Field Trip to the Scene
I stepped out onto the stairs a little away from the group, following her without a word.
If it had been anyone else, I would have told them to say what they had to say right there. But... the feeling that something bad would happen if I didn't follow made me tag along.
I checked around to make sure no one was nearby, then started speaking to me.
"...First, do you know my name?"
"I know, it's Jeong Sua."
I hadn't talked to her much, but since Sia had been close with her since the start of first year, I at least knew the name.
"Yeah... I knew."
"Since she's Sia's friend. I know."
"It wasn't about that at first... The thing I came to say is that I had a hard time last time we went to play."
"...Why?"
I was confused by the sudden word. I'd been thinking I was probably wearing something I couldn't move in.
"You probably know too. The guys hanging around Sia... they were all ignoring you, right?"
"......"
"Of course, from a third party's perspective it's rude, but still... even if you don't think you suit Sia, just make yourself look good. That's what I'm asking."
"Got it."
"...Yeah. To be honest, that's why I said it."
Jeong Sua turned around after that, but I didn't leave right away. I wandered the hallway with something heavy in my chest for a while.
It wasn't that I was upset by her words.
This feeling... I guess it wasn't directed at Jeong Sua. It was directed at me.
Up until now I'd just quietly accepted everything Sia did for me.
Even though I paid for the money, Sia was the one who actually made the effort.
Of course Sia wanted to do it... but if she liked it when I changed, maybe I should have done something myself instead of letting her.
Something was weighing on my heart.
It felt like Sia was worrying for no reason because of me.
So... this time, from now on, it was my turn to show her.
How much I could do for Sia.
"The next ten days..."
Ten days until the field trip.
So... I had to prepare properly in that time.
Time flew by quickly.
There were ten days, but... because I spent a lot of time studying with Sia or staying by her side, I didn't have enough personal time to prepare.
But I didn't give up and prepared right until the end.
And so the day of the field trip arrived.
We were supposed to meet at the subway station, but today we were going separately, Sia and me.
That was more than enough to surprise her.
I got up early, washed my hair, dried it, and slowly started getting ready.
And I wore the clothes I'd set out the day before.
Maybe I should say it was lucky that my height had grown a little over summer break so I could get new clothes this time.
Of course, I did it all by myself.
I didn't know clothes well, but with the help of the internet and my mom, I somehow finished it.
After Chuseok had passed, it had gotten a bit chilly, so getting ready was a bit of a hassle.
After wearing the clothes and doing my final check, I headed to the meeting spot.
I don't know how many times I checked on the way because of the anxiety.
When I arrived at the meeting spot, I found the girls gathered there.
We still had about ten minutes until the time, but they were already all there. I ran over and spoke to them.
"Sorry, I was a little late."
"No, it's not like... ten minutes yet..."
"Huh...?"
But everyone’s reaction wasn’t what I expected.
Jeong Sua was just staring at me quietly.
I thought maybe this wasn’t right, but... since Sia wasn’t at the seat, I was a little relieved.
It mattered more that Sia saw me than that others did.
"Where’s Sia?"
"Ah... Sia went to the convenience store for a bit..."
"I see."
At that moment, as they say, the tiger also spoke.
"Ah! Siwoo’s here!"
Sia had come.
"Hi."
But since I was facing away from Sia, when I turned around to greet her,
"......"
Sia froze right there.
The moment I thought that seeing my appearance was the first time Sia reacted like this, it failed.
WOOAHH!
Sia ran straight into my arms.
"Sia-ya?!"
"......"
Even though she hadn’t moved when I called her name, Sia suddenly turned her head sideways.
"...Mine."
She started meowing like a cat at the girls who were sitting together with us.
"Sia-ya...?"
Even though Sia had been subtly flirty, I was surprised because I hadn’t done anything this obvious before.
"...I understand your heart a hundred times."
"I thought I wasn’t dense, but I was."
"......"
With the three people right next to me acting like this, it was a success at least.
"Sia-ya... can you let go now? My waist is starting to hurt..."
The problem was that Sia was holding me too tightly.
If I pushed a little harder here, my waist really would bend backwards. I thought about pulling her off, but...
"I have to mark my territory... just a little more..."
Since this was the first time Sia clung to me like this, I decided to stay a little longer.
After Sia calmed down, we boarded the subway and headed to Gwanghwamun Station.
Of course...
"Hmph~"
"......"
After Sia sat down next to me, she pressed her body tightly against mine.
I sent a look for help to the other kids, but they all ignored my gaze.
Anyway, we walked toward the meeting place near Haetae Sang.
Already some people were gathered and taking photos enthusiastically.
Our group went over too.
"Oh! You’re here..."
"What’s going on..."
Everyone suddenly stopped what they were saying and stared at us.
Especially at me.
"...?"
Honestly... thinking they would make a big fuss like that, I approached, and the other kids who weren’t looking at us turned to us too.
As soon as we greeted the teacher upon arrival,
"Sia, wait just a second!"
"Sia, come over here!"
The girls in our class took Sia and ran off to the far side.
Right next to me standing alone, Jeong Sua secretly approached...
"Hey... Park Siwoo... were you... what should I say... doing on purpose to look ugly?"
"...Huh? No?"
I thought I was just doing the normal thing.
"Why?"
"No... um..."
"You look a lot different from usual?"
"...Yeah."
"How?"
"I thought you were the typical guy from romance webtoons, but it turned out you were the perfect guy... like a webtoon sent to Andromeda for its illogical plot."
"...No, that much?"
"Yeah... Siwoo-ya, don’t do long hair... is that a leaf cut?"
"No? It’s a semi-leaf cut, right?"
"Anyway... just do that."
"Uh... yeah..."
While thinking if my hair looked good like that, I touched my hair...
"Siwoo-ya~"
"Hm?"
Suddenly the girls from the same class started approaching me.
"What made you come dressed like that today?"
"Do you usually dress like that when you go on dates with Sia?"
"Uh... uh... no, I usually wear something lighter... is this weird?"
I had searched the internet hard and picked clothes that looked pretty to me.
The top was a thin white long-sleeve shirt over a brown turtleneck, and the pants were black wide-leg slacks.
Since I usually wore simpler things, I asked if it was strange.
"No no... not that... just... your usual look is different."
"Yeah... I almost didn’t recognize you at first."
"Ah... yeah... thank you."
I thought this was the high-level teasing girls do with words, but since we weren’t on bad terms, I decided to take the praise.
But right then.
"...!"
Someone came crashing into me from behind.
Startled, I turned around, and there was Sia.
She was glaring at the girls who had been hugging my waist and talking to me.
"...Mine."
Although the words were “mine,” the inner meaning felt like “mine, so get lost.” But still...
The girls who received Sia’s gaze.
"Ah... then we’ll go now..."
"See you later..."
They all started taking small steps to avoid us.
Now that everyone was gone, I thought they’d leave, but...
She didn’t let go like when we first met.
"Sia-ya... all the other people are staring..."
Last time there weren’t many people... and at school it would have been fine because it was the same students, but...
Here, passersby and foreign tourists were plenty, so I felt embarrassed.
At that moment.
"Affectionate displays stop around here."
Fortunately the teacher came and mediated, but...
"...I’ll mark my territory."
Sia didn’t listen.
I wondered what the teacher would say, but...
"...Yeah... I get it to some extent."
The teacher stepped back a little.
Still, Sia seemed bothered by the teacher’s words, and soon she let go of me.
Of course her clinging to me like a cat that didn’t want to let go of its favorite stuffed animal looked that way, but... anyway, my waist didn’t break.
When 9:30 arrived, our whole class gathered.
"Alright, did everyone bring their prints? Then from now on, split up into groups, fill out the reports, and gather by 11:30, okay!"
"""Yes!!"""
And so our field trip began.