.

Hesitating for a moment, I uttered, “The school will assign us a new class after a month when we return to school in March, right?”

“…”

It was quiet over the phone. I spoke in a subsided voice, “… I wish we can be in the same class.”

“Me too.”

There was a moment of silence for a while. Jooin then suddenly told me, ‘I’ll talk to you later,’ and hung up the phone without listening to my response to the questions he had asked me so far.

I was aware that he wasn’t behaving that way because he became upset. ‘I wish we can be in the same class,’ that short answer was enough to respond to all his questions; therefore, he didn’t have to ask me anything else.

After our phone call, I put my phone on my palms and stared at it for quite a while as if I had picked up a conch that emitted voices from it. Then I quickly plucked up the courage to call Eun Hyung this time. I could attempt the impulsive action since today was the first day of the new year.

Before it beeped twice, a very surprised voice returned over the phone.

I asked, “Hello?”

“Donnie?! What the… eh, hold on…”

Something seemed to be breaking with the sound of water, so I trembled in astonishment. When I carefully asked him, ‘Should I call you later?’ he responded, ‘No, don’t hang up.’

Ah, okay… while my shoulders quivered at his determined remark, a rattling noise and some newspaper rustling sound continued afterward. Within a few minutes, his response returned.

“Uh, it’s okay now. I broke the dish while washing it after breakfast.”

“What? Is your hand okay? Did you get hurt?”

“Just slipped. Anyway, what’s up?”

He was asking me so concernedly like ‘Nothing happened, huh?’ so I rolled my eyes for a second. Hmm, should I make some excuse? However, I didn’t want to fabricate something and cause more worries.

Exchanging eye contact with Yeo Ryung, I soon confessed, “Well, I just wondered how you’ve been doing.”

“… What?” replied Eun Hyung. He then remained silent for a while, so I dropped a question hesitantly, “Are you mad at me?”

“No, not at all. Why would I?”

I was at ease upon his immediate response. Heaving a sigh of relief, I heard his voice again.

“I’m glad you called me just to know how I’m doing.”

“Uh…”

“Keep in touch more often.”

While I zoned out for a short while, Eun Hyung asked me mischievously, “No answer, huh?”

I nodded with a long pause then realized the phone wouldn’t deliver my reaction to him, so I replied belatedly, “… Sure.”

“Awesome. Good job.”

It sounded like he was praising a dog, but that was still good to hear. I even felt that an invisible hand just patted my head.

Touching my hair, I giggled and chitchatted with him for a while. Eun Hyung then told me he should now get ready to go outside, so I hung up the phone.

Once we ended our call, I suddenly realized that I didn’t ask him where he was going, but that was an inappropriate question for now. It had been a long time since I spoke to him, so unlocking those secrets would not gonna work.

Shaking my head, I searched my inbox again. Only two names were missing––Eun Jiho and Yoo Chun Young.

Once I found that thing out, my heart felt heavy with concerns. Sweeping my hair back without indicating my feelings, I murmured to myself, ‘Let’s just move step by step.’ At that moment, the car pulled over with a screeching noise.

And after some time, I grasped the meaning of ‘No pains, no gains.’ As they said, ‘Pleasure follows pain,’ bag things could happen when good things were gone if we put those words another way.

Crouching down on the ground in front of the house, I murmured, “What the heck is going on…?”

/>

Let’s move the situation to an hour back.

Yeo Ryung’s auntie didn’t give us a ride home. Dropping us at a supermarket on the way into the village where many rental cottages were nearby, she dropped a remark.

“You guys can find the way home, right? Get something to eat from the groceries there.”

“Aren’t you going with us, auntie?”

“I’m here to just give you a ride. You know I usually stop by here often.” Shuddering for a second, she grumbled, “Geez, I really hate family reunions during the holidays.” She then quickly turned her car and left the space.

I watched the car leaving our sight absent-mindedly, then soon thought that we didn’t have many things to carry on our way to the destination. Yeo Ryung and Yeo Dan oppa’s brilliant memories would, of course, lead us correctly to their grandparents’ house too.

Looking at each other, we uttered, “What should we get from the groceries?”

“Let’s get some firecrackers!”

“Cool.”

Having our arms linked to each other, Yeo Ryung and I walked ahead. Yeo Dan oppa followed us at a slow pace with his hands shoved into his pocket.

Half of the people inside the store looked like old men and ladies who had their country house in the suburb after retirement. The other half was relatively young, who seemed to spend a long getaway in this neighborhood.

And these people stood frozen with their jaws dropped onto the floor whenever Yeo Dan oppa and Yeo Ryung passed by them. I did expect it to happen, but when we were in a queue in front of the cashier, a group of college girls came toward us and asked carefully to Yeo Dan oppa.

“Um… if you’re okay, would you please give us your number…”

“I have a girlfriend.”

Replying that way, Yeo Dan oppa looked at me immediately; I closely stood beside him. Yeo Ryung sent us a bitter gaze as if she felt sour in her eyes. She then carried the bags alone and walked way ahead of us. We quickly followed her.

Walking along the quiet road, we took out the things that we just shopped such as firecrackers, snacks, Fanta, Pocari Sweat, and a standard 52-card deck.

Yeo Ryung said, “The rooftop in our grannies’ house is wide enough to enjoy fireworks. The front yard is also amazing to grill outside. Perhaps, we’re gonna have some barbeque party tonight!”

“Wow.”

“Doesn’t it sound fun?!”

With a swiveling smile, Yeo Ryung began to talk about her childhood. There was a big tree in the backyard, and her grandfather made a swing there. She also went outside to feed the chickens, but they had a big fight, which made her have scars on her arms. When she was five, there was a big dog that she could even ride on it.

Listening to those stories, my expectation of her granny’s house grew bigger. At some point, I even felt that it was lucky for me to come here instead of following my parents to Taiwan.

‘Well, other people even pay to experience the countryside, so why does it so matter about not using the computer for a few days?’ The moment I braced myself, I heard Yeo Ryung yelling out loud.

“Ah, we’re almost there! It’s that one!”

“Wow…” I emitted a whoop.

Even though it was nine in the morning, the sun rose late during the wintertime. The huge two-story mansion was surrounded by fogs against the mountain. Yeo Ryung dashed to the front and knocked on the door.

“Grandpa, grandma, we’re here! It’s Yeo Ryung and Yeo Dan!”

Meanwhile, I looked around the house. As from what I heard on my way here, the front yard seemed endlessly wide, but there was only a trace of the chicken coop. As if the dog wasn’t also here anymore, the doghouse was empty; only clear water and fallen leaves filled the dog bowls.

Yeo Ryung yelled again, “Grandpa?”

“Eh?”

I began to feel something out of place, so I walked closer to the house with a frown. Having thought about it from earlier, I could see the living room at a glance since one side of the first floor had a window wall. However, there wasn’t any indication of people being around at the space through the curtains on the window.

While I wandered around the balcony, Yeo Ryung murmured, “Weird. Donnie, let me call them.”

“Uh-huh.”

She took out her phone and put it near her ear. Within a few seconds, a ringing sound came from inside of the living room, which penetrated the glass window and finally reached us.