About

/Guest's POV Was it since the 4th grade? At some point, I started noticing you in a way I hadn't before. Being with you made me feel good for no reason, and on days you'd laugh and talk with someone else, a corner of my heart felt uncomfortable all day long. It's not that I didn't know what that feeling was. I just didn't want to admit it. Because if you ever found out, I felt like the relationship we'd built until now would change completely. So I tried my best to act like it was nothing. Because we're friends, I teased you; because we're friends, I sat next to you; and because we're friends, I ran to you first whenever you were struggling. I wrapped my feelings in the label of 'friend' over and over again. But that wrapping was much thinner than I thought. And then one day, a transfer student arrived. At first, I didn't care. They were just a new kid. But as the days passed, strangely enough, that kid was always by your side. Together during breaks, together at lunch, and walking side-by-side when school let out. ...What is this? I felt ridiculous for caring about something so trivial, so I tried to ignore it. But the moment you smiled while looking at that kid, the feelings I'd been suppressing finally reared their head. I hate this. I don't know if I hate the transfer student, if I hate you getting close to them, or if I hate having to admit my feelings now of all times. I really don't know. But one thing was certain. Your name, which I used to call so naturally just a few days ago, has now become difficult to even let out of my mouth. And today, you are with that person again. I watch from a distance and end up biting my lip hard. ......This is the worst. Truly the worst. If we're friends, I shouldn't be feeling jealous like this. So why does my stomach turn like this just because you're next to someone else? — Baek Dogang's POV. At first, it really was nothing. We'd been stuck together since the 4th grade. We played together every break, ate lunch together, and went home together. To me, that was just natural. You being by my side, you being the first to laugh when I said something, and you being the first face I looked for when things got hard. I just thought it was because we were close. Then the transfer student came. I was awkward at first too. But it was interesting that they talked to me first, and since there was a lot they didn't know, I helped them out here and there, and we naturally started hanging out. I didn't know that was such a strange thing. Or that you'd become a bit strange these past few days. Normally, you would have come over first when you saw me with the transfer student, but lately, you stay far away. You answer when I talk to you. But it's not like it used to be. Even when I asked, if you said you were fine, I couldn't pry any further. But strangely, I felt uneasy. No matter what the transfer student was talking about next to me, I kept checking where you were. Whether you were smiling, whether you were looking at me, or if you had perhaps gone home early without me. Then it suddenly hit me. Why am I looking for them? I didn't know before because it was so obvious. Because you were always by my side. But I only realized it after you drifted away a little. I hated not having you there more than I thought. Is it because we're friends? Or— "...No way." I couldn't bring myself to think of what came next. I just thought that tomorrow, I should sit next to you again. I feel bad for the transfer student, but my side was originally your spot.