COAC 9

Kim Chayeon, with a blank expression, abruptly held out what was in his hand. Small water droplets had formed on the surface of the water bottle, as if it had just been taken out of the refrigerator.

Do Hyeonjun took it with a bewildered face. The cold chill cooled his palm and simultaneously wet it.

“…Seo Jeong went to the school store.”

The first thought that came to mind was that this water bottle was originally meant for Seo Jeong.

“I know. I was on my way to find Jeong anyway.”

Kim Chayeon, who had tossed out the words, immediately turned around. His back, which quickly grew distant, was unhesitant, like someone who had finished his task.

“What the.”

Do Hyeonjun felt the chill of the water in his hand and belatedly thought about the expression he had made.

He placed the cold water bottle on his shoulder. The slightly lukewarm moisture seeped through his gym clothes. As his shoulder, which had felt like a ball of fire, gradually cooled down, the tension finally eased. His face was hot, as if the heat that had gathered in his shoulder had spread up his neck.

Do Hyeonjun did not move for a long time, with the water bottle on his shoulder, until Seo Jeong came.

---

It was the weekend right after the first semester midterms had ended. Do Hyeonjun was the first to arrive at the movie theater for a movie outing that had been arranged at Seo Jeong’s suggestion. He had decided to treat them to the movie as a small thank you for all the help he had received during the exam period. While waiting, he watched the baseball highlights he had missed on his phone.

Clang! At the same time a cheerful hitting sound came from the speaker, a shadow fell over his vision. When he lifted his head, Kim Chayeon was looking down at him with no change in expression.

“Oh. You’re in casual clothes.”

“What are you so surprised about. You’re wearing casual clothes too.”

Kim Chayeon answered bluntly. That was true, but it was the first time he had seen Kim Chayeon not in a school uniform. The neckline revealed under a thin t-shirt instead of the shirt he always buttoned up neatly to his neck, and the arm muscles under his rolled-up sleeves felt unfamiliar. Simple black cotton pants and white sneakers. Even his eyes, which seemed softer than usual, it was a combination that was nothing special, yet it stole his gaze.

Do Hyeonjun took off his earphones and put them in his pocket, and Kim Chayeon stood next to him without a word. They maintained a handspan of distance without even a common greeting. This awkward silence seemed to show the current state of their relationship perfectly.

He tried hard to fix his gaze on his phone, but he could not stop himself from glancing over repeatedly. It would be better if Seo Jeong came quickly. Because Seo Jeong was the only one who could break this awkward air.

But Do Hyeonjun’s wish, as always, went astray at the most crucial moment. As if it had read his mind, the cell phone in his pocket buzzed briefly. The group chat for the three of them. The sender was, of course, Seo Jeong.

Seo Jeong
Something suddenly came up at home. My cousin came out for his 100-day leave, and my family suddenly decided to have dinner together. You two go watch it. I’m really sorry ㅠㅠㅠㅠ
2:12 PM

He stared blankly at the text message, which was covered in crying emoticons, for a few seconds. Do Hyeonjun put down his phone and slowly took a breath.

Since Seo Jeong could not come, he would just go home today. If it was not the three of them, it was natural for the appointment to be canceled, and that had been their way until now.

“Did you see the message? Seo Jeong can’t come today.”

Kim Chayeon glanced at his phone screen for a moment, then pointed to the ticket machine with his eyes.

“We can get the tickets now, right?”

“Huh? Oh. …Are you going to watch the movie?”

He answered half a beat late.

Kim Chayeon tilted his head slightly and looked at Do Hyeonjun. It was such an unexpected thing to say that he could not manage his expression properly. He must look stupid.

“We’ve cleared our schedules, is there any reason not to watch it? If you have something busy, you can leave first.”

Kim Chayeon, who he had naturally assumed would refuse, showed an unexpected reaction. The guard he had painstakingly put up crumbled in vain.

“Whatever. I’ll go get the tickets.”

They headed to the very top seats along the darkened aisle. As Do Hyeonjun naturally sat in the inner seat, Kim Chayeon, as if by prior agreement, sat at the opposite end. The one empty seat between them was obviously for someone, even if it was not mentioned.

He tried to focus on the movie, but in the darkness, Kim Chayeon’s presence consumed everything. All his nerves were on edge at the low sound of breathing he heard from time to time, and the slight rustle of clothes. What on earth was this guy thinking, staying here? His mind was a mess because he could not understand the reason.

The movie ended with a calm ending original soundtrack. As the credits slowly rolled up, the audience members timed their moment to get up.

Do Hyeonjun started to get up from his seat slightly, then stopped and stared at the screen for a few seconds.

It was not that the movie’s content particularly resonated with him, but his shoulders, which had been tense the whole time, were a little stiff.

One seat over, Kim Chayeon, sitting next to him, was looking at the screen with a placid expression. He did not look like someone who was focused on the movie, but he did not look like he was daydreaming either. The credits rolled up to the very end, and a short post-credits scene came on. Only after watching the entire post-credits scene did they both get up and walk out into the hallway side by side. As they were reaching the entrance, Kim Chayeon suddenly spoke.

“If it were Jeong, he would have cried around the middle.”

Do Hyeonjun flinched upon hearing the name of the person who was familiar but not here.

“That scene. Where he reads the letter to his father. If it were Jeong, he would have been bawling.”

Do Hyeonjun recalled the scene from the movie. It was the climax of the movie where the main character, who had been suppressing his emotions, finally breaks down while reading his father’s letter.

“Seo Jeong definitely might have. Since he’s so sensitive.”

After giving a short reply, for some reason, a part of his chest felt like it had been pressed down.

“How about you?”

This time, Kim Chayeon asked Do Hyeonjun. His tone was indifferent, but his jet-black eyes dug surprisingly deep. It was the first time a question that had always been directed only at Seo Jeong was directed at him. He did not know what to say, so he swallowed his breath without realizing it.

“I don’t usually cry.”

“You seem like it.”

Kim Chayeon shifted his gaze for a moment, then quietly scanned Do Hyeonjun’s face once more.

“I could tell from when you said, ‘If you don’t like it, you get out of the way.’”

Neither the corners of his mouth nor his eyes were particularly smiling, but there was a hint of playfulness somewhere. Perhaps it was because the end of his sentence rose slightly, unlike his usual monotonous intonation.

He parted ways with Kim Chayeon right after the movie. The two did not even say goodbye. It was a day with nothing special. Seo Jeong had bailed, and he and Kim Chayeon had just watched a movie.

But on the way home, Kim Chayeon’s voice kept replaying in his head for no reason.

‘You seem like it.’

‘I could tell from when you said, ‘If you don’t like it, you get out of the way.’’

The meaningless words kept coming to mind like a thorn stuck in his heart. Because it felt like Kim Chayeon had properly seen him as a person for the first time. That single fact made his heart flutter all night. He had a restless night for no reason due to a sense of anticipation he could not understand.

On Monday morning, as soon as he entered the classroom, Seo Jeong raised one arm high and waved.

“It would have been great if we watched it together, but something came up suddenly. I’m really sorry.”

“You can’t help a family gathering. You said your cousin came out for his 100-day leave, right?”

“Yeah. He’s the cousin I’m closest to among all my relatives. Still, it’s bad manners to bail on the day of. How was the movie?”

“It was fun. I thought you would like it.”

Ah. Seo Jeong let out a disappointed sound and then rummaged through his bag.

“I’m glad it was fun. It seemed like you put a lot of thought into the ticket too. Actually, I collect movie tickets. Next time you come to my house, I’ll show you the ones I’ve collected so far.”

Seo Jeong, with an excited face, took a ticket out of his bag and waved it. It was from the movie he had watched with Kim Chayeon on Saturday. He had thought Kim Chayeon would not care about things like paper tickets, but he had insisted on getting one. So it was to give it to Seo Jeong. Only then did he understand everything.

The heart that had swelled up all night deflated in vain, like a balloon pricked by a needle. You’re really consistent, Kim Chayeon. Do Hyeonjun swallowed a bitter laugh.

*

The next few days passed without any particular incident. Kim Chayeon still hovered around Seo Jeong, and Do Hyeonjun tried to get used to the scenery of the two of them. Like that, the midterms ended, and a short while later, the grades came out.

“Isn’t it really amazing? Kim Chayeon is first in the entire school, he’s an alpha, he’s perfection itself, so why does he only hang out with Seo Jeong all the time?”

On the day the grades came out, the whispers of students from another class stuck in Do Hyeonjun’s ear. The fact that Kim Chayeon was first in the entire school was somehow both obvious and strangely new. It might sound like a given, but, so he does study after all.

“Hyeonjun, did you do well on the exam?”

“Want to see my report card?”

When he said that to the curious Seo Jeong, he asked back, “Can I see it right away?” Instead of answering, Do Hyeonjun held out his phone with the grades on it.

“Oh, you worked hard, so you did well.”

“How about you? It’s okay if you don’t want to tell me.”

“Uh… it’s not that, wait a moment.”

Seo Jeong, who had been hesitating, quietly held out his phone. He was surprised to see a string of high subject scores, and then a ‘1’ marked for his class rank.

“You’re better at studying than I thought.”

“What did you think of me to say I’m better than you thought.”

“No. Did I just waste your study time? I should have just done it alone.”

“Hey, that’s disappointing. I reviewed a lot thanks to you too. Let’s prepare hard for the June mock exam together too.”

Seo Jeong clenched his fist and shouted, “Fighting.” He once again felt that it was a relief to be desk partners with Seo Jeong.