New Daily Life
The bell rang, signaling the end of the last class.
Simultaneously, the sound of chairs being pushed back echoed from various spots in the classroom.
"Ah, it's over."
Junho stretched and stood up from his seat.
"PC bang?"
Minseok asked while packing his bag.
"Yeah."
Junho answered immediately, and then Minseok's gaze turned to me.
"Jun, are you coming too?"
"... I'll just go home."
"Why?"
Minseok asked as if surprised.
"Well, just..."
"Why? Is there something?"
"... Nothing in particular."
"What? Then let's go together. There's nothing to do at home anyway."
"Hey."
Junho, who had been listening quietly, cut in.
"Why."
"Just the two of us."
"What? Why are you suddenly like this too."
"You eyesore."
"What eyesore?"
"Enough, come on."
"Ah, why are you dragging it out."
Junho took Minseok, who was grumbling, and left the classroom first.
"See you tomorrow."
"... Yeah."
I stared at the backs of the two guys leaving the classroom for a moment.
'Thanks.'
It seemed they had noticed my reluctance.
I didn't really feel like hanging out and chatting at the PC bang right now anyway.
I packed my bag and stood up from my seat.
Just as I was about to leave the classroom.
"Jun-ah..."
Han Yuna called from behind.
"Why."
Yuna, who was on cleaning duty this week, was looking at me without fully packing her bag.
"... Can't you wait for me?"
"Why would I wait for you."
"..."
Yuna's expression hardened for a moment.
"The cleaning will be done soon."
"So?"
"Just... let's go together."
"Hah..."
I confirmed there were no other kids around and continued.
"Why are you doing this for real."
"..."
"What's the reason for keeping doing this even though you said you didn't want to date."
Yuna just pursed her lips and avoided my gaze, saying nothing.
"... Can't we just end it cleanly?"
"..."
No answer came even after waiting for a long time.
I finally let out a short sigh.
"Alright."
"I was the idiot for expecting a response."
I adjusted my bag and headed towards the classroom door.
"See you later."
***
My mood was a bit uneasy because of the conversation just now.
'What exactly do you want?'
'Every time I think about it, it doesn't make sense.'
You say you don't want to date, but you don't want to end it either.
And when asked for a reason, you stay silent.
"Hah..."
It only made my head more complicated.
Walking through the school grounds, I was about to leave the school.
"Jun."
"...?"
A voice came right behind my ear.
I turned around in surprise.
"What?!"
"Wow, what is it!"
I jumped back in shock, and laughter erupted.
"Puff, ahahaha!"
When I turned my head, Seohee was laughing while holding her stomach.
"Hey, you crazy guy."
"Ah, sorry. Puff..."
"You really startled me."
"No, you were walking so blankly."
Seohee wiped her eyes and looked at me.
"What were you thinking so hard?"
"... Nothing much."
"Really?"
Seohee studied my face for a moment, then casually leaned next to me.
"Are you going home?"
"Yeah."
"Then let's go together."
"... Huh? Isn't your house on the other side?"
"If we take a different path, it's the same until the middle."
"Don't you think you're going out of your way for me?"
"What? I said it's the same until the middle."
Seohee took the first step.
"Come quickly."
"Got it."
I followed without saying anything.
***
After that, various trivial conversations flowed.
How the classes today were, how the lunch was, and even stories from middle school.
We walked while chatting about meaningless things for a while, and then Seohee suddenly asked.
"But what will you do after school now?"
"What do you mean."
"Just. You were always with Yuna all the time, right?"
"..."
'Now that I think about it...'
After school, I was busy with dates with Yuna.
Even on weekends, most of the time was booked.
"I haven't really thought about it."
"Really?"
"Yeah. Maybe just staying home."
"Is that all?"
"Well... I guess so."
Answering that, it finally hit me.
'Thinking about it, the time I've spent all for Yuna hasn't been much.'
It was so natural to always be with Yuna that I never thought about it.
But now that the time has come, I don't know where to start.
"It suddenly became really free."
Seohee smiled lightly at my words.
"Isn't that good?"
"What?"
"Now you can do what you want."
"What I want to do..."
I was lost in thought for a moment.
'What do I want to do.'
The moment I tried to recall, nothing came to mind.
Until now, it was what I wanted to do with Yuna rather than what I wanted to do myself.
"I don't know."
"Then try one by one."
"The problem is I don't know what to do."
"Try anything."
Seohee shrugged lightly.
"If you try, there might be something fun or not."
"..."
"How can I know what I want from the beginning."
"Right."
"Yeah. You'll know once you try."
"What about you?"
"Huh?"
"Do you have something you want to do?"
Then Seohee thought for a moment and smiled.
"Plenty."
"What?"
"First, I want to learn to cook, and I want to learn to drive."
Seohee started folding her fingers one by one.
"I want to learn photography too. Later, I want to go on solo overseas trips."
"Plenty."
"Are there more?"
"Enough. Stop."
"You asked and then why."
Seohee smiled and lowered her hand.
"You have so many things you want to do, what will you do later?"
"Later?"
"Yeah. After graduation, what to do."
"Ah."
Seohee thought for a moment and said.
"I roughly have it figured out."
"... What?"
"Helping people."
"... Unexpected."
"What?"
"I never thought you'd think that way."
"What's wrong with me."
"I thought you only thought about having fun."
"Hey."
Seohee looked at me with disbelief.
"I live seriously too, you know?"
"So you're thinking about career in that direction?"
"Yeah. Well... I haven't exactly decided yet."
Seohee thought for a moment.
"I have some interest in law too."
"Law?"
"Yeah."
"But how does helping people relate to law?"
Seohee thought for a moment and opened her mouth.
"Just knowing the law means I can help someone practically."
"Ah."
"And I'm also interested in the investigative side."
"Oh... like police?"
"Yeah. I haven't exactly decided yet, but I'm trying various things."
"But did you like that kind of thing?"
"It's not that I like it... I want to help people who are wronged."
"Wrongs?"
"Yeah."
Seohee looked ahead for a moment and said.
"If even if they say it's not them, no one believes them, it's really frustrating."
"..."
"Being able to speak on their behalf."
Seohee smiled lightly.
"I want to try doing that."
What should I say to Seohee saying that.
I guess I should say she stood out.
She usually seemed like a mischievous kid, but now she seems a bit different when talking about what she wants to do.
"Nice."
"Huh?"
"No."
I turned my gaze forward unnecessarily.
'Envious.'
When I was doing fake boyfriend for years, standing in place.
Seohee knew where she wanted to go and was slowly advancing towards it.
"Why did you suddenly stop talking."
"Just."
I thought for a moment and opened my mouth.
"I was thinking I should find something too."
"What do you want to do?"
"Yeah."
Seohee chuckled.
"I told you earlier. If you don't know, just try anything."
"Did you decide that way?"
"What?"
"What you want to do now."
"Um..."
Seohee thought for a moment and tilted her head.
"I'm a bit different though."
"What?"
"It's a secret."
Seohee lifted the corner of her mouth and smiled.
"What is it."
"I'll tell you later."
When I looked at her in disbelief, Seohee looked ahead casually.
"... Well, I guess I should try anything."
"Yeah. That's the attitude."
Seohee nodded satisfied with my words.
"If you decide what to do, leave it to me for inspection."
"Are you my mom?"
"Because I'm noona."
Seohee giggled and I shook my head in disbelief.
After walking a bit more, a fork appeared.
"I have to go this way."
"Yeah."
"Anyway."
Seohee stepped back a few steps and pointed at me.
"If you decide what to do, definitely tell me."
"Leave it to me for inspection?"
"Yeah."
"I don't like it."
"Then I'll ask first."
"... Why are you doing that."
"Because I'm noona."
"... Go on."
"Kuk, okay."
Seohee waved her hand with a smile.
"See you tomorrow."
"Yeah. See you tomorrow."
I watched Seohee slowly receding.
'... Try something...'
I kept that in my mind and turned towards home.
***
After arriving home.
I put down my bag, took a light shower, and threw myself on the bed.
"Sigh..."
At this time, I would usually be wandering somewhere with Yuna.
But now lying alone in the room, there really wasn't much to do.
I turned on my phone and scrolled meaninglessly, then suddenly remembered what Seohee said earlier.
"Just try something."
"... Yeah."
I couldn't live like this forever.
Time had come.
It wouldn't be bad to find out what I really wanted to do at this time.
I sat up on the bed and picked up my phone again.
'What should I start with.'
Staring at the search bar for a long time, one word caught my eye.
"... Part-time job?"
I wasn't particularly in a hurry for money.
But in terms of trying something new, it seemed not bad.
More than anything, it would be much better than just staring blankly at home.
"Let's try a part-time job."
I immediately installed the part-time job app.
Convenience store.
Cafe.
Restaurant.
PC bang.
"Quite a few."
One by one, I narrowed down the conditions.
Places I could go after school.
Not too far from home.
Since it's the first time, places that don't require experience.
While scrolling down the screen for a long time.
"..."
My finger stopped.
[Movie Theater Staff Recruitment]
Weekday evening shifts.
Preferable for weekend shifts.
Beginner okay.
"Movie theater..."
I read the announcement for a moment, then pressed the application button.
"Well, just trying."
After entering simple information and pressing final confirmation.
[Application completed.]
A short message popped up on the screen.
"... Done."
After about an hour.
─Uung.
The phone I threw on the bed rang briefly.
Without much thought, I checked the screen.
[You have been hired for the movie theater part-time job.]
"... What?"
I rubbed my eyes and read the message again.
"Is it really that fast?"
A bit dazed, but anyway, it was good.
"Part-time job..."
Since it's the first time in my life, I was a bit worried, but it was something I decided to try myself.
At least, since I started, a passion to do my best was born.
'I guess I can do it.'
With that thought, I lay on the bed.
......
Did I know at that time?
That the thing I started just to fill the remaining time.
Would change my daily life so much in the future.