Not a single soul wandered the neighborhood, not even a lingering ghost. Talisman papers were plastered on every alley corner, their crude designs laughably ineffective. Despite the stifling heat, the eerie emptiness of the scenery sent a cold shiver down the spine.As always, Hwan-young left for school before sunrise. His uniform was neatly pressed, and his long legs carried him swiftly through the winding alleys. Even when he reached the bus stop—or when he passed by it—he never once spared it a glance, his gaze fixed straight ahead."……."Then, for some reason, he stopped. He stood still for a long moment, his hands clenching into fists before he slowly turned his head toward the bus stop. The long bench and the electronic display beside it flashed a notice—The bus to Haeyeon High School will arrive in five minutes.[I’m sorry, oppa.]Last Friday, Hwan-hee finally left this world. He had died at twelve years old, and now, six years later, he was finally at peace. It had been a farewell made possible by Kim Mu-ryeong—a moment of closure that would have been impossible without him.[You won’t have to walk two hours everywhere anymore.]A voice echoed in his head. It was a boyish tone, slightly unpolished, as if still growing. But the way he spoke was always so calm, so composed. That gentle, affectionate voice—it made his chest tighten in a way that felt almost ticklish."……."Hwan-young kept his eyes on the display. What took over two hours on foot would take only thirty minutes by bus. It was undoubtedly the easier, more efficient choice.He stood there for a while. Less than five minutes had passed when a blue bus rolled in from a distance. Since the previous stop was the terminal, there were no passengers onboard. As it approached and noticed him standing there, it slowed to a stop right beside him.The front door of the bus swung open.Hwan-young stood frozen, as if nailed to the ground. He could have stepped forward and boarded, yet for some reason, his body refused to move.After waiting briefly, the bus doors closed. The vehicle pulled away, disappearing down the road. Watching it vanish, Hwan-young absentmindedly slipped his hand into his pocket. His fingertips brushed against his name tag, and today, it felt strangely unfamiliar.***Summer break was only two days away. Ever since final exams had ended, the school had been buzzing with restless energy. With each passing day, the anticipation grew. A few teachers warned the students to stay focused, but their words barely registered amidst the excitement."Don’t just slack off during self-study! You guys are seniors next year!"The homeroom teacher’s words fell on deaf ears. The students of Class 3 responded with an overly enthusiastic "Yes!"—but it was obvious they had no intention of actually listening.Hwan-young sat by the window, propping his chin on his hand as he stared out at the empty schoolyard. The scorching midday sun had settled over the deserted field. Soon, standing there for even a moment would become unbearable under the relentless summer heat.It reminded him of that day—when Kim Mu-ryeong had suddenly given him a grape-flavored lollipop. That day, too, he had been staring out the window. Not for any particular reason—perhaps just because class had felt especially dull. The shouts of students playing soccer outside had been oddly grating on his ears.And then, he had spotted Kim Mu-ryeong.Dressed in a plain black short-sleeved shirt and his school’s PE uniform pants, he darted across the field like an overgrown puppy chasing a soccer ball."Hey! Block him!""Mu-ryeong, pass!"Even from a distance, Hwan-young could see everything clearly. His senses had always been sharper than others’. The way Mu-ryeong’s tousled hair bounced like soft puppy fur, how his round eyes sparkled with energy, the way his forehead was exposed when he wiped away his sweat—every detail stood out vividly."Ugh! Kim Mu-ryeong scored again!"Mu-ryeong was good at soccer. He had always known that. But every time he watched him play, he found himself thinking, How does he have that much stamina? That small frame never seemed to tire, and that had always surprised him.And then, for some reason, he had fidgeted with the lollipop in his pocket. He had no intention of eating it, yet he kept rolling the round candy between his fingers, as if trying to melt it through touch alone. All the while, his gaze had remained fixed on Kim Mu-ryeong, completely tuning out the lesson.Mu-ryeong had scored three goals that day. His classmates cheered and groaned in equal measure. Grinning like a troublemaker, he stretched his arms and chatted animatedly with his friends.Then, at one point, he lifted his head—and their eyes met midair, precisely."……."What had annoyed him so much back then? The fact that Mu-ryeong was sweating yet still sticking close to his friends? Or was it the frustration of not being able to hear their conversation from afar?Only much later did Hwan-young realize—he had been utterly captivated.He had lost his attention to Mu-ryeong, and that was the only way to describe it. So, out of sheer defiance, he had forced himself to look away, dropping the lollipop and pretending he wasn’t interested.That had been nearly two months ago. So much had happened since then. The events of that day now felt like a distant past. Looking back, it was hard to believe that he had once stood on the sidelines, feeling inexplicably irritated by Mu-ryeong."Ki Hwan-young!""……."Hwan-young snapped out of his thoughts. Morning announcements had already ended, and now, instead of the homeroom teacher, a group of students had gathered around the teacher’s desk, chatting.Instinctively, he turned his head toward the voice.Standing at the back door of the classroom, Kim Mu-ryeong was grinning brightly."Come here. I have something for you."A few classmates greeted Mu-ryeong as he passed by. In fact, Mu-ryeong blended in so easily ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) with Class 3 that he seemed more like one of them than Hwan-young did.Noticing someone tapping Mu-ryeong’s shoulder playfully, Hwan-young quickened his pace and approached the back door."What is it?"Fortunately, as soon as he got closer, the other students dispersed. Even after an entire semester together, Hwan-young remained an enigma to most of his classmates.Mu-ryeong didn’t seem to mind at all. Smiling brightly, he held something out."This."Hwan-young accepted it without hesitation.At first, he had been wary of anything Mu-ryeong gave him. But now, even if it had been trash, he would have taken it without question."The class rep gave me extra."It wasn’t trash, of course—it was a lollipop. A grape-flavored one, just like before."Why are you looking at me like that?""…It’s nothing."Something felt strange. No, ticklish.Somewhere along the way, whenever he looked at Mu-ryeong, this odd, fluttering feeling always surfaced."Thanks. I’ll eat it."This translation is the intellectual property of ."Yeah, there’s more in the classroom. Let me know if you want another."Hwan-young’s gaze was stolen by the soft curve of Mu-ryeong’s lips. He knew just how warm and tender those lips were. And he also knew just how heated and sensitive the inside of that mouth could be."……."On reflex, Hwan-young lifted a hand to cover his own lips, quickly looking away. He forced out a cough, but Mu-ryeong’s clear, innocent eyes followed his every move. Those round, puppy-like eyes made him feel guilty for even having such thoughts."Are you feeling sick?""…Why would I be sick?""I dunno, your face is kinda red…."Was he really this oblivious?"It’s just hot, that’s all."That Friday night when they had sent Hwan-hee off—he and Mu-ryeong had kissed. Twice.Once, impulsively, on the rooftop. And then again, deliberately, in front of the gate.What the hell had he been thinking? Hwan-young had spent the entire weekend agonizing over it. He hadn’t even had the time to be swallowed by grief over Hwan-hee’s passing—he had been too busy trying to calm his pounding heart.It had been his first kiss. No matter what Mu-ryeong thought, to Hwan-young, it had been an undeniable act of affection. If Mu-ryeong hadn’t pushed him away, he might never have let him go."I’m not sick, so just go already."Unable to endure the awkwardness any longer, Hwan-young reached out and pushed Mu-ryeong’s back. His hands gripped his shoulders, turning him around. With a surprised "Oh—" Mu-ryeong stumbled forward, walking down the hall before suddenly glancing back."Did you bring your name tag?"His eyes gleamed, glossy like glass marbles. Hwan-young clamped his mouth shut and furrowed his brows. He let go of Mu-ryeong and reached into his pocket."Here."Ki Hwan-young.The same name tag that had already ended up in Mu-ryeong’s hands once before—back on the day of the entrance ceremony. He must have kept it with him all this time because, when it returned to Hwan-young, it was soaked in Mu-ryeong’s spiritual energy. Of course, now it was once again covered in his own."Nice!"Mu-ryeong let out a small cheer, taking the name tag and wrapping his pale, slender fingers around it. A bright smile spread across his face, deep dimples appearing as his round eyes curved into a cheerful crescent."Thanks."Why was he so happy over something as insignificant as a name tag? It was reactions like these that led to unnecessary misunderstandings. Not that Hwan-young had any delusions—he knew this bright-eyed idiot had no hidden intentions."…Are you gonna feed that to those things?"His tone was grumpy for no real reason. Those things—the goblins Mu-ryeong kept around. Knowing how much those gluttons ate, it wouldn’t have been surprising if they tried to devour his name tag, too.But Mu-ryeong only blinked, looking genuinely confused."What? No way. I’m keeping this.""…Yeah?"Hwan-young hesitated. What are you gonna do with it? He wanted to ask, but the words never left his mouth. Because at that moment, Mu-ryeong slipped the name tag into his pocket and took a step closer.Close enough that his voice dropped into a quiet murmur."Did you walk to school again today?""……."The words caught in his throat. Not because of the question itself, but because the proximity was too familiar. Just like that night in front of the gate, Mu-ryeong was close enough that all he had to do was lower his head for their lips to meet."I figured.""…….""Take the bus home today."His heart pounded violently in his chest. His ears burned, his fingertips twitched, his entire body tensed."Anyway, I’m heading out."Mu-ryeong casually patted Hwan-young’s arm before turning away. As he strolled off down the hallway, his relaxed, carefree steps made it seem as if nothing had happened.Watching his retreating figure, Hwan-young sighed and dragged a hand down his face.At some point, seeing Kim Mu-ryeong had started making him feel unbearably parched—like a thirst that refused to be quenched.

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