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n“You look really sleepy; take a nap. I’ll wake you up later.”

n‘But not Kim Hye Woo,” adding that way, Kim Hye Hill smiled naughtily.

nNodding at her, I took out my blanket from my backpack.

n‘When the bell rings, kids from other classes will come searching for empty seats,’ I thought. Feeling embarrassed to show my sleeping face to strangers, I opened a book and covered my face with it. Once my sight turned dark, the smell of ink and paper struck my nose.

nClosing my eyes, I dimly heard the twins talking to each other in my slowly subsiding consciousness. ‘I’ve thought that things aren’t gonna be good between the two today…’ With a small grin, I fell into sleep.

nThen I arose from slumber when there were noisy and unfamiliar voices around me. I was just closing my eyes for a while, but it seemed like someone had lifted me up and put me somewhere else.

nThat was when I tried to stand up with a flinch while feeling a sense of crisis. Such a familiar voice penetrated my ears.

n“If the seat beside you… is okay…”

n“Well, fine. In the weekend, we are…”

nI could tell that the one who spoke after was Kim Hye Hill; however, who’s the one that talked before her? Wondering about the person, I couldn’t stop thinking that the voice belonged to someone very familiar in my fading mind.

nAt that moment, there was a warm touch on my back.

n“Get some more sleep.”

nSomeone then pulled up my blanket which had fallen from my shoulders. Feeling the kindness, I went back to sleep as if I was drowning.

nIt was when the class bell rang that I opened my eyes again.

n“Uh…”

nEven though my eyes were open, nothing came into view, so I was bewildered for a moment, but I soon realized that the book was covering my face from the weight on my temple.

nAs I stealthily removed the book from my face, a bright light greeted me. There was a face in front of me, which I never expected to come into my sight.

nBlinking swiftly, I slowly stretched out my hand to him. I wondered if this was a dream. A one summer night’s dream that I had during my middle school years when we often took a nap while facing each other.

nAs if he felt someone being around, he opened his eyes. On his plaster-like forehead, his blue-black hair was scattered around; his captivating blue eyes was right underneath. Watching his enchanting appearance, I uttered, “That’s why it was cold…”

nI dropped those words quite seriously; however, everyone around me burst into laughter. That was when I utterly woke up from sleep and looked in front of me. Jooin was laughing to death while holding his stomach; Eun Jiho giggled, which he seldom did.

n“Ahaha, did you just say, that’s why it was cold? Mama, how come those are your first words at him?”

n“Geez, Yoo Chun Young proves that he’s indeed a human ac!”

nEh? Why were they here? Tilting my head in wonder, I turned my head back. This time, there was Yeo Ryung, who was yelling in displease, and Eun Hyung, stopping her from losing her temper. The two welcomed my sight.

n“Hey, Donnie says she’s cold because of you! Why did you win rock paper scissors while behaving tactlessly?” shouted Ban Yeo Ryung.

nBeside her, Eun Hyung said calmly, “Yeo Ryung, don’t be so hard on him. Chun Young isn’t intentionally… um… making people around him feel cold…” Rubbing his chin, he then added quite severely, “But really, how does it work?”

nWhen our eyes met, he showed a swiveling grin. Moving his body a little forward, Eun Hyung uttered, “Donnie, I told you before that I wish the mock exam is over as soon as possible.”

n“Oh…”

nNow I had come to think of it, he did say that way before the exam. When we bumped into each other in front of the classroom, Eun Hyung told me that he wished the mock exam was over ASAP with a meaningful smile.

nThat was when I grasped what was happening right now. I turned to look aside.

n“Did you sleep well?” asked Yoon Chun Young while sweeping back his disheveled hair. I nodded in a daze at his calming voice.

nIt was good to see him; however, I soon began to regret that I should have slept more until the class bell rang. Aside from feeling so glad, the situation of other people especially Yoo Chun Young’s sleeping face being right in front of me as soon as I arose from slumber seemed very unfamiliar. Above all, I sincerely felt like dreaming since it had been a year to sit inside the same classroom altogether.

nAs if I had never felt cold, I kept hand-fanning my nape while feeling hot in embarrassment. Looking at me apathetically, Yoo Chun Young tossed a question.

n“You said earlier that you’re cold because of me?”

n“Nah… hey, it’s not just because of you… but they say our body temperature goes down while we’re asleep,” I replied.

nYoo Chun Young turned his head then asked Eun Hyung, ‘Is that true?’

n‘Uh-huh, it is,’ replied Eun Hyung.

nListening to the composed voices going back and forth between the two boys, I heaved a deep sigh. Covering my face with my hands stealthily, I murmured, ‘Wow, facing each other and sleeping at the desk was this much embarrassing. How can I do such a shameful thing in middle school as if it was nothing? Even sharing an earphone…’ Having that thought in mind, I glanced aside.

nNow I had come to think of it, it was the first time to sit side by side with Yoo Chun Young ever since we entered high school. His eye-level was way above me. It felt like there was a staircase as high as the time we didn’t spend together; he seemed to be somewhere upstairs.

n‘Isn’t he really sitting on something than just a chair?’

nWhile I had such an absurd thought in my head glancing down his chair, Yoo Chun Young cast a question.

n“What are you doing?”

n“Huh…?” asking back that way, I slightly frowned at the same time. ‘Geez, he might have noticed that I’m bewildered. Why did I stammer…?’

nYoo Chun Young tossed another question with a glum look.

n“Why are you looking down at the floor when it’s been a while to see each other? Did you do something wrong?”

n“She did, hell yeah!”

nI turned my head abruptly upon the sudden voice cutting me off. Putting his arm on the back of the chair, Eun Jiho smirked naughtily at me.

n“Wow, we definitely thought that you’re dating your boyfriend. That’s why we didn’t ask you.”

nThat was when I finally realized what he was talking about. My face stiffened. Yikes.

nEun Jiho continued, “How can you back out without letting us know beforehand?”

nI wet my dried-out lips. Though it sounded like criticizing me, his voice was actually closer to be feeling sad than getting angry.

nIndeed, did I have to tell them in advance that Yeo Dan oppa and my date was canceled? I touched my bangs in perplexity. I did try to do that but was afraid of them reacting like, ‘We didn’t even think about calling you to hang out,’ just in case.

nThen it was Eun Hyung who stopped Eun Jiho from scolding me. As if he happened to hear our conversations from two seats away behind us, Eun Hyung spoke while flipping the pages of the book.

n“Jiho, don’t be too harsh. Donnie also has her friends in the class.”

nEun Jiho whined, “I know, but…”

n“Ah, but it was a little sad to see you in the town though…’ added Eun Hyung.

nI was, just now, heaving a sigh of relief but soon froze again at his following remark. Sitting stiffly for a second, I quickly opened my mouth and utter some words of apology; however, Eun Hyung was one step ahead.

n“I kind of thought that time certainly flies…”

nI turned my head and stared at Eun Hyung as he dropped another remark.

nFlipping pages quietly with downcast eyes, Eun Hyung then had eye contact with me and showed a faint smile. For some reason, it looked like a soon-to-be gone smile like a mirage. He then added in a low and calm voice that sounded very smooth.

n“Actually, it has been already two years since you and the rest of us weren’t in the same class. Regarding the fact, the change seems natural; however, we can’t help feeling sad even if we know that things are inevitable.”

nListening to his words in silence, I suddenly came up with a scene that was like an illusion. It was the scenery outside the window that came into view someday in winter at the cram school.

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