I Think The Genre Has Changed - Chapter 117: Transformation

 Exiting the clothing store and having an early dinner, we stopped by the PC room, and by the time we came out, the sky had darkened. When I left home, I only brought my phone and wallet, but returning, my hands felt heavy. It was because of the various gifts the kids, including Haewoon, had packed in paper bags for me. It wasn’t like this before, but today, I couldn’t help but wonder why it felt so exceptional. I looked at Hamin, thinking he might have shared something with the kids, but all he did was shrug his shoulders. It seemed like he hadn’t mentioned anything that happened between us to the kids.

“Shall we go to the karaoke like this?”

“Isn’t it tiring?”

If you were to ask who was the most enthusiastic among the six of us, including myself, it was undoubtedly Haewoon. He started teasing Hamin and jumping around with joy at every little thing we did. When Hamin and I played games without a break for five hours, he was ecstatic. However, when we suggested going to the karaoke, he complained about being tired from training, clearly exaggerating.

“Some of us live far away, so let’s just go back to the dorm. We’re not heading home, right?”

“Oh, right.”

When Seowoo spoke calmly, Haewoon clapped his hands. Although the distance from downtown to the school was short, the individual homes were scattered all over. As we were all together after a long time, Haewoon suggested that it felt like the beginning of the school year. Watching him ponder if we should go to the karaoke, I realized he had given up on the idea.

“Instead, since we always miss out on karaoke, let’s definitely go next time. Anyone object?”

“I-“

“If you do, I’ll give you a kiss!”

“…”

Hamin, who was about to answer immediately, shut his mouth at the following words. Haewoon declared that it was decided since there was no objection, and he confidently moved his feet. I thought about Haewoon, who would proudly show off his tone-deaf singing skills while holding the microphone.

There won’t be a next time.

I firmly pledged to myself that I would be embarrassed to death if I went to the karaoke first and decided to give up. Haewoon, who had been enthusiastic until the end, got on the bus first and disappeared. Next was my turn after Haewoon. After a while, seeing the sign indicating the arrival, I stood up, and Gunwoo followed suit, picking up the luggage I had placed under my chair.

“Why are you carrying that?”

“Taking bus 728, right?”

“So what?”

“It’s in the same direction as mine.”

He looked at me with eyes that seemed to question why he became the reason while adjusting the luggage he was carrying. My gaze turned to the bus schedule attached to the wall of the bus stop.

“Where are you getting off?”

“Where are you?”

“I’m getting off here.”

Pointing to the bus stop with my finger, Gunwoo gestured behind me, indicating four stops from here.

“I’m getting off here.”

“Really, in the same direction.”

I didn’t know until now. If it’s four stops, it’s a relatively short distance, but looking at him strangely with a strange look, I heard a familiar laughter from behind.

“Since I moved, I didn’t see it…”

Boom, the noise of a passing car was unusually loud, and I couldn’t hear Hamin’s words properly. Only the first part was faintly audible, and when I turned my head, Hamin, who was looking at me with an awkward smile, said the bus was coming.

“Don’t be stupid and look ahead so you don’t miss it.”

“I was trying to look just now.”

Saying that he observed people and made a sarcastic remark, Hamin responded with a frown. The tone was a bit smoother when we talked before, but in the few days we hadn’t seen each other, it had returned to its original state. It didn’t change overnight.

“Hey.”

“…”

“Kang Sihyun.”

Quietly waiting for the bus, Hamin called my name. Sehyun, who didn’t realize he was calling me as there were many people around, turned his head only after hearing his name being called. His eyes, a complicated shade of purple, met mine. He seemed to want to say something, hesitated, then sighed and grabbed Haru, who was beside him.

“You know I’m taking him, right?”

“Yeah.”

“If you’re curious about the news, contact me.”

When you get home, figure out what to do with your stuff.

Whether it was concern or a sulky tone, it was hard to distinguish, but he added in a firm tone, lifting his chin towards the front. As the bus stopped, Sehyun, who had turned his head just before boarding, answered Hamin with a nod. Hamin gestured as if to say that it’s okay now. Sehyun, who was watching that for a moment, quickly snapped out of it when the bus driver told him to board, and he tapped his bus card.

“I’ll contact you!”

Haru’s voice was heard just before the door closed. He, who was more sensitive to his own changes than the other kids today, realized that his mood wasn’t great and had been watching himself all along while having fun. His voice, which had been like that, sounded louder than usual, and when Sehyun turned his body, the bus door closed with a creak. Holding the clothes I had borrowed and wore using Im Hajin’s name, he smiled faintly beyond the window. Just as I was about to smile back, the bus, which had jerked, started moving. Since I hadn’t grasped anything yet, my body shook, and Gunwoo, who was beside me, reached out his arm to hold me.

“Be careful.”

“Ah…”

“Sit here.”

Gunwoo, who sat me in the preoccupied seat, looked at me. Dazed, Sehyun sat down and gazed at Gunwoo. For some reason, today, Gunwoo’s words felt unusually short. Unable to continue the conversation for long, Sehyun, feeling disconnected, leaned his head against the cool window. It was when he was thinking about whether the feeling that had been pulled up to match the children would continue even after going home.

“I’m curious about what happened.”

“…?”

Sehyun lifted his head at the voice coming from above. Looking down from below, their eyes met, and the light-colored lips parted.

“I won’t ask.”

The low voice settled in his ears. The deep eyes silently looked down at him.

“Why.”

“Because you don’t like talking much.”

“…”

Exhale. Gunwoo, who said that, covered Sehyun’s eyes with the hand that wasn’t holding the handle. Feeling the big hand placing him against the window, Sehyun willingly surrendered his body.

The slack body pressed against the window. For a long time, it felt like Gunwoo’s gaze lingered from above.

Perhaps he arrived home while dozing off. The touch of a hand tapping his shoulder made his eyelids open. The sound of the disembarkation announcement flowed from the speaker. It was one stop before the stop where I would get off.

“You should get up slowly.”

I’ll take you home.

Picking up the luggage that had been placed on the floor, he, who had grabbed me, moved his foot towards the open door. As my body shook with the excuse of not having caught anything yet, Gunwoo looked at me as if to say quickly get off. Awkwardness settled in.

“I won’t take you…”

“Student! Aren’t you getting off?”

“Ah… I’m getting off.”

“You don’t have to see me off. The knight’s shout cut off what I was about to say. Unaware that staying here any longer could be a nuisance, I got off the bus, and it quickly departed without a second glance. Sihyun, who had been watching the situation, narrowed his eyes and turned his gaze to Geonwoo.

“Why did you get off here?”

“My luggage was heavy.”

“It’s my luggage.”

“Yeah.”

With a simple nod again, he asked where his house was. Geonwoo seemed stubborn in an odd way. Sihyun sighed, resigned, and headed home.

Having mainly lived in the dormitory, the unfamiliar path felt awkward as Sihyun walked with Geonwoo. Annoyed by the rustling sound with each step, Sihyun reached out, thinking he could hear something from the paper bag Geonwoo was holding. Geonwoo pretended not to hear.

When the house came into view, Sihyun finally asked him to hand over the luggage. Geonwoo, who had been holding it all along, blinked. It seemed like he had something to say.

“Why.”

“I wasn’t going to ask, but.”

“Hmm?”

Tilting his head, he seemed to wonder what this situation was about. Expressing his doubt, Geonwoo grabbed Sihyun’s hand and handed over the paper bag string.

“Even if others don’t know, do you want to tell me?”

“…”

“If it’s something others know, I want to know too.”

“Is that so?”

I said that, and he tilted his head, wondering if it wasn’t the case. Unsure of what to say, when Sihyun hesitated, Geonwoo reached out and touched Sihyun’s eyes, where traces of swelling still remained.

“Take a rest.”

“…”

“Don’t cry.”

His large thumb swept slowly under the eyelashes. Sihyun blinked at the distinct warmth. The abnormal tension that had risen abnormally during the time with Haewoon seemed to find its place again as he walked with Geonwoo. For a moment, without saying anything and just staring blankly at him, Geonwoo turned Sihyun towards the house like a fool. The voice urging him to go in echoed gently, and as if entranced, Sihyun swallowed his breath as he reached the room.

Suddenly realizing that they had parted ways, he became aware of the fact that he was standing in his room. As he swallowed the breath that seemed to burst when he exhaled for a long time, Sihyun burst into tears.”