The next morning.
Lee Han arrived at the field a little later than usual.
But strangely, Riwoo was nowhere to be seen.
At this time, he’d normally have been here first, tidying up the balls.
"...Where did he go."
He checked his phone.
There were no new messages.
Just as Lee Han was looking around the field once, the coach approached.
"Lee Han, haven’t you heard from Riwoo?"
"No. Is something wrong?"
"He said he had the start of a cold, so he’d skip training today. Said he went home yesterday in the rain."
Lee Han’s expression froze for a moment.
"Is he sick?"
"He says he just feels a bit under the weather. It’s not serious, so don’t worry."
"...Okay."
He answered that way, but Lee Han kept worrying about Riwoo.
Until yesterday, he’d seemed perfectly fine.
It had rained hard, but he’d had an umbrella.
So why was he sick?
Practice started, but he couldn’t focus.
Even when he had the ball, he kept thinking about Riwoo.
Normally, Riwoo would’ve passed it around here.
He would’ve told him to move here.
In the end, as soon as practice was over, Lee Han picked up his phone.
After a long hesitation, he sent a message.
Senior, are you really sick?
No reply came for a long time.
Lee Han set his phone down.
Then picked it up again.
There wasn’t even a read receipt.
He finally let out a sigh.
"...This is really bothering me."
That evening.
Riwoo was lying in bed.
His fever had gone down a little, but he still felt heavy.
When he checked his phone, he saw a message from Lee Han.
Senior, are you really sick?
Riwoo let out a snort of laughter.
He was about to write back, then paused.
He wanted to hear Lee Han say he was worried.
So he deliberately replied a little late.
I’m fine. It’s just a cold. I think I’ll be better by tomorrow.
A few seconds later, a reply came.
Sounds like a lie.
Riwoo laughed.
What makes you say that?
When you’re really fine, you don’t say "I’m fine." You say "I’m totally fine."
Riwoo’s fingers stopped.
It really was a tiny difference.
And yet Lee Han had noticed.
You’ve been watching me?
Yes.
Why?
No reply came for a long time.
Then, a little later.
Because you’re my senior.
Riwoo stared at the screen for a long time after seeing that message.
For some reason, his chest tingled.
The next day.
Riwoo came to school.
His body still wasn’t completely back to normal, but staying home all day felt even more suffocating.
As he entered the classroom, a friend asked,
"Hey, I heard you were sick yesterday?"
"Yeah. It was nothing."
"But you still look kind of rough."
"I’m fine."
Then, from in front of the classroom door, a familiar voice was heard.
"Senior."
Riwoo lifted his head.
It was Lee Han.
"Why did you come all the way here?"
"I was going to the infirmary."
"Why the infirmary?"
"I came to see you, senior."
Riwoo was momentarily speechless.
"...What?"
Lee Han said calmly,
"Is it weird to come see someone who’s sick?"
"No, it’s not weird."
"Then that’s fine."
Lee Han set a small envelope down in front of Riwoo.
"Here."
"What is it?"
"Porridge and medicine."
Riwoo opened the envelope and looked inside.
"Where did you buy this?"
"In front of the school."
"You had to?"
"I had to. You said you were sick, senior."
Riwoo looked at Lee Han.
"You really..."
"Why?"
"Getting something like this from you makes me feel better than I expected."
"Then I’m glad."
Lee Han said it as if it were nothing.
"But there’s one more thing."
"What?"
"Are you free after school today?"
"Why?"
"There’s somewhere I want to go with you."
Riwoo blinked.
"Where?"
"It’s a secret."
"I’m still a patient."
"I know."
"Then where are we going?"
"Not far. Somewhere you’d like, senior."
Riwoo looked at Lee Han suspiciously.
"You’re not planning to drag me somewhere weird, are you?"
"Do you think I would?"
"You seem like you totally would."
Lee Han smiled.
"Then you won’t go?"
Riwoo thought about it for a moment.
Then, in the end, he nodded.
"Let’s go."
After school.
Where Lee Han took him was a small bookstore a little away from the school.
Riwoo stood at the entrance and looked around.
"Here?"
"Yes."
"Why here?"
"You like books, don’t you, senior?"
Riwoo looked at Lee Han.
"How did you know I like books?"
"You were reading one every lunch break."
"You saw that too?"
"Yes."
"You really watched me a lot."
"......."
Lee Han didn’t answer and went into the bookstore.
Riwoo smiled at his back.
"Lee Han."
"Yes."
"Did you come here because of me?"
Lee Han stopped.
"Yes."
"Why?"
"I just wanted to spend time with you outside of soccer too, senior."
For a moment, Riwoo couldn’t say anything.
Not soccer.
That line kept lingering in his head.
The two of them wandered around the bookstore for a long time.
Riwoo picked out books, and Lee Han quietly followed beside him.
Then Lee Han picked up one book.
"Do you like this?"
"Yeah. I read it before."
"Then I’ll read it too."
"You?"
"You said you like it, senior."
Riwoo laughed.
"You’re really weird."
"How so?"
"You want to like the things I like too."
"Do you hate that?"
"No."
Riwoo took the book.
"I like it."
Hearing that, Lee Han gave a small laugh.
By the time they left the bookstore, the sun was almost down.
Riwoo suddenly looked up at the sky.
"The weather’s nice today."
"Yeah."
They walked side by side.
Not a single word about soccer came up.
And yet it wasn’t awkward.
If anything, it felt strangely comfortable.
After walking for a while, Riwoo spoke first.
"Lee Han."
"Yes."
"You still haven’t told me about that other school."
Lee Han’s pace slowed a little.
"No."
"Have you decided?"
"Not yet."
"Why?"
Lee Han thought for a moment, then said,
"You told me to wait, didn’t you, senior?"
Riwoo stopped.
"I did?"
"Yes."
"When?"
"That day on the field."
Lee Han looked at Riwoo.
"You said you’d tell me what kind of person I am."
Riwoo’s chest dropped at those words.
"I still haven’t found that answer."
"I know."
"And you’re still waiting?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
Lee Han looked at Riwoo for a moment, then said quietly,
"Because I’m thinking about what kind of person you are to me too."
"......."
"I still don’t really know either."
Riwoo was silent for a long time.
Then he slowly smiled.
"Then we’re the same."
"How so?"
"We still don’t know what kind of people we are to each other, but we weirdly keep wanting to be рядом—"
Lee Han’s eyes wavered slightly.
"You feel that way too, senior?"
"Yeah."
Riwoo answered honestly.
"I do."
A silence passed between them for a moment.
Lee Han asked carefully,
"Then today too..."
"Hm?"
"It’s not because of soccer, right?"
This time, Riwoo didn’t smile.
After looking at Lee Han for a moment, he shook his head.
"Not today."
"......."
"Today I just came because I wanted to be with you."
Lee Han’s face turned a little red.
Seeing that, Riwoo grinned teasingly.
"Why are you blushing?"
"I’m not blushing."
"You are, though."
"That’s because you’re saying weird things."
"What did I do?"
"I don’t know. It’s just..."
Lee Han looked away.
"When you say things like that, I keep getting the wrong idea."
Riwoo’s smile faded.
"What wrong idea?"
Lee Han didn’t answer.
Instead, he walked half a step ahead of Riwoo.
"Let’s just go home."
Riwoo followed after him, quietly laughing.
And he thought.
Maybe the answer was closer than he’d expected.
Someone he wanted to meet even when they weren’t playing soccer, someone he wanted to text for no reason, someone who bothered him whenever he saw them with someone else.
That person was Lee Han.
He just hadn’t been able to put a name to it yet.