---
"Seol-ah, good morning."
"Yeah, you too."
I woke up to the alarm and went outside to see Kwon Soon-young passing by. It felt new and strange. The first person I saw when I opened my eyes was Kwon Soon-young.
"Seol-ah! I'm late!!"
Lee Seok-min calls me from the living room. I check the time, then head to the bathroom for a quick hair wash, then go back to my room and put on my school uniform. After I finish eating the meal Choi Seung-cheol prepared for me, Yoon Jeong-han, who doesn't go to school, comes over with a hair dryer to dry my hair.
"Okay, I'm done."
"Thank you, brother."
Finally, I went into my room to pack my bag. When I came out, Lee Ji-hoon was outside, leaning against the wall. It seemed like he had something to say to me.
"Lee Seok-min, it's your turn today. You said you were late because you didn't want to go alone."
" what? "
"Kim Min-gyu is preparing right now, so wait and come with me."
"Miss, Lee Seok-min."
I was fooled by Lee Seok-min since morning.
"Have a nice trip."
***
"Hey, the weather is nice."
"What the hell. It's pouring down like there's a hole in the sky."
Kim Min-kyu says the weather is nice, holding an umbrella. Did he eat something wrong? Even though it keeps pouring rain, Kim Min-kyu says the weather is nice.
"You're holding an umbrella right now. But you still think the weather is nice?"
"The weather is nice. I'm going to school with you."
I didn't know he was like this. He speaks informally to me so naturally, so smoothly. Kim Min-gyu's informal speech is awkward. I liked it when he added "yo" to the end of every sentence, saying "sunbae" or "noona." But I like this kind of Kim Min-gyu too. After all, he's my ideal type. My ideal type... For now, I guess.
"Hey, why are you suddenly folding your umbrella?"
"Going out in the rain?"
" no? "
"Ah, why did you come in!!"
Kim Min-gyu folded the umbrella he was holding and came under mine. He took it from me and held it for himself. He held my folded umbrella in his left hand, and mine in his right.
"You insist on using it together? Give it to me. I'll use it."
"No. I was going to share it with you, but what have I done if you use this umbrella?"
"What the...?"
He tried to share an umbrella with me. I just gave up.
***
"It ended up getting all wet."
"I'm the only one who got wet."
"Then why are you writing it together?"
"I told you I wanted to write it together."
***
"Come now?"
"Why didn't you tell me it was your turn?"
"I wanted to go to school with you. But Kim Min-gyu is in class 3."
"I don't want to go. I want to stay with Seol-ah longer. I'll go when the bell rings."
"Now ring the bell. Go."
Lee Seok-min told Kim Min-gyu to leave. Kim Min-gyu went to his classroom. Lee Seok-min and I sat down in our seats (next to us).
"Kim Min-gyu, do you know that you're having a hard time at school?"
"I don't know about Kim Min-gyu. Don't tell Lee Ji-hoon, Kwon Soon-young, or my brothers."
" okay. "
"But why are you half-hearted towards Jihoon and Soonyoung?"
"Habit. That happened."
"But I'm still your closest friend, right?"
"Of course. I like you the best."
(Of course, as a friend.) The reason is simple. Lee Seok-min was the only one who was there for me when I was going through hard times. He was also the one who stayed by my side for a year. So, I can't help but like Lee Seok-min better.
***
" ah, "
'Oh, sorry~.'
Again. Lee Seok-min harasses me when I'm not in class (when I'm going to the bathroom). He'll deliberately carry my head as he passes me by, and when I put my bag down, he'll hit my back before putting it down. He harasses me without making it obvious.
" hey! "
'Ah, Seokmin, did you see it?'
"What are you guys doing? Why are you hitting on Seol-ah?"
'It's a bit awkward to sit here. Move your seat, please.'
After saying that, he left the classroom. Seokmin asked me to switch seats. (Seokmin's seat is by the window, mine is by the aisle.) The teacher assigned seats, so if you change seats without permission, you get a penalty.
"It's okay. Just hold on for a year. Then you'll graduate."
" ... "
"Seol-ah!!"
Kim Min-gyu, oblivious, entered the classroom, calling my name loudly. The eyes of the children in the classroom turned to me.