Sunny and Jamsil
Clack. Clack.
I wonder how many times I’ve ridden Line 2 by now.
And how many more times I’ll board this perfectly circular route in the future.
Just like this train racing along the same repeating tracks, maybe our days will flow in patterns that look a little more alike each time.
Even so, if Yuri is beside me,
this journey will always feel as thrilling as the very first ride.
“Sunny, thank you. For coming outside with me like this.”
“Fufu, it’s because I’m with Noah. And… the other weather sides want to spend high school with you too. In return, though!”
Sudden extra weight pressed against my arm. The soft, warm touch sank a little deeper.
Our faces were already close enough. This distance—where I could clearly see her red eyes—was perfect. Any closer and we’d be touching.
Probably tastes like lemon… No, she said she ate peach candy before we left.
“No~ah~”
Poke. Poke.
Sunny prodded my cheek with a look that demanded my full attention.
“Someone’s talking to you~ How can you just stare like that all of a sudden!”
“Sorry. Where were we? I caught the ‘in return’ part.”
“This is the only time~ I was asking you to look at me more! The subway’s crowded. Even the sunny-day me gets a little nervous.”
“Then we can’t have that. Cling even tighter. So the only thing in Yuri’s view is me.”
“It’s already so packed I can only see the hair of the person next to us?”
“Don’t make me jealous. You shouldn’t be able to see anything at all.”
Sunny laughed, clearly delighted, then pressed her face fully against my shoulder as if docking there.
“Huaam… This is reassuring. Not too hard, and the height is just right.”
“Childhood friends are supposed to match in all the little things~”
For a moment the subway wind and the murmur of passengers seemed to drift far away. Golden hair brushed my cheek, carrying a faint citrus scent I couldn’t resist. I slowly rested my head against her blonde locks.
She tilted her head toward me too, close enough that our cheeks nearly touched, and whispered, “Heavy~”
“That’s cold. I thought this was the part where you say something sweet.”
“Fufu. Even I get embarrassed, Noah.”
We both chuckled softly and watched the scenery slide past the window in slow motion.
Soon the familiar melody of traditional Korean music flowed from the speakers, followed by the announcement.
This is Jamsil. Jamsil Station.
Beyond the glass, our reflection appeared.
Inside the quiet Sunday-morning subway car, the two of us sitting side by side were projected onto the window like a single frozen scene.
Eyes gazing at each other.
Shoulders lightly touching.
Soft, overlapping smiles.
We were just kids the first time we rode Line 2.
Only our heads had reached the window then. We’d been too busy waving at each other with bright, innocent grins. Those dear old days.
Back in elementary school you used to cling to my arm without thinking twice. It felt so natural I simply accepted it as normal.
And now, continuing from that time, we’re third-year middle-schoolers.
“…Pretty.”
“…..!”
Your hand is carefully laced around my arm, your hair brushes my shoulder, and the smiles reflected in our eyes overlap into one.
…Ah, it’s beautiful.
Truly, impossibly beautiful.
The two of us in this window right now.
The ‘you’ of this moment.
I didn’t know back then.
That you would be sitting in the seat beside me.
But now I can say it with certainty.
Because this seat is yours, because this moment is yours—I’m the luckiest person in the world.
“Noah.”
“Yeah…?”
“I… no, we. We’ll work really hard. I’ll definitely get better. So… next year, the us reflected in that window can be wearing the same school uniform!”
I couldn’t speak for a second.
She had said something so unbearably lovely. I needed to answer, but the words wouldn’t come. Because the Yuri who could say something like that was so admirable, so incredibly proud-worthy.
In the end I simply squeezed her hand a little tighter.
“Shall we get off, Yuri?”
“Yes! Take good care of me today too, Noah?”
“That’s my line.”
Together we stepped through the open subway doors at the same moment.
There’s a reason we came to Jamsil together on a Sunday morning.
The psychiatric clinic where Yuri once received treatment is in a hospital here.
After she talked with me that day, she made this appointment.
From my point of view it feels like a date outside the neighborhood, which makes it even better!
Just walking through the streets of Jamsil while holding her hand filled me with gratitude.
“Hm? Yuri, did something get stuck on your shoe?”
“No, no. It’s just…”
I followed her gaze and saw Lotte World’s outdoor attractions.
People starting their morning with refreshing screams on the roller coaster.
People slicing through crisp wind on the Gyro Drop.
Sunny seemed utterly captivated by the lively atmosphere of the amusement park.
“Want to go after the hospital?”
“…No. If we went now I’d definitely have at least one panic attack.”
Yuri tugged my sleeve, urging us to keep walking.
“Amusement parks are basically a cheat code. Once I overcome my social anxiety, let’s go then!”
“…All right. We’ve got plenty of time. When that day comes, I’ll treat you to snacks, uniforms—anything you want.”
“The second one sounds like what Noah wants to see most.”
“Ahem. Isn’t it almost time for our appointment? Shall we hurry~”
“Hehe, Noah, Noah.”
“What?”
She suddenly waved her hand up and down, signaling me to lower my posture. I obliged, and she rose onto her tiptoes to whisper something outrageous.
“Even though the original personality threw it away ages ago… the cheerleader outfit she ordered is still hanging in the closet ♡”
“Pardon…?”
“The one that makes Noah lose his mind—the one that shows the midriff!”
I nearly choked. Seriously.
At the same time my heartbeat spiked and the yellow mutt inside me started drooling again.
Cosplay skin-tight pure-love dense-cheering YES departure!!
Hey, don’t phrase it like some cheap pervert. Stay down. Calm yourself.
I somehow slipped a leash on the yellow one and delivered a kick to subdue him.
“Noah… are you okay? Your breathing suddenly got really rough and it startled me!”
“Whose fault do you think this is… Why on earth do you even own something like that?”
“Didn’t you know? The original personality and Foggy both have a cosplay hobby—”
Sunny abruptly cut herself off.
She shook her head with a bright smile.
“The main body is protesting wildly inside, so that’s all! Let’s go to the hospital, Noah! It’s really almost time~”
“Hey! Don’t just run off by yourself… You really are a handful!”
In the end we jogged all the way to the hospital entrance.
Even then, the hands we held never once let go.
When we reached the hospital front desk, the receptionist greeted us with a kind smile.
“Welcome. Do you have an appointment?”
“Yes. It’s for Seo Yuri. She’s fifteen.”
“One moment… Seo Yuri… Huh?”
The woman glanced back and forth between her monitor and me, wearing an expression of pure cognitive dissonance.
“Pardon me, but compared to the records… you’ve grown (?) quite… a lot?”
Oh no. She’s mistaking me for Yuri, isn’t she?
“No, no, no. You’re reading too much into it. Yuri is this friend right here.”
I gently pushed Sunny, who had been glued to my back, forward. Only after she gave a small nod and greeting did the receptionist snap out of it.
“S-sorry! It’s my first day, so I got nervous and made a silly mistake…!”
“Hik…”
“It’s all right. These people are here to help you.”
Even though she had prepared herself, stepping into reality brought the tension crashing down. I patted Sunny’s shrinking shoulders.
There was nothing to worry about.
I had come all this way today precisely to help her.
I stroked her bangs and took over the conversation.
“As you can see, her social anxiety is quite severe. That’s why I’m here as her helper.”
“I see… May I ask what your relationship is?”
I could have simply said we were friends.
But the yellow mutt who had been knocked unconscious by my earlier kick woke up panting.
Say you’re lovers! You can even say life partner! She’d love it!
It was a dangerously sweet temptation.
Even if I followed his suggestion, Yuri wouldn’t be able to respond. She’d probably just get excited and poke my side.
I wanted to see that expression.
I wanted to say it.
I wanted to be called that.
But… I held back.
We’re ‘still’ friends. Yes, still.
I want to take things one step at a time.
So for now I’ll settle for this much honesty.
I wrapped my arm around Yuri’s shoulder as she tried to hide and looked at the receptionist.
“We’re childhood friends who met in kindergarten—the most precious person to each other.”
We were simply sitting in the waiting area; there should have been no reason to be nervous.
Yet Yuri sat beside me, speechless, body trembling.
“Yuri, it’s okay. Just breathe slowly…”
“Who do you think is making me like this!!”
Sunny couldn’t hold back anymore and stretched my cheeks with both hands.
It would have been better if she used her hands, but true to her dog-like nature she bit down, and it hurt more than expected.
“Are you insane? Who answers a relationship question like that!”
“Even so, I can’t just say ‘a few times a week’ like that…”
“If you said that they’d think you were the one with the worse mental illness and admit you on the spot!”
“I get it, so let go… Oof. That really hurt.”
When I rubbed my freed cheeks, Yuri let out a huge sigh and crossed her legs.
“Huu… How did I end up stuck with a guy like this…”
“You sound like the rainy-day personality right now.”
“Hmph. Whatever.”
Sunny turned her face away. The way she stuck her lips out made it obvious she was sulking.
Seo Yuri, please proceed to consultation room 2.
“Looks like it’s our turn.”
“Hmph, hmph!”
She was fully sulking.
Even so, she still held her hand out for me to escort her.
As expected, she’s adorable.