mocking myself in my own mind when Woo Yeonho’s reply finally came through. He must’ve finished smoothing things over now. 

‘He’s probably going to ask me to delete the photo, right? But I don’t want to delete it…’

Should I back it up to my computer, just in case? Or maybe come up with some excuse? I was racking my brain, trying to figure out how to hold onto that photo, unwilling to do something as tragic as delete something so rare and precious. But my worries were unnecessary because the message that appeared was nothing like what I expected. 

There was no mention of any mistake or demand to delete the photo. Instead, it was just one simple sentence:

[I know why you were taking so long to reply. You were overthinking again.]

[? I’m telling you, you sent that message to the wrong person…]

[I know it’s you, Seungwoo yah.]

[So, it wasn’t a mistake?]

[Do you wish it was?]

‘Wait, it wasn’t a mistake? But what about that heart-meltingly cute photo and the “I miss you” text? Are those really for me?’ 

My mind was reeling, but I wasn’t in any state to logically process the situation. I just stared blankly at my phone screen, my vision blurring. Woo Yeonho’s text seemed to multiply on the screen, becoming two, then three.

It reminded me of when my dad tried to teach me how to see those magic eye pictures. He’d explained that if I looked at them in a certain way, the hidden images would pop out, but I could never make them work. I’d spent hours staring at those strange patterns, trying to see a lion with its mouth open or a rabbit standing upright, with my eyes straining until they were bloodshot. Dad had even promised to buy me the toy I’d been wanting if I could just see one of the hidden pictures.

‘Maybe those magic eye pictures were just random patterns all along, and the idea of hidden images was a lie.’

It was a foolish thought. I still couldn’t see the hidden images, even now.  

[Seungwoo, would you really prefer it if I said I sent the message by mistake?]  

Just as I started getting lost in my own thoughts again, Woo Yeonho sent another message, perfectly timed, as if he could read my mind. The three messages that had multiplied before now became one again. Without thinking, I immediately replied.  

[No, I don’t want that.]  

[If you start overthinking again, I’m going to scold you.]  

‘What overthinking? You don’t even know what I’m thinking about…’  

Even though it was just a text, it felt like Woo Yeonho was smiling right in front of me. I could practically hear his low, teasing voice, warning me that he’d scold me, but with that same charming smile on his face.  

‘Oh god, why is Woo Yeonho so beautiful?’  

I realized I was smiling along with the imagined version of Woo Yeonho in my head. 

In my dreams and fantasies, Woo Yeonho was always kind to me. It made sense—he acted how I wanted him to. In that world, Woo Yeonho would smile at me and lean in to kiss my cheek, telling me, “You know I like you, Seungwoo.” 

The feel of his lips moving against my skin made me giggle, and I’d wrap my arms tightly around his strong neck. He would bend down, laughing softly, happy that I was holding him close.  

‘Anyway, since the text really was meant for me, it seems Woo Yeonho doesn’t have a girlfriend. That’s… a relief.’  

I bit my lip, my heart racing, and then, very carefully, I typed out a question.  

[Then… can I save the picture you sent me?]  

As soon as I hit send, I realized it might have been a mistake.

‘Why did I even ask? I could’ve just saved it quietly like before. What if he asks me why I’m saving his picture? Should I say I’m collecting photos of all our classmates? Ugh, I’m such an idiot.’

The message was already sent, and Woo Yeonho saw it right away, leaving me no chance to delete it. I started mentally preparing excuses, trying to come up with some awkward explanation, but before I could, he replied casually.  

[You haven’t saved it yet?]  

[I have…]  

[It’s the first time I’ve used a filter. How do I look? Am I pretty?]  

Just seeing the picture almost killed me with how cute he was. But now, imagining Woo Yeonho downloading the app, experimenting with filters, and playing around with it—ugh, I couldn’t handle it. I clutched my phone tightly, pressing it against my forehead as I curled up. It was the only way I could keep my body from squirming with excitement.  

‘Ah, I wish he’d stop being so cute.’  

[Uh… yeah, the puppy ears were cute.]  

[Only the ears were cute?]  

[Everything else too…]  

[I just took it randomly. So you like puppies, huh?]  

‘It’s not the puppy, it’s just you… Should I tell him that? It’s the truth after all.’  

No, I decided it’d be better not to say that. Instead, I quickly typed out something safer:  

[I like cats too.]  

Woo Yeonho went quiet for a moment. Then, after a short pause, he shifted the conversation.  

[Anyway, how are you feeling? Are you better?]  

[Yeah, I’m fine now.]  

As I sent the message, I couldn’t help but think how strange it was—he cared about how I was doing so much. It made my heart race all over again.

[Someone asked if you were a kid when I said that you got a stomach ache from eating ice cream.]  

[Who said that?]  

[Don’t worry, I told him off for you.]  

Was it Kim Jungwoo? Should I ask how he told him off? I was debating, but Woo Yeonho was quicker than my fingers, like his were powered by a motor.  

[Can you come to school tomorrow?]  

[Yeah.]  

[I really miss you, Seungwoo.]  

His sudden words made my ears burn and tingle. It wasn’t just the fact that he’d said he missed me earlier; it was knowing that it wasn’t a mistake.  

‘But does he really mean it when he says he misses me?’  

What if it’s all some kind of game or a dare? What would Woo Yeonho think if I said I missed him too?  

The thought scared me, and I hesitated, staring at the message I’d typed out. But looking again at Woo Yeonho’s message, I couldn’t stop myself. I couldn’t hold back any longer. I hit send. My reply appeared right below his.  

[I miss you too.]