Five days later, it was the college entrance exam day. The roads were already jam-packed, and traffic congestion was expected. Well, it's always been like that, so no surprise there.
"Where are you taking the CSAT? Is there anyone else who has the same score as me?"
“Soonyoung hyung and I are the same. We’re in front of Seoul High School.”
“Ah… I have to go and do it alone…”
I was used to being alone, but now I feel a sense of alienation. It's to the point where I feel like I'm not really myself. Being alone is even more awkward and scary. After all, I had 13 precious people by my side, and I was precious to them, too.
“Jang Yeo-ju, where are you playing?”
“Jungang High School…”
At Min-gyu's words, I weakly blurt out the name of my high school. Min-gyu strokes my head and spits out excited words.
“I’m there too. Don’t worry.”
“Yay! You don’t have to go alone!”
“Do you like it that much?”
It can't be bad. I don't want to be alone, so it's really nice that Min-gyu oppa is with me. Ah, wait. Why is it good because it's Min-gyu oppa? If Soon-young oppa or Seung-kwan oppa were here, it wouldn't have been like this.
“I don’t think I can bring you today.
Jeonghan, Seungcheol, and everyone else… I’m sorry, Yeoju.”
I was a little upset by Shua oppa's words. No matter how much I thought about it, Shua oppa was my favorite oppa.
“No, it’s okay. I can go with Min-gyu.”
But that was about it. The sadness you feel when you're separated from the person you love the most for a while. But it's not a particularly strong feeling. And then, in the meantime, you lose your brother.
“…”
And why is Min-gyu oppa not saying anything and keeping silent?
“Um… Should I take the bus? I could take a taxi, though.”
“If I take a taxi… the traffic will be no joke, right?”
I nod at Min-gyu's words. If everyone just took the bus, traffic would be less congested than it is now.
“Which bus are you taking?”
“Number 142~”
“Did you find out?”
“I have to take the CSAT too. I need to get my driver’s license as soon as possible.”
I silently agree. Not having a license is more than a little inconvenient. Min-gyu glances at the expensive-looking watch on his wrist and says,
“There are six minutes left. Shouldn’t we take our time?”
“Yeah. Let’s go down, oppa.”
As we were going down, Seungcheol grabbed us and gave us each a lunch box.
“It’ll be a problem if you miss it~”
“Thank you, Seungcheol. I’ll do my best!”
Seungcheol hyung seems happy at Ma-eum's words. I wonder if the other members, including me, feel the same way. Before we knew it, your happiness had become ours.
“Let’s go, Min-gyu oppa!”
"huh"
With those words, Ma-eum carefully took her hand in her uniform and walked out. Ma-eum smiled at me, as if she was so happy about something. I couldn't help but smile at her. It seemed she was completely captivated. According to Jeong-han, Ma-eum said she liked affectionate people. I could do it if he asked me to, but it's just too embarrassing. That's not my personality.
“Min-gyu! What are you thinking about right now?”
She had become more familiar with Min-gyu than with Min-gyu oppa, and she called me. I liked the fact that she would call me by any title.
“No thoughts”
“Anyone can see what you’re thinking. What’s bothering you?”
Phew, I never thought I'd be thrilled by the respect. It's not that I'm thrilled by the respect, it's that my heart is thrilled.
“No, that’s not it.”
The reason for my worries is you, and I wonder what I should do for you that you would like, but how can I tell you?
“Um… Okay. But if you have any real concerns, tell me.”
She shows me her little finger. I can't hide my smile, nor do I intend to. I interlock my finger with hers. The difference in hand size is so great that my finger appears twice as large as hers.
“Instead, speak your heart too.”
I thought to myself, "It's my heart," and without thinking, I just said "It is my heart." But my heart doesn't seem upset. That's fortunate. It seems like she's ready to accept herself.
“Okay. The bus is coming. Let’s get on, brother!”
You look like you're smiling. I think smiling is prettier.
"Yeah, I'll take it."
My heart got on first and I followed.
[Beep - Insufficient funds]
Meanwhile, he says he has insufficient funds. He says it nonchalantly behind his back.
“One student, one adult.”
Ma-eum is an 18-year-old student about to turn 19, and I am an adult, 20 years old, so it was a natural order.
“Who is the student?”
“I’m 18 years old.”
“Hmm… What high school do you go to?”
“Shin…Dorim High School.”
It seems like he has a strong attachment to the school where he passed the GED. Judging from what he says, he didn't even attend.
“I don’t think so.”
This is the first time I've seen a driver pick a fight like this. I usually just let it slide. If they asked me to pay, I could. The issue here isn't money. I just hate seeing Ma-eum-i, who's at a loss. I cursed inwardly.
‘Mr. Ha… Today is the CSAT…’
If this can be called cursing, then so be it.
“I’m really a student…”
I would like to discuss it a bit more, but I say let's just go in for fear of forgetting everything I studied.
“Oh, today is the college entrance exam.”
"yes…"
“Aren’t you a repeat student?”
I was trying to just let it go, but when it got to this point, I couldn't stand it anymore. I was literally furious.
"hey."
I feel the smile disappearing from my smiling face. My serious expression is scarier than I thought. It's even scarier when I'm angry.
“What did you just say?”
"Aren't you a repeat student? Is that really that harsh?
He's not angry and just sitting there, so why are you stepping in?
“Can I have a boyfriend?”
In this situation, it would have been right to say no. As a celebrity and public figure, I had to be careful. That was right. I knew that all too well. But aside from that, I felt I had to protect the people who were precious to me. I felt like if I didn't do it now, I'd regret it for the rest of my life.
“Oh, he’s my boyfriend? But what should I do?
I'm already sensitive because today is the college entrance exam
“Do we really need to start a fight?”
This is the first time since my debut that I've gotten this angry. Even if I get a little angry, it's usually mixed with lies and exaggerated, and I get cursed at.
“I don’t know how to get angry, so I’m not just sitting still.”
My heart was just as scared as I was. Since coming here, the only expression I've seen other than a smile was during the audition. So this is the first time I've seen you so serious...
“Uh, sorry… just go in.”
Why did you pick a fight when you were going to back down so quickly? Even though they offered her a free ride, she just paid the price of one student and one adult and got on the bus. Anyway, how does she feel? The apology wasn't directed at me, but at her heart, so accepting it felt good, too. She smiles at me and speaks with her lips.
I'm okay
I let out a sigh of relief. I hated her pain more than I hated myself. I wish there was a way for me to avoid her pain. I want to be by her side for the rest of my life, protecting her from pain.
“Brother, were you worried about me?”
“It’s okay~”
“I asked if you were worried~
Usually, the answer to this question is yes~ but no~”
I just give her a faint smile. My thoughts are, "Yeah, I was really worried about you." But I'm a little scared to reveal those feelings. I know too well how she feels about me.
[I feel guilty for not being able to post for a while, so I'm dropping a bombshell here]
