ICYM Ch 8

Episode 8

His voice was calm, but for some reason, I felt strangely uneasy.

I thought he’d find it bothersome to hang out with other people, just like me, but seeing him respond to every little thing I said and seem genuinely happy, I wasn’t so sure anymore.

“Well, I guess there’s no room for misunderstanding now. I even wrote your name on it.”

“Yeah.”

Kendrick murmured as he tightened his grip on the box.

“I wasn’t sure what you liked… But after seeing you eat donuts, I figured you probably have a sweet tooth…”

Worried he might think the gift was too insignificant, I added that explanation to make it sound more thoughtful.

“Yeah, I do like sweets.”

“……”

Through the rustling of the paper bag in Kendrick’s hand, the sound of leaves rolling in the wind, and the strong scent of freshly cut grass, his voice rang out clearly.

“Thanks. I’ll enjoy it.”

His bangs were just low enough to cover his eyes, so I couldn’t see them clearly, but at least he didn’t seem upset, which was a relief.

The cat, apparently done eating, yawned and stretched. Just as I was feeling relieved, a large hand suddenly appeared in front of my face.

“What is it?”

Kendrick, seeing my startled expression, opened his palm wide. Was he showing off the chocolate I gave him? As I stared blankly, Kendrick placed the chocolate in my hand.

“Here.”

“I told you it’s yours.”

“It is mine now, so I can share it, right?”

“What?”

“I wanted to share it with you.”

“…Thanks.”

I stared blankly at the chocolate I’d accepted without thinking. I had given it to him to apologize for wrongly taking his donuts, but now that it had come back into my hands, the feeling was… strange. 

Still, it wasn’t like I had a reason to refuse just one piece of chocolate, so I silently accepted it, unwrapped it, and put it in my mouth.

A sweet and slightly bitter flavor spread across my tongue. Maybe it was because I was starting to relax, I ended up asking without thinking, “Are you growing your hair out on purpose?”

“Ah.”

Kendrick scratched the back of his neck awkwardly, and that’s when I saw it.

“!”

A scar, hidden beneath his hair.

I stood there, mouth slightly open in surprise, and Kendrick, not noticing my reaction, spoke in an awkward tone.

“I have a scar.”

At that moment, something Sunbae had said flashed through my mind.

“They said he’s with the Mafia.”

The scar was faint, but the long gash looked like it had been made by a knife.

What were the odds of an ordinary person having a scar like that in a place like that?

“…Ah!”

Feeling like I’d just seen something I shouldn’t have, I quickly snapped my gaze forward at the speed of light.

The sweetness of the chocolate in my mouth had vanished, leaving only a bitter taste behind.

“You saw the scar?”

“No? Uh… yeah.”

“It’s hideous, right?”

“No?”

“…Really?”

In a truly scary situation, how often can someone honestly say they’re scared when asked?

Driven by survival instinct, I quickly replied, “No.”

There could be kind-hearted mafia members.

It’s not like mafia people go around looking angry 24/7.

And it’s unlikely that someone from a mafia family has so much free time that they go around bothering ordinary people.

“I just thought… it must’ve hurt a lot.”

Bzzzz.

Just as I finished speaking, my phone vibrated.

Seizing the chance, I grabbed my bag as if I’d been waiting for it.

The number wasn’t saved, so I had no intention of answering, but it was the perfect excuse to leave.

“Well, I should get going.”

Kendrick nodded briefly at my goodbye, but the phone vibration stopped right then.

“Wait.”

Kendrick, who had been behind me, grabbed my shoulder and stopped me in my tracks.

How could someone’s hand be this big and feel as solid as a rock?

I swallowed dryly at the heavy, intimidating pressure on my shoulder and slowly turned around.

“Uh…?”

Was it that obvious I thought we probably wouldn’t run into each other again now that we’d done what we needed to?

Would he understand if I explained that the title “son of a Mafia boss” just didn’t quite fit with an ordinary high school life?

While my mind raced through a dozen thoughts, Kendrick hesitated before finally speaking.

“…Let’s take turns feeding the cat from now on. If we overlap, it might get too fat.”

The unexpectedly mundane reason left me completely deflated.

“…Oh. Okay.”

Was that something he had to say with such seriousness?

I felt a little embarrassed, realizing I’d been way too nervous.

Realizing how tense I’d been, I felt a little embarrassed.

“Then… can I get your number?”

“Sure.”

I handed him my phone, and Kendrick entered his number.

When I got my phone back, I looked at the screen and then glanced up at him.

“Looks like you didn’t finish writing your name.”

“Ah—Well, that’s what my close friends usually call me.”

I looked back down at my phone screen.

Seeing the name “Ken” written there made me gulp nervously.

Had I already been placed in the “close friend” category…?

Seeing my dumbfounded face, Kendrick cautiously asked, “If we run into each other here… Can I say hi?”

“I thought we agreed to take turns feeding the cat?”

“Oh… So you’re only coming when it’s your turn to feed it?”

The way he asked, as if wondering if food was all there was to it, made me respond reflexively.

“No, I was planning to stop by sometimes when I miss the cat too.”

“That’s a relief.”

“……”

“……”

Kendrick stared at me, as if waiting for a follow-up to my answer.

All he was asking was whether it was okay to say hi.

“And of course, if we run into each other, saying hi is the least we can do.”

If I said no here and hurt his feelings, would I be “dealt with” for offending him?

With that build of his, someone like me could probably be taken down in under a minute.

Pretending I wasn’t even a little scared, I nodded calmly.

Luckily, Kendrick didn’t seem to notice my unease.

“I should get your number too…”

I hadn’t exchanged numbers with many people before, but it was clear he was even less experienced than I was.

Instead of taking Kendrick’s phone, I firmly pressed the saved number on my screen.

Bzzzz.

Bzzzz.

“That’s my number.”

“Oh, okay.”

Kendrick’s eyes widened in surprise when he felt his phone vibrate.

Seeing him startled by something like that, I unintentionally let out a small chuckle.

When he quickly looked over at me, I bit my upper lip and lowered my head, pretending I hadn’t laughed.

“Well, I’ll get going then.”

Kendrick gave a faint nod, and seeing that, I made a silent vow not to look back as I walked away.

“Uh, hey.”

“What?”

But I was stopped again by Kendrick before I could even take a few steps.

Why doesn’t he just say everything at once instead of waiting until I’m leaving?

Annoyance crept into my face as I frowned slightly.

When I sharply turned my head, Kendrick suddenly shrugged off his school blazer with rough movements.

Not only did he take it off, but he also extended his arm toward me so abruptly that I thought he was going to hit me, and I shut my eyes on instinct.

But after a moment, when I didn’t feel any pain, I opened my eyes… and saw a large blazer held out in front of me.

What is this?

Still dazed, not quite grasping the situation, I looked up at him.

Kendrick covered the lower half of his face with one hand and mumbled, “It’s just… I could see it.”

“See what?”

“The teddy bear.”

“…Ah.”

Only then did I understand what Kendrick meant.

‘The pants that got ripped earlier from getting caught on the fence.’

He must’ve been watching me try to make a cool exit, only to notice that my underwear was showing through the gap in my pants with every step I took.

Why do I always end up making a fool of myself in front of him?

Embarrassment surged up to the tips of my ears.

The tear was worse than I’d realized, high enough to expose most of my thigh.

“Wrap this around yourself.”

Kendrick shoved his blazer into my arms, almost like he was dumping it on me.

The dorm was just around the corner and it wouldn’t take long to reach my room, but it was dismissal time and there were a lot of students around.

“Thanks.”

I couldn’t bring myself to refuse Kendrick’s offer.

Tying the blazer around my waist, I trudged back to the dorm. On my way up, my phone vibrated briefly.

[Dad: I deposited more allowance. I didn’t have time, but that kid said he’d go separately.] 5:25 PM

Who is that kid?

Given that he’s never gone home even once since coming to this school, they didn’t seem to be on great terms, but the message sounded rather affectionate.

Let’s check on that later.

Not knowing how to reply, I just shoved my phone into my pocket.

Replying without even understanding the text properly would only make things worse.

It wasn’t even six yet, and I already felt worn out like I’d been drained.

I knew I should be reading—just one more sentence, one more word—but I couldn’t muster the energy.

I should’ve asked what genre Kendrick’s series falls under.

Thinking things I now couldn’t act on, I flopped down on my bed.

* * *

Despite my desire to avoid him, I ran into Kendrick the very next day.

The pants were far beyond repair, so as soon as classes ended, I stopped by the uniform shop on campus and bought a new pair. On my way out, I texted Kendrick.

[Me: I’ll take care of feeding the cat today.] 4:08 PM

For a moment, I debated changing the name “Ken” at the top of the screen to something longer, but in the end, I just shoved my phone into my pocket and grabbed my bag before heading out.

This is the right way to contact him, right?

I headed straight to the back garden and plopped down on the grass.