I Want to See the Sea
Taking responsibility means
09:45 AM
이석민
"Hey, does anyone know why Kim Min-gyu isn't coming to school?"
After the first period class ended, Seokmin asked with a serious face devoid of any playfulness.
배주현
"No, I didn't know... You didn't come to school?"
The contrast between Joo-hyun, who was surprised when he heard Min-gyu's name, and Yeo-ju, who quietly turned her head away to avoid saying anything, was striking.
이석민
"I asked the teacher, but he said he didn't even get a separate call."
체육쌤
"Okay, class begins now."
Although no one spoke a word, a sense of unease began to creep into the heroine. The thought of something unexpected piqued her curiosity.
Finally, out of a hopeful thought, the female protagonist asked Seokmin.
배여주
"Hey, Lee Seok-min. Give me Kim Min-gyu's phone number."
이석민
"Huh...? Wasn't it there?"
배여주
"Give it to me loudly and quickly."
When Seokmin wrote down Minkyu's phone number in a daze, Yeoju immediately called Minkyu.
There were several rings, but no one answered. Feeling something was wrong, Yeo-ju asked Seok-min.
배여주
"Is this... Kim Min-gyu's phone number?"
이석민
"I spoke with you the day before yesterday, so I'm sure."
When Seokmin showed him the phone records of his conversation with Min-gyu, he became even more anxious and bit his fingernails. Then he asked Seokmin one last question.
Did something happen? Maybe it's drying up now.
배여주
"Where is their house?"
김민규
"under..."
Min-gyu, tossing and turning in bed, sighed softly. It was already impossible to return to school.
Even this insignificant fin seemed to have simply grown tired. Regrets about the mistakes of pride were meaningless.
I felt ashamed of myself for putting the female protagonist in such a difficult situation, and for having hoped for something even though I knew it would turn out this way from the beginning.
The thought of simply being loved by someone was what troubled everyone. The very idea of being loved.
It would be difficult for everyone, it would be better if it disappeared.
No, it's not up to me to decide.
The address Seokmin had given her finally led her to a house. Yeoju, out of breath from having run farther than she'd expected, exhaled.
Could he really be in this quiet neighborhood, this quiet house, where no one would ever live? The heroine wonders, but even that is ignored.
The female protagonist pressed the doorbell cautiously, feeling a strange sense of tension flowing through her.
Ding dong-
The doorbell rang, but when there was no sign of anyone, the heroine doubted her ears. Was there really no one living in this house?
The address was correct, so there was no way it could be wrong, but there wasn't a single person around. Unable to bear it any longer, the female protagonist knocked on the door.
배여주
"Is there anyone here?"
Ding dong-
Someone was ringing the doorbell. Min-gyu flinched for a moment, then curled up in a ball of burning thirst.
Oh, how long has it been since I last went into the water?
In fact, when I wore the fins I used while practicing with Yeoju, my feet didn't touch the water at all. Perhaps that's why I kept feeling thirsty even while practicing.
Min-gyu, who only then realized it, regretted it but then quietly agreed.
Bang bang-
배여주
"Is there anyone here?"
A cautious yet bold voice. It was clearly Bae Yeo-ju. Hearing her voice, all sorts of speculations raced through Min-gyu's mind.
Why, here? I knew you'd hate me. I thought you didn't want to see me anymore.
Whatever it was, the important thing is that you came here...
A faint smile appeared on Min-gyu's lips.
When there was no response to the knock on the door, the female protagonist absentmindedly pulled the front door handle.
The door swung open with a bang, and the heroine was startled. But her panic only lasted for a moment. She carefully opened the door and stepped forward.
The house was still quiet.
First of all, there was no sign of people and the door was open, so the female protagonist came in and looked around the house, which was smaller than she had expected.
He found Min-gyu lying on the bed and approached him without even taking off his shoes.
As the heroine approached, Min-gyu came to his senses and took a step back, leaned against the wall, and spoke.
김민규
"Why on earth did you come here?"
Her spirits were drained, her lips were chapped, and her voice was weak. The heroine couldn't just get angry at such a sight, and she couldn't assess the situation.
As the female lead, who was contemplating what to say, remained silent, Min-gyu raised his head and looked at her secretly.
김민규
"I told you, mermaid, you're right..."
배여주
"You idiot! That's not it..."
Min-gyu forced a bitter smile, then reluctantly cleared his throat. The emotion he'd previously felt vanished, and the woman, now somewhat calmer, asked.
배여주
"Could it be because of the water...?"
김민규
"Yeah... It's already been a week, I didn't know you'd throw it away. Ha..."
When Min-gyu laughed in vain, Yeo-ju asked quietly again.
배여주
"Is there anything I can help you with? You look so unwell."
김민규
"Help me get to the sea. Now."
Yeoju supported Min-gyu, who was clearly larger than her. Then, she took a step heavier than anyone else for him.
Yeoju was already drenched in sweat after supporting Min-gyu from home to the nearby beach.
The woman who had set him down behind the breakwaters gasped for breath. Min-gyu looked out at the sea and walked cautiously.
Perhaps it was because he was looking at the place where he had been abandoned, but all sorts of emotions seemed to well up. Min-gyu then asked the woman next to him,
김민규
"Don't you regret it? It's because of me... You even came all the way to my house."
배여주
"Why do you regret it? That's secondary, I was just worried."
배여주
"Whether they're mermaids or humans, they're still classmates, right?"
김민규
"Yeah... you're right."
Min-gyu acknowledged the words and reached out to Yeo-ju. Yeo-ju looked back and forth between Min-gyu's hand and his face, then took his hand.
And then he jumped into the sea.
The ripples and waves that arose when they touched the water quietly enveloped them.
It was a more beautiful sight than I expected.
The female protagonist, lying in bed, suddenly woke up. She looked around to see what was happening, and then saw Min-gyu sleeping on the floor.
배여주
"What is this..."
She couldn't remember exactly. Yeoju tried to think as hard as she could, slowly retracing the memories that were barely coming back.
I came home, took him to the beach, and jumped in with him-
Still, I got up from the bed, not knowing why I was there.
Looking around, the only thing that catches the eye of the female protagonist is Min-gyu, who is sleeping soundly on the floor.
Despite my will, I still felt sleepy, so I quietly closed my eyes.
07:36 PM
The female protagonist, who naturally got out of bed, looked around the room and was surprised. Why did I wake up here?
김민규
"Are you awake now?"
I looked at Min-gyu next to me as if nothing had happened and wrapped myself in the blanket like a scene from a movie.
Min-gyu snorted at Yeo-ju's actions, then stood up and rummaged through the refrigerator. Yeo-ju asked Min-gyu a question.
배여주
"Why did I wake up here? What the heck..."
김민규
"Don't you remember yesterday? You were the one who came to me first."
Then, the heroine slowly recalled her memories and then buried her face in the blanket. Min-gyu naturally ignored her and grabbed an egg.
When Min-gyu placed a cold egg on Yeo-ju's cheek, the chill brought her back to her senses. Min-gyu took the egg, cracked it open, and placed it on the frying pan.
When the sound of eggs being cooked was heard, Yeoju looked at where Min-gyu was standing and asked.
배여주
"What, what are you doing?"
김민규
"You don't have to eat breakfast. If you don't want to eat, that's fine."
When Min-gyu said that he had to eat breakfast, Yeo-ju quickly nodded without saying anything and sat down quietly at the table.
As Min-gyu sat down at the table with his side dishes, an inexplicable silence flowed.