With the CSAT fast approaching, he had to slowly empty out his locker. He was worried about losing the contents of his locker during the process of moving it to prepare for the CSAT. Since the textbooks and workbooks for subjects he'd already finished had long since been put away, Woo-seok didn't really have anything to pack. As he packed away his core subject materials, the planner he'd been keeping inside suddenly fell out. It was the planner the school distributed every year.
“It was here.”
It was a planner filled with everything from academic schedules to mock exams and college entrance exams. He'd thought he'd lost it months ago. He should've searched his locker earlier. Woo-seok flipped through the dusty planner and looked through the schedule. While the third-year students' schedule consisted entirely of mock exams and written exams, there were plenty of events for the first and second-year students.
“Are you saying that third-year students aren’t even students of this school?”
Wooseok grumbled to himself as he looked at his schedule for this month. Of the items in his planner, only three were listed for third-year students: the college entrance exam, the final exam at school, and graduation. Just as he was beginning to feel the end drawing near, an event for first- and second-year students caught his eye.
“A shining evening of humanities...”
It was an event Wooseok had participated in both his first and second year. Honestly, he wanted to participate again this year, but it was an event that absolutely prohibited third-year students, so he couldn't. Perhaps feeling a pang of regret, Wooseok put his planner back in his locker. Whether it disappeared forever or not was none of his business.
I heard that this year's "Shining Humanities Evening" would be held in the auditorium, as always. Perhaps that's why Woo-seok paused in front of the auditorium on his way home, feeling a sense of uneasiness. The event hadn't even begun yet, so the auditorium was filled with the sounds of music and students chatting. He'd attended this event as a freshman to fill out his student record, but it was more meaningful than he'd expected, so he attended again as a sophomore. Honestly, he'd been tempted to attend again this year, if only it were open to third-year students.
“..!”
Woo-seok, who had assumed the student standing in front of the auditorium, staring at the door, was a third-year student, was startled when he saw the student's face. It was Lee Han-gyeol.
-
"uh..."
Han-gyeol stood there, dumbfounded, as Woo-seok had already gone home. Unlike last time, Woo-seok didn't openly acknowledge him. But this time, Woo-seok seemed to have lost control of his expression. Han-gyeol clearly saw Woo-seok flinch the moment their eyes met, and muttered.
“Is that because you found out?”
Perhaps because the event was about to begin, a teacher inside the auditorium opened the door to check outside. He spotted Han-gyeol and asked for his student number and name.
“I couldn’t apply for this event.”
“Even if you didn’t apply, if you want to participate, you can come here. What’s your student number and name?”
“Ah, 20621 Lee Han-gyeol.”
“You’re Han-gyeol. Come in.”
“I think my senior wanted to participate here too...”
As they entered the auditorium, the teacher opened his mouth, perhaps hearing Han-gyeol mumbling.
“If you’re a senior, you’re a third-year student? Third-year students can never participate in this event.”
"ah..."
"Come to think of it, Woo-seok must have really wanted to come here. He liked this event the year before last, and last year, too."
Even though it wasn't a conversation with Han-gyeol, just a mutter to himself, it made Han-gyeol feel a pang of pain. He hadn't even mentioned Woo-seok as the senior, yet he wondered why, of all the third-year students, he'd mentioned Woo-seok. He must have been that interested in the humanities.
“First, there will be a recitation of a poem written by a first-year representative student.”
Come to think of it, Han-gyeol debuted about a year ago and stood on this stage a month later. Not as a student at this school, but as a member of a rookie idol group. Well, most of his friends and students were more interested in Han-gyeol as a fellow student than in the group itself. Until then, Han-gyeol had thought he would stand on this stage again this year, next year, as an idol. But given the current circumstances, that was absolutely impossible. Thinking that way, watching a student recite a poem he'd written felt strange.
“Title: A Secret Only I Know.
A secret is something that not everyone knows.
Yet, this is a fact that only I know.
Secret, that's a contradiction.
A secret that only I know, which I have shouted out with all my might over and over again.
Still, it's a secret that's not good for me to know.
At least, that's something I want to know with someone like you.
Today, too, I am sending you a secret message.
Secret, that's a contradiction.
And yet, I am sincere.”
As soon as the recitation ended, a thunderous applause erupted. Some of the people clapping enthusiastically seemed oblivious. It felt like they were just applauding out of politeness. It was better than the silence, which chilled the atmosphere. Thinking this, Han-gyeol, too, clapped as soon as the recitation ended. It wasn't just politeness. The poem didn't hold much meaning, but it was a sign of his own empathy. It was a poem that made me pause to consider the secrets only I knew. It was a poem that made Han-gyeol and that person perhaps share the same thoughts. I'm so glad I didn't just pass by the auditorium.
-
Woo-seok arrived at the bus stop, panting slightly, as if he'd run. He wasn't being chased. He just wanted to get away from the auditorium as quickly as possible. Perhaps because of the unexpected timing, he struggled to control his expression.
“Ha... What if it becomes a burden?”
Woo-seok was more worried than happy to see her today.