Entrance Ceremony with the Girl I See Every Day
On the day of the entrance ceremony for that kid I can see every day, there were no real classes. Instead, during the free time we were given, the students who stayed in the classroom used it to get to know each other and build some friendships.
"Nice to meet you. Let's get along well."
"You like soccer? Wanna play a match on the field after school sometime?"
"You're from the same middle school as me, right?"
"What a coincidence~ Running into everyone here!"
Conversations usually start with shared hobbies or schools. From that perspective, I was at a disadvantage—my middle school was pretty far away, making it hard to connect. But contrary to expectations, a few students approached me without any pretense.
"Hey~ Second place! That speech earlier was great~!"
"Got time to chat sometime?"
"Oh, me too! Can I join!?"
A tall, sturdy guy, a small and delicate boy in stark contrast, and one energetic girl. Their friendliness from the first impression didn't feel bad to me at all. In this second life, I wanted to have normal friendships during my youth, after all.
"How about we start with introductions? I'm Shin Jiho. And this little guy next to me is Jin Seohyeon."
"And I'm Lee Nari. Nice to meet you, Kim Cheolsu... Pfft!"
"...Feel free to laugh, but don't tease too much. It's a precious name my parents gave me."
"Sorry, sorry. It's just so average, you know? Oh, do you like manga? You're not just the textbook type named Kim Cheolsu, right??"
"That's a stereotype. Well, if someone recommends it, I can read it."
"Oh yeah? Then big bro here has to hook you up with some recs~"
"...We're the same grade. Why are you suddenly 'big bro'?"
"'Cause I'm the tallest here!!"
Shin Jiho had a bold vibe to match his large build. Beside him, his small friend Jin Seohyeon grinned, while Lee Nari kept enthusiastically recommending manga to me. The fresh, newbie high schooler atmosphere brought a smile to my face too.
Yeah, this is youth too, I guess. I hoped these friendships would last long as I dove back into the conversation. That's when I suddenly felt a gaze fixed on us. I turned to look—and there was Yoo Soeun, now grouped with some girls. The distance between us had grown, but her eyes were locked straight on me.
She seems to have found her group... but what's with that? She's been glancing at me nonstop.
"Cheolsu, what're you staring at?"
As we locked eyes for a moment, my new friends noticed and looked over too. Yoo Soeun quickly averted her gaze, leaving me looking like I was glaring at her unilaterally. Perfect setup for misunderstandings.
"Oh, it's the top student."
"To be class rank one at this school, she must be some study monster."
"And second-place Cheolsu glaring at her... Jealousy, maybe?"
"Or could be love. Heh, I smell pure romance~"
...Why do high school girls love shipping couples so much?
"Not like that. Drop it."
Ridiculous. Sure, we'd had a few coincidences, but that's all it was. Even if things progressed, the limit of any bond with her would just be friends. With that settled in my mind, I tried to get back to chatting with my friends.
"......"
But Yoo Soeun, still in her group, kept glancing my way. Her silent staring pulled so many thoughts into my head that I couldn't focus on the conversation.
-Ding, dong, daeng, dong.
After making new friends, school ended early since there were no classes. The path home was filled with chattering students bonding with their new connections from today. Ironically, my new friends' routes home didn't match mine, so I figured it'd be a lonely walk. But unexpectedly, a familiar face appeared beside me.
The owner of the face that had been etched into my mind from this morning's coincidences.
"......"
She still said nothing, but her gaze stayed fixed on me. Our paths overlapped—we'd taken the same train this morning too—but she could look elsewhere. Yet she kept staring only at me.
Why? Did I do something wrong? Or... does she like me?
...Overthinking it. Even for a fresh high school girl in puberty, she wouldn't catch feelings just from a little help.
But even as I dismissed the idea, her enigmatic gaze persisted all the way to boarding the same train. Even with plenty of empty seats, she sat right next to me.
"......"
Yoo Soeun stared at me steadily, ignoring the train's rocking. Unable to endure the now almost frightening gaze, I finally asked in a weary voice,
"Um, do you have something to say to me? You've been staring nonstop since earlier."
"......"
At my words, she looked down as if lost in thought. After a long silence, her lips parted slightly.
"Tha... nks."
"What?"
"This morning... tha... nks. You said... you'd hear my thanks later......"
...So that's what it was. She'd been timing her thank-you from this morning.
But she could've said it when we became seatmates. How shy could she be?
"We're all just helping each other out. I didn't do it expecting anything, so don't worry about it."
Since she's my seatmate in the same class, building some rapport makes sense. With that in mind, I expressed my goodwill as simply as possible.
"If you need help again—not just today—tell me anytime. I'll do what I can."
"......Again?"
"We're classmates. We see each other every day; it's the least I can do."
Of course, I'd rely on her too. Despite appearances, she's the top student. She's better than me academically, so forming a study group later would boost my grades too.
-Now arriving at XX Station. For exiting on the left...
Ah, time to go.
As the doors opened, I grabbed my bag, stood, and waved to Yoo Soeun.
"See you tomorrow, then."
I raised my hand, and she stared at it intently. No reply came—so shy—but as the doors closed, I glimpsed her through the glass, slowly raising her hand toward me.
Realizing she'd returned my goodbye, I gave a wry smile and headed home, thinking, I've somehow connected with this odd girl.
And so, I arrived home after the walk.
"Soeun's home~ How was the entrance ceremony?"
Her mother, just finishing dishes, came to greet her, but Soeun didn't respond as usual, just staring blankly into space. Her mother immediately sensed it—something from today's ceremony was on her daughter's mind.
"Oh my, Soeun. Did something good happen?"
"......"
"Hehe, we'll talk about it later. Want to bathe before dinner?"
Led by her mother to the bathroom, Soeun undressed and showered. Even then, one boy's face lingered in her mind.
The moment he'd taken her hand and led her through the crowd.
His reliable back as she'd clung to him on the bike through the rain.
And his face, which kept catching her eye ever since.
-Splash.
Soaking in the warm water amid those thoughts, Soeun replayed his parting words in her heart.
'See you tomorrow.'
Yes, not just today. Same class, even seatmates— she'd see his face closer than anyone's, every day.
"From now on... I can see him every day......"
In a life with no ties to boys, this first one she'd met. His casual kindness etched deep, making her heart pound fuller than ever.