Childhood Friend (4)
After a chaotic Sunday, Monday morning arrived to mark the start of a new week.
I set off for school with Jeongho.
"Are you out of your mind?"
I had just told Jeongho everything that happened on Sunday.
He was staring at me as if I were a cockroach.
I knew I had been rude to Jiwoo, but judging by his reaction, I must have committed a mortal sin.
"Do-don't you think Jiwoo... might understand?"
"If you were on a date, could you understand a girl who ditched you to run off and meet another guy? You crazy bastard."
"Well, I guess... I couldn't..."
"Do you actually like Jiwoo?"
"I don't even know anymore... Fuck..."
I was frustrated with myself too.
I wrapped my hands around my head and scratched it furiously.
No matter how much I scratched, I couldn't figure out my own feelings.
I had fallen for Jiwoo at first sight because she rescued Sia when she was being bullied by girls from another class.
At least, I thought I did.
But now, I wasn't sure.
Every time I thought of Jiwoo... Sia was the one who came to mind.
Even the reason I fell for Jiwoo in the first place was because she had saved Sia.
"Do you like Sia instead of Jiwoo?"
"W-what...? N-no... S-Sia is just my ch-childhood friend! I don't think of her like that at all!"
It was an absurd question.
I shook my head vigorously, denying it with everything I had.
My face burned hot.
Sia was just my ch-childhood friend...!
"Hmm... Look at you."
Jeongho scanned my bright red face, and the next second, he locked me in an armbar.
"Hey... Hey... HEY!! That hurts!! Let go!! Geum Jeongho!!"
"Spill. It."
Geum Jeongho squeezed harder, keeping me locked in the armbar right in the middle of the street.
I couldn't break free.
The pressure wrapping around me felt like a cobra constricting its prey.
M-my arm feels like it's going to pop off!!
This crazy bastard!! What is he doing, pinning me down in the middle of the street?!
Fortunately, there was no one around.
If anyone saw us like this... I didn't even want to imagine it.
"Alright!! I'll tell you the truth, so let go!!!!"
In the end, I yielded to his strength.
I couldn't endure Jeongho's armbar any longer.
How much does this guy even work out?
"You're still no match for your big bro."
"Sigh... And you call yourself a friend?"
Jeongho released me the moment I surrendered.
I could finally breathe again.
Letting out a sigh of relief, I glared at him as he smirked.
"Are you going to lie on the ground all day? Get up."
"I was already planning to."
Jeongho offered me a hand to help me up.
I grabbed it and pulled myself off the ground.
Talk about giving me a disease and then the cure...
"Now then, Hyunseong."
"Fine... I'll tell you."
Jeongho grinned, his eyes urging me to speak quickly.
I had no choice. Well, since it was Jeongho... it should be fine, right?
"I don't really know my own heart. But I want to be with Sia. I like seeing her smile. Is that really love...?"
I wanted to stay by her side.
I wanted to protect her.
I loved her smiling face.
I confessed my honest feelings to Jeongho.
It was embarrassing.
I hoped no one else had overheard.
"Wow..."
"What? You told me to be honest."
"That was cringe as hell..."
"Why, you..."
I wanted to find a hole and crawl into it right then and there.
Jeongho's expression was indescribably subtle.
He looked like he was holding back a smirk, staring at me as if I were a little kid.
Ah... Is there nowhere to hide?
"Still, I'm a bit relieved."
"What do you mean by that?"
Jeongho wore a mysterious smile.
What on earth was he relieved about?
I was dying of curiosity.
"Whatever, let's just get to school. We're going to be late."
"Tell me! What did you mean?"
"Did I say something?"
"You said, 'I'm a bit relieved.' What does that mean?!"
"Ah, who knows~ We're going to be late. Hurry up."
Jeongho brushed off my question and bolted toward school.
I ran after him, but in the end, I couldn't get an answer out of him by the time we arrived.
Inside the classroom before homeroom.
It seemed I had barely avoided being late.
If Jeongho hadn't put me in that armbar, I would have arrived with plenty of time to spare.
Strangely, Jeongho, who had run ahead of me, was nowhere to be seen in the classroom.
Did he go to the restroom...?
I resolved to ask him during recess.
"Ryu. Hyun. Seong."
"J-Jiwoo...? Hey."
"Is that all you have to say?"
Jiwoo approached me, looking absolutely furious.
She glared at me with eyes full of resentment.
Haha... I knew it... I shouldn't have run away...
"Jiwoo, I'm really sorry! The truth is... I don't think I can accept your feelings. There's someone else on my mind."
I bowed my head politely and confessed my honest feelings to her.
"...Do you like Sia?"
Jiwoo glared at me coldly.
The Jiwoo I thought I knew was gone.
She no longer looked like a gentle puppy; she looked like a hunting dog ready to bite my head off.
"W-what...? I-I... I don't really know..."
Did I like Sia?
It was true that I had been attracted to Jiwoo.
Jiwoo had saved Sia when I couldn't.
I had truly liked her for that.
But the reason I liked Jiwoo... was because she had saved Sia.
Even the source of my attraction led back to Sia.
In the end, I...
"I get it. I'll be going now."
"Yeah... I'm really sorry for leaving you behind yesterday."
"It's in the past."
Jiwoo turned on her heel and walked back to her seat.
Her deeply displeased expression weighed on my mind, but right now, Sia was more important.
I wanted to tell Sia how I felt.
Wait... Speaking of which, where was Sia?
No matter how much I looked around the classroom, I couldn't see her.
Homeroom was about to start...
Was Sia late? No.
Her bag was sitting on her desk.
Sia... where are you right now?
"Everyone, take your seats. It's time for homeroom."
The homeroom teacher walked in.
The students immediately sat down, and silence fell over the classroom.
Yet, Sia was still missing.
And so was Jeongho.
What on earth were the two of them doing together...?
"Huh...? Jeongho and Sia aren't here? Their bags are at their desks, though..."
The teacher looked slightly flustered by their absence.
Surely... they wouldn't be marked absent, right?
"Teacher, I saw Jeongho and Sia leave the classroom together a moment ago."
It was Jiwoo's voice.
With that single sentence, the silence in the classroom shattered.
"What...? Sia and Jeongho left together?"
"Did you see them?"
"No? I haven't even seen Jeongho today. When did he get here?"
"Are they dating or something...?"
"No way... Jeongho might look like a delinquent, but he's way too good for that rude bitch."
The classmates whispered and gossiped about the two of them.
There was no way Sia and Jeongho were dating.
Absolutely not.
But why... did my chest feel so tight?
Why did it hurt so much...?
I couldn't understand this miserable feeling at all.
"Quiet, everyone! So... they left the classroom together right before class?"
"Yes, I saw them clearly."
The teacher asked again, irritation creeping into his voice.
Jiwoo's answer remained the same.
My head spun.
Why did Jeongho and Sia leave their seats during homeroom?
What could they possibly be doing together?
"These kids are getting out of hand..."
The teacher seemed highly displeased.
It looked like he was about to mark them down for an unexcused absence right then and there.
I had to stop that.
An unexcused absence was basically a black mark on a student's record.
"Teacher, I'll go find them right away."
I stood up and bowed politely, making my request.
"H-Hyunseong?!"
The teacher gasped, startled by my sudden movement and bow.
"I-it's fine. Just sit down. I'll speak with them separately later."
The teacher's voice trembled.
He seemed incredibly tense.
"Yes, please do, Teacher."
"Right! I'll take care of it. Don't worry too much. I don't have any other announcements, so e-everyone, get ready for first period."
The teacher wrapped up homeroom quickly and hurried out of the classroom.
What a relief. At least they wouldn't get marked for an unexcused absence.
"Man, the teacher was totally intimidated by Hyunseong. Isn't that hilarious?"
"Well, he's the grandson of the chairman of Saseong Group. Of course the teacher would be."
"I'm so jealous of that diamond spoon."
"For real."
My classmates cast envious glances at me.
But having money... didn't make everything perfect.
I didn't have a mother, and my father was always busy.
I had always been alone.
I had a housekeeper when I was little, but that was a long time ago.
Her contract had been terminated years ago.
I had a younger sister, but she wasn't in Korea right now.
"Huh...? Hyunseong, where are you going? Class is about to start."
"Sorry, I have something I need to take care of."
I was too worried about Sia and Jeongho.
A classmate called out to me as I headed straight for the door, but I gave a half-hearted reply and set off to find Sia.
Sia...
To my lonely self, Sia had been a ray of light.
At first, her clinginess had been annoying, but... playing board games with her was fun.
It helped me forget the painful loneliness, if only for a moment.
With her personality, it was hard for Sia to get along with others.
She was blunt and prickly.
Kids our age disliked her for it.
I was the only one by her side.
I should have treated her better.
Elementary school, middle school, high school.
She and I were always in the same class.
It might have been a coincidence, but we were always together.
I went on to make new connections.
But for Sia, I was her only connection.
Sia grew pricklier and pricklier.
I remained the same.
I took it for granted that she would always be by my side.
But it was never something to be taken for granted.
I...
I love Sia.