.  ‘What’s wrong?’ I wondered then suddenly realized that Yeo Ryung didn’t just apply the story to Eun Hyung.

  I somewhat perceived the flow of time. Ever since I entered high school, time had been flying like an arrow; the second opening ceremony in our school was right around the corner.

  And March 2nd was also right under my nose.

  Looking at each other’s faces vacantly, we felt the silence hanging between us. At that moment, a familiar station name slipped from the bus speaker. Yikes, Yeo Ryung and I stood up from the seats in a hurry. Before we even knew, we had arrived at our apartment complex.

  As soon as I jumped off to the sidewalk, a big human shadow came over us. Although the light was bright at the bus station, Yeo Ryung was beside me, and the street was familiar to me, it was dark at night. Lifting my head instinctively in fear, I soon blurted out, “Yeo Dan oppa!”


  My breath froze white in the air and broke into pieces. Yeo Ryung, who got off the bus after me, intervened in the cold air.

  “Oppa, since when were you here?” she asked.

  Blinking swiftly at her remark, I soon realized something. I used my phone before getting on the bus, but once we hopped on the vehicle, I chitchatted with Yeo Ryung then almost fell into sleep, so I had no time to touch my phone.

  Thus, I would, of course, have no time to keep in touch with Yeo Dan oppa. In other words, the worst scenario could be that he might have been standing here since I reached out to him about departing from the hospital.

  Stretching out my hand all in a fluster, I grabbed Yeo Dan oppa’s hand. As I had expected, his hand was icy cold. At that moment, he replied, “Not so long ago.”


  “Not so long ago? Come on!” I shouted.

  Yeo Ryung also grabbed his hand for a second then became startled. We soon held each of his hands from both sides and walked up the hill toward our apartment. Considering that I was always standing in the middle between the two, this situation was quite exceptional.

  Suddenly Yeo Ryung complained, “Oppa, your hand is too cold.”


  “Then take your hand off,” he replied. However, he spoke kindly, not in an abrupt tone. So to speak, he would be implying, ‘I also don’t want you to grab something cold in this wintertime.’ Yeo Dan oppa cared so much about his little sister than anyone else. Anyway, I understood what he tried to say, but it didn’t sound that friendly at all.

  While I showed a strange look on my face, Yeo Ryung also looked at him enigmatically then replied, “No, I don’t want to.”


  “You said it’s cold.”


  “Whatever,” said Yeo Ryung.

  Yeo Dan was now staring at her like a parent who had a teen daughter. It might take a hundred years for Yeo Dan oppa to interpret the hidden meaning of his sister’s response. Having that thought in my head, I giggled then bid farewell once we reached home.

  I said, “Then, go in,”


  “Okay,” replied Yeo Ryung. As if she now got used to the situation, Yeo Ryung spoke that way and went inside her house. Only Yeo Dan oppa and I were left in the empty hallway. He dropped a remark first.

  “I heard they woke up from a coma, right?”


  “Ah, yeah,” I replied.

  “That’s good,” he spoke with a faint smile.

  I nodded at his response while thinking, ‘Yes, it’s good news.’ Smiling delightfully, I soon paid attention to his words that he spoke in a lower voice.

  “Then, are you……”


  “Huh?”


  “Going to the hospital less now?”


  When Yeo Dan oppa flung that question, I realized that I had been recently going back and forth between the hospital and cram school almost every day.

  ‘Hmm, as I write this way, it sounds like I’m a very passionate student who’s studying hard while being so sick……’ With that thought in my mind, I raised my head.

  Anyway, it was true that I had spent less time with Yeo Dan oppa these days. Even though I knew that this was the right time to apologize, I rather replied, “Um, that is…… I didn’t just go to the hospital for that reason. I went to see my friend’s sister today and heard coincidentally that they both woke up.”


  Having noticed that Yeo Dan oppa’s face darkened outstandingly, I felt like a rock on my ribs.

  I continued urgently, “However, I should go there less now.”


  “You said you’re going there to see your friend’s sister, not his father,” said Yeo Dan oppa. He didn’t seem mad but was sincerely wondering about the situation.

  Grinning wordlessly, I stretched out my hands and grabbed his sleeves. When I lifted my hands in the air, Yeo Dan oppa showed a question mark on his face again.

  “Uh-huh, but I’m afraid I’ll forget your face then.”


  “.……”


  “So, I should see you more often from now on.”


  My face reddened as I spoke that way. I should have just apologized to him about not being able to take care of him. However, why did I speak like I was the one who was being generous? Geez……

  It wasn’t because of myself having a big ego, but something made me unable to say sorry to him. I couldn’t explain this. There had been some better words I could say to him, but was I reacting this way since I was a beginner in romance? Should I go to the bookstore and browse some books for information?

  Being lost in thought for a moment with a grimace, I soon observed the look on Yeo Dan oppa’s face. He also looked frowny.

  ‘What should I do? Indeed, I said something wrong, right? Would it be better to just apologize and go inside?’ That was when I tried to open my mouth again while being flustered.

  All of a sudden, Yeo Dan oppa pulled me into his arms.

  Since we moved out of the blue, the sensor light above our heads turned bright. Blinking swiftly at the situation, I carefully pushed him out of me.

  “Hold on,” I uttered then glanced around the hallway. A few days ago, we had been doing this way and became startled when the next-door neighbor opened their door abruptly. This was the negative side of living in an apartment house with corridor access.