“Can’t we take the bus? I think I’d be fine on the bus… I can look out the window and open it too, so it won’t feel stuffy.”
Yuwon eagerly expressed his desire to take the bus. Of course, if Hyun Gyujin opposed, he would follow his decision, but he wanted to mention it one more time.
“Hmm…”
“Do you think taking a taxi is the best option for you, Gyujin?”
“I don’t mind either way, but I’m worried about you. Are you sure you’ll be okay on the bus?”
“Yes!”
“Then let’s take the bus. But if you feel uncomfortable at any point, make sure to tell me. Don’t try to endure it alone.”
Nodding enthusiastically, Yuwon walked with lighter steps. The cold but clear weather and his good mood made his spirits soar. He had a sparkling premonition that it would be a good day.
Yuwon boarded the bus, which was almost empty, and went to the back to sit by the window. Watching Hyun Gyujin sit beside him, he spoke in a low voice.
“Is it because it’s Saturday? There aren’t many people.”
“Why are you speaking so quietly?”
“In places like this, you’re supposed to speak softly.”
Hyun Gyujin laughed at Yuwon, who spoke as if teaching a child manners, and closed the half-open bus window. Although it was good that it didn’t feel stuffy, the wind rushing into the fast-moving bus was too strong and cold for Yuwon.
“Oh, the teacher texted.”
Feeling the vibration from his coat pocket, Hyun Gyujin took out his phone and scanned the message with a neutral expression, which asked if they had departed, what they were taking, and where they would get off.
[Yuwon: We’re taking the bus!]
[Yuwon: There’s both the main gate of Hanguk University and Hanguk University itself, where should we get off?]
[Teacher: Get off at the main gate of Hanguk University]
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
[Teacher: I’ll be there in front, come safely]
[Yuwon: Okay! See you later!]
Snfgs alwf Tekbc rqbxf, tlr kbgvr rffwfv ab ybecmf tjqqlis. Lsec Xseplc rtloafv tlr ujhf ab Tekbc’r rwlilcu ilqr. Lf kjcafv ab rff lo atfs gfjiis ofia jr ybecms jr atfs rffwfv.
“P kjca ab xlrr sbe.”
“…Rba tfgf.”
“Ktfc ktfc?”
“…Qtfc kf ufa tbwf ijafg.”
“Qf’gf cba ublcu tbwf ecali atf fnfclcu. Vtbeiv P tbiv bea ecali atfc?”
Yuwon quickly put his phone back in his pocket, glanced at the back of a person sitting a bit away, and then turned his attention back to Hyun Gyujin.
“Of course, you have to wait. We’re going to be with the teacher all day today…”
“Then when we’re alone in the evening, can we kiss a lot?”
“…Yes.”
Yuwon’s ears and soft-looking cheeks turned a reddish hue as he awkwardly looked out the window. Hyun Gyujin felt an urge to kiss the spots that had turned red because of him but restrained himself. As Yuwon had said, this wasn’t the right place for that. He didn’t want to do anything that would make Yuwon uncomfortable.
“You don’t feel like you’re going to get motion sickness, right?”
“No, I’m fine. I actually like being out.”
“Should we take the bus somewhere once in a while? It’ll be hard to go often when we become seniors, so we can go a few times during the vacation. And even more after the college entrance exam is over.”
“Really? Just thinking about it makes me happy. Will you go with me?”
“Of course. You can’t go anywhere without me.”
Even though Hyun Gyujin spoke in an exaggeratedly possessive and scary manner, Yuwon just kept smiling, as if he found it endearing. Seeing Yuwon talk and laugh so much with a bright expression under the sunlight streaming through the window, Hyun Gyujin’s worries gradually eased, and his heart felt increasingly at peace.
“After looking around the school and having lunch with the teacher, we’ll part ways, right?”
“Probably. It’s not like we have tutoring or anything else to do until evening.”
“Then can’t we go somewhere else? If we go just two stops from there, there’s a huge mall that opened recently. They say the cookie ice cream there is delicious. There are also a lot of famous restaurants… Apparently, there’s a really good rice bowl place there.”
It seemed Yuwon hadn’t just researched the transportation to Hanguk University when he couldn’t sleep but also everything around it. He usually wasn’t the quiet type, but it was the first time Hyun Gyujin saw him talking continuously about wanting to do something like this. It was cute but also heart-wrenching because he knew better than anyone that Yuwon, who often had to stay home due to illness and barely attended school, naturally longed for activities outside.
“Sure, let’s go. I’ve wanted to check that place out too. I heard the sports store there is really big.”
“Really? That’s great. Let’s go together.”
It seemed like he had been worrying too much. Yuwon was so happy about just going to a new mall that it felt right to let him spend the day however he wanted.
“Yeah. We’ll look at some clothes, get some cookie ice cream, have rice bowls for dinner, or if we find something better, we can eat that instead.”
“Yeah, we still don’t know what we’ll have for lunch with the teacher, so let’s decide dinner later.”
“Right. We’ll have a delicious dinner… hmm…”
Hyun Gyujin took out his phone and searched for the mall Yuwon mentioned. He scrolled through, noting the largest bookstore, a cinema, and a game center in the basement.
“There’s a lot to do. Let’s see everything, try everything, and stay out until night.”
“Can we really do that? I’ve always wanted to stay out until late, and today we can do it.”
All Yuwon wanted was to eat cookie ice cream, have dinner at a famous rice bowl place, and spend time looking around, enjoying himself like everyone else until late. Hyun Gyujin didn’t want to crush Yuwon’s excited mood by worrying about potential but unlikely illness from overexertion.
“But if we get home that late, when are we going to kiss?”
Although his voice wasn’t loud enough to reach the person sitting near the driver at the front of the bus, Yuwon was still startled. He pressed his palm firmly over Hyun Gyujin’s mouth and then removed it.
“Okay, okay. I’ll hold back today and grant Jung Yuwon’s wish. We’re going to be really busy; are you sure you’ll be okay?”
“Yes! I’m fine.”
The light that colored Yuwon’s face and shoulders stretched down to Hyun Gyujin’s legs. Hyun Gyujin willingly leaned into that light and rested his head on Yuwon’s shoulder.
If you’re okay, then I’m okay with everything. As long as you’re happy and smiling.
The radio and the noise from the road blended into a loud mix, and the constant shaking of the bus was uncomfortable, but being with Yuwon made the bus ride enjoyable. With the sunlight that gently crept in and softly covered everything, and with Yuwon’s laughter, the bus started moving.
***
Lee Junseo, whom they saw at school, seemed quite different from usual. He looked more like a big brother than a teacher, which felt a bit awkward.
Yuwon followed Lee Junseo around the school, touring various places. They visited the famous large library, and at a shop known for its delicious waffles, he and Hyun Gyujin shared a waffle topped with apple jam and whipped cream.
Climbing uphill left them breathless, and they had to pause to catch their breath when there were many stairs, but it was fun. It was all worth it.
“For lunch, I wasn’t sure what you’d like, so I thought of three places. You can choose. The first is tacos. You put various things in a tortilla, and this place is famous. The second is pizza. There’s only one place here, no chains, but it’s famous nationwide. The last one is Korean snacks. It’s a bit much to treat you to snacks, but have you heard of Hanguk University snacks? It’s also famous for being delicious. Which do you prefer?”
Yuwon looked at Hyun Gyujin while considering Lee Junseo’s question. Hyun Gyujin quickly eliminated pizza and snacks from his mind. Pizza was something they could have anytime, and the snacks were too spicy for Yuwon. Though Yuwon liked tteokbokki, fried foods, and hot dogs, eating them often wasn’t good for him.
“Tacos sound good. How about you?”
“I like tacos too. Teacher, let’s go for tacos. We like them as well.”
Lee Junseo, mentioning he had made a reservation just in case, led the way. Following him, Yuwon slowly took in his surroundings. Visiting the school in person made him more determined to study hard for a year and gain admission here.
He wanted to walk these paths with Hyun Gyujin, study together in the large library they visited earlier, and eat waffles together while attending this school.
Even though it was a bit far from home, wouldn’t it be nice to live near the school together? What would it feel like to live alone with Hyun Gyujin? What if his heart felt like it would burst every day? Even the slight touch of his arm made his heart race, so if they lived together without having to part…. Feeling a numb sensation in his fingertips, Yuwon pressed down on his thigh and took a deep breath.
“There it is. People are already lining up. Good thing we made a reservation.”
Snapping out of his thoughts at the sound of Lee Junseo’s voice, Yuwon looked at the line of people in front of the shop. It was so famous that even though it was just a little past 11:30, more than ten groups were already waiting.
