PJ (Hyunjin) short story collection

Us Behind the Lock Screen

“Hey, Kim Haeun. Where are you going?”

Taking advantage of the moment when her roommates were fully absorbed in a noisy game of Truth or Dare, Haeun quietly opened the dorm room door.

“Bathroom! I’ll be right back!”

After tossing out a flimsy excuse, Haeun stepped into the quiet hallway. Her heart was already pounding hard, as if it were hammering against her ribs. The second she closed the door, the phone she’d tucked into her pajama pocket buzzed briefly. When she took it out, the screen light lit up her face in the dim hall.

[Hyunjin: I’m by the vending machines behind the dorm. Come carefully.]

During the day, they only ever acted like normal same-age “close friends.” But in truth, the two of them had been secretly dating for a month.

As she went down the stairs toward the dark, quiet area behind the dorm where even the streetlights barely reached, Haeun spotted a familiar silhouette leaning against the vending machine’s soft glow. The moment he rounded the corner and noticed her, Hyunjin smiled warmly and walked over to her.

“Why are you so late?” His low voice slipped playfully into the night air. “I thought I was going to die from missing you.”

“The girls in the room wouldn’t go to sleep.” Haeun grumbled as she stepped into his arms. “I barely got away.”

At Haeun’s complaint, Hyunjin’s smile deepened. He lifted his large hand and gently cupped her cheek. In the daytime, they couldn’t even hold hands properly because of other people’s eyes, so right now, standing alone together like this, the air between them instantly grew unbearably sweet.

“Haeun.”

The moment Hyunjin’s low, husky voice brushed her ear, his face drew closer. Gone was his usual playful expression; his gaze had turned serious, fixed only on Haeun. The kiss that finally met hers was far softer and more tender than she had imagined. In the quiet night air, even the sound of leaves rustling seemed to fade away, leaving only their mingled breaths. It was their first kiss—sweet and deep.

-----

“Hey!!! Kim Haeun!!! What happened to your face? Did something happen outside?!!”

The second Haeun opened the dorm room door and stepped inside, her roommates swarmed around her like hyenas. It was completely Haeun’s mistake. She’d come back from supposedly going to the bathroom with slightly swollen red lips and cheeks bright enough to look like they might burst.

“N-no! Nothing happened!” Haeun stammered, stepping back.

“Liar! You can’t even look us in the eye right now!” Her roommates crowded up to her bed. “Spill it already, spill it! Who did you meet outside?”

Faced with her friends’ relentless interrogation, teasing jabs, and then full-on tickle attacks, Haeun finally had no choice but to surrender. With her face buried deep in her blanket, she mumbled out the truth.

“Actually…… I’m dating Hyunjin.”

“What?!?! No way!!!!! You guys were always bickering and fighting—wait, is this for real?!”

The room erupted into chaos in an instant. The girls covered their mouths so the teacher at the end of the hallway wouldn’t hear, but that didn’t stop them from teasing Haeun all night long.

“I knew it! The way you two were looking at each other yesterday was so weird!” one of them snickered, while another poked at the blanket. “You kissed, didn’t you? You did, you did!”

All the while, Haeun buried her face completely in her pillow, her embarrassment and quiet happiness all mixed together.

-----

The next morning, the students boarded the bus home one by one. Thanks to their roommates’ sudden and overly considerate kindness, Haeun and Hyunjin naturally ended up sitting side by side in the very back row.

“Hey, Hyunjin. Want some snacks?”

The friends sitting in the row ahead turned around and shot the two of them mischievous, knowing looks. Having heard Haeun’s confession the night before, they were watching them very carefully. Afraid the other kids on the bus would notice, Haeun’s heart sank, and she just kept her head down, staring intently at her own knees.

But Hyunjin acted like nothing was wrong. He answered perfectly normally.

“Oh, sure. Hey, Kim Haeun, do you want some too?”

Seeing Hyunjin act so casually normal, Haeun let out a sigh of relief inside her chest. The moment the friends in front finally turned back around and the high seatbacks blocked the view completely……

Thud.

Hyunjin’s big hand quietly slipped through the narrow gap between the seats. Without a word, his hand found Haeun’s smaller one and tightly laced their fingers together until there was absolutely no space left between them. Hyunjin’s side profile, still staring straight ahead toward the front of the bus, looked indifferent and bored as ever. But the tips of his ears were already bright red.

The sudden warmth from their joined hands made Haeun’s face heat up again, but she smiled secretly and happily watched the scenery sweep past outside the window.

-----

After a long ride, the bus finally pulled into the familiar schoolyard. In the bustle of students packing up and saying their goodbyes, Haeun and Hyunjin had to reluctantly let go of the hands they’d been holding the whole bus ride.

“Hey, Kim Haeun. Take care.”

Hyunjin slung his bag over his shoulder and gave his usual calm farewell. The roommates walking right beside her covered their mouths and laughed softly, poking Haeun in the back. Haeun pretended not to notice and answered as calmly as she could.

“Yeah, you too.”

-----

After homeroom ended on the school field with the class and the teacher, everyone finally headed home. Haeun waved to her friends and walked out through the school gate. Right then, a familiar vibration buzzed in her pocket.

[Hyunjin: Waiting in the alley by the convenience store in front of the school gate. Let’s go together.]

Haeun hurried her steps, desperately hiding the way the corners of her mouth kept trying to lift. When she turned the corner of the narrow alley, she saw Hyunjin with a big school bag slung over one shoulder, looking down at his phone. At the sound of hurried footsteps, Hyunjin looked up, and a gentle, bright smile quickly spread across his face.

“I was so nervous about getting caught, you have no idea.” When she reached his side, Haeun said, catching her breath. “The kids on the bus didn’t notice at all, right?”

Hyunjin came closer and so naturally, so smoothly, took Haeun’s heavy bag and carried it for her instead. “Huh? Um…… probably? Looking at them, they didn’t seem to know at all!”

Haeun couldn’t bring herself to admit that she’d already spilled everything to her roommates the night before. Instead, she managed an awkward smile and broke out in a cold sweat at the nape of her neck.

“That’s a relief.” Haeun went on, still knowing nothing.

“Let’s have a proper date this weekend, just the two of us. During the field trip, we barely got any time alone because we had to worry about the other kids.” Hyunjin said it a little teasingly.

As the warm sunset light spilled over their shoulders, Haeun took Hyunjin’s hand as it tightened around hers and began to look forward to the coming weekend deep in her heart.

-----

On the Saturday they’d been eagerly waiting for, the two of them met at a small, quiet café, dressed in comfortable, pretty casual clothes instead of stiff uniforms. After a brief whispered discussion, they decided to go to Hyunjin’s house. His parents happened to be out, so the quiet, empty house was the perfect date spot just for the two of them.

They dimmed the living room lights and put on a movie on the big screen. But while they sat side by side on the soft sofa and shared a bucket of popcorn, a strangely electric tension began to hang in the air.

Even though they didn’t need to watch for other people or look back over their shoulders like at school or on the bus, just being alone together in such a quiet, enclosed space made their heartbeats sound unbelievably loud.

“You’re not focusing on the movie at all, are you?”

Hyunjin let out a low breath and chuckled softly. The hand he’d stretched out to grab some popcorn brushed Haeun’s fingertips, and his skin was warm. Embarrassed all at once, Haeun quickly turned her gaze back to the glowing screen.

“I am too! I’m focusing so hard! It’s really interesting!” Haeun shouted.

Right then, Hyunjin quietly shifted closer, wrapped his big arm firmly around Haeun’s shoulders, and pulled her into his side. Haeun didn’t resist and naturally leaned her head against Hyunjin’s broad shoulder. A pleasant, clean scent drifted from his clothes. Hyunjin gently brushed the hair that had fallen across Haeun’s face, and with the perfect comfort of his arms around her easing her tension, Haeun started chatting softly, using the movie as background noise.

-----

When the movie ended, the two of them shared some light, tasty food, then went up to the rooftop of his building to get some fresh air. When they spread out a soft mat and lay down side by side, they discovered that the stars were unbelievably clear and bright for a Seoul sky. A cool, refreshing night breeze brushed their flushed cheeks.

“I never imagined that during the field trip, we’d be lying here together at night like this.” Haeun said, looking up at the endless night sky.

“Yeah.” Hyunjin murmured softly. “When I was waiting for you behind that vending machine back then, I really thought my heart was going to jump right out of my mouth.”

At Hyunjin’s words, Haeun turned her head to look at him. Hyunjin had turned to look at her too. They were lying so close that their eyes, faintly glinting in the city lights, met at once. In the quiet moment, Hyunjin slowly lifted his body and leaned over Haeun.

Then he pressed his lips lightly and briefly against hers and pulled away with a little smack. It was a ticklish, lovely kiss—different from the deep, lingering first kiss they’d shared in the dark behind the dorm.

“Whoa, what was that all of a sudden!”

Startled, Haeun blushed and burst out laughing. Hyunjin also smiled brightly and playfully, then lightly tapped her forehead.

“Just…… because you’re pretty.”

The two of them lay side by side again, teasing each other and melting away the tension. Lying so close their shoulders and arms touched, they tightly intertwined their fingers. Their light laughter as they looked back up at the stars spread gently over the quiet rooftop. A sweet weekend night known only to Haeun and Hyunjin deepened further.

After the rooftop date ended, the two of them shared a secret sign known only to the two of them in the world. It was a single photo taken of them lying side by side on the rooftop. Against the deep night sky, only their silhouettes showed faintly, making it a dreamy, beautiful picture centered on their tightly clasped hands.

Haeun and Hyunjin both set that photo as their phone lock screen. They still couldn’t openly tell the world they were lovers, but it was their private signal, one that let them think of each other every time they turned on their phones.

-----

At lunchtime on Monday, the boys back in the classroom from the cafeteria were as noisy and boisterous as ever. Hyunjin sat with his friends gathered around desks, joking and laughing loudly.

“Hey, Park Hyunjin! Send me that video link you were talking about on YouTube earlier.”

One of his close friends came over and flung a heavy arm over Hyunjin’s shoulder. Hyunjin, without much thought, picked up the phone he’d left on his desk and tapped the screen awake.

“Huh? Hey, what’s this?”

His close friend narrowed his eyes, lowered his arm from Hyunjin’s shoulder, and snatched the phone right out of his hand. The other friends nearby instantly sensed the shift in atmosphere and leaned over from behind shoulders, crowding in. “What is it? What happened?”

“Hey, whose hand is this? Who are you dating? Wow, Park Hyunjin’s got a girlfriend now!”

“Whoa, the vibe in this picture is no joke. Look at the way you’re holding hands. Who is it? Is she from our school? Tell us already!”

As teasing accusations rang loudly through the classroom, Hyunjin’s ears turned bright red in an instant. With a completely flustered expression, he quickly snatched the phone back from his friend’s hand and forced a smile. It was a struggle to act as cool as possible.

“No, it’s nothing. I just saved a pretty picture I saw on Instagram. Don’t worry about it.”

But there was no way his sharp friends would let it go that easily.

“Come on, don’t lie!” one of them shouted, pointing. “That watch in the photo is totally yours! And look at the girl’s hand next to it—there’s a little dot on the finger…… huh? Wait.”

The moment his friend reached out to zoom in on the screen, Hyunjin sensed he couldn’t hide it anymore. He’d originally wanted to keep dating Haeun in secret so she wouldn’t get hurt or anxious while avoiding other people’s attention. But seeing his friends corner him like this, he realized the secret was over now.

Hyunjin took a deep breath. Calmly putting his phone in his pocket, he looked his friends straight in the eye and said in a low, firm voice.

“Enough. The girl in the photo is Haeun.”

“……Huh? Kim Haeun? The Kim Haeun sitting over there?”

As if cold water had been dumped over the whole classroom, the boys fell completely silent in an instant. The playful expressions vanished at once, and their eyes went wide. Hyunjin met their gaze again and drove the point home.

“I’m dating Kim Haeun. So cut it out.”

“……” The boys finally seemed to come to their senses and screamed at his sudden confession. “No way…… when did you guys actually start dating?!”

The moment Hyunjin’s bombshell dropped, shockwaves spread through the entire classroom. Not only Hyunjin’s group, but other students nearby who’d heard the news swarmed around Haeun’s desk like dark clouds. In an instant, dozens of curious eyes were all fixed on Haeun.

“Hey, Kim Haeun! You really are dating Park Hyunjin, right?!” one classmate yelled, slamming a hand on the desk with an excited voice.

Questions poured in from every direction. Frenzied voices mixed together. “No way, is it true?” “Since when have you been hiding this?” Caught completely off guard by the sudden commotion, Haeun’s mind went blank.

“Huh? What all of a sudden……” Haeun stammered, as if the words were stuck in her throat.

As Haeun hesitated in flustered silence, her friends grew even more impatient and demanded a definite answer. “It’s true, right?! Hurry up and tell us!”

Desperately asking for help, Haeun quietly turned her head and looked across the noisy classroom at Hyunjin. Hyunjin, too, was completely surrounded by countless friends, staring straight back at her. With a look full of apology and sincere concern, he gave Haeun the smallest shrug. ‘I’m really sorry I blurted it out without telling you first 'was his silent apology.

Seeing his earnest expression, the tension that had been crushing Haeun’s chest melted away. Haeun took a deep breath. Then she looked back at the friends surrounding her desk and answered shyly but very clearly.

“Yeah, it’s true. We’re dating……”

The moment Haeun’s lips gave the answer, the classroom instantly burst into a festival-like uproar. The kids shouted as if it had happened to them, too, grabbing Haeun’s shoulders and shaking her playfully.

“Wow, seriously, amazing!! Since when have you been dating??? Hurry up and tell us everything—I'm dying of curiosity!”

With the questions showing no sign of stopping, Haeun’s eyes wandered around the classroom before settling on the blackboard. Noticing the homework for the next class, she pointed at the chalk writing on the board and, still blushing bright red, deliberately acted cool to change the subject.

“Later. I’ll tell you everything later.” Haeun grinned teasingly. “For now, why don’t you all focus on writing that essay before the bell rings?”

At Haeun’s witty reply, her friends burst into a mix of boos and laughter. "Ah, tell us before the teacher comes! Otherwise I’m gonna faint from suspense~!"

Beyond the noisy clamor of the kids, Hyunjin stood at a distance, watching Haeun. A gentle smile full of deep affection spread across his face. Although their secret relationship was officially over, right at this moment—their real relationship, one where they could look at each other openly in front of everyone, was just about to begin.