Seeing from the Other Side
At Ji Yoon's reaction—frozen in flustered shock—Baek Isul tilted her head with hollow eyes. "What's wrong? Something happen?"
"...Isul-ah. I'm not saying this to take sides or anything?" Ji Yoon pulled out the lollipop she'd been sucking on, her usual playfulness wiped clean as she spoke cautiously with a serious face. "But I think we need to flip the whole situation around completely."
"Flip it? What do you—"
"First off, let's assume. You know nothing about Nam Siu's past, especially middle school, right?"
"Yeah."
No one among her friends had ever heard anything about Siu's past. Isul nodded readily.
"One day, you and Nam Siu go to the library on the weekend. Then this super pretty girl comes up acting like she knows him? And Siu's thrilled to see her."
"...Yeah."
Isul's brow twitched ever so slightly. It was just a hypothetical, but her stomach was already churning coldly.
"Okay, that could be fine. Even if it's some pretty girl who knows Siu's past better than you do, he's devoted to you."
Isul nodded slowly, drawn into Ji Yoon's languid voice. Right. Nam Siu's devoted to me.
"But to you, it looks like she's got ulterior motives in her eyes. Even with you right there, she's eyeing him like she'd steal him at the first chance."
"...Yeah."
Isul's voice sank cooler. Her hands under the desk slowly clenched into fists.
"That's still okay. But Siu says it's just someone he got help from in middle school, so they keep in touch. And he's grinning, texting her with you right there."
"..."
Isul didn't even respond now. A fierce glint she'd never shown on weekends flickered in her eyes.
"And you're all blunt and sharp, but this girl's sweet and overflowing with charm."
"...How much?"
"Hmm... If you two weren't dating, they'd look like a perfect match?"
Thump. Thump.
Isul's heart started pounding wildly. Her nails dug into her clenched fist. Just imagining a pretty vixen linking arms with Siu and laughing made her furious and queasy.
"So you're hurt she's still texting him, but Siu doesn't get it and keeps chatting. Why? Just 'cause they were middle school friends."
"...So."
"So what? You drag Nam Siu to draw a line with her yourself. Tell her to back off your boyfriend."
Ji Yoon tapped the desk. "Here's the issue. If you were there and Siu stepped away to the bathroom, what would that bitch have to say to flip your switch and make you swing?"
Suddenly, countless words flashed through Isul's mind.
"..."
Ji Yoon clicked her tongue shortly at Isul biting her lip in silence. "See? Even tough you would've cursed her out. So what the hell did that milder Siu hear to swing first without thinking?"
Thud—Ji Yoon's words hammered the back of Isul's head.
Siu using violence? She'd never seen it. Even when she snapped at him, he'd silently approach and yield with gentle patience.
If that Siu couldn't hold back his anger and grabbed Yoo Eunho by the collar... If he didn't even protest his innocence to her, just shut his mouth...
It wasn't Yoo Eunho insulting Siu. It was something unbearable aimed at her.
Though she hadn't told Ji Yoon, Isul's mind perfectly reversed everything after the cafe yesterday. Her raging at a hypothetical girl insulting Siu, finally swinging. And Siu looking down at her disappointedly, leaving her on the street and walking back inside coldly.
"Don't say my name right now. I don't even want to look at you."
The dagger words she'd stabbed into Siu yesterday felt like they were stabbing back into her.
What the hell did I do?
"...Haa."
A trembling breath leaked from Isul's lips. Realizing how stupid she'd been, thinking Siu had shouldered that mud alone for her sake, her heart ached fiercely.
"...It's my fault. I should've cut off contact with him from the start."
Isul mumbled into her hands covering her face. Regret for what she hadn't even considered, and guilt toward Siu, made her small shoulders tremble.
Ding-dong-daeng-dong—
The bell signaling the end of first period rang out, and just as the class erupted in chaos with kids rushing out, the back door of Class 2 creaked open cautiously.
Nam Siu, hunched small, peeked inside amid the disorder. Strawberry milk in hand.
"..."
Isul, seated, glanced at Siu hesitating at the back door, peeking at her. She needed to apologize too, but lacked the courage to face him now. Yet seeing him scared she'd push him away again—despite her abandoning him coldly yesterday—made her chest twinge.
Isul stood and strode to the back door.
Siu flinched at her sudden approach, awkwardly extending the milk. "Uh... Isul-ah. I went to the shop and just..."
Grab—
But instead of taking it, Isul gripped his hand tight.
Siu's eyes widened in surprise, but Isul wordlessly pulled him along to a deserted spot.
Finally alone, Siu spoke first, urgently. "Isul-ah. N-no, wait... I'm really sorry about yesterday."
He ruffled his hair, stammering desperately. "Swinging first was totally my fault... But she really said something punchable, no..."
Siu furrowed his brow but bit his lip. Even if misunderstood, he couldn't let those filthy words reach her ears.
"Haa... It's hard to explain why right now, but I know I shouldn't have hit him. I get you're disappointed, but I swear I won't ever again..."
Siu floundered, unable to find excuses to soothe her anger.
Isul just listened silently to his foolish rambling.
"Nam Siu."
"Huh? Y-you're... really mad...?"
Her calling his name made him tense up.
Then Isul stepped forward, arms wrapping tight around his waist.
"...!"
Siu went rigid like struck by lightning. They'd walked shoulder-to-shoulder or held hands, but her hugging him like this? First time.
Isul buried her face in his chest, her small shoulders quivering faintly.
"...Sorry."
She mumbled clutching his shirt. "For turning away coldly without even thinking."
"I-Isul-ah..."
"What did she say about me? Ha... Sorry for misunderstanding alone."
Her small voice from his embrace shook Siu's eyes wide.
Slowly lowering his wandering hands, Siu gently wrapped them around her small back, hugging her carefully and tenderly.
In their ears, only each other's heartbeats filled the space warmly, without gaps.
After clearing the misunderstanding that morning and untangling their knotted hearts, the air between Siu and Isul grew sweeter than before. Like the proverb about soil hardening after rain—made for them.
"Ah, Baek Isul. Stop stealing my snacks."
"Why? Nam Siu gives me all his."
Lunchtime, outdoor bench by the field. Park Geon grumbled at Isul plucking snacks from his bag, and she shot back, chin-jabbing at the snacks on Siu's lap.
As she said, Siu had his bag wide open toward her, chatting with Seo Juwon.
Isul dangled a stolen snack by Siu's mouth.
Crunch—
Mid-conversation, Siu grinned wide and snapped it up.
The friends watching grimaced in unison.
"Ugh, sickening. Weren't they fighting all weekend?"
"Dunno. They vanished together this morning, now they're glued like glue."
Go Dasom and Ji Yoon tsked and shook their heads, but pleased smiles crept onto their lips.
To the shop, after school—they clung hands like bonded, inseparable.
But in this sweet, peaceful routine lingered one unresolved thorn.
The looming school festival. And Yoo Eunho stubbornly insisting on coming.
"So that bastard's really coming to the festival?"
Seo Juwon poked the core while they huddled on the bench, peeling ice creams.
The mood sobered instantly.
Having heard the rough story from Isul over the weekend, the friends eyed her and Siu worriedly in turn.
"Nam Siu. You won't just punch him again if you see him? Trouble at festival's a headache. And he's not even our school."
"...Won't happen. No violence this time."
At Park Geon's scolding, Siu replied firmly, lightly clenching his fist.
But Isul's voice cut between them. "No. You guys stay out, especially you, Nam Siu."
She gripped her ice cream stick tight, staring into space with sunken eyes. "Texting Yoo Eunho... felt kinda creepy. And I didn't say, but last time I met him, I was gonna draw the line—no more contact. You jumped in suddenly, so I couldn't."
"Isul-ah..."
"So this time, I'll end it for good. You just wait."
Her bold words brought deep relieved smiles to Siu and the friends.
He couldn't tell her what happened in middle school, but her deciding to cut Eunho off herself was admirable.
"Alright. Then let's prep the festival. You memorized the recipes?"
Seo Juwon hopped down from his perch on the table, slapping Siu's back.
"Mostly? Need to review more."
"We're heading out first. Unlike you honey-suckers, we've got booth prep."
Juwon waved to the others, dragging Siu along. Ji Yoon and Isul naturally followed.
"We're swamped with props too, gotta go. Oh, Isul-ah, you too? You're promo—no real work."
"Help set up our class, peek at Class 1's."
Isul caught up quick to walking Siu and Juwon, grabbing his hem.
"What about us?"
"Those sneaky bastards. Off having fun alone."
Left behind, Park Geon, Go Dasom, and Chaerin pouted and grumbled.
But their gripes wouldn't reach the group walking far ahead.