Park Won-bin suddenly appeared in my high school days, when I had virtually nothing to do. Until then, I was just an ordinary student, and I never imagined I'd have any special connection with him. But then, one day, he started to catch my eye. I first met him in my first year of high school, and for some reason, our class suddenly started having frequent group activities.
There was something odd about our class back then. The class president, vice president, student council members, and everyone else in charge of practically every activity were always busy, always busy and noisy. By comparison, I was just a quiet, insignificant presence among them. Back then, Park Won-bin couldn't fit into any of the teams, always the type to stay away.
“Hey, do you know Park Won-bin?”
Close friends once asked me about Park Won-bin. Honestly, I hadn't paid much attention to him until then, but after hearing what my friends had to say, I gradually began to understand his existence. Back then, Park Won-bin was the type of student who would read books alone without saying a word, and he always went home alone after class. While other kids would hang out with their friends, Park Won-bin seemed to dislike that and always stayed alone.
One time, I was having a hard time doing my homework in class, so I ended up spending some time with the rest of the class. Park Won-bin was sitting alone by the window, reading a book. I arrived a little late, but he seemed uncomfortable being alone. So, I naturally ended up sitting next to him.
“Park Won-bin, why are you alone today?”
“Oh, it’s just… I feel more comfortable being alone. Haha.”
That was the first time she spoke to me, and I never imagined she was so timid. She didn't particularly like socializing, always preferring to spend her time quietly to herself. After that, I started seeing her more and more often. One day, after class, I was about to open the door and leave when she caught my eye for a moment.
“Honey, what are you going to do today?”
“Um… I’m just going home. What about you?”
“Me too… I just want to go home.. hehe”
Nothing really happened, but somehow I felt like the way he spoke was a little closer.
From then on, I began to pay more and more attention to Park Won-bin. Whenever we walked together after class or saw each other often, our eyes would lock. I unconsciously tried to be careful not to make him feel terribly uncomfortable. And then one day, we were left together again.
“Park Won-bin, are you alone again today?”
The child looked at me quietly and nodded. At that moment, something inside me began to boil. I felt that he no longer needed to be alone. He seemed more comfortable spending time with me than with other people. I naturally started talking to him, and we spent time growing closer.
“We have a lot of overlapping times haha. Let’s hang out together often!”
The child hesitated for a moment, but then nodded. At that moment, I felt a definite sense of closeness. As the moment of her approaching me drew nearer, I found myself falling deeper and deeper into her.
That day, after class, we left school together. It was awkward at first, but gradually, walking with her became more comfortable. I had to catch the bus, so I rushed up the stairs, but she followed me slowly even as I went ahead. We boarded the bus naturally, and although we were going home in different directions, she spoke to me first.
“You, where do you live around here..?”
“I’m here in Samdang-dong! And you?”
“Oh, I’m nearby too.”
It was a brief conversation, but somehow I felt good about him having this conversation with me. As we laughed and talked on the bus, I gradually felt more at ease. As we rode, he gazed out the window, occasionally glancing in my direction. His eyes trembled slightly, and every time he smiled quietly, my heart pounded.
As the bus approached my stop, I spoke to the boy.
“I have to get off here. Where do you get off?”
“I have to go one more stop haha... oh.”
"what?"
"No..no!! Be careful."
Bin-i quickly gestured for me to go quickly. (It was a cute moment.)
In fact, I was sad to part ways with him. Just before I got off, Bin looked at me for a moment.
“Then see you tomorrow.”
“Yeah, see you tomorrow haha”
And then I got off the bus and said goodbye to that kid. He looked at me through the window and waved, and I waved back and walked away. That's how the day ended, and I was looking forward to spending more and more time with that kid.
What on earth is this feeling?