After that day, at school
The rumor about Hwang Hyunjin, which had been bubbling up as a topic of conversation, gradually faded away
I, too, returned to an ordinary daily life, but
Whenever I lay still in my room
the ceiling light somehow felt awkward
The wide entrance hallway, the chandelier hanging from the ceiling, the quiet mealtimes
His eye-smile when he laughed and
even Hwang Hyunjin's messy hair after waking up
What had seemed so unfamiliar and uncomfortable at the time
I found myself missing even that awkward air
Thinking that he was the first close friend I’d had since middle school
my longing only grew day by day
I would even unfold the note I’d tucked into my desk drawer several times
Looking at the crudely written phone number
I kept wondering whether I should send a text
About a month had passed since Hwang Hyunjin transferred schools
By the time Hwang Hyunjin was fading from my memory
a follow request came from an unknown account
Seeing the ID, I was sure it was Hwang Hyunjin
As soon as I accepted the follow request
my phone started buzzing again and again, as if he'd been waiting
I was completely dumbfounded
I couldn't reply and just left the chat window open
more than 10 minutes passed
Unable to find the right response
just as I kept repeating the same words over and over
a call came from an unknown number
Startled, I rummaged through my desk drawer looking for the note
The note in my hand and the number on the screen matched
“ ... Hello? ”
“ Long time no see “
“ Yeah, by the way, how did you know my account? ”
” It showed up in friend recommendations “
Hwang Hyunjin grumbled childishly, saying he thought I'd thrown the note away
His tone was plain, but there was a hint of hurt in it
Hearing his low voice muttering like he was pouting
I couldn't help but laugh
Actually, Hwang Hyunjin had been in a situation where he had to tell me about the transfer
and he must have been really anxious, unable to find the right time
And because I understood that feeling better than anyone
I didn't bring up the transfer myself
As I talked on the phone, I thought back to what had happened before
He had started to say he had something to tell me, but
when it ended up being brushed off
if I had asked one more time, “What do you want to say?”
the night I slept at Hwang Hyunjin's house recently,
when he'd brought it up by asking if I was asleep first
if I hadn't pretended to be asleep
instead of hearing the other students whispering
I could have heard the news of his transfer from him directly
Thinking it was nothing more than a small, trivial matter
I was able to look back on the days I'd let pass me by
“ So, why did you introduce me to your father as your girlfriend?
That was a lie “
” He doesn't like bringing friends home because of security “
After a short pause, he spoke
The reason he had registered my information
in the fingerprint scanner and facial recognition device at the front door of his house was the same
Hwang Hyunjin answered all my questions in a trembling voice
“ Oh, and you can erase everything you registered “
” Why? “
” Because there are no secrets left for me to guard anymore
Wouldn't there be no reason for you to come to our house anymore? ”
“ Even so, come over and hang out when you have time like before, we're friends “
