.  As soon as Eun Hyung finished his remark, there was once again a pause in the living room.

  Inside the TV, a male singer was showing off his acrobatic moves and the audiences were bursting out laughing, but nothing could fade away the total silence prevailing the space.

  I, then, stopped myself enduring the stillness and lifted my body unsteadily. My head felt dizzy.

  I tottered to the dark kitchen and took out a glass from the rack above the sink. My head was heavy as if it was submerging into the deep sea. A glass of cold water still could not ease my dizziness.

  As I leaned myself on the sink and had the cold cup on my forehead, someone approached behind. Yoo Chun Young was there standing inside the dark.

  I looked him up narrowing my eyes and slowly showed a grin moving my lips poutingly. He then dropped a gaze at me in wonder.

  Then I took the cup off my forehead and poured out the cold water into the sink. My heads were turned toward him. He was still there, so I asked,

  “Why?”


  “I’m sorry.”


  It was an immediate response after my question of ‘why.’


  What? My eyes were upon his face blinking with curiosity.

  Was there anything that he had to apologize to me? With that serious look? I could not remember such a thing. As I just stood there silently blinking my eyes, he frowned his brows at a slow pace. Then he continued his words.

  “The reason why you were obsessed about transferring to another school… now I get it.”


  “…”


  “Sorry that I was so offensive.”


  He then avoided my eyes as if he felt a bit shy. For a moment, his light blue eyes were scowling at the fridge next to me.

  I could not help myself bursting out slight laughter afterward. The serious side of Yoo Chun Young’s sometimes made me laugh and sometimes made me cry. Above all, that was the most aspect that I liked him. I groped around the dark and finally grabbed his hands.

  As if that knocked his socks off, Chun Young raised his head and had his eyes on me again. I said with a smile.

  “Dude, no need to apologize. I would have done that too if my friend tried to transfer to another school. It would have definitely made me mad as well.”


  “I had no idea at that time.”


  “Because I didn’t tell you why.”


  As I spat out my words, I felt a bit embarrassed that I had my other hand scratching the forehead. Then I looked him up again and said hesitantly.

  “Um… I… could not say that, because… no one would ever believe that. Even I would have not.”


  “…”


  “I didn’t know that Jooin would remember that day. He truly has exceptional memories. If I were him, I would’ve deleted any unknown numbers on my phone.”


  “Yeah.”


  “He should better go to NASA and work on building new spaceships. Have no idea why he’s still chilling around here.”


  I spoke with my hand still grabbing Chun Young’s hand and snooped around the living room.

  Woo Jooin was not reachable hidden behind the wall and the only ones that came into my sight were Eun Jiho, who was completely laying on the couch, and Eun Hyung, who sat next to him.

  Then I slowly took my hand off from Chun Young’s hand and tried to go back to the living room clearing my throat. At that moment, he called me from behind. I looked back following his voice.

  “Did you call me?”


  “Yeah.”


  He then hesitated for a while. I stood still looking at him in wonder. If Yoo Chun Young was being that hesitant, I could not even guess what words he would bring out. And the next moment, I struck dumb of what he said.

  He continued, “If you want… you could transfer to a different school. I would just let you go.”


  “…?”


  “Or, if you want me to act like a stranger in high school… I would do whatever you want. Never would be offensive no more, so do what you feel. Do what you want.”


  He then shoved his hands in his pocket and stood still hiding in the shades where the living room light did not reach. I could not find what to respond, so I just took a gaze at him for a while.

  It was still before myself bringing out the request to him of acting like strangers in high school; however, it was Yoo Chung Young, who surprisingly suggested that ahead of me.

  As I remained silent for quite a while, Yoo Chun Young questioned as if he was a bit concerned.

  “Why?”


  The anxiety was still on his face. I could tell from his look how difficult it would have been for him to make that big decision.

  And, at the same time, his cool handsome guy image as a character inside the novel left inside my head became more apparent. He previously made his remark of the guy in the drama like this.

  “I don’t understand that guy.”


  “If I were him… I would never appear in front of the girl ever since I was notified of my limited life. Though I miss her to death, I would bear myself, so that she could forget me as soon as possible.”


  He was that type of guy. Although he and I were just friends, and he just wanted to get along with me in the same high school… He was considerate of the pain I would confront after his absence. And therefore, he was talking about himself to bear the odd suggestion I was trying to make.

  My blank eyes were on his blue eyes. As if he felt a little embarrassed, his eyes moved aside, to the ceiling, to the floor, and then back at me. When our eyes met, I gave a bright smile.

  I reached out my hands to him. As if I was asking him for a handshake.

  “Chun Young.”


  “…?”


  He seemed to stop dead in his tracks when I called him only with his first name. I kept my smile having my gaze upon his face.

  “Um… we… in high school… let’s have fun. Make many good memories just like we did in middle school. Let’s just be good friends.”


  “…”


  I could hardly let them out of my life. The only person who was fully aware of what I was doing right now was myself.

  I have in mind that I would get hurt and so would them; however, his consideration and warm heart would never be forgotten… so I could absolutely not let go of him. The tip of my hands that were pretending to be unappalled was slightly trembling. My heart was throbbing at a slow pace.

  He stood speechlessly for a while and then stretched out his hand to grab mine. I stared at his white hand shining through the dim living room light and fluttered at his pianist-like long and delicate fingers.

  He gently grabbed and released my hand as if he was fearing even at the smallest damage he could make on it. Then he gave a response.

  “Ok.”


  The smile that followed on his face was marvelous enough to blow my mind far away to the galaxy. As if my feet were tied up, I stood still and had my gaze upon him.

  It was then when he had a strange look on me that I finally gathered my senses back and released his hands. I then ran to the living room.

  I stopped in front of Eun Jiho, who was burying himself in the couch until that moment, and Woo Jooin, who was sitting right below him. I tried to get my breath back and said with a gasp.

  “Phew… um… Jiho, Jooin.”


  “Huh? What?”


  Eun Jiho replied putting on a sour face in surprise. I took a grin and reached out my hand to him. He then had a face of wonder but gave a high five without actually grasping what was going on.

  Then I made my remark with a smile.

  “Dude, let’s have fun in high school as well.”


  “Gosh, nothing special.”


  Then he laughed with a brighter look on his face. He, at last, noticed what I meant.

  I stared at him wiping out the sweat hanging on my chin. Also did a high five with Woo Jooin, who was waiting for my hand to bump his.

  Clap! Our palms made a cheerful sound as they slapped together.

  And the next day, I woke up and clearly verified with my own eyes that the loud uniform and the vintage wall clock was still there in this world. Then I went to the school and heard the news that was a bolt from the blue. It was that Ban Yeo Ryung and I were in different classes for the first time.