SPM 2.2

The horizon stretching straight in a line and the even more precise metal fence extend endlessly under the overcast sky.

His gaze, which had been floating among the rectangles regularly created by the neat lines and ground of the tennis court and the fence, turned toward the thick clouds.

“Hah…”

Ian’s breathing, heavy enough to make his chest heave, creates another white cloud different from the one in that sky before his eyes.

Though it was the middle of winter, it wasn’t very cold, the weather was so mild that even this visible breath would probably last only briefly. Rather, having just finished exercising, it felt hot.

Without the energy to go to the bench, Ian sat down on the edge of the court with his tennis racket thrown beside him and wiped his sweat with the sports towel around his neck. A few students heading out of the court called out to him.

“Ian, are you very tired?”

“See you later, Ian!”

“See you next class!”

And seeing them, Ian waved with a smile.

“Yeah, see you! See you next time!”

After seeing everyone off, and finally waving back at David who was jumping up and down in the distance, shouting something incomprehensible and gesticulating wildly, Ian stood up. He remembered Terrence’s advice not to sit down immediately after intense movement.

The day he said he would be his friend.

From that day on, Terrence kept his promise.

During lunch hours when he wasn’t with Dylan, he would leave his own friends behind to eat with Ian, and as he had boasted, he took Ian home every day.

Of course, it wasn’t every day at first. But perhaps noticing that Ian was uncomfortable with the time he spent at home, Terrence stubbornly insisted that Ian wait in the library until his football team training ended, as if being obstinate about it. Ian had no reason to refuse. Before they knew it, going home together every day had solidified into their natural routine.

The changes within school were also new.

Having two lunch periods a week together, sharing several classes, and always being with Terrence during the time moving between classrooms, his friends began talking to Ian. They were mainly boys from the football team.

At first, it seemed to be curiosity. In Ian’s eyes, the football team members were all so tall and mature that it felt very awkward to call them boys, yet they hung on Terrence’s shoulders and neck, who was bigger than them, and asked:

‘Wow, who’s that?’

‘A date?’

Since they were all apparently Alphas, at some point they realized Ian was an Omega and mischievously teased the two of them. While Ian was flustered and couldn’t answer their questions, stumbling over his words, Terrence frowned and pushed them away with his elbows.

‘Get lost.’

Despite Terrence’s irritation like a threatening beast baring his teeth, they were persistent.

‘Crazy, T Hunt has a boyfriend.’

‘Who was making dating sounds in our sacred school?’

‘Bro! If you got a boyfriend, you should introduce us!’

With slang mixed in that was hard to understand, they made a fuss, and Terrence looked at such teammates with disdainful eyes, not hiding his annoyance.

‘It’s not like that.’

‘It’s not like thaaaat.’

Mimicking and teasing is universal… While being amazed by this unexpected realization, the large white boys extended their big hands to shake hands with Ian.

From hands reddened or blackened by the sun to hands covered in thick hair, from that moment when Ian ended up shaking hands with five or six people in confusion, his school life began to change little by little.

They declared that Terrence’s friend was as good as their friend and began following Ian around enthusiastically whenever they saw him in every class, hallway, even the cafeteria and outside.

At this sight, Dylan was disgusted, telling Ian not to talk to him when he was with those noisy, sweaty guys, but he didn’t actually distance himself from Ian.

Thanks to their boisterous and cheerful presence, Ian’s days, which had been quietly spent as if he were there but not there, also began to become lively. It might have been natural that other students approached Ian more comfortably after seeing him hang around with the noisy group.

After the short winter break, the new semester had started, crossing into the new year. Before he knew it, Ian was no longer a foreigner at Lloyd Jones and had become just like an ordinary student. Of course, the only people he was close enough to open his heart to were still Dylan and Terrence.

Still, he was glad to have friends he naturally hung out with during class, so Ian waved until the end at those moving away from the tennis court. Among them, David from the football team was jumping up and down with his large body, waving at him bigger than anyone else, which was so funny it made him laugh naturally.

“…Don’t laugh for that bastard.”

Terrence muttered ominously from behind, having returned at some point.

“Ah, you’re back?”

As Terrence came closer, Ian quickly hid his pheromones deeper. It was an action that had become as natural as breathing after half a year since starting training with Harrison.

However, since it wasn’t the kind that could last 24 hours continuously, he had to be somewhat consciously careful, similar to tensing his abdominal muscles to keep his belly from sticking out.

“What did the coach say?”

Since Terrence had been called away as soon as tennis class ended, Ian asked him with a welcoming voice as he returned.

“Nothing much, same as usual. Whether I’m managing my body well, stuff like that.”

Terrence was planning to go to college as a sports scholarship student and football team scholarship recipient, so all the subject coaches were paying attention to him. Though he didn’t say it clearly so Ian didn’t know the specifics, that’s what Ian had figured out from watching beside him.

“Is this class interfering with football training…?”

Terrence taking one more PE subject and attending tennis doubles class that he didn’t really need was purely because of Ian.

At the end of last year when the first semester was ending, the counselor teacher who was consulting about Ian’s career path sat in front of him and rummaged through papers for a long time.

The teacher, who had looked back and forth several times at materials organizing Ian’s grades before studying abroad, Lloyd Jones School entrance exam results, and first semester grades, opened his mouth with a serious expression.

‘Your award activities are good and your grades are good too. But you’re a bit lacking in group club activities or sports.’

‘…But I’m already doing swimming and guitar…’

Even with Ian’s explanation, the teacher shook his head.

‘Ian, you’re aiming for the Ivy League. Of course I’m not worried about your GPA or SAT test results, but those prestigious universities look more carefully at group activities like team sports than you think. Guitar is hard to see as cooperative activity, and swimming is close to an individual sport too.’

That was true.

If he had known this, he should have joined the orchestra from the beginning… Ian regretted it in his heart.

Students who were actively involved in musical activities at Lloyd Jones all belonged to the instrument-centered marching band. Along with the football team and cheerleader team, Lloyd Jones’s marching band was the school’s pride and was famous within the town. It also belonged to activity classes with high bonus points for students.

In contrast, orchestra was a regular class with no bonus points. So for Ian, who wasn’t good at wind instruments and lacked stamina, it was burdensome, so the choice was simple.

Since he couldn’t enter band class anyway, let’s just quietly take guitar class for musical activities. It was simply for that reason, but who knew it would lead to this result.

‘Filling external award records with computers is excellent. If you just add team sports here, it would be perfect.’

The counselor teacher emphasized that the more prestigious the university, the more they value sociability and sportsmanship, so having a record of actively participating in group activities would be good for getting recommendation letters. As he pointed out, all of Ian’s club activities were static ones like reading or computers, so there was nothing to say.

When Ian worried about this, Terrence didn’t hesitate. He made Ian reveal all the sports he could do, and when tennis came up, he clearly concluded.

‘You can take more tennis doubles classes with me. This will be recognized as team activity too.’

‘But you already have all your PE electives filled.’

Terrence already had enough credits, and not only football but other activities requiring physical strength filled his day. Anyone could see it was too much, but Terrence added tennis class from the second semester, even rearranging his schedule as if it was nothing.

Was it really too much of a choice that even the coaches were worried…? Ian’s face became gloomy, full of worry and anxiety.

“It must be because of me. Sorry…”

“No, it’s not that.”

“Still… If it weren’t for this class, you could have focused more on football…”

When Ian muttered, Terrence placed his hand on Ian’s crown and ruffled his hair.

“I told you it’s not like that.”

“……”

“If my stamina would go down from adding one tennis class, I couldn’t become a pro.”

Terrence answered firmly, reassuring Ian. Then he raised his large hand and placed it on both of Ian’s shoulders.

“Ian. Don’t frown, smile.”

Playfully pressing down on his shoulder, Ian cried out and sat down. Of all places, the spot that was all knotted up… When he looked up with sharp eyes, Terrence was already running away in the distance, and in a moment of anger, Ian ended up chasing Terrence, telling him to take a taste of his own medicine.

In his head, he was already planning to hang on Terrence’s neck to jab his shoulder with an elbow, but thinking that an ordinary person could catch a football player was a mistake from the start. Ian played tag like a child for a long time trying to catch him as he ran away, and in the end, all that remained was sweat and laughter.

“You’re too slow, Ian.”

“Hah… You’re too, fast…!”

Terrence, who had been bent over laughing for a while, raised his arm and wiped around Ian’s forehead, who was panting out of breath, with the thick band he wore on his wrist.

“…Wasn’t that what you used to wipe your sweat?”

“Right.”

At such a confident affirmation, Ian was at a loss for words. He didn’t have the courage to point out whether it was hygienic to rub his forehead with a band that might have Terrence’s sweat on it. But perhaps reading Ian’s mood from his face as he glared with narrowed eyes, Terrence lifted his chin higher.

“It’s like marking.”

Why would you mark…?

It was funny and absurd.

“What marking, we’re not animals.”

“Because there are so many weird guys around.”

“There aren’t any weird kids, Terrence.”

“There are. Don’t even answer that bastard David. He’s like a crazy guy.”

At his words spoken while twisting his lips, Ian finally burst out laughing.

It seemed like he was worried that Ian might be harmed by the rough Alpha group, but it was really an absurd concern. He had never once met a suspicious and sinister Alpha who strangely approached him while looking at him extremely as an Omega since coming to America. Of course, it had been the same before that too.

“David and those guys tease me more because they like you. Because you, Terrence, keep reacting.”

Terrence Hunt, who became the captain of Lloyd Jones football team around last winter, drew attention wherever he went. It was the same from teammates within the same team. Even before, he was the most notable quarterback, but for some reason, everyone welcomed the fact that he, who had quietly declined the captain position, suddenly changed his mind.

Terrence continued to twist his lips as if he didn’t agree, but even that was just amusing to Ian. The fact that his closest friend was a popular captain among team members couldn’t help but feel good.

However, if his friend disliked it, it would be right to stop here.

“Let’s go.”

When Ian said while opening the racket bag zipper, Terrence quickly snatched it away. And instantly organized the racket and balls instead of slow-handed Ian, then shouldered both his and Ian’s bags overlapped and started walking.

However, their side by side steps soon began to widen. Terrence looked at Ian who was ahead.

“Walk slowly.”

“The next class is starting.”

When Ian said while stamping his feet, Terrence shook his head.

“There are still other kids in the shower room.”

“You’re the only one who cares about that.”

Even though Ian was an Omega, he was also a man. Since most of the population was Beta, even among them only a very small number of Alphas would look at Ian’s secondary gender with ulterior motives, yet Terrence was firm.

Thanks to this, Ian had to go shower last every time due to Terrence’s insistence. Even the fact that the shower room had individually divided shower stalls didn’t help much.

Did this guy even know how difficult it was to wash in that short amount of time? But since Terrence also moved with Ian like that, undressing at the spot farthest from Ian’s locker and washing while maintaining distance, Ian couldn’t complain more.

He didn’t mind it himself, but Alphas must be different somehow, he thought, forcibly convincing himself that it was beneficial to move quickly.

It was truly a thought possible only because of his youth.

* * *

Time flew by like an arrow.

It would be more accurate to say that each day was incredibly busy.

Waking up when it was still dark and the sun hadn’t properly risen, hurriedly showering, and going out with his black hair still damp, Terrence would be there.

Having somehow started going to school together, they began each day exactly the same way with soft high-fives that seemed like holding hands, wearing hooded jumpers in weather where their breath formed misty clouds.

Following their timetables, they entered their respective classes, briefly met in the cafeteria during short lunch breaks to eat snacks or drink soda, then immediately headed to the next class. Everywhere, Ian was the one hurrying with quick steps, busily running after Terrence’s leisurely gait and dignified movement despite his heavy body.

Even finishing all the classes on their timetable wasn’t the end. After school, Terrence had club activities while Ian studied in the library until evening as part of their daily routine.

Especially when Terrence had a game coming up, the time both spent at school became longer. Waiting for training to end, Ian also stayed longer in the library. Time passed in an instant just reviewing classes he didn’t understand well and reading books used as class materials, and before he knew it, Terrence would be sitting in the seat next to him.

Of course, it was the same when there was no training. Their daily routine of sitting anywhere together doing homework, studying, or sometimes just chatting had completely established itself.

Especially the library. Really, how much time they spent together in the library with Terrence.

Do you know that Romeo went to a party to console his broken heart and fell in love with Juliet at first sight? Fucking Romeo, he had no principles whatsoever. So anyway. They would exchange such childish written conversations while reading Shakespeare’s tragedies for English literature class.

Not reading the assigned Macbeth but looking at Romeo and Juliet, which wasn’t related to class, and rambling silly jokes, yet it was so much fun.

Students who were almost adults, regressing like children and accepting everything from each other,  if anyone had peeked, their world of just the two of them was both absurd and solid at the same time, to the point where it would have been ridiculous.

Sometimes, even while sitting quietly, laugh would almost burst out. It seemed to be from joy at the presence of a close friend leaning against his back.

When studying or doing homework, they confirmed each other’s presence every day through the weight and warmth transmitted while leaning on each other’s shoulders or backs. You’re there, right? Yeah, I’m here. These were moments when unspoken language seemed audible.

Their shared daily life was the same outside school too.

On days with bad weather or when they were particularly hungry, sometimes for no special reason, they often went out. Going to eat simple food like burgers or tacos, or leaving the library to do homework together in cafes or watch videos and play. Very occasionally, with parental permission, they would visit each other’s homes, which sufficiently explained how close they were.

Innocence.

Ian’s high school years could be summed up in that single word.

Was it because he was born an Omega and grew up constantly protected, or because he was born and lived in a conservative country and even for studying abroad, came to a particularly conservative region among the vast land full of diverse people?

Of course, each of those small reasons must have all supported Ian’s ability to maintain his innocence, but there was a bigger reason.

That the people around Ian who loved him had always tried to protect his innocence… he learned this later, only after everything was over, through others’ words. And also the fact that among them, Terrence had truly protected him beautifully…

Just thinking about it makes his heart ache poignantly.

Terrence probably truly did his best to protect Ian’s smile.

The fact that he seemed like someone who staked his life on Ian’s return home was in the same context.

Ian’s curfew was as strict as that of younger Della and Liam, but Ian had never once broken the time limit. It was because Terrence always stepped up to keep his curfew.

It was the same when going out with Terrence. No, then there were restrictions on more than just time.

It’s still vivid. You must come in by 10 o’clock. No drinking. No smoking weird stuff either. I’ll check everything by smell. Dad trusts you both. Harrison’s voice, going through each point like that, comes back so clearly that Terrence had also heard those nagging words many times.

What Ian thought was no big deal, he must have taken differently, and thus it could always be healthy and safe outings.

So one day accumulated into a week, weeks accumulated into a month, months stacked neatly upon months, and before they knew it, the seasons had passed through winter to spring, and were even approaching summer.

Looking at the lush green leaves dancing like waves in the wind, Ian was thinking that he had now almost perfectly completed his adaptation to Lloyd Jones.

Beep! With the loud bell ending class, students poured out into the hallway in a rush.

Ian also came out of the classroom with them, stopped by his locker and put in his books.

“I put it around here somewhere…”

While searching through piled items and pulling out his sheet music book, Dylan had already approached his side and was waiting while leaning crookedly, then called Ian.

“Are you done? Shall we go?”

“Just a moment. This is about to fall.”

The Lloyd Jones football team jersey number badge attached to the cabinet door was dangling between a Seoul landscape photo and a New York postcard Dylan had given him. The magnetic force of the small magnet seemed insufficient to support the weight of the thick embroidered cloth badge.

Ian hastily cut some tape and tried to roughly attach it. But when it didn’t work well, he anxiously suggested to Dylan.

“This won’t stick well. Want to go ahead?”

Watching Ian like this, Dylan shook his head with a pathetic expression.

“Just bring another magnet tomorrow. It’s messy.”

“Should I…?”

When Ian held the badge and hesitated, Dylan snatched what was in his hand.

“This is Hunt’s jersey number. Did he give it to you?”

“Yeah…”

Terrence had given it to Ian knowing that Ian was very interested in American football. He said he got it as a spare when they made new uniforms. Originally, it was meant to be attached to accessories like workout clothes shoulders or bags.

“Hmm…”

Dylan looked at it this way and that with a strange expression, then asked with narrowed eyes. Between his fingers, Terrence’s jersey number badge was still swinging pitifully.

“Are you still going to insist you’re just friends even with this?”

“…Because we really are friends.”

When Ian felt wronged, saying what else would they be when they called each other buddy, Dylan was disgusted.

But no matter how much others misunderstood, their relationship was indeed friendship. From Ian’s perspective, there was no doubt about it.

“…Ugh, even that excuse is now so tiresome it makes me sick…”

Dylan’s expression became like someone who had drunk spoiled carrot juice.

Perhaps this was the last day Ian desperately insisted to Dylan that Terrence and he were just friends. Though he said it with a heart that cherished and treasured so preciously, after that they became a relationship too strange to call friends…

But until this point, Ian really never dreamed that such a thing would happen between them.

Dylan, who had been glancing at the flustered Ian, personally put the badge in the locker, then closed the door and said firmly.

“Do it tomorrow. Tomorrow. We’ll be late for practice.”

At those words, Ian had no choice but to obediently follow Dylan, taking his bag and sheet music and heading to the music room.

The choir was an activity Ian had newly started from the spring semester, just like tennis. Actually, this was also something Dylan had suggested as soon as he heard about the career counseling content that said he lacked group activities.

Ian belonged to the category of people who had never imagined in their lifetime that they would sing in front of others. Like introverted people typically do, Ian also tended to avoid the act of singing in front of other people.

But leaving Ian hesitating, Dylan said firmly.

‘I’m from a church choir. Just trust me and follow.’

Ian didn’t know what his being from a church choir had to do with him, but Dylan was so confident that Ian had no choice but to nod readily. Honestly, it was more that he couldn’t refuse because his friend, who was even an inch shorter than him yet bragged a bit arrogantly with his nose in the air, was cute.

Plus, perhaps having developed unexpected competitiveness, Dylan snorted at Terrence’s suggestion to play tennis doubles together and declared he would show what real group activity was.

‘And the more the better, right?’

He delivered a sharp point asking if one PE class would even make a difference, so Ian ended up trudging along with Dylan to join the choir.

But when he actually experienced it, it wasn’t as bad as he thought. Since many people sang together, there was less embarrassment, and there was a strange pleasure when buried in the harmony of 50 people singing together. It was a completely different mysterious feeling from playing violin alone.

Thanks to this, club activities were much more enjoyable than expected, and today too, his mood heading to the music room with Dylan holding sheet music was as light as his footsteps.

While crossing buildings and walking down the hallway, someone walking from the opposite direction greeted Ian.

“Ian, hi.”

It was Melanie, who sat next to Ian in history class.

“Hi, Melanie.”

“Going to club activities?”

“Yeah. You?”

“I have extra practice too with a competition coming up.”

Melanie answered while swishing her cheerleader skirt.

After finishing their light conversation and waving goodbye, when Melanie completely disappeared around the corner, Dylan, who had been quietly watching, opened his mouth.

“Come to think of it, how’s Della Bailey?”

“Ah…”

Seeing the cheerleader outfit must have reminded him of Della.

Since that day when Della warned him, Ian had never brought up stories about her first, but strangely, Dylan always seemed to know all situations.

Separate from simply being well informed about rumors, Dylan always had a side that quickly grasped surrounding situations.

When Terrence or the football team approached Ian, Dylan would always quickly clean up and avoid being with them. Had he been watching the subtle relationship between Ian, Terrence, and Della from afar? He would occasionally throw insightful words like this that surprised Ian, somehow having noticed.

Especially when Dylan once casually said ‘Della Bailey likes Terrence Hunt, you know,’ Ian was so startled he jumped.

This was exactly such a situation now.

When Ian’s eyes widened, Dylan made a strange expression. Somehow I think I know what that means. Ian’s mind became complexly mixed up. Dylan’s expression when he examined the badge Terrence had given earlier, the gaze he threw at Melanie’s cheerleader outfit, and even the strange reaction he showed when Ian explained that Terrence and he were just friends.

Ah. This was an uncomfortable face like looking at a love triangle or unseemly romantic entanglement.

But regardless of what Dylan thought, Ian’s thoughts remained unchanged. They were friends and not a relationship entangled by romantic feelings.

Hadn’t Terrence Hunt openly told him? That he would become his ‘friend.’

He didn’t really know what part of himself had stirred Terrence’s sympathy to bestow such kindness. Actually, it would be more accurate to say there were too many possibilities to know for certain. Discord with family, school life that began with humiliation from his stepsister, the sight of him standing forlornly by the edge of a dark road waiting for a car that wouldn’t come… If it were just one or two things, he might know which part Terrence pitied, but there were too many to figure out.

Anyway, both the kindness Terrence bestowed out of sympathy and truly becoming friends with him were so tearfully grateful that he didn’t want to wish for anything more from that. The harmonious friendships at Lloyd Jones now and even the PE classes he was indebted for,  all of it was what Ian had gained because of him.

This was enough, and Ian was greatly satisfied with the friendship they now shared.

Besides, hadn’t he come here not to date? Even if not Terrence, he had never once wished to have any relationship other than friendship with anyone.

Della’s advice was partly right.

‘If you came to study, just study and go.’

As she said, he had come to his father to study. He didn’t want to disappoint his mother by pouring his heart, which should be focused on studying, into other people and scattering it.

He somehow couldn’t imagine himself liking someone and dating. Maybe it was because he had always thought like his overprotective mom and dad said – that he was still young and romance was too early.

Words like romance and love were too distant a story for Ian. That’s why Della’s warning didn’t bother him at all.

Ian and Terrence were friends. That fact was firm and unchanging.

So no matter how much Della liked Terrence, Ian had nothing to worry about. Whether she confessed or not wasn’t Ian’s business as a friend, and it would be the same even if Terrence and Della dated. Even if the two became lovers, it wasn’t Ian’s place as a friend to interfere.

Because he knew his position so clearly, Ian didn’t mind Della even while hanging around with Terrence, attending classes, and going home together all this time. For him, the love Della wanted and the friendship he shared with Terrence were in completely different categories.

And actually, though he couldn’t tell Dylan, there was a specific reason why Della had quieted down.

When it seemed Ian didn’t listen to her warning at all, Della, who had been fuming for several days, became completely quiet after talking with Olivia that day.

Thinking back, that day was really strange.

It was right after last fall, when Terrence had suggested they go home together from now on. Ian requested some time from Olivia and honestly confessed.

‘You want to go home with a friend from now on?’

‘Yes.’

When Ian answered, Olivia immediately called Liam and Della to the living room without even changing out of her outing clothes. Then they sat together like a small family meeting and compared each other’s schedules.

‘Certainly. Trying to match time for all three of you might have been too much. Liam has to wait, and you two have to come back too early. The school commute time is the same… Hmm.’

Until last year there was no big problem since Della was in 8th grade, but now that there were two high school students in the house, it seemed reasonable to change the return time, she muttered. After looking back and forth at the schedules for a while, Olivia put them down on the table and turned toward Ian.

‘As you know Ian, I’m in charge of all your schedules.’

Ian quietly nodded. It was no exaggeration to say that half of Olivia’s busy movements were because of the children’s rides. She had to drive around Liam and Della, who didn’t have driver’s licenses, even after school. It was varied, Liam’s chess club, skating lessons, Della’s clarinet lessons, and sometimes she even had to drive them to friends’ houses to play.

That’s why Ian had requested to go separately. He wanted to reduce Olivia’s trouble, and since he would soon get his official license and be able to go alone anyway, it wouldn’t matter if that time was moved up a bit.

Listening to Ian’s reason, Olivia easily agreed.

‘A friend… Is that the youngest son from the Hunt family I saw a few days ago?’

‘That’s right, Mrs. Bailey.’

When Ian affirmed, Olivia looked at him with a strange expression.

‘…Call me Olivia.’

It was an unexpected suggestion completely unrelated to the current conversation context, but Ian said he would.

‘May I ask what kind of relationship you two have?’

As if worried Ian might misunderstand even after asking, Olivia unusually hurriedly continued.

‘It’s not just you, but something I do for Della and Liam too. As your guardian, I have an obligation to check who you’re with and how you’re going around. Especially since my negligent checking last time almost caused you big trouble.’

When her always cold face showed a slightly sorry expression while giving a long explanation, Ian was rather more surprised. Ian waved his hands and shook his head toward Olivia.

‘No. That happened because I didn’t properly contact you either.’

‘Thank you for understanding.’

Olivia, who gave a mechanical smile by lifting the corners of her mouth, silently stared at Ian. She was waiting for an answer to the question she had asked earlier.

Ian tried not to look at Della, who seemed to be waiting for his answer too, swallowed his saliva, and answered clearly.

‘Hunt and I are friends.’

Perhaps sensing something from Ian’s firm gaze, Olivia stared intently at Ian’s eyes for a long time before slowly nodding.

‘Alright, I understand. I’ll speak well to Harrison. Now go upstairs.’

Just as they were all about to leave after what seemed like the end of the short family meeting, Olivia cast her gaze toward Della.

‘Della stays. Mom has something to say.’

Ian doesn’t know what conversation the two had then. He only knows for certain that Della’s shouting could be heard faintly even in Ian’s room on the second floor, and that from the next day, Della, who had been noticeably jealous and hostile toward Ian, became quiet. The Della who had been giving warnings with sharp words full of resentment until the day before was nowhere to be found.

So Ian could easily answer Dylan’s question.

“…She seems fine. Della is quiet.”

“Hmm…”

The only thing that bothered him was that the next morning when Della came downstairs for school, her eyes were red and swollen. Even though surprised Ian stared at her appearance openly, Della ignored him and didn’t say a word.

“Are you sure?”

“…Probably.”

Of course, Ian wasn’t without suspicion about Della’s silence either.

He didn’t know what conversation had passed between mother and daughter, but judging from her reaction, it certainly wasn’t a good story. He had expected that the next day, or the day after that, Della would definitely secretly confront him when Olivia wasn’t around. Like the warning she had given while poking his chest last time.

But Della didn’t do that. She just treated Ian more like an invisible person than before. It was the same when they were at home.

“Of course Della looks a bit gloomy. But that’s not something I can solve…”

All the situations and the way they unfolded and got entangled weren’t for Della’s sake.

And in that regard, Ian was the same. When he came to his senses at some point and discovered he was clumsily standing on the perpetrator’s side, he was flustered, sorry, and a little wronged.

“That’s true.”

“I can’t grab someone who won’t even make eye contact with me and ask why they’re acting like this.”

The person who actually hated, got angry, and was spiteful enough to put Ian in a difficult situation was Della, not Ian.

But by now, Della was probably wrapped up in her own terrible pain, resenting Ian for deliberately putting her in a pit of grief. It seemed even Olivia had blocked her desires.

And that fact made Ian even more uncomfortable.

“…The only thing I could do was let her spend Christmas vacation comfortably without me.”

“Winter break was only 3 weeks, so I wondered why you went all the way to Korea. Was there such a situation?”

“Well. Among other things.”

Meeting mom, buying necessary things in Korea. Ian briefly added as he opened the music room door.

“Are you going this summer vacation too?”

“Probably not…”

Terrence had suggested going to see a performance together, but he wasn’t sure how it would turn out. First, he had to attend summer camp that started with the vacation, and after that he was considering participating in camps hosted by prestigious universities. Ian sat down with Dylan while thinking about the upcoming summer vacation.

The chairs gathered in a semicircle around the empty seat of the music teacher conductor were already half filled with students.

“Sigh…”

Was it because of troublesome thoughts? Feeling somehow tired, Ian sighed and leaned back against the chair. Then Dylan, who was opening his sheet music, glanced at him and said bluntly.

“Who’s worrying about whom.”

“Huh?”

“Take care of yourself. To my eyes, you look more gloomy than Della Bailey. I don’t know about usual times, but at least right now.”

He seemed to be mulling over what Ian had said about his stepsister earlier.

“Ah… I’m just a bit low on energy right now. Not because I’m depressed.”

“It looks that way. How about skipping club activities and going home? Shouldn’t you rest?”

But as Dylan made his suggestion, the door opened and the music teacher entered. Watching her greet the students while playfully waving her conductor’s baton, Ian shook his head.

“No, it’s not like I’m sick or anything. Since I decided to do it, I should do it earnestly.”

Dylan clicked his tongue saying Ian was the first person he’d met who was so tough and diligent as Ian sat up straight and opened his sheet music, but that was a compliment to Ian. It was much better than the usual evaluation that he was so gentle he was dull and soft.

“Now, shall we start with vocalization? Accompaniment, press A please. Let’s follow along. La-la-la-la-la-“

Starting vocal practice together to the piano notes, Ian recalled a certain day in Korea during vacation. He had had almost the same conversation with Song Joo-hee.

Song Joo-hee had taken Ian to a department store saying she wanted to buy new clothes for her son whom she was seeing after a long time. It was a conversation they had then.

‘Mom, I think I have a tougher and more resolute side than I thought.’

He had thought the words that made him up were only weak things like passive, quiet, soft – things that would easily be swept along by surroundings, but when the situation actually came, he acted the opposite. The fact that he could clearly answer Olivia’s question and live in the same house while watching Della cry and be upset was a little surprising even to himself.

It wasn’t that he felt comfortable, but he thought it was no longer a problem for him to be involved in. That feeling remained clearly unchanged even now.

He didn’t want to watch Della’s mood over every little thing just because he was friends with Terrence. What she wanted was probably a situation where Ian didn’t get close to Terrence at all, but it would be more accurate to say he felt no need to go that far when he wasn’t even pushing Della aside to have something with Terrence. Ian was learning for the first time that he had such a cold side.

But unlike Ian who was curious about his unexpected side, Song Joo-hee showed a triumphant face.

‘Of course, you’re my son.’

And she picked up clothes from hangers and held them against Ian’s body while pointing out casually.

‘Ian, you’re Song Joo-hee’s son. What’s my job?’

Not knowing why she suddenly asked such a thing, Ian stood in front of the mirror and stated her profession.

‘Lawyer.’

‘Right. Your mom makes a living by persuading people with these lips, arguing and getting my way.’

Do you have this in my son’s size? Song Joo-hee asked a staff member and continued.

‘Mom isn’t called a fighting hen for nothing.’

After boldly saying that in front of her son, Song Joo-hee still had a confident expression, as if she liked that such a strong and even somewhat crude expression was called her nickname.

‘Just look. Doesn’t it look sharp? Mom is naturally active and combative. This job is my calling.’

Calling. Ian agreed with that expression too. Song Joo-hee always worked happily.

‘Of course you have the completely opposite temperament from me. You were so good from when you were little. So gentle, there wasn’t a corner that wasn’t angel like. I used to think all the time how amazing it was that such a baby was born from me.’

Looking up at her son who had grown up and surpassed her height, Song Joo-hee lightly pinched Ian’s cheek with her finger. She looked like she couldn’t stand how cute her grown child was.

‘But Ian, no matter how you were born like that, you can’t not be influenced by what you see and grow up with.’

‘Ah…’

‘You grew up watching this mom your whole life. Mom struggling to make a living. Living like a knife to myself and others.’

Ian understood exactly what Song Joo-hee was saying.

‘So at crucial moments, a side like mom comes out of you too. You’re made to think and consider that way. It’s because of the environment you grew up in. You can’t ignore that, can you?’

That’s what I learned from raising a child. In front of that child, Song Joo-hee added that and bought Ian several outfits.

That conversation alone made him have no regrets about deciding to spend the short winter break in Korea.

Harrison was very sad that they couldn’t spend Christmas and New Year together, which would be Ian’s first in America, but probably everyone except him was happy about it. At least certainly one person, Della.

He couldn’t do what she wanted, but this was the consideration Ian could offer.

Whether she knew Ian had made his own friendly gesture, or whether none of it mattered anymore, fairly peaceful days had continued since then.