Midterm Exams (1)
"Hey! Lee Hanbyul, what's the deal? What do you mean, friends?"
"I know, right?"
"I mean, do people these days actually ask, 'Let's be friends,' to become friends?"
"I know, right..."
"Hey! Stop saying 'I know, right'!"
"Ah, my ears. You're too loud."
I didn't know either. Who could have guessed Pina would suddenly say that this morning?
If I had that kind of foresight, I'd be setting up a fortune-telling booth. The classroom had thrown itself into utter chaos the moment Pina declared us friends.
Pina, who had never allowed anyone near her—pushing people away regardless of age or gender—had accepted me as a friend.
Thinking about it now, it actually felt pretty satisfying.
"So, Hanbyul, give us an explanation."
"It's a long story..."
"Hanbyul, we're on committee duty during lunch today."
"Oh? Really?"
"We swapped shifts with the others last week, remember?"
"So, if you don't mind, I'll be taking Hanbyul with me. I'm sorry for interrupting your conversation."
"Oh, no, it's fine..."
"Sung, why are you acting so intimidated?"
"I've just never heard her speak so politely before."
Somehow, hearing Pina speak so warmly only to me felt incredibly good.
Was this what superiority felt like? You guys and I are different.
I also loved how natural it felt to have Pina walking right beside me now.
Am I going crazy or something?
"Pina~ Hey, Pina~"
"I told you not to make useless small talk."
"But we're in the middle of committee duty."
"And yet, here is Pina, watching animal videos on her phone during committee duty."
"So chatting with a friend during duty is a no-go, but watching animal videos is perfectly fine?"
"Ugh. What is it you actually want to say?"
As she spoke, Pina tore her eyes away from her phone and looked straight into mine.
She could be so stubborn. But the fact that my borderline-sophistic arguments actually worked on her made me think I was onto something.
Was she some kind of noble scholar in her past life?
"Well, Pina, what's your favorite animal?"
"I like cats and bears the most."
"Cats and bears? That's an unusual combination. I get cats because they're cute, but for bears, do you mean baby bears?"
"No, it's not that I like cubs specifically. I just like bears in general."
"Both cats and bears look so relaxed. They both have this sort of carefree, easygoing vibe."
"Cats do loaf around a lot and look pretty peaceful."
"Is it because of hibernation for bears?"
"Yeah. I like that lazy, peaceful feeling."
"Come to think of it, you have a bit of that easygoing vibe too, Hanbyul."
"So my vibe is also—"
"No, you're just lazy."
"If you're going to put it like that, cats are also..."
Whenever we talked about animals, Pina let her guard down significantly.
It was as if she finally acted her age. Her eyes would sparkle, and a faint smile would play on her lips whenever the topic came up.
I guess people really do become less defensive when talking about things they love.
"But is it really okay for only me to use your phone like this?"
"Huh?"
"I mean, didn't you bring it to use it yourself?"
"Honestly, it feels a bit late to be asking that."
"Ugh."
"It's fine. I only brought it to read books when I got bored anyway."
"Now that you mention it, your hobby is reading, right?"
"You remembered?"
"I only remembered because it doesn't match your looks at all."
"And the three of you stood out way too much."
"What kind of books do you like, Hanbyul?"
"Me? I read all kinds of things, but I like novels the best."
"And out of those, romance is my favorite."
"Now that really is unexpected."
"It's not like I don't read other genres, but..."
Ever since Pina declared me her friend, she had softened up a lot.
Initiating conversations, showing me her smiles—she had truly changed when it came to me.
Yes, only to me...
"Hanbyul, so..."
"Hey, Lee Hanbyul, today with Sung... Oh, Ha Pina..."
"Kim Dahi, I am currently speaking with Hanbyul. Could you perhaps come back later?"
Her tone and warmth were completely different from when she spoke to me.
With me, she was gentle and smiled often, but she remained icy toward everyone else.
Even her gaze and tone shifted a full hundred and eighty degrees when addressing Kim Dahi, leaving even the usually unflappable Dahi flustered.
"Uh... well..."
"Anyway, Hanbyul, I think bears are definitely at their cutest when they're lying flat on the ground!"
"Uh... yeah, definitely."
Smiling as she talked about cute things, her long black hair swaying gently, Pina looked like the most beautiful girl in the world.
Kim Dahi, stop glaring at me. What do you want me to do about it?
Besides, I'm the one who's Pina's friend, not you. Just accept it.
That evening at home, I witnessed a toddler throwing a full-blown tantrum.
"Hey! Lee Hanbyul, do something about this!"
"About what?"
"About Ha Pina!"
"You... watch your mouth..."
"I want to become close with Pina too!"
"Huh?"
"Pina is literally the prettiest girl I've ever seen in my life!"
Oh, right. I forgot Dahi has a massive weakness for cute and pretty things.
I mean, Pina was gorgeous. But Dahi was still jumping up and down. She sure had a lot of energy.
Standing in front of me with her short hair tied up in a ponytail, Kim Dahi bounced around, whining and demanding that I help her.
Hmm. Looking at her like this, it really did look like a brown pony's tail. A ponytail indeed.
"Hey! Stop spacing out and help me!"
"How exactly am I supposed to do that?"
"So you'll help me?"
"Let me hear your plan first."
"What do you mean 'first'?! Just help meeeee!"
"Ah, shut up! You're too loud! If it seems like something Pina would hate, I'm out. That's my condition."
"Okay! Deal!"
"In that case..."
The reason I agreed to help Dahi wasn't because of her tantrum.
I had promised Pina that I would help her learn to trust people again.
To do that, I thought it would be best to surround her with trustworthy people.
Kim Dahi might be a bit of an idiot, but she wasn't a bad person.
"Hehehe, Ha Pina... those soft, squishy cheeks... hehehe..."
She's not a bad person, right? ...Well, being a bad person and being a weird person are two different things. Yeah, let's go with that.
"Hanbyul, what's your secret?"
"Yeah, Hanbyul, share the secret."
"What secret?"
"The secret to getting close to Ha Pina!"
Lately, more and more kids in class had been asking me weird questions like this, wanting to know the "secret" to befriending Pina. As if there was one.
I had literally just bulldozed my way in.
"There is no secret. I just wanted to be friends with her, so I told her I wanted to be friends."
"Whoa~ The lines handsome guys pull off really are on another level."
"'I want to get close to you.' Damn, that line is crazy."
"Cut it out before I kill you."
"Hanbyul's mad~!"
"Run for your lives!"
Those punks are dead meat if I catch them.
I was just about to spring up and chase after them when—
"Hanbyul."
I heard Sung's voice.
"Are you going to the judo gym today?"
"I don't really feel like it..."
"Could you spar with me one last time?"
Right, his tournament was only a month away. He was my only best friend, so I had to help him out.
"Fine, I'll help you out today."
"Really? Thanks. I'll buy you a meal after the tournament."
Having agreed to go with Sung, I headed back to the classroom to pack my bag.
As Sung and I were packing up, two voices called out simultaneously.
"Sung~!" "Hanbyul."
"Let's go home together."
"?"
"Sorry, Dahi. I have to go to the gym to practice with Hanbyul today."
"Pina, sorry, I have to go to the gym today...? Wait, did you say let's go home together?"
She had said it so naturally that I had almost answered naturally too.
Pina, don't tilt your head like that. We've never walked home together before.
Why was she acting like it was a daily routine? Was she just naturally airheaded about these things?
"Practice? Oh, because of the tournament next month?"
"Yeah, so we need to practice. Sorry."
"It's fine... In that case, can I come to the gym too? It's been a while."
"Uh... I'd love that, but won't you get bored, Dahi?"
"I just want to be with you, Sung!"
"Haha, alright. Let's go together, Dahi."
While their conversation was wrapping up nicely, ours was a different story.
"The gym? Do you go to a gym?"
"I mentioned it during self-introductions. I used to do judo with Sung."
"Ah... that's right."
"But what did you mean by going home together?"
"Huh? Friends usually walk home together."
"Huh?"
"Huh?"
We were completely talking past each other. Sure, friends walk home together.
But wasn't that an elementary school thing? Did high schoolers do that too?
Pina, you're so confident about this that you're making me feel like the weird one.
But she was cute when she was confident.
Looking straight into my eyes as if I had asked the most obvious question in the world, Pina spoke.
"You didn't know?"
"Uh... I guess I didn't."
Someone save me. I was genuinely lost.
"Pina, where is your house anyway?"
"Why should I tell you that? And please do not address me by my first name so casually."
"You have to tell us so we can figure out if you're coming to the gym with us or going home alone, Pina."
Why were these two suddenly at it again?
Pina spoke with a sharp edge whenever she addressed Kim Dahi, a stark contrast to how she spoke to me.
Of course, Kim Dahi was completely ignoring that sharp attitude and pushing right through.
Which actually made it a little terrifying.
"If that is the case, my place is near the station."
"That's close to Sung's gym. Let's go together."
"Why should I go with you..."
"Lee Hanbyul is coming too, you know."
"Is that true?"
"Yeah. I'm heading to the gym with Sung, and Dahi is tag-along."
Hearing my response, Pina knit her brows and lowered her head slightly, looking deeply conflicted.
Did she want to walk with me but absolutely dread walking with the other two?
Well, nothing can be done about that. Just as I was about to tell her that she and I could walk separately from Sung and Dahi—
Ouch! Kim Dahi stomped on my foot. She ground her heel right into the top of my foot with pinpoint accuracy.
The sudden surge of pain completely stole my voice.
"...Then I will go with you."
And that was how the four of us ended up walking home together.