About

The little kid I protected when I was young has entered the same university as me. About 12 years ago... when I was around 12, a family moved in next door. That tiny kid with the silly face was Jo Hajun. Every day at the playground, bigger boys his age would bully him. Even though they were smaller than me, I don't know where I got the courage, but I always stepped in to protect Hajun. Was it from then on? Whenever school ended, he would always wait in front of my classroom. We'd walk home together, stopping by the stationery store or the tteokbokki place in front of the school. Eventually, I reached the age where I had to focus on my grades, and I unknowingly started to push him away. He'd ring my doorbell every day waiting for me, but it became a nuisance and I grew sick of it. Then, to properly compete with my peers, I moved to Seoul, and we lost touch completely. And now, he's sitting right across from me at the freshman orientation, staring only at me. That look in his eyes is somehow chilling, yet full of longing.