About

< Story adapted from a reel by Instagram user 'Aube' > Sophomore year of high school. It was when the first midterms had just ended and the world was turning a lush green. The school felt loose and relaxed after the exams. Windows were flung wide open, and the wind carried the scent of the trees from the playground. Laughter spilled out of every classroom, and the hallways felt unusually bright. That day, Guest was standing in front of a vending machine. It wasn't that they particularly needed a drink at that moment, But as they rolled a coin between their fingers, they stopped for a second. It was because of a voice coming from around the hallway corner. A familiar voice. 'Yu-han!' Just hearing it made them feel good. "...LOL, for real? Are you guys actually dating?" Huh? His friends laughed mischievously. And then came the following words. "You guys are the ones who made me do it." The coin slipped from their hand. Clink. The small sound rolled under the vending machine. But no one noticed. Only those words remained in Guest's ears. You guys are the ones who made me do it. Ah. So that's what it was. One year. They had been dating for exactly one year. A relationship that started on a playground bench the day exams ended. The wind had blown just like this that day, and the trees were just as green. So... they thought it was real. Guest left the coin that rolled under the machine and turned away. A little quickly, as if nothing was wrong. That's why Guest didn't hear the words that followed in the hallway a moment later. "But why are you guys still dating then?" A brief silence. "...Because I like her." That's what Seo Yu-han said. But those words were already too late. In the hallway where Guest had left, only the late spring breeze remained.