“··· ···ha, it’s cold.”
“Kim Min-gyu!”
“Oh, you’re here.”
Kim Min-gyu greeted Lee Yeoreum, who approached me from afar, calling my name. Kim Min-gyu took out his coat and put it on because the weather was already steamy, but Lee Yeoreum, as if in sync with her name, appeared in a black one-piece dress, as if it were summer. Wasn't it cold?
“Wonwoo? Where is he?”
“···They’re almost there. The intersection ahead.”
“Really? Come quickly.”
Kim Min-gyu seemed to pause for a moment when he heard Jeon Won-woo's name from Lee Yeoreum's lips. Lee Yeoreum's eyes sparkled as she waited for Jeon Won-woo, staring at the intersection. Kim Min-gyu couldn't quite figure out what part of her had made her so excited. After all, she was Ara, after all, Lee Yeoreum.
Jeon Won-woo appeared through the intersection traffic lights. He came really fast. Kim Min-gyu snickered. Jeon Won-woo spotted Lee Yeo-reum and Kim Min-gyu and gave a small wave. Even though she was shy and had intentionally waved small, Lee Yeo-reum waved her arm with all her might. Jeon Won-woo looked around for a moment, embarrassed, and buried his lips in the gap between his coat. ··· Did Jeon Won-woo wear a coat today too?
The long traffic lights opened, and Jeon Won-woo crossed the street. Lee Yeoreum, with a welcoming voice and face, linked arms with Jeon Won-woo. "Why are you doing this to Jeon Won-woo when you wouldn't even do it to me? We're not even lovers." Kim Min-gyu frowned briefly.
“I’m hungry, let’s go eat~”
“Okay, what do you want to eat?”
Lee Yeoreum stood in the lead, arm in arm with Jeon Won-woo. He was annoyed, wondering why she was being so accepting. Kim Min-gyu grabbed Lee Yeoreum's shoulder and rushed forward. Lee Yeoreum, startled, let out a strange noise and was pushed away. Jeon Won-woo glanced at the arm that had been freed by the other person. Perhaps it was because the weather had gotten colder, but the tips of his ears were red.
“Hey, you surprised me!”
“Who would leave me behind?”
As always, Lee Yeoreum and Kim Min-gyu bickered, and Jeon Won-woo intervened. He tried to cool them down, telling them to stop fighting. He then announced they were all there and stood in front of the restaurant. It felt more like a bar than a restaurant.
"It's pretty~"
“They say the cocktails here are famous. Was it a romantic comedy?”
“The name of the drink is cute.”
Lee Yeoreum, who loves atmospheric places, liked this restaurant. Jeon Won-woo recited information about the restaurant, which he must have painstakingly found. After ordering food and drinks, Kim Min-gyu left the table, saying he needed to use the restroom. The glass wall seemed to connect the inside and outside.
“..Wonwoo.”
"huh?"
Jeon Won-woo, who had been watching Lee Yeo-reum, who was watching people through the window, flinched and sat up straight, his body unsure of how close they had become. Lee Yeo-reum, her eyes hard as if determined, looked at Jeon Won-woo and swallowed. Jeon Won-woo calmed his racing heart for some reason and listened intently to Lee Yeo-reum's words.
“I’m saying this because Min-gyu isn’t around.”
"huh."
“Actually, I like Min-gyu?”
“··· ···. ···Oh, is that so?”
Jeon Won-woo's heart, which he had been hoping for, sank. Every time he tried to smile and agree with Lee Yeo-reum's words, Jeon Won-woo's heart sank further. When and how he started to like her, what thrilled him... Once he started to talk about it, it poured out like a waterfall. Jeon Won-woo could only watch Lee Yeo-reum's expression, which thrilled even the onlookers. ..He doesn't even see anyone breaking down because of him. Jeon Won-woo is still smiling.
“What are you talking about that makes you so excited?”
“Yeah, I won’t tell you.”
“..Jeon Wonwoo, you too?”
“Yeoreum doesn’t want to talk, so I should keep quiet too.”
“You called me to play with you and now you’re ordering me around?”
Lee Yeoreum smiled awkwardly in surprise as she saw Kim Min-gyu return from around the corner. Jeon Won-woo also smiled and greeted him. Kim Min-gyu glanced at Jeon Won-woo's expression as he sat down.
“It’s pink?”
“Is it because of love?”
“Is all love pink..?”
The food and drinks we ordered arrived. Despite its name, "romantic comedy," there was no surprise. It had a bashful color, like the flushed cheeks of someone in love. The taste was sweet, too. I finished an ordinary meal in a pleasant atmosphere. Perhaps it was because it was evening, or perhaps because it was a secluded alley, but when I left the restaurant, there was no one in sight. It seemed like there had been a lot of people passing by while I was eating.
“I’m full. Should I run to help with digestion?”
“Then I’ll get out.”
“What are you running for again?”
"Run!"
Lee Yeoreum, who was laughing like a mischievous child, really ran. I had no choice but to follow her. Jeon Won-woo, who had been running slowly, passed her. Kim Min-kyu burst out laughing. It felt like I went back to my immature days. Kim Min-kyu, who had been running diligently behind Jeon Won-woo and Lee Yeoreum, soon stopped, gasping for breath. Lee Yeoreum, who was just about to pass Jeon Won-woo again, also stopped.
“Poor physical strength.”
“I know too···.”
“I was just getting excited!”
“But, what about your curfew?”
Kim Min-gyu, catching his breath and glancing at the watch on his wrist, spoke to Lee Yeo-reum. Lee Yeo-reum, who had a midnight curfew, always disappeared at the same time, like Cinderella. Lee Yeo-reum, startled by the word "curfew," scolded Kim Min-gyu.
“I see, I told you to meet early, didn’t I?”
"You were the one who didn't have time, right? Are you trying to ruin your hard-earned internship?"
“Hey, I’ll go first! Call me!”
"I'll take you,"
Jeon Won-woo tried to grab Lee Yeo-reum, who was leaving in a hurry, but ended up caught by Kim Min-gyu. Living on the opposite side of the street from Lee Yeo-reum, I might as well go myself, Kim Min-gyu thought. But when he turned his head, Lee Yeo-reum had already entered the subway. Kim Min-gyu exhaled and straightened his back.
“..It’s fast. Should we stop too?”
“Okay, let’s go.”
Late in the evening, as dawn approached, the walk home was quiet. Neither Jeon Won-woo nor Kim Min-kyu even bothered to get dressed. They walked together until they reached a fork in the road. Just as they were about to say goodbye and part ways, a torrential downpour of rain began. Jeon Won-woo, glancing at the sky, thought it was just a shower. Luckily, there was a rain shield overhead. If he'd gotten caught in the rain in this weather, he'd probably have caught a terrible cold.
"It's raining."
“It looks like it’ll stop soon, so let’s wait here for a bit.”
"··· ···please,"
"··· ···."
“Isn’t that necessary? There’s no one around right now.”
“..Hey, Kim Min-gyu.”
“It’s not so bad to get rained on sometimes.”
Kim Min-gyu smiled and gestured to Jeon Won-woo, who was visibly flustered. Finally, he feigned defeat and followed Kim Min-gyu into the rain. Luckily, it rained in a place where no one was around. Jeon Won-woo thought, "What should I do if the person I like likes my friend?" It was difficult.
Kim Min-gyu actually heard. Lee Yeo-reum liked him. I like someone else. Someone I thought was a friend liked me. That's what Lee Yeo-reum said to Jeon Won-woo. He had no idea who Jeon Won-woo liked, or who she liked.
He spread his palms out toward the pouring rain. Kim Min-gyu, still smiling, looked at Jeon Won-woo, who was looking up at the sky.
"Should I just run home like this?"
“Can you go with your physical strength?”
“It might work because our house is closer.”
I like you.
They realized that their friendship, which had lasted since middle school, was cracked. Even though they looked at each other with the same gaze, their hearts were different. Only now did they realize it. A bitterness was slowly creeping into their once sweet friendship. Love. Between love and friendship, what decision must they make to achieve a better ending?
How did love become love? The answer remains.