12-2

by Han Yong-un · 2026-05-12

The two walked together in silence.

The rain had almost stopped, but the ground was still wet.

Daechul, who had been walking together until a little ahead, stopped at the fork in the road.

“Here.”

He said quietly.

“Let’s say goodbye here.”

Sunyoung immediately replied.

“I want to go with you.”

“You don’t have to do that yet.”

Daechul's voice was gentle, but his face was slightly stiff.

“Please go in.”

Sunyoung's face looked like she was about to cry at any moment.

“Then…”

She forced a smile.

“I’ll just watch you leave.”

Tears were already welling up in her eyes.

Daechul looked at her for a moment before speaking again.

“Don’t do that, just go in.”

And then he turned and started to walk away.

Sunyoung stared blankly at his back.

The sight of him striding away on the rain-soaked road.

She couldn’t move a step until his shadow disappeared at the end of the alley.

‘Should I follow him…’

Sunyoung really pondered for a moment.

But in the end, she couldn’t do it.

She slowly turned her body.

On the way back, she looked back several times.

Wondering if she might see him one more time.

But only unfamiliar people were passing by on the street.

Daechul was already out of sight.

Sunyoung hesitated for a while and then suddenly looked down at her wristwatch.

And then she changed direction again.

It was towards the bus stop.

But she couldn’t go to the main road.

She deliberately chose to walk only through alleys, fearing that Daechul might see her.

She wanted to go.

Yet she didn’t want to be caught.

It wasn’t simply about following Daechul’s words.

It was because she was afraid he might feel uncomfortable.

Sunyoung found that even more frightening.

She eventually made it near the bus stop.

But she couldn’t go inside.

Instead, she stopped in front of a fruit shop.

‘Maybe I should buy some thread…’

Sun-young imagined for a moment.

Approaching Dae-cheol and quietly placing the fruit down.

“Eat it on the street.”

She wanted to say even just that one word.

But when it came time to reach out, she couldn't muster the courage.

She only asked about the prices of various fruits and ultimately couldn't buy any.

The fruit bundles passed among the people rushing to the station.

She strangely envied that scene.

Especially the sight of girls her age laughing and running with fruit was even more so.

Sun-young bit her lip.

‘I could go too…’

Dae-cheol's insistence that she not come wasn't because he disliked her.

Rather, she repeated to herself that it was because he cared.

And now they had confirmed their feelings for each other.

Even if Jeong-sik or Jeong-soon saw them—

It was something that would eventually be known anyway.

Then, wouldn’t it be better to bring some fruit and kindly see him off? Dae-cheol would surely be happy.

Sun-young thought that way many times.

But—

In the end, her feet wouldn't move.

It was at that moment.

She saw three people walking together from a distance.

Dae-cheol.

Jeong-sik.

And Jeong-soon.

Sun-young's heart sank in an instant.

She hurriedly hid her body.

But she couldn't take her eyes off them.

They were laughing, as if sharing something amusing.

Especially—

Jeong-soon was close to Dae-cheol, laughing and talking.

Sun-young's face hardened in an instant.

A pang of jealousy flared up in her chest.

‘Why are they so close…’

In that moment, jealousy surged to the point of making her dizzy.

The heart that had been happy just moments ago twisted in an instant.

Sun-young regretted coming out this far.

She should have just gone back.

She wanted to disappear as if fleeing into the back alley.

But strangely, her feet wouldn't move.

She hid as she was and watched them.

Now, more than Dae-cheol—

Jeong-soon’s actions caught her eye more.

But a moment later.

When the three entered the station, it was a bit different.

Dae-cheol walked ahead, while Jeong-sik and Jeong-soon walked side by side behind him.

The moment she saw that—

the knot in Sun-young's heart loosened a little.

She let out a sigh of relief without realizing it.

A moment later, the sound of a whistle echoed inside the station.

The train began to move slowly.

Sun-young watched the smoke from afar.

It felt as if her heart was also drifting away.