Seventeen, and the Misunderstanding (4)
As the green of the leaves began to tint yellow, even the sweltering September heat started to ease bit by bit. Mornings brought a cool breeze brushing my face first when I opened the window, instead of hot air. On the way to school, dry leaves fell one by one, sticking to the sidewalk. Now you started seeing kids in spring-and-fall uniforms here and there. With the weather cooling, the school vibe shifted little by little too.
Midterms hit, and the constant chatter during breaks died down. Kids solving workbooks popped up all over the classroom. I had no choice but to crank up the studying too. It was easier to focus since the kids weren't swarming me for a bit, but as the difficulty ramped up, nothing stuck. Exam period cut my chats with ajusshi way down, adding its own stress. Somehow I scraped through midterms, but my scores dipped, leaving me blue.
I turned down every after-party invite and headed straight home alone early. The kids were openly bummed, slumping in disappointment, but what could I do? In this mood, I'd snap over nothing if I went. Best to dodge.
At home, I threw on comfy clothes and flopped onto the bed. After that, I just scrolled endlessly on my phone. I even shot ajusshi a message now and then about how depressed the scores had me.
Then, right around lunchtime, my phone rang. I stared blankly at the screen through a few rings before snapping to and hitting accept.
“Hello?”
“Hello?”
Our voices overlapped perfectly, and I couldn't help but laugh. The timing was hilariously spot-on, but hearing ajusshi's voice through the receiver hit different too. I hadn't smiled much lately, but my lips twitched anyway.
“You okay?”
His direct question caught me off guard, words sticking in my throat. Saying yes felt like a lie; no felt wrong too.
“Um… probably?”
The most vague answer slipped out. Even I cringed hearing it.
A beat of silence, then ajusshi's soft chuckle.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
His teasing tone loosened the tension in my shoulders. I pinched the blanket without thinking, letting out a small sigh.
“Just… feeling off. Think I bombed the exams.”
That cracked the dam. Complaints poured out—how nasty the questions were, where I got tripped up and tanked whole sections. At first, it was mumbled half-heartedly, but as I kept going, the hesitation faded. Ajusshi didn't interrupt with advice or nagging. He just listened to every whine, like giving me permission to ramble forever.
Somewhere along the way, my voice picked up energy. Pure gripes and gripes, but laughter crept in. Whining like a total baby, but why does my voice sound so perky? Ironic, sure, but I felt better. My pinching fingers relaxed; I propped my chin on the pillow, rolling around, gripping the phone tighter.
The content was all complaints, but the call lightened my heart. Ajusshi never showed annoyance, chiming in just right. I was grateful all over again.
“Ajusshi, still lunchtime?”
After venting forever, I realized time was flying.
“Yeah. About… fifteen minutes left.”
I could hear distant chatter—mostly chit-chat, not work stuff. He was right.
“What’d you have for lunch?”
Lame question, but I was curious. Wondered if he ate properly, and yeah, wanted to keep talking.
“Cafeteria. Fried rice today.”
“Fried rice sounds good~ Tasty?”
Never been to his office, so I pictured it. Probably beats school lunch, right?
“Not bad. Decent.”
His voice had a smile in it. School-food level or better? Big corp cafeteria—quality guaranteed, I bet.
“…Still not as good as yours, though.”
I was lost imagining mystery company food when he whispered that. So quiet I barely caught it.
“Huh? What was that?”
I lifted my chin from the pillow, pressing the phone closer.
“Oh, nothing… forget it.”
He brushed it off quick. Curiosity nagged, but I let it go. Distant voices mixed in sometimes—maybe to a coworker. Happens at offices.
We kept chatting way longer than expected. Exams wrapped up; talk shifted to unnie naturally. He said they kept things casual—calls, occasional meets, no dates or dinners. No spark despite meetings; felt like no fate. Conversations stuck to family vibes, suspicions, that stuff.
“You didn’t tell her I figured it out, right?”
Guilt made it spill first.
“Nah.”
Firm answer. Relief hit.
Unnie knowing I knew would make things awkward, her watching me.
“But hey.”
“Yeah? What?”
His tone shifted; I tilted my head instinctively. Spill if curious—why now?
“Seoyeong said you got a boyfriend?”
“Eek?”
Weird squeak escaped. I bolted up, leg snagged the blanket, crashed back down.
She told ajusshi? Bragging about nothing? Spreading fake news would bite later.
Brain scrambled; then a small laugh from his end.
“Knew it. Figured you’d have one.”
Teasing lilt. For real or messing? No clue.
“So, who is he? School friend?”
Should be choking on shock, but nope—just absurd. His genuine curiosity left me stumped.
“…What all did unnie tell you?”
Sigh slipped out.
First, facts.
“Uh… you’ve been on the phone with a guy a lot lately. Looked super happy every time. That kinda thing?”
“Sigh…”
Full-on exhale now. Totally that. Feared worse, but nah.
“Wanna know who?”
I probed carefully. Silence, like pondering.
“Well… no if you don’t wanna say.”
He paused, breath steadying, then cautious: “But it’s you, so… yeah, kinda curious.”
Not joking—real interest dripped from his voice.
“It’s you, ajusshi.”
Just said it. No point hiding nothing. Clear it up quick.
His end went dead silent.
“…What?”
Lower than before.
“Told you, it’s you.”
I kicked the blanket off my toes. “When would I meet some guy? Summer break was all wandering with you, and calls? Family and you—that’s it.”
Room went quiet. His side too—no sound. Checked—call still on.
“Why so quiet?”
Cracked first. Expected a joke, but silence dragged.
Then a soft sigh from his end. Finally:
“…Maybe we shouldn’t meet anymore?”
Ah, why again!