A Quiet Corner and Sweet Milk
The cafeteria was already packed with students for lunch. Even though it was the end of March and the windows were thrown wide open, the heat from hundreds of people eating at once mixed with the smell of food, leaving the air thick and stuffy. Han Seoah, tall as she was, cut through the crowd ahead of me. I spotted the corner window seat she'd claimed in advance—relatively quiet, with soft sunlight spilling across it.
"Over here, Siwoo. Sit down. I'll grab our trays."
Han Seoah gently tugged my arm and guided me into the chair. With my shrunken body, my legs dangled slightly above the floor, and the familiar wave of self-consciousness hit me again. I frowned and stared out the window, avoiding everything else.
Soon she returned carrying two trays. One was clearly mine. It held a generous pile of stir-fried pork, along with seaweed soup, rolled omelette, kimchi, cucumber salad, and bean sprout salad—all neatly arranged. And there, in the corner of the tray, was the most important item: a pack of cold chocolate milk. Condensation beaded on the carton like she'd just pulled it from the fridge at the school store.
"Here, your chocolate milk. I picked the coldest one they had. Should be perfect right about now."
She slid it toward me with a bright smile. I averted my eyes and picked it up. The moment I pushed in the straw, my fingertips trembled faintly.
…This is driving me crazy. All over one stupid carton of milk.
The first sip sent cool, rich chocolate flooding down my throat. My body, still warm from PE, seemed to cool in an instant. The burning thirst that had plagued me all afternoon vanished, replaced by a sweet aftertaste that lingered on my tongue. Without thinking, I closed my eyes and took several more long sips.
Ah… that taste.
It was exactly what I'd been craving since PE ended. I'd left my wallet back at my one-room apartment, so buying milk myself hadn't been an option. Without Han Seoah, I would have suffered through the thirst until I got home and finally drank something there.
…Tsk. I guess I should… thank her for this.
The thought had barely formed before I shook it away inside my head.
No. Thank her for what? It's just milk. She's obviously forcing her way in on purpose. No reason to feel grateful at all.
Han Seoah had her chin propped on her hand, watching me closely. Her eyes sparkled.
"Is it good? Your whole face just melted. I knew you liked milk."
"…I'm just drinking it."
"Your ears are turning red again."
Is this girl some kind of face-reading genius? Or does she just stare at me way too hard?
I set the milk down and started on the rice. The stir-fried pork was perfectly spicy, the omelette soft and slightly sweet, and the seaweed soup refreshingly light. Han Seoah pulled her own tray closer and began eating, but her gaze never left me.
"Siwoo, the pork might be spicy, so eat it with the omelette."
She scooped a meat-heavy portion from her tray and slid it onto mine. I frowned, but ate it anyway. It really was delicious.
Han Seoah smiled softly. "Tastes better after exercising, right? You were so focused when you threw the ball in PE today. Seeing that small body of yours working so hard made my heart skip a beat, you know?"
"…Don't say stuff like that. It's embarrassing."
"It's not embarrassing—it's true. Watching you exercise just made me like you more. That grumpy face complaining the whole time while your body kept moving anyway… that gap is so cute I can barely stand it."
At that moment, a familiar voice drifted over from the next table.
"Wow, Han Seoah. You're really persistent, huh? Trailing after Kang Siwoo even at lunch?"
It was Yoo Seae. She strolled over with her tray like it was the most natural thing in the world.
Han Seoah laughed. "It's not like that. We're just eating together. Sit down, Seae."
Yoo Seae looked down at me and smirked. "Kang Siwoo, you've got it rough. I've never seen Han Seoah go after anyone like this. She's usually completely indifferent to boys, but with you she's in full sprint mode."
I paused mid-bite of pork. "…Rough? I'm literally just eating."
Yoo Seae chuckled and took the seat beside Han Seoah. The table felt noticeably narrower with three people.
"Oh really? You look pretty used to it already. Those red ears tell me you're secretly enjoying lunch with Seoah, don't they?"
"…What are you even talking about."
Having both of them focused on me like this just makes everything more uncomfortable.
I took another sip of milk and looked away. Han Seoah nudged Yoo Seae.
"Seae, tone it down. Siwoo doesn't like crowded places, remember?"
"Fine, fine. But he really is cuter up close because of how small he is. That uniform makes him look like an actual doll."
Yoo Seae's teasing made me swallow a sigh. Han Seoah actually nodded in agreement.
"Right? Earlier in the bathroom I tried to wipe his face and he dodged me. Such a shame."
The two of them started chatting about me like I wasn't even there.
…The food actually tastes better than I expected.
Maybe it was because I'd actually moved properly during PE, but everything went down easier than usual. I must have worked up a real appetite.
…It's quiet enough, but… sitting and eating in a place this crowded still feels awkward.
Han Seoah and Yoo Seae kept taking turns glancing at me while they talked. Their bright, confident voices kept drifting into my ears. Even as I chewed, I thought to myself:
I just can't get used to eating in an atmosphere like this. Eating alone is so much more comfortable, but today things have taken a weird turn.
Han Seoah turned her attention back to me.
"Siwoo, how's the seaweed soup? Want me to scoop some for you?"
"…I'll eat it myself."
"Come on, let me."
She ended up lifting her spoon, gathering some soup, and bringing it right to my mouth. I jerked my head back in panic.
"Stop that. What are you doing in front of people?"
"People? It's just Seae here."
I eventually gave in and ate the soup. The warm, clean broth slid down my throat and relaxed my whole body. Han Seoah's face lit up again.
"Good, right? It tastes even better when I feed you myself, doesn't it?"
Throughout the meal, Han Seoah kept tossing out topics—the romance anime she'd watched last night, a new quiet café near school, which events she wanted to enter at next week's sports festival, even a hidden corner seat in the library she thought I'd like. I mostly answered with short replies like "…Just that" or "Not interested," or simply nodded. Inside, though, my thoughts kept spinning.
The scariest part is that eating together like this… isn't actually that bad.
The milk was finished, the food tasted great, the seat was peaceful, and Han Seoah kept smiling while looking after me. Somehow, it made my defenses loosen whether I wanted them to or not.
Yoo Seae paused her own meal. "Siwoo, I heard you're really good at studying. People say your explanations in class are super clear. Can I ask you stuff if I get stuck later?"
"…Sure, whatever."
Han Seoah jumped in immediately. "He's seriously good. When he explains things to me his voice gets all calm, and even when he's frowning he still teaches kindly. I love that about him. Studying together would probably raise my grades a ton."
…I wasn't being kind.
As the meal wound down, Han Seoah cleared away my empty milk carton and spoke gently.
"Siwoo, are you free after school? Want to go to the library together? I'll take you to a quiet spot. Or there's a café nearby that's almost always empty—"
"…Not interested."
"Aw, come on. Let's go. Think of it as celebrating our first lunch together. I even bought you milk, so you could at least repay me a little."
At that, Yoo Seae stood up with a laugh. "I'm heading out first. You two behave. Seoah, don't push too hard or Siwoo might actually run away."
Han Seoah waved cheerfully. Once Yoo Seae was gone, only the two of us remained at the table. Han Seoah placed my empty milk carton on her tray.
"Want another milk? I can buy one more."
"…No. One is enough."
"Well… okay."
When the meal was over I quietly set down my chopsticks. Sunlight from the window warmed the tabletop.
…I ended up sitting here longer than I meant to.
Han Seoah tidied the trays and naturally moved closer until she was right beside me. With Yoo Seae already gone, it was just us. She picked up my empty tray.
"Siwoo, let's head out slowly."
I gave a small nod instead of answering. The hallway outside the cafeteria had grown quiet as lunch period ended. Han Seoah walked lightly beside me, still talking. Then she suddenly slowed down and looked down at me. Her long shadow nearly swallowed my smaller frame.
She smiled softly. "Eating together today was really fun. I'm looking forward to tomorrow too."
I turned my eyes away and muttered, "…Tomorrow won't work."
Even as I said it, I tried hard to ignore how her warmth right beside me made the coming afternoon feel longer than it should.