.

However, was it really Yeo Dan oppa, not someone wearing his costume and face mask to perform like him?

“Are you really Yeo Dan oppa…?”

As if he felt embarrassed at my question, Yeo Dan oppa, who was touching his hair, slightly frowned. It seemed like he was sending me a gaze, asking, ‘What the heck is she talking about again?’ The look inside his eyes showed his feelings of suspicion and a bit of despair. Tilting his head, he flung a question.

“Where’s Yeo Ryung?”

“Oh, Yeo Ryung… um…” I replied vaguely. How could I tell him that I sent her ahead of us just because I misunderstood Yeo Dan oppa as his stalker? While I stood still wordlessly, Yeo Dan oppa, however, nodded alone for some reason. He tossed another question.

“Did she bring an umbrella?”

“Huh? Ah, yeah, she did. She even borrowed another umbrella for me.”

With that response, I showed Eun Jiho’s black umbrella in my hand. Looking down at it for a moment, Yeo Dan oppa uttered, “Okay.”

I thought he would ask, ‘Why didn’t you go with her?’ or ‘You should have told her to wait anyway,’ something like that, but he didn’t. Slightly raising the plastic umbrella in his hand, yeo Dan oppa spoke in his usual voice.

“Then shall we go too?”

“Uh… huh?”

“Go home.”

My face flushed all of a sudden. Ignoring Yeo Dan oppa, who was slowly observing my face as if I was acting strange, I walked like a robot to get beside him, then I lowered my head and murmured to myself. ‘Since Yeo Ryung spoke about having a date in the rain or something like that before she left, I sincerely thought we were on a date or so!’

Descending the stairs with him side by side, we bent our steps toward the main entrance of the building. I kept wondering while walking after him, ‘Why doesn’t he ask me further about Yeo Ryung’s absence? If he doesn’t, I’ll be letting myself having some crazy delusions such as he’s here too just pick me up or something like that.’

At that moment, I flinched and turned my head upon a loud noise. Yeo Dan oppa was looking at me while holding his umbrella over his shoulder. Before I even knew, we were already in front of the entrance.

“Let’s go.”

His low voice resonated around my ears. Standing still in a daze for a moment, I soon nodded and opened my umbrella. The black nylon canopy covered above my head.

* * *

I tried to ask him about the text message first, but Yeo Dan oppa initiated a conversation ahead of me. Being startled, I turned my head.

“What happened to Sports Day when it was raining?”

Ah, that one… Showing a faint smile, I replied, “We did all the indoor games in the morning and picked the winning teams, then in the afternoon, we followed our regular class schedule. Kids were nearly dying.”

“Oh…”

Replying that way, Yeo Dan oppa slightly grimaced. Although he didn’t really care about school life itself, he also seemed to hate taking classes. Letting out a giggle, I continued, “Well, but our class was the semifinal winner! Yoon Jung In and Yi Ruda did a great job in the matches.”

I suddenly recalled how astonishing their performances were during the games. Yoon Jung In and Yi Ruda were, of course, very athletic, but I didn’t know that they were this much overwhelming. The duo’s superb performances were worth competing with Class 1-1. Yoo Chun Young wasn’t able to participate in the games due to his modeling schedule; Jooin’s athletic ability was just slightly better than average. Thus, Class 1-1 wasn’t almighty than usual.

Yoon Jung In? Yi Ruda? Yeo Dan oppa tilted his head in wonder as if they were the names he had never heard before.

I uttered, “Oh, Yoon Jung In is our class president whom I’ve often mentioned before, and Ruda is… you know, the boy we ran into in the café last time.”

“Ah…” he blurted out shortly.

Watching his brows meeting in the middle, I continued, “Don’t you remember? He stands out conspicuously. The boy with blond hair and blue eyes…”

“I remember.”

“Ah, really?” Asking that way, I rolled my eyes. Even though he remembered who he was, Yeo Dan oppa kept a frowny face. It implied that he might have recalled some unpleasant memories or didn’t like Ruda at all.

However, didn’t Ruda and Yeo Dan oppa meet only once before? Besides, all they did was just greeting each other. Why would that feel unpleasant? Wondering about those questions for a second, I just shrugged.

Well, their characters might just not get along. You know, Yoo Chun Young had seldom seen Yi Ruda, but he detested him; therefore, those who had outstanding intuitions like Yoo Chun Young or Yeo Dan oppa might feel uncomfortable with Ruda.

Trying to switch his attention to something else, I continued to speak again, “Oh, right! Yeo Ryung has also been so amazing!”

He indeed diverted his gaze back onto me.

“Even if Yoon Jung In and Yi Ruda actively engaged in the games as much as the Four Heavenly Kings did, we couldn’t win maybe because our class didn’t have any girls athletically incredible as Yeo Ryung.”

“I see,” he replied with a nod. The look on Yeo Dan oppa’s face returned to usual.

Phew, the miracle of his sister complex may save all of us. Heaving a short sigh, I kept on speaking in a slightly more excited tone.

“I mean, we still have a very athletic girl in our class, whose name is Lee Mina. Her nickname is ‘the boy.’ Our PE teacher says, ‘She’s gonna beat everyone while playing in the boys’ team.’ Ever since he uttered that way, it became her nickname…”

That was when the look on his face suddenly turned urgent, and therefore, I tried to ask him what was wrong. With a loud splash, a black vehicle passing closely by us got into a puddle. Then the pool of muddy water splattered highly to my waist with a loud noise. Yeo Dan oppa’s hand reached my wrist almost at the same time; however, it was too late.

A moment of silence hung between us. Looking at the muddy water dripping down my knees, I smiled quietly, “Ha… haha…”

“I should have walked on the side of the street,” said Yeo Dan oppa with a slight grimace.

I shook my head and uttered, “No, no, don’t mind.” My outfit today was just for temporary use, but Yeo Dan oppa’s school uniform was already wet with rain, so he had to change into those gym clothes. If those new outfits also got wet, then it would be terrible. That was why I also took his left side and walked on the street side of the sidewalk on purpose.

Still, Yeo Dan oppa didn’t release the stiff look on his face. He soon flung a question that made me raise my head.

“Should we share the umbrella?”

“Huh? The umbrella?”

That was when I glanced around and nodded my head.

Since the sidewalk wasn’t that wide, walking with two umbrellas side by side was almost occupying the whole street. And honestly, if I didn’t walk close to the street side, I would have not become this much wet with muddy water. Switching my gaze to Yeo Dan oppa, I asked, “Shall we? The sidewalk is too narrow.”

Speaking that way, I stretched out my hand that had the umbrella in it to him. Yeo Dan oppa was using a disposable one, so the size was only half of Eun Jiho’s umbrella.

I watched Yeo Dan oppa’s big and long hand taking the umbrella handle from mine. The distance between my head and the umbrella widened, and his broad shoulders came right beside me. I could smell some faint wood scent from his gym clothes, which might be permeated when storing clothes in the drawer for a long time. It felt too vivid and intimate that I became bewildered for a second.

That was when I realized why TV dramas or movies featured scenes of couples sharing an umbrella as a fabulous or significant event. Walking with each other’s shoulders closely attached in a narrow circle was like two people sharing a very small space; it was not an easy thing to do between strangers. Even between the two who had known each other for a long time…

I lifted my head and looked up. The umbrella created a dark shade over Yeo Dan oppa’s face, and maybe because of that, his face looked particularly pale.