Summer's End, No Regrets
A few days later, toward the tail end of vacation, inside the neighborhood burger joint where the AC was cranking at full blast. The table of the seven friends—who'd banded together on one flimsy excuse or another—was a chaotic mess of french fries and cola cups.
"Hey, Nam Siu. What's up with your outfits lately? You're actually dressing halfway decent for once. I could've sworn you didn't buy any summer clothes..."
Seo Juwon, slurping his cola, eyed Nam Siu up and down—the clean shirt Baek Isul had picked out for him—his brows furrowing.
Park Geon chimed in too, mouth stuffed full of burger as he mumbled his agreement. "Tell me about it. The guy who always rocked the same old short-sleeve tees."
Juwon's sharp gaze slid past the frozen Siu to Baek Isul beside him, fiddling with her phone. Her bobbed hair tucked lightly behind her ear revealed a pale wrist—and there, something they'd never seen in years: a thin, sparkling blue bracelet.
"Baek Isul, you never wear stuff like that. What's with the bracelet?"
"Kek!"
Siu choked like he'd swallowed wrong at Juwon's pointed jab. Meanwhile, Ji Yoon—deep in her mobile game at the table's edge—paused her thumbs, a sly smirk tugging at her lips.
"..."
As Siu's eyes widened in panic, Isul finally looked up from her phone. Propping her chin, she swept her gaze over Juwon and Geon coolly. "So, what're you trying to say?"
"Nah, it's not like I have something specific to say. Just... you two seem kinda different lately."
Disarmed by her bold attitude, Juwon shrugged it off casually and backed down.
"N-no, it's not that! Nothing's different! The clothes? I just picked 'em out myself, what's the big deal..."
"Can't blame 'em for noticing."
Isul cut into Siu's frantic excuses. She took a sip of cola through her straw, her bob swaying as she locked eyes squarely with Juwon. "We're dating."
"..."
"..."
In that instant, silence blanketed their noisy corner table. Siu beside her had gone pale as a ghost, and even Dasom and Chaerin—who'd been chattering away—turned to stare.
"Kek, cough...! W-what'd you say?"
Juwon recovered first, coughing from his own shock, his eyes bulging as they fixed on Siu.
"No way, for real?! Baek Isul! Since when?!"
"Insane. Did Nam Siu confess?!"
Dasom and Chaerin lunged forward over the table, crowding Isul from both sides with questions. Soon, the hyped-up Juwon and Geon grabbed Siu's arms and yanked him to his feet.
"H-hey? Guys, w-wait a sec...!"
"We'll borrow him for a quick chat."
With cold smirks, Juwon and Geon hauled the protesting Siu away.
"Dude, what the hell happened? Spill—how'd it come to this all of a sudden? No, wait—when did it start?"
The bathroom door had barely clicked shut before Juwon crossed his arms and unleashed a barrage of questions. Geon blocked the door like a wall, hemming Siu in. Under the relentless grilling, Siu had no choice but to confess every detail.
"Damn... you're the real deal. A pure-hearted lover straight out of some rare rom-com."
Geon whistled in admiration after hearing the full story.
"That's why you two've been ditching us with lame excuses lately? Sneaking off alone."
Juwon tsked in disbelief, shaking his head at Siu.
"Haha... sorry. Felt like Isul wouldn't wanna go public yet, so I kept quiet too."
Siu scratched the back of his head, grinning sheepishly. Juwon's playful glint faded into something more serious as he studied him.
"...Kinda feels like jinxing a fresh couple, but dating Isul won't be easy."
Siu nodded quietly at the sudden gravity in his tone.
"More guys are into her than you'd think. We can't always be around to watch out, and plus, back in the day—"
"Hey, hey. No need to dredge up old crap. Just date her right, yeah?"
Geon cut Juwon off before he could continue.
"Fair enough. You'll handle it fine, punk. Might as well make it pretty while you're at it."
Juwon agreed with a quick laugh, shattering the tension as he clapped Siu's shoulder. The mood lightened instantly; Geon piled on, locking Siu in a thick-armed headlock amid their rowdy laughs. The cramped bathroom filled with the boys' cheerful racket.
The trio returned from the bathroom amid the chaos.
"No, c'mon—details! Spill more!"
"So you confessed while grabbing ice cream? Epic..."
Dasom and Chaerin's frenzy had left Isul dazed at the table, waiting.
"Nam Siu! You tell us!"
The friends' teasing barrage turned boisterous. In the whirlwind, Siu and Isul's relationship became official.
That evening, as the midday summer scorch faded and cool night breezes stirred the playground. Siu and Isul sat side by side on swings, devouring ice cream to cool off the day's heat.
"Haa... Thought I was gonna die back there. Gotta hand it to those guys—they're exhausting."
Siu grumbled, rubbing his throbbing neck. Isul, on the next swing, tapped the ground with her toes and let out a soft chuckle.
Drained from the afternoon grill, but now alone under the night sky, they could finally breathe. The swings creaked rhythmically—creak, crick—mingled with the first cicada chirps signaling summer's close.
Siu inhaled the freshening breeze, gazing at the black sky with a wistful murmur. "Man... vacation's already almost over."
It felt like mere days since the valley trip, yet the calendar showed their brief summer break hurtling toward its end. Isul stared blankly ahead at his sigh. "Why state the obvious? We've had plenty of fun. Valley, shopping, hanging with the crew."
"Yeah... but school's gonna mean early mornings every day, stuck inside..."
As Siu deflated, Isul halted her swing and turned to stare. Under the streetlamp's orange glow, her bob fluttered in the wind, the bracelet on her wrist glinting faintly.
"...You'll see me every day."
Her low voice froze Siu mid-swing. With a smirk, she tugged his swing's chain closer. "School means seeing me daily. That bad?"
"N-no! Love that!"
Siu beamed. "Then let's commute together mornings. Same route anyway."
"S-sure? I'll wait at my apartment gate then."
"Nah. What's the point if you have to rush out early? Meet halfway. I'll come to you."
Isul huffed in protest, but Siu shook his head firmly. "No. It's on my way anyway—makes sense."
"If we're going together, we leave at the same time and meet midway."
"That way, you can sleep in a bit longer."
"...!"
Isul's lips pressed thin at his thoughtfulness. The old Siu would've caved instantly; now he voiced his mind, shy but steadfast. Defeated by his stubbornness, she turned away with a mumble. "...Do whatever."
Under the lamplight, she avoided his eyes. Siu rose carefully from his swing, stepping right in front of hers—a single pace away. As he approached, she looked up. His gaze lingered on the blue bracelet gleaming softly on her pale wrist. Seeing her wear his gift all day hit him anew.
"Isul."
"What."
"I don't regret school starting anymore. Not one bit."
"What're you on about? You were just whining about hating it."
"Yeah, but hearing you... we'll see each other every day. Mornings walking in, breaks, lunch."
Siu gently overlaid his hand atop hers on the chain. She stiffened with a twitch but didn't pull away.
"Wish school started tomorrow."
Isul's eyes quivered faintly. Then she huffed a disbelieving laugh. "Jeez... Nam Siu. So simple."
Releasing the chain, she slipped her fingers between his, interlocking them snugly. Soft yet firm. A bright smile bloomed on Siu's face.
"Ice cream's gone. Let's head out."
Isul led him by the hand from the playground. For Siu, staring at their clasped grip, any lingering vacation regrets had vanished long ago.