At first, it was mere curiosity.
How did things change so much?
***
Lee Ha-Eun and Ha Soo-Yul.
Both were kids who stood out in class.
Lee Ha-Eun always had a detached expression, as if nothing in the world interested him.
Ha Soo-Yul, on the other hand, was completely enamored with him.
From my perspective, someone who loves pretty and beautiful things, they looked like a perfect pair.
I often felt an urge to insert myself into the dynamic between them.
That’s why, on my first day as a transfer student, I approached Soo-Yul and seized the opportunity to get closer.
At first, Yul seemed to like me too, but over time, it became clear I was annoying her, and she began pushing me away.
Still, I didn’t mind.
After all, it didn’t feel like she hated me.
‘...Or was I wrong? Was that just wishful thinking?’
To be fair, Yul wasn’t great at expressing herself.
Her face always looked blank, and her half-lidded eyes made her seem perpetually drowsy.
But with Lee Ha-Eun, she showed a range of emotions.
She smiled, pouted, even looked annoyed at times.
For some reason, it was amusing to see her like that, and I couldn’t help but be curious about how she acted so differently around Ha-Eun.
‘Ha-Eun is plenty pretty and handsome too...’
I did feel like getting closer to him, but something about his unique atmosphere made it hard.
‘He feels so distant. Not at all like a ten-year-old...’
He didn’t seem like a grown-up either, though sometimes I’d see him joking around with Yul.
Still, there was something about him that didn’t fit.
He didn’t seem like a typical ten-year-old.
So I mostly spoke to Yul, and when I accidentally started a conversation with Ha-Eun, it never lasted long.
It was never a long exchange.
A week after transferring, Yul announced she was going over to Ha-Eun’s house.
When I asked why, curious, she replied:
“To see Ha-Yoon.”
Ha-Yoon, or Lee Ha-Yoon, was Ha-Eun’s younger sister.
I suddenly thought Ha-Yoon might be just like her brother.
So, I decided I’d go home alone that day.
“If you’re really bored, you can come along. You’ve been sticking to Soo-Yul since you transferred anyway.”
As he left the classroom, Ha-Eun made the offer, and I instinctively nodded.
Even now, I don’t know why I agreed so readily.
But looking back, I think it was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.
When we arrived at Ha-Eun’s house, I realized how wrong my assumptions had been.
‘So, Ha-Eun is just a normal person after all.’
There was no sense of distance in the way he spoke with his mom.
He played naturally with his little sister.
And Ha-Yoon? She was far more energetic than I’d imagined.
Even though it was our first meeting, she greeted me with a bright smile.
‘She’s adorable...’
It was then that I realized I’d been looking at him through tinted glasses.
I had never had any real issues with Ha-Eun, but we hadn’t exactly been friendly either.
We simply hadn’t shown any interest in each other.
This was probably the first time we’d properly interacted.
After that day, I found myself tagging along under the pretense of visiting Yul but often ended up playing with Yoon.
It was fun and enjoyable.
The feelings I had back then, I simply labeled as happiness.
When I later realized what they truly were, I felt a little embarrassed.
***
During PE class, Yul managed to knock out three classmates.
Unfortunately for them, Yul was far stronger than she looked, and the ball she threw hit one of the kids hard enough to make him cry.
‘That must’ve hurt...’
As I was thinking this, I saw Ha-Eun descending the shadowy stairs.
Yul apologized to the kid she’d hit.
When Ha-Eun approached, he spoke.
“If you just fixed your expressions a little, you’d be really popular.”
Honestly, he was right. If Yul just smiled more often, it’d probably help a lot.
Yul shook her head in response to his comment.
“It’s not that easy.”
Watching the two of them, I couldn’t help but interject.
“Soo-Yul, you’re really good at sports, huh?”
“Not really. I just like them.”
Her reply was curt, as always.
When I suggested we eat lunch together, she hid behind Ha-Eun and told me to do whatever I wanted.
The situation made me laugh quietly to myself.
As lunchtime approached and we headed upstairs, Ha-Eun suddenly turned back and went downstairs again.
From his pocket, he pulled out a piece of fruit candy.
‘What’s he doing?’
He handed the candy to the girl who had been crying earlier.
“Here. If you eat something sweet, the pain will go away.”
“Oh, uh... thanks.”
The girl accepted the candy hesitantly and thanked him.
‘See? He’s softer than he seems.’
I couldn’t tell if he was just gentle-hearted or naturally kind.
Watching him, I thought he resembled his parents a lot.
Next to me, Yul’s red eyes gleamed as she held out her hand to him.
Without hesitation, he took another candy from his pocket and handed it to her.
“Ehehe.”
She smiled bashfully, clearly delighted.
Something stirred in my chest.
‘What is this feeling?’
I still didn’t know.
“Give me one too!”
I stretched out my hand, asking for candy as well. But Ha-Eun shook his head, saying he was out, and turned away.
Disappointed, I smacked my lips.
“Here. It’s only lemon-flavored, though.”
As he passed me, he handed me a candy and continued up the stairs.
‘It’s the same color as my hair...’
“Oh, um... thanks.”
The tingling in my chest grew stronger.
Scratching my cheek, I unwrapped the candy and popped it into my mouth.
I complained about the sticky sweetness, to which Ha-Eun simply shrugged.
That exchange—it just felt nice.
My chest tingled.
***
When I was ten, there was an incident.
It was the time when someone falsely accused Lee Ha-Eun—a case of assault.
Back then, I didn’t fully understand what happened or why.
This 𝓬ontent is taken from freeweɓnovel.cѳm.
All I knew was that, while watching a movie after finals, Ha-Eun packed his bag and left.
He didn’t look well. Was he feeling sick? Or was it something else?
I was curious, but in the end, I didn’t ask. All I managed to do was say goodbye.
‘...This is frustrating.’
Seeing Ha-Eun’s gloomy face stirred irritation within me.
It left me in a bad mood.
***
At sixteen, Ha-Eun was now almost as tall as me.
Even Yul wasn’t far off in height.
When Ha-Eun mentioned what he wanted for lunch, I couldn’t help but laugh.
Pointless conversations, but fun banter nonetheless.
“I’m jealous...”
“Jealous? I’ll buy it for you—just come with me.”
“Really?! Yes!”
There were times when I received his help, though this was more like him treating me.
But each time, the strange tickling sensation in my chest only grew stronger.
His casual thoughtfulness made me feel warm.
His effortless conversations made me feel grateful.
Other kids—those like me, with names everyone knew—couldn’t hang out with regular classmates easily.
Idols, actors, celebrities—every action is scrutinized because they’re public figures.
As a result, while I was friendly with a lot of people, I couldn’t call anyone a close friend.
Just an exchange of greetings, nothing more.
The only ones I could speak freely with were Yul and Ha-Eun.
Conversations like this were something I deeply appreciated.
It wasn’t until recently that I realized something.
Ha-Eun, aside from us, had no friends.
***
We went on a retreat. A military-style one.
It was fine since I’d informed the company beforehand.
Yul looked great even in military fatigues. Maybe it was her good proportions.
I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror and nodded.
‘I’ve got nothing to be ashamed of, either, right?’
I had a decent figure too.
...Well, just the proportions were good.
On the training field, I saw Ha-Eun wearing fatigues as well.
‘...Surprisingly?’
They suited him perfectly, even though he didn’t have an ounce of muscle.
I hate to admit it, but there’s something uniquely decadent about him.
Maybe that’s why he looked like a defeated soldier who had lost a war.
But, well... let’s just say he looked handsome.
After that, Ha-Eun was excluded from training, leaving Yul and me to throw ourselves into the drills.
‘...Paying money to train.’
I frowned at the thought, though I kept it to myself.
During the retreat, a major incident occurred.
A student named Kim Byung-Jun committed aggravated assault.
The school was in an uproar, with calls and messages coming from all sides.
Though the students themselves were relatively quiet.
While eating lunch, I noticed Yul had sauce on the corner of her mouth, which Ha-Eun wiped off with his pinky finger.
“...Hmm.”
And then, he licked it.
“What the hell?!”
Why would he do that? Did Ha-Eun have some kind of fetish?
I stared at him in shock.
“What are you looking at?”
...Am I the weird one here?
“No, no? Wait... huh?”
Is this what it feels like to be at a loss for words?
I couldn’t say anything.
“Why aren’t you guys reacting to this?”
“To what?”
Ha-Eun tilted his head at my question.
“Why would you... that’s so gross, why...”
“Is it, though?”
He shrugged, his expression completely unbothered.
‘...Should I try it too?’
With that thought, I took a bite of my burger.
“...Why don’t you do that for me?”
“Why would I? That’s disgusting.”
...That wasn’t what I was hoping for.
***
“That’s it. Thank you.”
Ha-Eun’s song ended.
The students erupted into cheers, shouting for an encore.
But I couldn’t say a word. I couldn’t react.
Maybe because he’s an idol, someone whose profession is singing.
It wasn’t something I could comment on so easily.
There was a lingering sense of longing in his voice.
A longing for art, and it was overwhelming.
It was a sad song.
The emotions reached me.
But there was nothing I could do.
All I could do was observe him.
The tickling sensation in my chest grew stronger.
***
We were in America!
For the first time, I set foot on foreign soil.
Around me were Yul and Ye-Hwa.
Thanks to Ye-Hwa, we’d all come together.
She had two suitcases, one of which she said contained a painting.
It was the piece that had won first place in the national competition.
She said she wanted to show it to Ha-Eun and brought it on purpose.
I felt a pang of jealousy but kept it hidden.
While looking around, I saw a boy standing awkwardly at the airport.
It was Lee Ha-Eun—the boy I’d been so desperate to see.
It had only been two weeks. But to me, it felt unbearably long.
Yul dashed forward, and I quickly followed.
The familiar warmth hit me as soon as we reunited.
Ha-Eun gently pushed Yul aside with one hand.
“Mmph.”
Yul let out a nasal sound as her face was nudged away.
“So, where are we hanging ou—”
“You talk too much! Just follow me without any complaints!”
Ignoring his question, I grabbed his wrist.
And then, I dragged him along.
It didn’t take long for me to realize that this tickling sensation was love.
He’s someone I can never give up.
‘I love you, Ha-Eun. I love you.’
If anyone dares to hurt you,
I’ll personally make sure they disappear from this world.
But that dark thought was hidden behind my bright, smiling face.