Grace Period
White scenery streamed endlessly past the car window.
Snow-blanketed mountains and roads, and the bus racing over them.
Inside, adults and children alike looked bright with excitement.
The last weekend before spring arrived.
The bus bound for the ski resort rang with laughter that never quite died away.
“A-yeong, are you okay?”
“Huh…? Yeah.”
Lim Se-yeong asked from the seat behind, tilting his head.
I glanced over for a second, then turned back to the window.
“…Not bad.”
I answered shortly. My voice came out a little dry.
Se-yeong watched me a moment longer, then let it drop. Instead he smiled lightly and said,
“Weather’s nice today. Just the right kind of chill.”
“…Yeah.”
A formal reply. Awkward air settled between us.
I stared out the window and sank into thought. What was going to happen to me from here on…
Some time must have passed when laughter suddenly rose from the back of the bus.
“Hey, if you wipe out I’m totally filming it.”
“Go ahead and film. You’ll be the one rolling first.”
Kim Hui-yeong. That bright voice of hers—light, warm, and completely free of thought.
I turned without meaning to.
Hui-yeong was laughing. And right beside her, Se-yeong was laughing too.
“…”
My gaze snagged. The two of them were smiling and bantering so naturally it felt like a completely different world from the one I had been living in yesterday.
Sensing my eyes, Hui-yeong twisted around to look at me.
“A-yeong. Who do you think’s going down first?”
“Obviously Hui-yeong, right?”
“No way. Se-yeong’s going to wipe out first.”
“Hey, why me?”
Se-yeong’s incredulous face made Hui-yeong giggle.
“You’re terrible at PE.”
“That was ball sports. Skiing’s different.”
“Nice excuse~”
They bickered back and forth.
I watched them for a beat, then opened my mouth a half-second late.
“…You’ll both eat snow at least once.”
“Huh? A-yeong’s flexing her athletic skills and looking down on us?”
Hui-yeong laughed as she shot back.
“Then I’m the one holding the camera.”
“Hey! You’re going down first, I swear!”
The two of them laughed again—light, effortless conversation.
“…”
I just sat there watching.
Until yesterday I had been inside that circle.
No—I was supposed to still be inside it.
But now…
I felt strangely one step removed.
…Why does this feel so awkward.
They were familiar faces. It should have felt comfortable.
My eyes drifted toward Se-yeong of their own accord.
He was smiling. Just like before, as if nothing were wrong.
…Was that the kind of face he always made.
It was nothing like the voice I had heard yesterday.
No roughness, no pressure, no breath close enough to touch my skin.
“…”
Something hollow opened in my chest.
What is this…
It was strange. I should have felt at ease, yet I only felt more stifled.
I turned back to the window.
A pure white expanse. Snow glittering.
But what rose in my mind was…
an entirely different scene.
Body heat pressing close.
Breath brushing my ear.
A distance I could not escape.
“…….”
My hands clenched without thinking.
“A-yeong?”
“…Huh?”
“What’s wrong? Your face looks weird.”
Hui-yeong asked. I shook my head at once.
“Nothing. Just… a little carsick.”
“Oh, for real? Did you take medicine?”
“I’m fine. It’ll pass.”
I brushed it off.
Hui-yeong gave me a worried look for a second, then turned away again and slipped right back into conversation with Se-yeong.
“…”
I watched them once more.
They were close.
Too naturally close.
…Were they always like that.
I dug through old memories—laughing and talking together in high school.
Those scenes had definitely existed, so why did they feel so foreign now?
I looked out the window again, caught in a strange, unsettled feeling.
Choi Deok-hun… Lim Se-yeong… and any other men I might end up meeting…
Lost in those thoughts, I rode on toward the ski resort.
“We’ve got day tickets, so we just have to be out before evening.”
“Must be because it’s the last weekend of February—there are so many people.”
In the middle of the bustling crowd we stood near the lifts.
“Se-yeong, the absolute beginner course should be fine for you.”
“We’re going together, Hui-yeong. Don’t pretend you’re good and then start screaming for help at the top.”
They were still bickering. Despite the words, both of them looked thoroughly awkward in their gear.
This body adapts fast even to this.
Compared to them, I had already slipped into my skis with easy competence and was gliding around the flat area.
Hui-yeong, still mid-argument, turned to look at me.
“A-yeong, you can handle beginner to intermediate.”
“Ah… yeah.”
“We’ll go warm up on the absolute beginner run.”
With that they headed for the gentlest slope.
I watched their backs for a moment.
“…”
They walked side by side.
Laughing lightly, steadying each other, laughing again over nothing.
…Were they always that close.
I knew the relationship, yet right now it snagged strangely in my eyes.
I turned away.
“…I should get going too.”
I muttered it almost to myself.
At the fork between beginner and intermediate, I naturally took the intermediate course.
The sensation of sliding over snow.
Cold, soft, light.
…The body really is comfortable.
I kept my balance, controlled my speed, followed the run down.
My body moved on its own without any need to think.
Once, twice.
After a few runs my breathing roughened a little.
My body warmed.
“…Haa.”
I exhaled.
Cold air sank deep into my lungs.
Then…
someone shot past behind me.
Whoosh—
Close range.
My body locked up for an instant.
“…!”
It was nothing.
Just another skier brushing by.
Yet my heart pounded strangely.
…Why am I like this.
I bit down lightly and shook my head, resetting my stance.
This time I pushed a little faster.
Wind skimmed my face.
The higher the speed, the clearer the images in my head became.
Hands gripping roughly.
Presence approaching from behind.
Body heat pressing close.
“…Ha…”
My breath hitched faintly.
I cut my speed hard and stopped on the snow.
No…
I didn’t need to think about that here.
It was already over.
“…It’s over.”
I muttered it under my breath.
I came down quickly and claimed a table at the restaurant we had agreed on.
Lunch hour was approaching; more and more people were streaming in.
A short while later, inside the restaurant.
Warm air mixed with the smell of food.
Crowds, laughter rising from every direction.
“A-yeong!”
Hui-yeong waved.
“Over here!”
Se-yeong came with her.
They walked over and dropped into the empty seats.
“Dude, you were actually really good.”
“I saw you coming down from higher up and nearly had a heart attack.”
At Hui-yeong’s words Se-yeong nodded too.
“Yeah, way more stable than I expected.”
“…I’ve just done it a little before.”
I answered shortly.
“We thought we were actually going to die.”
“Hey, you were worse.”
“Don’t drag me down with you when you fall!”
They laughed again.
“…”
I quietly looked down at the menu.
“What do you want?”
“Anything…”
“‘Anything’ again?”
Hui-yeong laughed as she said it.
I pointed at something at random.
“This.”
“Okay. Se-yeong?”
“Same for me.”
They settled the order naturally.
I just watched from the side.
A little later the food arrived and the three of us started eating.
“Hey, but earlier your face was seriously—”
“Just stop.”
“No, it was actually hilarious.”
They laughed and chattered again—light, as if nothing were wrong.
I held my chopsticks, then paused.
…I feel like I’m the only weird one.
We were sitting together, eating together…
yet I felt strangely adrift.
Then—
Vrrr—
My phone buzzed in my pocket.
I slipped it out for a glance and froze.
Choi Deok-hun
“…”
In that instant every sound receded.
Laughter, the clink of dishes, the voices of other people…
all of it blurred.
Vrrr—
Vrrr—
It kept ringing.
My hand trembled faintly.
“A-yeong?”
Hui-yeong’s voice.
“…Huh?”
“Aren’t you going to answer?”
I stared at the screen a moment longer, then slowly slid the phone back into my pocket.
“…I’ll get it later.”
I said it shortly.
“…Okay?”
Hui-yeong let it go without suspicion.
Se-yeong simply nodded too.
But I knew.
This was not a call I could just ignore.
I lowered my head.
My grip on the chopsticks tightened.
The smell of food rose, yet I felt no hunger at all.
Vrrr—
The vibration came once more.
“Sorry, guys. Looks like something urgent. I need to take this.”
“Sure.”
I headed for a quiet corner out of their line of sight.
When I checked the phone, a single message was waiting.
“Kh…”
With trembling fingers I called Choi Deok-hun.
The ringtone sounded a few times.
“You’re late. You’re supposed to pick up right away.”
“…What is it.”
I kept my voice as tightly controlled as I could.
“Business? Nothing much.”
Choi Deok-hun gave a short laugh.
“Just checking if you’re having fun.”
My fingertips trembled finely.
“Ski resort, right?”
“…Yes.”
“Having a good time?”
Words stuck in my throat for a second.
“Of course you are. Out playing with the young ones, laughing and chatting.”
I couldn’t say anything.
“But you know.”
His voice dropped just a little.
“Shouldn’t you be playing with me too?”
“What are you talking about.”
Choi Deok-hun spoke with a low chuckle.
“Saturday you got to play with the kids, so Sunday’s turn for Uncle, isn’t it?”
“…”
The words wouldn’t come out right away.
“…Don’t joke around.”
When I finally managed to speak, his voice dropped even lower.
“Joke?”
A short laugh.
“Do I look like I’m joking?”
“…”
My hand clenched harder.
“So we keep going.”
“…Please stop now.”
“Why. You don’t like it?”
The answer jammed in my throat.
I didn’t. Of course I was supposed to hate it.
And yet…
my mouth wouldn’t open.
“I’m outside right now.”
In the end that was all I could say.
“I know.”
The reply came instantly.
“That’s what makes it better. You’re sitting there eating with your friends, laughing and talking.”
A chill ran down the back of my neck.
“And in the middle of that you’re having this conversation with me. Pretty fun, isn’t it?”
“…I told you to stop.”
“Fine, fine.”
He paused briefly.
“Then I’ll keep it simple. Come to the house tomorrow.”
My breath stopped.
“Don’t even think about running.”
“…Tomorrow I—”
The moment I tried to speak he cut me off with absolute certainty.
“You’ll come.”
“If you don’t, you’re the one who ends up in trouble.”
My hand shook harder. A breath slipped out.
“I haven’t heard an answer yet.”
A short silence.
“…I’ll go.”
A satisfied voice came through.
“Good. You really do listen well.”
“…I’m hanging up.”
“Sure. Go finish your meal.”
Click—
The call ended.
I stood there for a long moment. The phone in my hand trembled faintly.
…Why.
I clenched my teeth.
Why did I answer like that.
I should have said no. I should have hung up.
But the words I had just heard kept circling.
I shook my head hard.
“…No.”
I walked back toward the restaurant.
“You’re back?”
Hui-yeong asked.
“…Yeah.”
I sat down and picked up my chopsticks. But my hands were shaking worse than before.