Changes in Relationships
"Not at school, but just the two of us like this—it's our first time again, huh?"
"…."
"…."
Seo Jae-hyun tried to speak in a light tone, as if attempting to ease the awkward atmosphere. But silence quickly followed that one sentence.
Yoon Seo-ha wasn't one to chat much with guys anyway, and Lee Seol seemed lost in thought, her lips sealed tight.
Normally, Lee Seol would have greeted him casually like always, but not this time.
Even with Seo Jae-hyun's friendly nature, this was unexpected.
In the end, he awkwardly ran a hand through his hair and stood up.
"Ah, I'll go order first."
In that brief moment, Lee Seol made up her mind. She couldn't put it off any longer.
Seo Jae-hyun seemed to have sorted out his own thoughts while ordering, because the moment he returned, he spoke to her.
"You've seemed down lately."
He pulled out a chair and sat, hesitating before finally opening his mouth.
"Hey... wanna go see a movie?"
Lee Seol couldn't respond right away, then suddenly shot up from her seat.
"Let's talk outside."
"Huh? ...Yeah."
Seo Jae-hyun blinked in surprise but quickly stood as well.
Yoon Seo-ha glanced between them and stayed seated without a word.
Once outside the cafe in a quiet spot, Lee Seol was silent for a long while before finally speaking.
"...I wish you'd stop now."
Seo Jae-hyun's expression hardened instantly.
"...Stop what?"
His voice was barely a whisper.
Lee Seol didn't look away. She met his gaze head-on.
"I've told you a few times already, so you know."
Seo Jae-hyun's lips twitched as if he were about to make some excuse, but he couldn't bring himself to say it.
"And... I don't have the luxury to accept that anymore."
She added in an even quieter voice.
"Sorry."
Seo Jae-hyun stood there speechless. A beat later, he managed to reply.
"Ah...... Yeah."
He hung his head low.
A heavy silence settled between them.
Someone was hurt, and someone had no choice but to hurt them. Neither side could feel at ease in that moment.
Seo Jae-hyun finally lifted his head and forced a smile.
"Got it."
But Lee Seol knew that smile wasn't genuine.
The auditions dragged on far longer than expected.
The applicants were overflowing with passion in ways we hadn't anticipated, and the judges were just as serious.
With everything meshing so well, we couldn't wrap up within club time. We finished the school day and reconvened just to get through the last ones.
The final auditionee wasn't bad either. She was going for the lead role, and she had the confidence to back it up.
She was my age.
I spoke to the girl waiting for feedback.
"Your lines still feel a bit unpolished. You flipped through the script right before, didn't you?"
The girl ahead of her blinked, looking caught off guard.
"Yeah, but..."
"I get it. That raw emotion you feel the first time reading the script. It feels so real, and you're scared it'll fade if you read it too many times."
"Whoa, yeah. That's exactly it."
Her eyes widened—she knew I'd nailed her feelings.
I thought she had real talent.
Because even in my past life, I was clueless about that stuff. I wasn't the type whose emotions ignited on the first read.
I had to drill it endlessly just to keep up with others.
"But on the flip side, if you keep reading and rereading, you hit a different point. The initial freshness fades, but it turns into something truly yours. The emotion that comes then is completely different from the start."
The girl listened intently, not wanting to miss a word.
"I think you can get there. What you said earlier felt so instinctive and natural—no forced vibe."
"...Yeah. Thanks."
Her voice was soft, but relief washed over her face. She got that it was more praise than critique.
After the last auditionee left, the remaining folks were the club president and vice president who'd judged, the props team lead, Choi Dong-rak, and me.
Lee Na-hee turned to me.
"This was supposed to be auditions, but it turned into an acting class or something?"
"Ah, sorry about that."
I apologized right away, and Lee Na-hee waved it off.
"No, why apologize? It was great! Good call asking for your help."
"Now no one can complain about Min-woo jumping in on judging. The auditionees will probably love it."
"If anyone's gonna gripe, tell 'em to come at me!"
Lee Na-hee puffed out her chest proudly.
"Na-hee unnie's tanking skills are top-tier."
We compared notes and summed up our thoughts quickly.
Once we'd tidied up, we left the audition space.
The acting team kids who'd auditioned were still hanging around instead of heading home. They sat in groups, faces relaxed now, chatting about the auditions probably.
"Seriously, felt like a pro."
"He is a pro."
"Same age, but the way he talks is on another level. That's talent for ya. Damn."
Lee Na-hee's gaze shot to me at the voices, but I pretended not to hear and looked away.
Lee Na-hee clapped loudly enough for everyone to hear.
"Alright, great job everyone today! We'll announce results separately once sorted. It's late—head home for real!"
By the time we exited the auditorium after auditions, the sun had dipped quite low.
Maybe from focusing so long, my neck felt stiff. I rolled my head around and spotted a familiar face by the stairs.
It was U Hana. I'd heard she'd wait, but seeing her actually sitting there like that felt a bit odd.
Bag slung over her back, she sat on the edge of the campus stairs, swinging her legs lazily. Not on her phone or talking to anyone—just staring blankly ahead.
I slowed my steps and called out.
"Hana."
U Hana whipped her head around.
The moment she saw me, her face lit up. The blank expression vanished like a lie, and she jumped up from the stairs.
"Done?"
"Yeah. Not bored?"
"Nah?"
Her reply was so casual, like it was no big deal. She'd waited just to walk home with me, and her tone said she didn't regret it one bit.
We headed side by side toward the school gate.
Thanks to the long auditions, the school was already quiet. Only faint chatter from distant students drifted over.
Walking through that serene scene, U Hana suddenly looked up at the trees.
"Cherry blossoms are fading—kinda sad."
I followed her gaze naturally.
The blooms that had been perfect for sports festival season were now on the wane.
"Yeah. Timing's off."
U Hana nudged a fallen petal with her toe and continued nonchalantly.
"Still, leaving this late has its perks."
"Like what?"
"No need to watch our backs."
She flashed a sly smile.
"Celebrities sneak around for dates, right?"
"Outta nowhere?"
"Just saying."
She shrugged.
"Heard they go for cars or houses. Or places with no people at all."
"Doesn't apply to us students."
"Yeah."
U Hana nodded readily.
We were bantering playfully, but the word "house" got me thinking differently.
Come to think of it—U Hana's situation.
Normally, I wouldn't bring it up until she did first. Might come off like I was acting like I knew everything or prying too much.
But now... I didn't want to let it slide. I wanted to help.
I hesitated a moment, then spoke.
"Remember that rainy day?"
U Hana's shoulders twitched ever so slightly. We had a lot of rainy encounters, but she instantly knew I meant the time she was soaked through.
"Yeah. Why?"
So I cut straight to it.
"You said back then you'd tell me once you sorted your feelings."
"...Worried about me?"
"Can't help it."
U Hana stared straight at me, then continued.
"I'll tell you."
Her words were surprisingly straightforward—no joking or hesitation.
"Your face gave me courage. Thinking about it, I've spilled everything and even confessed..."
Her tone said there was nothing she couldn't say.
A moment later, U Hana looked ahead as she spoke.
"My home's kinda messed up. Not 'kinda'—a lot."
What followed was mostly stuff I already knew.
Cheating dad. Mom who couldn't fully let go or forgive, harboring that love-hate. And how that tension sometimes splashed onto U Hana.
I knew it all already, but hearing it straight from her lips hit different.
"Last time, I said I wanted to make bank—like enough to hire you as my butler."
I turned to look at her.
U Hana glanced back, her lips quirked up just a bit. Not her full usual smile, but an effort to keep things from getting too heavy.
I matched her lightness.
"But you went with something else instead of butler."
"...Huh?"
"What?"
"Not yet... Wait, no. If I ask again, you'll backpedal. I'll just think what I wanna think and feel good about it."
I couldn't hold back a laugh at that.
"You know me too well."
"Right? Anyway... that's why I wanna make money. Gonna save up and go independent."
U Hana's voice steadied as she went on.
"So thanks. For the cafe hookup."
"They said no at first, but helped once they saw you. It's your skills."
I said that, but thought about the cafe job and asked carefully.
"Still, that alone won't cut it for independence, right?"
"Mm... If I stick with it till adulthood, I can save a decent amount. More hours on breaks."
I nodded. It wasn't wrong—a pretty realistic plan for a high schooler.
But another thought crossed my mind.
U Hana blows up as an influencer later anyway. If it happens sooner, no harm done.
Might even be better to build a base now.
As I mulled that over, U Hana flashed her usual smile again. Hard to believe she'd just bared her family woes—her face was soft once more.
"Now that I've spilled it all, can't invite you home or anything."
"... ."
"But once I'm independent, I can have you over. Gotta push for that."
That line held not vague dreams, but the voice of someone who truly wanted that life.
Made me want to make it happen even faster.
"You know about influencers?"
"Yeah, like posting pics or vids on Insta or whatever, building followers for ads?"
"Yep."
"I know that much... You want me to try?"
I chose my words to not sound too abrupt.
"Nah, just curious if you knew. Could do it alongside the cafe gig. If you're game... I can intro some people."
"Isn't that for pretty girls?"
"That's why I'm saying."
"...You slipped that in so smooth."
"Seemed like you wanted to hear it."
"Heh. It was that obvious, yeah."
I vaguely remembered Ji Eun-seol mentioning someone like that around her.
Would need to ask who exactly... but connections seemed possible.
With my thoughts sorted, I called her.
"Hana."
"Yeah?"
"From now on... don't try to handle everything alone."
U Hana looked up at me. I held her gaze and continued.
"Can't fix it all for you, but I don't wanna leave you to tough it out solo."
It felt a bit embarrassing after saying it, but it was true.
U Hana stayed quiet for a while, just staring. Then she looked down and smiled faintly.
"Saying stuff like that is so unfair."
"......If it happens again, just come to my place. You're tight with Da-kyung too."
U Hana turned back to me, smile playing on her lips, eyes saying 'I know you're changing the subject 'cause you're embarrassed.'
But she was the type to play along without calling it out.
She tilted her head slightly.
"What about your parents? They'd be the most uncomfortable with it."
"They're overseas on business a lot—harder to see them than anything."
"True, didn't see them last time either. ...And if Da-kyung's gone too, whoa."
"Why 'whoa'?"
"Too embarrassing to say."
