There were a lot of students gathered in the hallway. I passed them, arrived at the classroom, and sat down in a random seat.
The sound of cicadas chirping from early morning, in the hot sunlight
I closed my eyes for a moment. The new semester was better than I expected.
It was lunchtime when the cool breeze opened my eyes. Everyone
I went to the cafeteria and it was half empty. There was no one there.
I felt comfortable. I thought lunch was already over.
I tried to lie down again to sleep, but then I noticed a post-it note stuck on the desk and a bottle of strawberry milk next to me.
I took out the post-it note and read it. 'You must be hungry.
Eat something! Instead of eating this, make sure to eat the school lunch from now on~
The words, 'Eat well.' written in cute handwriting
I looked at the strawberry milk, smiled, and opened it.
I drank it. The strawberry milk, which was just okay, seemed even more delicious today, and a smile spread across my face without me realizing it.
I wonder who it is, it would be better if we met next time.
"I don't know who it was, but it was a good drink."
As I gradually became accustomed to school life, I began to see you in my eyes little by little.
I started to see him walking down the hallway, playing around with his friends.
When I was there, I was so crazy that I couldn't see ahead of me and ended up bumping into you.
Kudadadang -
You, who was holding a lot of books, must have bumped into something hard.Ugh -He fell over with a thud. It happened in an instant, so I was a bit flustered. I reached out and helped you up as you fell to the floor, and picked up your book.
"Sorry, I didn't know you were coming. Are you okay?"
"Ah.. I'm fine, how about you?"
"I'm fine too. Just in case, I think it's the infirmary."
" huh .. "
This was our first conversation. It passed without much conversation, and all I could think of was regret. But, didn't you notice that your cheeks were flushed pink afterward?
After that, rumors quickly spread around school that you liked me, and eventually reached my ears. At first, I thought you liked other people with power and looks. But you were much more unexpected than I thought, and I didn't understand the fact that you always told me you liked me and gave me jellies, but as time passed, I gradually got used to it. However, I didn't feel anything more than that. You were just someone who had liked me for a long time?
"Beomgyu, today is strawberry flavored jelly. Cheer up!"
"Ah.. yeah"
Every day, he would come to my class and put jelly and snacks and things like that in the drawer for me, or give them to me and run back to his class with a smile. I watched him disappear and threw strawberry jelly at my close friend.
"Eat."
"Sigh... You like him so much, but you still don't have any intention of accepting him?"
" .. nothing, not at all "
Did he know that his words and actions were different from his feelings?
The weather was gloomy today, and the classroom was filled with humidity. As I was staring out the window, I heard the kids from the next class passing by talking. 'Hey, Seo Yeo-ju transferred to a different school today.' As soon as I heard that, I felt dazed for a moment. However, even that soon got better. So, was that why I was depressed before? At least tell me. It was the same. Only a slight sense of disappointment coexisted.
The door opened, and Beomgyu's friend came running into the classroom, panting. He sat down next to Beomgyu and asked, his voice a little cautiously.
"There's that kid who followed you around, he transferred schools."
"Okay, I heard."
" .. It seems like nothing happened."
" .. uh "
Perhaps. I was rummaging through a drawer, just in case, when I found a Post-it note and strawberry milk in my hand. ...I wonder if Kim Yeo-ju gave it to me. It was the same Post-it note she'd given me the first time, but the content was different. I carefully read each and every word.
'I liked you, a lot. I want you to be happy. Goodbye, Beomgyu, my first love. I'm letting you go now.'
Two lines. It was a short sentence, but for some reason, my heart ached. Now I know, I liked you too. I regret finding out after you left me. No, maybe everything I said and did to you. I quietly opened and drank my strawberry milk. It seemed even more bitter today.
"What, you don't drink strawberry milk often?"
" .. just "
I regret it. I regret letting you go so, so much. I'll always remember. Even if there are countless days when I crumble, I'll live holding onto you in the summer. I think of you every day, not just occasionally, but I won't forget, and I'll wait for you just as much as you waited for me.
- I still remember you on that summer day.
They say that first love is the most beautiful when it remains first love. My summer, which started with heat and sweetness and ended with regret, is now goodbye. Even I didn't realize it, but I liked you so, so much.