Chapter 62
Chapter 62
Se-jin plopped the bag she was holding onto the floor. She had decided not to get off at Shinsu Station.
Since Busan was the final stop, she wondered if she should get off there and stay at her cousin's house.
Just as she was fumbling for her phone, which she'd kept off the entire time, someone pushed through the busy people preparing to exit and approached her.
"Oh? Aren't you a Greennarae student?"
"Ah..."
Se-jin's expression clouded with dismay.
To think there was someone she knew in the same train car. Was his name Gu Philip? He was an employee she'd seen during the JK Power Energy field trip.
Se-jin quickly hid her flustered expression, which had twisted in panic, and greeted him as if nothing were amiss.
"Hello."
"Oh, perfect! I need to get two suitcases down, could you give me a hand?"
"I... I'm not getting off here. I'm on my way to my relatives' house."
"Oh, really?"
Suddenly, a suitcase was thrust into Se-jin's hand.
"Then when the door opens, just lower this suitcase for me."
"Huh?"
"Aw, just give me a little help."
"...Okay."
She reluctantly followed him, walking down the aisle of the train car. In the passage with doors on either side, Se-jin held the suitcase.
"I'm on my way back from a business trip, and an employee got off midway, so I was at a loss. This is perfect. This one's heavy, but that one's light, so when the door opens, just lower that one for me."
"...So I just need to hand you the suitcase, right?"
"Alrighty!"
With a rattle, the train came to a stop. Whoosh, with a loud hiss, the doors opened, and people disembarked one by one.
"Here. Take it."
Se-jin watched Philip, who was the last to get off, place his suitcase on the ground, then handed over the one she was holding. That's when it happened.
Philip, who had casually tossed the suitcase he'd lightly picked up with one hand, grabbed her wrist and pulled.
"Gah!"
Dragged onto the platform in an instant, Se-jin's face went ashen as she spotted the people standing before her.
The people she saw, one after another, were Han-gyeol, Han-gyeol's Uncle, her Homeroom Teacher, and...
Her parents and older brother, all with furious expressions, were approaching.
Her heart felt like it plummeted to the floor.
With the train doors closing by a hair's breadth, blocking her escape, Se-jin's eyes landed on the ticket gate leading out of the station. She started running with all her might.
She desperately wanted to escape this terrifying situation.
⋆★⋆
About ten minutes earlier, Jae-gyu, who had opened a message from Philip, furrowed his brows.
Big trouble. The student isn't preparing to get off.
Everyone who saw the message didn't know what to do.
"Is she crazy? Why isn't she getting off?"
"She'll get off. Don't make such a fuss."
"What if she doesn't get off?! Aren't you even worried about the kid?"
In the chaotic atmosphere, Bom felt like she understood why Se-jin was acting that way.
She might have impulsively boarded the train and left in a fit of anger, but as home drew nearer, the reality must have sunk in. Now that she was back to a heavy reality and faced with the fact that she had to deal with the mess she'd made, it was only natural she'd want to run away.
Jae-gyu sent a reply:
Get off with her, no matter what.
The train everyone was waiting for entered the platform, casting yellow lights into the darkness. Se-jin was visible through the window of the stopped train.
Gu Philip was talking to Se-jin, putting on the performance of his life. Gu Philip, who could easily lift two suitcases, seemed to be asking for help with just one.
Bom admired his quick thinking.
As she was dragged down while lowering the suitcase onto the steps, Se-jin's eyes widened when she spotted her family gathered on the platform.
"Choi Se-jin!"
At Lee Jun's shout, Se-jin tried to get back into the train. But Philip quickly grabbed her arm and pulled her down. With exquisite timing, the train doors immediately closed.
"Choi Se-jin! You brat."
Lee Jun's voice grew even louder. At that, Se-jin started running with all her might. It was Han-gyeol who caught up to her sprint as she changed direction and headed for the ticket gate.
"Don't go, Se-jin."
Han-gyeol, who was holding Se-jin in a tight embrace, had his shoulders shaking. The two children burst into tears right there, neither one starting before the other.
"That, that punk..."
It was Bom who blocked Se-jin's father, who was clenching his fists and trying to approach.
"Could you please give Se-jin some time to be comforted?"
"I can't stand to see her like that...!"
"She might have come back because of Han-gyeol."
Jae-gyu, who had been quietly observing the situation, also chimed in.
"Don't you know about the Romeo and Juliet Effect? The more you try to forcibly separate them, the more desperate their love becomes."
Jae-gyu knew all sorts of things. In the end, Se-jin's family had no choice but to wait silently.
When the crying subsided and Se-jin's breathing stabilized, Jae-gyu nudged Lee Jun's back.
"Lee Jun, it's about time you went over."
Lee Jun, still with a stiff expression, approached the two.
"Choi Se-jin, you..."
As soon as she separated from Han-gyeol, Lee Jun grabbed Se-jin's wrist.
"Let go! Someone like me... it's fine if I just disappear!"
Tears began to fall again, pattering from her barely dried eyes. As she screamed with all her might, a station attendant approached from afar. Jae-gyu stepped forward and explained the situation to the attendant.
"I'm useless! You only get humiliated because of me!"
"Choi Se-jin!"
Lee Jun pulled Se-jin's wrist and hugged her, who was sobbing loudly. Lee Jun's hand, patting her back, was trembling enough for others to notice.
"How worried I, how worried we were."
At that one word, Se-jin's crying paused for a moment.
"...I'm sorry, Choi Se-jin."
Her crying grew louder again. It was a sound condensed with all the sorrow she'd held inside. Bom, watching from behind, secretly wiped away a tear. Her heart ached.
"Are you just going to stand there and watch?"
Jae-gyu, who had returned after explaining the situation to the station attendant, also nudged Se-jin's parents in the side. The four family members huddled together, swept up in a storm of tears.
"I thought it would be okay because you always did everything well, just as you were told, Mom did..."
"Your father never even really scolded you badly, you rascal. Anyway, if I hurt your feelings, I'm sorry."
The sight of them apologizing in their own ways and embracing each other was truly touching.
"Alright, let's go home."
After comforting Se-jin for a long time, the family prepared to go home. They went to Jae-gyu and Han-gyeol, repeatedly expressing their gratitude. Then, they clasped Bom's hand, their Homeroom Teacher.
"Teacher, thank you for your help."
"I, I'm sorry about earlier. I was out of my mind..."
She had long forgotten about that. Her heart felt only relieved, thinking that everything had been resolved.
"It's alright. I completely understand. I'm just so... so glad Se-jin is back."
It was clearly a relief, yet for some reason, tears welled up. Flustered, Bom quickly wiped away her tears with the back of her hand.
"Oh. Why am I like this? Don't mind me. It's such a relief. Please, go home quickly."
Through her blurry vision, Se-jin approached. Se-jin hugged Bom tightly.
"Teacher..."
Bom began to cry with Se-jin. Se-jin was someone who resembled her in many ways. It was a tremendous relief that the runaway incident had been resolved like this.
After sharing their emotions for a long time, Se-jin got into the car with her parents.
At some point, Jae-gyu, who had parked his car nearby, put Han-gyeol in the back seat. Just as he was about to put Bom in the passenger seat, Lee Jun approached the car.
"Ms. Yoon Bom, just a moment."
Bom told the displeased-looking Jae-gyu to get in the car first, then stood before Lee Jun.
"...Thank... you, Teacher Yoon Bom."
As if the word "thank you" felt awkward, Lee Jun slowly uttered each syllable.
"I didn't do anything... Mr. Jae-gyu and the employee went through all the trouble."
She actually thought that. In particular, the fact that the employee was on the exact train Se-jin was on, and in the same car, was something to be extremely grateful for. If they hadn't found Se-jin...
"It seems you've grown closer to Seon Jae-gyu."
Pointing with his chin at Jae-gyu, who was already in the car, Lee Jun subtly frowned, then quickly straightened his expression.
"Mr. Jae-gyu and I..."
"I suppose I only showed an unpleasant side, knowing it would end up like this. Anyway, I won't interfere with you two."
It seemed like a significant decision for Lee Jun in his own way. He walked over to Jae-gyu's car, bent his upper body slightly, and tapped the car window with his finger. The window rolled down, and Jae-gyu poked his face out.
"Anything else?"
"Seon Jae-gyu. Thanks for today."
At the unexpected words, Jae-gyu was speechless for a moment, then burst into loud, hearty laughter. In the quiet, dim station parking lot, only Jae-gyu's laughter echoed.
"Can't friends even do this much? Go home and make something delicious for your sibling. I doubt you even ate properly today."
"You..."
Lee Jun paused, took a short breath, and lowered his voice.
"You take good care of Ms. Bom, too. She went through a lot today."
"...Right. I should make sure she gets some good nourishment."
Lee Jun turned around and walked past Bom, no longer looking at her.
Bom clenched her hanging hand into a fist. If she just let Lee Jun go like this...
I have to tell him.
Bom stopped Lee Jun, who was heading towards the car waiting with its hazard lights on. Lee Jun's eyes widened for a moment.
"Mr. Lee Jun."
Bom's lips twitched, and she tightened her jaw. It wasn't easy to bring up such a topic now, but she decided to say what was left on her mind, due to an uneasy feeling.
"What you said back then."
"That offer has become invalid with Teacher Yoon Bom dating Seon Jae-gyu, so you don't need to worry about it."
"That's not it, Mr. Jae-gyu isn't... He's not the culprit of that incident... really, he's not."
Blinded by the headlights, she couldn't properly see Lee Jun's expression. All she could tell was that he nodded obediently.
Bom let out a long sigh of relief, and Lee Jun turned around and left just like that.
"..."
Now, Bom felt like she had put down a heavy burden. Although she had a feeling she would run into Lee Jun again soon, it wouldn't be awkward anymore.
In the passenger seat, Bom turned her head and gave a small smile towards Jae-gyu, who was gazing at her.
"Let's go."
Jae-gyu's finger touched the corner of her eye, where the tears she'd shed while hugging Se-jin earlier had dried. She flinched slightly, aware of Han-gyeol in the back, and he chuckled, grabbed the steering wheel, and drove off.
"If you open that box, there are wet wipes, soft tissues, rough tissues—all kinds. Pick what you need."
"Thank you."
Bom smiled faintly, recalling the memory of mistakenly wearing sunglasses earlier because of Lee Jun's words.
Why had she done that back then? It was an embarrassing memory. She liked that her heart didn't feel heavy even when recalling such memories, now that Lee Jun had tied up loose ends well, using Se-jin's incident as an opportunity, and left.
Opening the console box and fumbling for tissues, Bom discovered something.
Why is something like this here?