.

That was when the other boys also loosened up their look on their faces.

With a brightened expression, Eun Hyung said, “Good that she likes it.”

“Except during the break, I’ve never been to the ocean on the weekend,” replied Eun Jiho. He also looked as refreshed as Ban Yeo Ryung.

Putting both hands into his pocket, Eun Jiho walked quickly toward her. Even though his feet were on the ground, his footsteps seemed to be a few centimeters flowing above it.

Jooin also raised his hands and dashed like a bull with his deep-blue windbreaker jacket swinging in the air.

Both Eun Hyung and I just watched the sight blankly, then when our eyes met, we burst into laughter as if we had expected to do so. Showing a face full of a rich smile, we also bent our steps toward the ocean.

Since it’s a warm springtime, a lot of families seemed to be enjoying their weekend getaways here. Having so many people around–incomparable to that in the winter–I noticed increased attention toward us.

However, the Four Heavenly Kings and Ban Yeo Ryung didn’t give a crap since they looked the most excited now over the past few months. Eun Jiho, Ban Yeo Ryung, and Jooin took pictures in front of a monument with all different kinds of poses that some people even asked for their autographs.

Watching their reactions, I murmured worriedly, “Those people shouldn’t take secret pictures of them…”

On the web, people left comments under Eun Jiho’s pictures such as, ‘charismatic,’ or ‘crazy handsome chaebol,’ like they did to other hot celebrities. If his true color is revealed after this moment, Eun Jiho would struggle even more. However, I couldn’t think about stopping him from having such fun since he seemed to be enjoying the best moment of his life after a while.

Then I paused before pressing the shutter button again. I wondered, ‘Isn’t this trip supposed to be me and Ban Yeo Ryung spending time to get back together? Something seemed to have changed…’

It was me who suggested this trip, but they were the ones right now having fun, and for some reason, Eun Jiho and Ban Yeo Ryung looked like they had become close…

Whether I was lost in thought or not, Eun Jiho swept his hair back that was messed up by the sea breeze. Walking toward me, he shouted, “Uh, I’m starving! Let’s grab something to eat.”

Well, even in my view, Eun Jiho seemed to have burned way more calories than Eun Hyung and me ever since he came here.

‘Of course, you are since you’ve been busy running around,’ I said in my thoughts.

Eun Jiho pulled the back of my backpack and asked me abruptly, “Urgh, you didn’t even bring an instant noodle in this huge bag?”

“Hey, we’re on a trip. Why would I bring instant noodle, instead of gimbap?” I retorted in bewilderment.

At that moment, Jooin, standing beside me, shouted, “Oh, instant noodles! Awesome! You know, we had them last time too.”

“Do you want to have them now as well?”

Eun Jiho and Jooin giggled as they soon hit it off.

“Instant noodles? Where?” Furrowing her brows, Ban Yeo Ryung murmured from beside them.

I lowered my voice and whispered, “We just had them on the street last time.”

“Didn’t you say it was winter…? You mean, in the wind?”

As she tossed a question suspiciously, Eun Jiho, standing behind her, made a response.

“Instant noodles must be enjoyed outside in the cold weather. That’s how it goes.”

After dropping the remark, which would never be said by a member of a chaebol family, Eun Jiho put his arm around Woo Jooin’s shoulders and turned his steps. They were heading exactly to the big convenience store where we bought cup noodles last time.

Looking in the direction in perplexity, I increased my voice and said, “But it isn’t wintertime right now?!”

However, the two boys just waved their hands as a gesture to say it’s fine, then receded away from us.

Staring at those two, Eun Hyung shrugged and smiled, “What else can we do?”

In the end, our lunch on our second trip was about to be replaced with instant noodles again.

I quietly sighed. As a student, always running short on money, instant noodles were great, such a thankful option, but on the other hand, I wondered if this was really going the right way…

However, Ban Yeo Ryung looked quite satisfied. As if all she needed was just the ocean, her eyes were fastened in that direction.

‘I guess she wants to take more walk…’ I thought, staring at the back of her head, then I tapped Eun Hyung on the shoulder and whispered, “Eun Hyung, do you mind if I bring Yeo Ryung to take a walk, just the two of us? Jooin’s gonna spend some time choosing the noodles anyway.”

“Oh, of course, I won’t mind,” nodded Eun Hyung willingly.

I added concernedly, “Would you watch us from a distance and see if any strangers are approaching us? If that happens, would you please come to us right away? You know, such things in the past…”

“No worries, I’ll keep an eye out,” replied Eun Hyung with a reliable tone.

That was when I felt relieved and stepped close behind Yeo Ryung. When I gently tapped her shoulders, she turned back in surprise but soon showed me a bright smile.

My heart pounded at her unexpected, beautiful grin. It even made me shortly forget that she was suffering amnesia.

But as if it was from the charm of the ocean, a place of enchantment, Yeo Ryung’s face was, again, covered with a veil of wariness.

“Why?” she asked.

“Uh, um… do you want to take a short walk before the boys come back? You look like you want to see the beach in a close distance.”

Yeo Ryung seemed to be lost in thought for a moment, but she grabbed my hand all of a sudden. Watching her pulling it and interlocking fingers, I felt strange and new at the same time. It was similar to the feelings I had like, back in the days, when a friend whom I wanted to get close to but had to just watch from a distance suddenly leaned on my shoulder or clasped hands.

What were these emotions? I had no reason to have these feelings toward her. While I dropped my gaze at the ground, feeling a little blue, Yeo Ryung pulled my hand first.

“Let’s go ASAP.”

“Uh, yeah,” I replied, quickly bending my steps after her.

It took a little time to keep my pace with her, but, at last, we arrived in front of a guardrail where we hung on it side by side to look over the ocean back then.

The bay here where the land curved deeply inward had crowds of tourists around. Yeo Ryung, putting her hands on the rail, and her hair swaying in the breeze, began to receive their attention. All the people were dwelling upon her face with a wistful and yearning glance.

“I love it,” uttered Yeo Ryung.

I was astonished at her words that slipped from her mouth. She said the exact same thing before.

But, on the other hand, I felt that we were somehow not getting along anymore and just going in different directions even though she was the same person I knew for such a long time. For some reason, it seemed like nothing was in my grip no matter how many times I stretched out my hand.

Once she released my hand from hers, I felt kind of empty, so I shoved my hand into my pocket. Something then came into my grip. Taking it out, I exclaimed absently at the thing in my sight. ‘It’s here,’ I said to myself.

It was the note that the mysterious girl left in the hallway. No, I wasn’t sure if it was actually hers. As it reminded me of the happening a few days ago, I narrowed my eyes then quickly shook my head.

‘Uh, I don’t know. It’s just so complicated… Let’s just put it aside for later. Things are way too confusing already…’ Having that thought in my mind, I faced the front again.

The view of the ocean right under my nose was dazzling blue. As the wind was blowing hard in my hair, I wished it could sweep away the thoughts clouding my mind.

Then I turned my head upon Yeo Ryung asking me a question.

“What are you thinking?”

In the direction where I switched my gaze, Yeo Ryung’s obsidian eyes were shining like the glassy ocean in the sunlight.

Strange… Ever since she lost her memories, I avoided touching any risky or dangerous parts that could stir her up. It was like protecting a kid from getting near deep water. Thus, I was about to make some excuses, as usual, but at that moment, I started a confession as if something had captivated me out of the blue.

“Last year…”

“Last year?” she repeated my words.

“Last year, when I came here with you…”

Perhaps, my face looked a little grim. The moment when Yeo Ryung seemed like she was taken aback by something, I noticed what she had in her mind.