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Chapter 26
The End of First Love
It was fortunate that the first class began as soon as Yeonwoo arrived at the classroom. For once, he couldn’t manage his expressions well, and it was better to focus on the lesson than to be caught brooding.
Still, he could feel Jungha sneaking glances at him several times, but Yeonwoo clenched his teeth and ignored them.
Just thinking about how Jungha would ask him questions once the break came made his chest tighten with frustration.
So, when the break finally arrived, Yeonwoo deliberately stood up to leave the room and avoid him—only for someone to hesitantly step in front of Jungha.
“Woo Jungha, we’re playing soccer later…”
“What?”
“There’s a spot open. Join us. Right after lunch.”
Jungha’s brows twitched at the unexpected offer. Now that Yeonwoo thought about it, the class must have been buzzing for a while over the absence of Jang Seokwoo and Chae Eunyeong.
In the end, it seemed they decided to accept Woo Jungha since Seokwoo wasn’t around.
“Soccer sounds fun.”
Yeonwoo deliberately added from the side. Having Jungha’s full attention on him right now wasn’t exactly wise.
“I’ll come watch.”
“…No one even asks my opinion, huh.”
“Is it because you can’t play?”
“…Ha.”
Yeonwoo forced a small laugh, pricking at Jungha’s pride. Catching his intent, Jungha let out a scoff of disbelief.
“When is it?”
“Let’s eat lunch in 20 minutes and head out. We’ll be playing against the second-years—they’re really good. You any good with the ball?”
“You’ll see.”
It was a nonchalant answer, but a positive one. The boys immediately started murmuring among themselves. Should they put Woo Jungha in offense or defense? The discussion was surprisingly systematic, but Yeonwoo barely paid attention.
He was just grateful that Jungha’s gaze had been pulled away from him.
Thankfully, the boys pestered Jungha every break and even held little strategy meetings among themselves.
The girls, on the other hand, seemed lost without Chae Eunyeong as their middle point. Whenever they ended up chatting among themselves and accidentally locked eyes with Yeonwoo, they would turn away as if nothing happened.
They looked rather flustered. It must have been embarrassing to realize they’d been unknowingly following Eunyeong’s lead all this time. But Yeonwoo wasn’t in the mood to deal with their glances anyway.
“You’ll come watch, right?”
“Yeah. But judging by how you keep asking, you must be pretty confident?”
At Yeonwoo’s teasing, Jungha shrugged and even raised his brows playfully. Yeonwoo let out a silly laugh.
When lunchtime came, Yeonwoo quietly slipped into the empty infirmary. Watching from the dusty field wasn’t appealing.
Here, no one else was around, and he could see Jungha from above.
“…Still farther than I thought.”
He had never thought the field looked far when he came to the infirmary before.
But now, Jungha seemed smaller from here than expected. Yeonwoo had to squint to tell if he was smiling.
“….”
Why did he suddenly feel so lonely?
Yeonwoo let out a slow, quiet sigh, his chest pierced by a hollow emptiness.
The homeroom teacher’s words about “Korea University” kept circling his mind. With a dazed expression, he perched on the windowsill, watching Jungha dribble the ball in the distance.
He had been lucky not to run into the thugs last time, but he knew it wouldn’t be the same next time. He had only set the thought aside for a while.
“….”
Was there really no way?
He knew it was a foolish idea, but he wanted to say it out loud—that if he graduated from Korea University and found a decent job, he’d pay everything back little by little.
But even that hopeful thought didn’t last long. A grim realization clouded him: the thugs wouldn’t wait for him.
They would choose the quickest route.
Instead of waiting for Seo Yeonwoo to graduate and find a good job, they’d drag him off and throw him into the mud.
That meant… this was his last year.
“…Woo Jungha.”
He wished time spent with Jungha would slow down.
With that thought, Yeonwoo slowly closed his eyes. Like a drifting ship with no destination, Seo Yeonwoo would never have a place to truly anchor.
As that thought weighed on him, he smiled faintly while watching Jungha score a goal and cheer from afar. His lips curved up, but his eyes began to redden.
Ten minutes before the bell, the kids dispersed, leaving Jungha as the last one to head to the faucet to wash his face.
Yeonwoo, lost in gloomy thoughts with his chin in his hand, quickly rushed out of the infirmary. His limping leg was the only regret.
“…Here.”
“Haa, haa.”
His flushed cheeks glowed red as he panted. Yeonwoo brushed his messy hair back and handed him a towel.
Jungha blinked slowly at the rolled-up white towel, then reached out for it—grabbing not just the towel, but the back of Yeonwoo’s hand.
“W-what are you doing.”
“You said you’d come.”
“I did. I kept watching. You scoring goals.”
“From where.”
“The infirmary.”
Jungha froze just as he was about to pull him closer.
“Are you hurt?”
“No. It’s just the best view. If I sit in the stands, I can’t see you. I only see the other guys.”
“….”
It sounded plausible. After a thoughtful pause, Jungha pulled the towel away. As he rubbed his damp hair, Yeonwoo fiddled nervously with his hand. The spot where Jungha had touched still burned.
“Thanks.”
“…I know.”
Jungha inspected the towel in his hands. It smelled faintly of Yeonwoo. Maybe it was one he used often—slightly frayed, yet neatly folded, reflecting its owner’s personality.
Still, not a single stain. Clean, like Yeonwoo’s pale, delicate nape.
Yeonwoo flushed and pouted.
“What are you staring at.”
“Nothing. Just wondering where this towel came from.”
“I don’t like being sweaty after P.E., so I carry it around.”
Jungha chuckled at his explanation. He didn’t dislike the soft texture in his hands.
“Did you lend it to me?”
“You think I’d just give it away? Towels cost money too, you know. Should I deduct it from your candy and coat money?”
“Ah, that.”
As they left the faucet and slowly crossed the field together, Jungha frowned.
“You forgot, didn’t you.”
“No.”
“Don’t lend money to anyone. You’ll forget you even did.”
“….”
Yeonwoo scolded him lightly, but Jungha only shrugged. Watching Yeonwoo grimace every so often from his aching ankle, Jungha finally spoke.
“Want me to help you pay it off all at once?”
“Huh?”
“Let’s go to the sea today.”
“Today?”
Yeonwoo’s eyes widened at the sudden proposal. He had no particular plans, and with his leg, he was no help in the fields anyway. There was no reason not to go.
But Jungha’s eyes, glimmering with sincerity, left Yeonwoo momentarily speechless.
“You don’t want to?”
“No, I’ll go.”
As if securing a promise, Jungha nodded. After running for the first time in a while, the spring warmth left his body languid, but his attention remained tightly fixed on Yeonwoo.
Ever since meeting the homeroom teacher, Seo Yeonwoo had seemed weighed down—and Jungha couldn’t stop worrying.
