If we're together. 03
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At Ji-hoon's suggestion to move to a quieter place, Yeo-ju got up first and walked ahead. Since it wasn't something she felt comfortable discussing in front of others, she, too, wanted to talk somewhere quiet.
After walking for a while, Yeoju left the main building and entered an empty classroom in the annex. She turned around. Jihoon, who had been following her, stopped walking.
"No one comes here. It's an unused classroom anymore."
"That's perfect. I don't have to worry about anyone eavesdropping."
"Then tell me."
"What are you most curious about? I'll answer them all."
He told her to ask him anything, but the heroine couldn't easily open her mouth. She had many questions, but she didn't know where to start. It was especially difficult because she'd never imagined she'd be having such a conversation with anyone.
Where should I start? What should I say? The more I thought about it, the more complicated it became. The heroine sighed and finally opened her mouth.
"…entire."
"entire?"
"Tell me everything you know about me and why you're approaching me."
Ji-hoon momentarily pondered the words he spoke after much thought. Hmm… Ji-hoon, his eyes fixed on the empty space, let out a low sigh. He then seemed to have made a decision and looked back at Yeo-ju. Unlike Yeo-ju, who was startled by their direct gaze, Ji-hoon calmly nodded and began to speak.
"I think you're most curious about how much I know about you, so let's start with that."
"…."
"You can hear other people's thoughts, can you? I bet it gives you quite a headache because you can hear everyone else's thoughts in the same room. That's why you lie down every day, right? If you force yourself to sleep, you can hear less."
“How about that….”
"I saw it all."
"what?"
"The limit to how far you can hear thoughts is probably around the classroom? You can hear everyone's thoughts from that distance, and the closer you are, the clearer they are. Right?"
I was speechless. More than being completely right, I was astonished by how accurately I knew this. It was something I'd never told anyone, not even my family. Even if I did, there was no guarantee they'd believe me, and I lacked the courage to face those who feared me.
So, to avoid being caught, I didn't talk to anyone. I felt more comfortable alone than getting close to someone. That way, I wouldn't accidentally blurt out someone else's thoughts.
It was a truth that had been kept so secret, so how on earth did Ji-hoon find out? Ji-hoon's voice penetrated the complicated mind of the female protagonist, who was lost in thought in a situation where she couldn't understand English.
"As I said before, just because I know doesn't mean I'm going to do anything."
"Then, what do you want?"
"I told you that earlier too. Stay with me."
"What's the point of me being with you?"
"You know, meaning."
"what?"
"Aren't you curious why you can't hear a single thought of mine? That's what I'm most curious about."
“That’s, what is….”
"If that's what you're thinking, I can hear it clearly," I tried to say. But I couldn't hear a thing. All I could hear were the words coming out of Ji-hoon's mouth.
Why on earth? Yeoju furrowed her brows, unable to come up with an answer even after asking herself this question. Jihoon, who had been observing Yeoju's gaze, broke the brief silence and continued speaking.
"I'll tell you in advance, I don't know why you can't hear my thoughts. All I know is that when I'm around, you can't hear other people's thoughts either."
"why?"
"Well, I don't know about that. But it's true. The closer I am to someone, the less I can hear what other people are thinking."
"Is that right?" I couldn't answer the question, which seemed to confirm. It was all true, but my thoughts wouldn't follow.
Why couldn't I hear Ji-hoon's thoughts? Why couldn't I hear others' thoughts when Ji-hoon was nearby? Even though it was something I had confirmed right before my eyes, I couldn't believe it. Perhaps it was because I was being forced to believe the results without any explanation of cause and effect. It all felt like a lie.
I clutched my head, dizzy with the dizzying thoughts flooding through my mind, and faced Ji-hoon. His face was as calm as ever, and I moistened his already parched lips.
“…So, let’s say I’m fine with being with you because I can’t hear anything. Then what do you want?”
“I don’t really intend to hide it… but I think I’ll be really disappointed if you don’t believe me.”
"What are you trying to say?"
"It's only fair that you tell me as much about yourself as I know about you. So I'm going to tell you everything, but I hope you'll believe me, even if it's hard to believe."
Ji-hoon, who had said so, closed his mouth as if choosing his words. He rolled his eyes, avoiding the female protagonist's gaze, and when he met her gaze again, he continued speaking.
"It's not easy to tell your family that you can hear what other people are thinking. I understand. I'm the same way."
"Similar?"
"In my case, it's not like I have a headache from hearing other people's thoughts or anything, but it doesn't make me feel at ease either."
Ji-hoon's expression, previously composed, twisted for the first time. Yeo-ju, who had been silently observing his expression, a mixture of pain and sadness, sighed. Another heavy sigh followed, and Yeo-ju's voice was heard.
“…I’ll believe you.”
"…."
"Now, it's something I can't just pretend not to know. I'll believe it all."
"Speak up." Ji-hoon's expression changed once again at the heroine's subsequent words. The corners of his mouth, neatly drawn upwards, looked pleased.