GBH 142 END

“Have a good day~” After politely greeting the jewelry store employee, Yeon-ji released the doorknob she was holding. 

Song Yi-heon, who couldn’t take his eyes off the ring since receiving the case, passed through the door with a foolish grin on his face.

Having completely accepted Yeon-ji’s opinion, Song Yi-heon chose a pair of rings with the most plain design in the jewelry store. They were angular rings in a simple band shape without any embellishments. The two rings had the same design, only differing in size. He was a bit concerned about the lack of a gemstone, but since Se-kyung was already flamboyant, he thought the ring could be simple.

After finally obtaining the ring to give to Se-kyung through various twists and turns, Song Yi-heon strode forward cheerfully, seemingly unaware of his pain. But as the forgotten pain resurfaced, his body automatically sought a less painful posture, causing him to limp.

Yeon-ji, who had quickly caught up from behind, tilted her head as she examined Song Yi-heon’s buttocks area.

“Are you hurt somewhere? Why are you limping?”

Even if Kim Yeon-ji was his best friend, Song Yi-heon couldn’t tell her that the reason for the burning sensation between his buttocks was because of… so he was momentarily flustered and made up another reason.

“I twisted it while exercising.”

“You’re studying physical education, you should be more careful.”

However, Song Yi-heon was so engrossed in the ring that he didn’t even pretend to listen to Yeon-ji’s nagging. Whether it was because he liked the ring or because he was excited to put it on Choi Se-kyung, his mouth was spread in a silly grin that nearly reached his ears. He grinned, unable to take his eyes off the ring as the light rolled along its curves.

“I’m going first. Go home carefully.”

Unlike usual when he would accompany her to the subway station, Yi-heon left without looking back, perhaps eager to give Se-kyung the ring quickly.

“Hey! Song Yi-heon! We were supposed to go to a cafe together!” Yeon-ji tried to grab Song Yi-heon, but she was caught in the crowd surging out from what seemed to be an event and couldn’t catch him. 

Song Yi-heon disappeared into the crowd. Left all alone, Yeon-ji huffed at the invisible Song Yi-heon, then dejectedly drooped her shoulders.

“I want to be in a relationship too.”

Feeling overwhelmed by loneliness and boredom, Yeon-ji didn’t want to go home, so she checked her chat rooms to call out another friend, but for some reason, it was quiet today. As Yeon-ji scrolled through her list, looking for a friend she could call out right away, a new message popped up on her phone.

[Are you in Jongno right now??? lol I see you lol]

“Huh?”

It was a male student from the same class. The one who had asked Song Yi-heon if he was dating Yeon-ji at the pizza place after winning the soccer game between the 3rd-year male students. Yeon-ji didn’t know that such a thing had happened among the guys, and she looked around for the male student who said he could see her. A new message popped up.

[I’m across the street lol]

When she looked up, there was indeed a male student from the same class across the street. When Yeon-ji made eye contact, the male student waved shyly, unlike the cheerful message he sent spamming “lol lol lol”. Yeon-ji also waved awkwardly.

The road with cars whizzing by was blocking them. It was an ambiguous distance to go around the underground passage just to meet. They weren’t close enough to hang out alone, and it would be awkward if they met, so Yeon-ji was about to go home. However, the male student seemed to have other ideas.

The male student poked his chest with his index finger and tapped in the direction of Yeon-ji. His lips were moving, mouthing the words.

‘I’ll come to you.’

Spring, the season when all things come to life and love sprouts, was approaching.

* * *

Fine snow was falling on the schoolyard as students poured out after the graduation ceremony. The powdery snow permeated the school grounds, which already covered with snow from two days ago.

The students who had poured out of the new building were noisy, taking pictures they hadn’t finished taking in the classrooms. Knowing that it would be impossible for the entire class to gather again after they went home, Yeon-ji waved her arms above her head to call the class.

“Class 1 of the 3rd grade, gather around! Let’s take a picture! Teacher, let’s take a picture!”

Even Jung Eun-chae came out to the schoolyard and gathered the children of Class 1 of the 3rd grade. The children holding awards, diplomas, and bouquets of flowers gathered and struck poses noisily.

Choi Myung-hyun, who was waiting for Se-kyung nearby with his wife, received the digital camera from Jung Eun-chae because he was tall. He gladly accepted the camera and put his eye to the viewfinder, where he spotted Song Yi-heon standing next to his son.

Perhaps it was because he felt Choi Myung-hyun’s displeased gaze even though it was hidden by the camera, Song Yi-heon subtly folded his smile and took a step away from Se-kyung. However, Se-kyung put his arm around Song Yi-heon’s shoulder and hugged him, smiling brightly.

Choi Myung-hyun lowered the camera, his eyes gradually widening. The light reflecting off the sleet was blinding, but Choi Myung-hyun couldn’t close or even blink his eyes.

It was a smile he hadn’t seen in the photos he had been receiving about Se-kyung’s daily life for the past 14 years. The smile he had given up on in order to ensure his son grew up properly, the smile he thought he would never see, was there.

Choi Myung-hyun pressed the shutter, wanting to keep his beloved son’s smile forever.

Among the children scattering after taking the group photo, Ji-soo grabbed Se-kyung’s sleeve.

“Can I talk to you for a second?”

Se-kyung, who had secretly received a bouquet of roses that Yi-heon had hidden in his backpack after the graduation ceremony, had a rare flush on his cheeks. The bouquet, adhering to Yi-heon’s belief that anything given to Se-kyung should be the best, was absurdly large, fresh, and densely packed with bright red roses that complemented Se-kyung’s handsome features well.

“Now?”

“Yeah, now.” Se-kyung looked for Song Yi-heon, who had been next to him. 

Song Yi-heon was running around the schoolyard, having gotten into a snowball fight with other students. Song Yi-heon, who would normally be at the forefront throwing snowballs, was busy running away today, careful not to damage the sunflower-centered bouquet Se-kyung had given him.

As Se-kyung looked like he wanted to join the snowball fight, Ji-soo asked again, “It won’t take long.”

Her determined expression made it seem like he couldn’t refuse. Se-kyung asked for understanding from Choi Myung-hyun and his mother and moved to the empty lot that used to be the incinerator. There was no one in the secluded area behind the building. Ji-soo also had family waiting for her, so she got straight to the point without any pleasantries.

“I won’t tell anyone. Tell me the truth. I promise. I won’t tell anyone. I think I need to know this so I can give up.”

Watching Ji-soo speak so seriously, Se-kyung was intrigued as to what she wanted to ask that required such a long preamble. 

Ji-soo swallowed hard. “Is Yi-heon… gay?”

Even on the day they met at the early morning soccer club, Se-kyung had no intention of divulging his relationship with Song Yi-heon to Ji-soo. He wasn’t childish enough to endanger their relationship by boasting to someone who would just pass by.

Song Yi-heon and he were bound by a special bond. He didn’t need the envy or recognition of others.

He was sure that was the case, but when he actually received the ring from Yi-heon, he understood why people couldn’t overcome momentary emotions and created troublesome situations for themselves by boasting.

Knowing it was a foolish thing to do, but wanting to brag about the ring, Se-kyung recalled what kind of person Ji-soo had been for the past three years. Shin Ji-soo was righteous. She has a personality that needs to say the right thing to feel satisfied, and the source of the right thing is the confidence that she is an honest person.

Even if he didn’t know what her views were on homosexuality, she was the type of person who would consider it shameful to accidentally out someone and put them in a difficult situation. There was no need to worry about the secret getting out, so she was the perfect person to brag to.

“No. Yi-heon isn’t gay.” Having made a decision, Se-kyung answered immediately. 

His tone wasn’t intended to clear up a misunderstanding or eradicate false rumors, but simply to convey the facts. Ji-soo sighed in relief. However, in Korean, one must listen until the very end.

“I’m gay.”

“…Huh?”

“Give up, Ji-soo.”

Softly, as if feeling sorry for her, or perhaps with a sneer as if looking down on a mistress candidate who dared to covet the position of the main wife, Se-kyung took out his left hand from his coat pocket. A neat design of a ring that wasn’t there before shone on Se-kyung’s ring finger.

He, who had been pretending to be a quiet model student, revealed his fox-like true colors. As if the fox tails he had been suppressing had multiplied, his teasing and boasting were no less than a nine-tailed gumiho whose yapping could almost be heard. It was impressive how much he had held back until now.

“I seduced Yi-heon.”

The snow-covered schoolyard reflected the light and was dazzling. Se-kyung, holding a bouquet of red roses and wearing a couple ring on his left ring finger, looked happy. It was a smile that Choi Myung-hyun would have definitely taken a picture of if he had seen it.

[Side Story End]