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Chapter 10
The town, just past the Lunar New Year, was silent—so still not even an ant could be seen.
It was such a closed-off village; some were probably spending the holiday chatting quietly with family at home, while others had left Gojung-eup to visit relatives elsewhere.
The only thing moving through the streets of Gojung-eup was the rattling village bus. Yeonwoo climbed on behind Jeongha, who tossed in fare for two without a thought.
“……”
“……”
Yeonwoo knew where this bus would end up.
The sea—the place where she had once tried to die, and on other days, had longed to live. Whether he knew that or not, Woo Jeongha’s lips, brushed by the breeze through the slightly open window, were closed, slackened as if tired.
Every time the bus jolted with a clattering noise, his large hand brushed against the back of Yeonwoo’s.
Each time, both of them instinctively curled their fingers back.
“……”
Glancing at Jeongha’s profile, Yeonwoo lowered her head slightly, clasped her hands over her stomach, and gently curled them into fists.
Twenty minutes felt unbearably long.
When they got off at the last stop, they left footprints in the sand as they walked. Suddenly, Jeongha stopped short.
“Here.”
“…What?”
“Here. This is where you tried to die.”
“How do you know that?”
It had been the pitch-black night—how could he possibly remember? Doubt flickered in her eyes, but a laugh slipped out from between Jeongha’s lips.
“You finally seem a bit human.”
“What are you saying all of a sudden? Did your head go weird while I wasn’t looking?”
“Yeah. Guess I was shocked, watching someone try to die in front of me.”
He answered casually, plopping down on the sand and tilting his chin upward, signaling for her to sit too. Knowing she’d have to wash her own clothes if they got covered in sand, Yeonwoo hesitated, so he chided her:
“There’s no towel here to spread out.”
“As if I asked for one.”
“Then sit.”
He said it curtly, grabbing her sleeve and tugging.
Unfortunately for her, he didn’t seem to realize just how strong he was.
Thud!
Her body, already weak and limp like cabbage pickled for days, couldn’t resist the sudden pull. Yeonwoo ended up plopping right onto Jeongha’s thigh.
“…Ah.”
“……”
Jeongha had never had anyone sit on him like that before. Especially not a girl his own age, perched awkwardly on top of him.
His face, which had seemed like it would never change in his whole life, flushed a deep red in an instant.
“…I-I’ll get up.”
Yeonwoo’s ears burned just as much. She squirmed, trying to get up quickly, but the sand swallowed her feet, and she lost her balance, toppling backward again.
“Shit.”
A rare curse slipped from Jeongha’s mouth. His quick hand wrapped firmly around her narrow shoulders. Yeonwoo ended up clinging to him, falling right against his chest.
Their noses picked up scents that weren’t their own. To Jeongha, the faint smell of soft soap. To Yeonwoo, something like the scent of a forest, tickling her.
Both of them forgot how to breathe, lips clamped shut. A few seconds of silence passed before their black eyes quivered in unison.
“S-sorry!”
Clutching at his collar, Yeonwoo managed to push strength into her waist. His hand, which had been steadying her back, gently pushed her upright.
Finally free, she crouched awkwardly in the sand, unable to look at him. She squeezed her eyes shut tight, then opened them again.
Damn it. Why… why is my heart fluttering?
She muttered self-reproach, but her body, blotched red as if watercolor paint had spilled across it, refused to return to normal. Her stomach trembled, as if something sharp and restless were alive inside.
“…How long are you going to stay like that?”
His low voice growled like a leopard eyeing its prey.
“W-what do you mean?”
“You’re just showing me your back right now.”
So that explained the prickling feeling.
Sensing his eyes, Yeonwoo slowly shifted, scooting her hips back and turning her torso. She pretended to tuck her hair behind her ear, but really used her hand to hide her still-blushing earlobes.
“Ahem. It’s not as cold tonight.”
She blurted the awkward line, then stared down at her feet, side by side with Jeongha’s. He didn’t answer, just breathed a little heavily.
“……”
His high-bridged nose and fine-lined profile caught her gaze through his windblown hair. Slowly, steadily, the image of the girl who had once tried to die at the sea overlapped with the present Seo Yeonwoo.
Damn it… she really is pretty.
Maybe that was why the cuts on her face and neck looked so out of place. The scabs clinging to her skin, right beside those cherry-colored lips that seemed like they’d speak something honest any moment, were distracting.
Jeongha suddenly remembered how well that pink scarf he’d once bought with his own money had suited her.
“……”
“……”
The sound of waves crashing rolled in, swoosh, swoosh. The noisy tide settled, and with it, his erratic heartbeat returned to a steady rhythm. A pleasant quiet lingered between them.
Yeonwoo’s brown eyes had looked first at her toes, then at the rolling surf, and finally at the horizon. That was when Jeongha’s voice, playful now, broke in:
“Hey.”
“…What.”
“You’re weaker than I thought.”
“Me?”
What on earth was he talking about?
She turned her head slightly—and found Jeongha’s face far too close. Relaxed, almost bored, just like when she’d first seen him.
Had he looked like this that very first night too? Back when it was too dark to see him clearly? She studied his features, and then his quiet chuckle slipped into words:
“Yeah. You jumped into the sea on a freezing night. Didn’t think you looked like the type who’d get beaten up anywhere.”
“…What?”
What do you mean, ‘the type’… She’d never been told she seemed like someone who’d act mean, but she certainly hadn’t been told the opposite either. Her lips puffed into a slight pout.
Jeongha laughed louder than before at that, tossing out a teasing line:
“Or maybe that bastard was just too strong.”
“……”
The casual tone made it clear—he knew.
There was only one person within their small world who could deserve to be called that bastard.
But Jeongha didn’t bother asking what had happened that day, or who, or why someone had hurt her.
By keeping their words light, not crossing the line of questions that didn’t need to be asked, he eased the heaviness inside her. What had been stuck in her throat like a thorn quietly slipped back down.
Woo Jeongha was gentler than she’d thought.
…Gentle enough to make it embarrassing.
