Chapter 52: Emptiness

 

It was the first day of midterm exams.

 

I had scored quite satisfactorily.

 

Above all, I felt very pleased because I made only one mistake on the English exam. As for the world history subject, hmm... it felt a bit challenging, but the outcome wasn’t too bad.

 

I walked straight over to Han-gyeol.

 

“Hey, Han-gyeol. Did you do well on the exam?”

 

“Yeah, I think I did okay. Eun-ha, you seem happy too. Did you do well?”

 

“Mhm. I think I did well today.”

 

“Tomorrow is social culture and statistics, right?”

 

“Yep. The first period is self-study.”

 

“Right. Wanna grab some food?”

 

“Sure. Let’s go quickly.”

 

Was it impolite to ask how many points he scored?

 

He didn’t seem like he did poorly.

 

“Going straight home after lunch?”

 

“Yeah. we have a statistics test tomorrow, so I’m going to study with Hyun-joo unnie. ”

 

“Then, after dropping off Eun-ha, I should head straight home too.”

 

I wanted to suggest to Han-gyeol that we should study at my place, but my home might not be the most comfortable spot. Given that it was exam season, and Han-gyeol should study where he was most at ease.

 

Upon reaching the cafeteria, we lined up in a long queue.

 

Han-gyeol twisted his neck this way and that, as if it was sore. There was a series of cracking sounds coming from his joints.

 

“You’re gonna break your neck doing that.”

 

“I didn’t get enough sleep, so my neck feels stiff.”

 

“It’s better to get enough sleep even during exams. What time did you sleep last night?”

 

“Uhm- around four in the morning? Definitely later than usual.”

 

“4 AM?!”

 

I looked up at Han-gyeol in surprise.

 

“Just during the exam period, so don’t worry too much.”

 

“We still have three more days of exams. Are you going to keep this up?”

 

“Hmm, we need to go on a date on the last day, so I’ll sleep early then.”

 

“So, Han-gyeol’s a night owl? I didn’t realize since you always come to school early.”

 

“It’s easier that way. But I do study better at night.”

 

“I see.”

 

Everyone has their own rhythm, so I didn’t insist he sleep early. Still, I was a bit worried.

 

“Speaking of which, what’s on the menu today?”

 

“I think it was meat noodles?”

 

“Oh- really?”

 

We got our meals from the cafeteria line and sat down. Without hesitation, I shifted all the meat from my plate onto Han-gyeol’s.

 

“Eat up, Han-gyeol. You need the meat.”

 

“I appreciate the sentiment. But Eun-ha should eat too.”

 

Han-gyeol tried to shift the meat back onto my plate.

 

“No way. I’ve had plenty of rest and am healthy. You, the tired one, should eat.”

 

“I feel bad, like I’m taking food away from my girlfriend.”

 

“Agh- just seeing you eat heartily makes me full.”

 

“That sounds like something a mother would say. Okay, just for today, I’ll gratefully eat.”

 

“Yep. If there’s anything else you want, just let me know.”

 

“I want beef.”

 

“Should we eat it after the exams?”

 

“Are you buying? I eat a lot.”

 

“If we grill it at home, it’ll be cheaper, right?”

 

“...”

 

“Alright. I’ll grill it for you.”

 

Han-gyeol finally ate the meat I gave him.

 

Seeing Han-gyeol eat well made me genuinely happy.

 

After finishing our school meals, we headed straight home.

 

“Ah, Han-gyeol. Let me drop you off today.”

 

“Huh? Won’t it be a hassle for Eun-ha?”

 

“You drop me off every day, right? Was it a bother?”

 

“Not at all. I enjoyed it.”

 

“Same here. So, let me do it today.”

 

“What about your tutoring with Hyun-joo noona?”

 

“I still have some time.”

 

Han-gyeol hesitated for a moment.

 

Feeling he might decline, I added a few more words.

 

“It’s the exam period, school ends early, and you haven’t been sleeping well. I want to drop you off. Let me, okay?”

 

Han-gyeol glanced at me briefly before nodding.

 

“Alright. Today, Eun-ha can drop me off.”

 

“Come to think of it, I only know you live in Blue Town, but I don’t know the exact address.”

 

“Maybe I didn’t tell you because I thought you might visit every day.”

 

“Now that you mention it, I really do want to visit daily.”

 

“That’s too cute. But not every day.”

 

“So, occasionally is okay?”

 

“Yes, occasionally is okay.”

 

Han-gyeol flashed a playful smile.

 

“I wish the exam period would end soon. What should we do the day after exams? What does Eun-ha want to do?”

 

“I... um, I’ve only hung out in the neighborhood, so after exams, I’d like to go somewhere further.”

 

“How far are you thinking?”

 

“An amusement park?”

 

“Alright. Let’s go to the amusement park the day after exams.”

 

“Yes! Sounds fun. Ah, I’m so excited!”

 

I would have to take photos with Han-gyeol.

 

I was a bit worried about the June mock exams, but one day should be fine.

 

It was a fitting reward for finishing the exams.

 

“Eun-ha, we need to go this way.”

 

“Huh? Isn’t the other way faster if we’re heading to Blue Town?”

 

“I know.”

 

Han-gyeol replied, looking a little embarrassed.

 

Seeing him like that was so cute that I took his hand.

 

“Did you want to spend more time with me?”

 

“Is it so bad? It only adds an extra 5 minutes.”

 

“Then let’s walk a bit slower. My legs hurt.”

 

“Alright, alright. Let’s take it slow.”

 

We took a slight detour and arrived in front of Han-gyeol’s house.

 

However, Han-gyeol seemed reluctant to go inside right away.

 

“Aren’t you going in?”

 

“I should’ve taken a longer detour. We got here sooner than I thought.”

 

“What are you saying~ We can go on a date after exams. Go inside now and get some rest.”

 

“Yeah. I’m thinking of taking a short nap. Can you wake me up with a call in two hours?”

 

“Of course! Sleep without worries.”

 

“I’ll go in then. Eun-ha, leave me a message when you get home. I’ll be awake until then.”

 

“Alright~”

 

We waved goodbye, and Han-gyeol went into his house.

 

Dropping off my boyfriend felt even more rewarding than I had imagined.

 

With a broad smile on my face, I headed back home.

 

***

 

“I’m back~ Oh? Unnie, you’re home early?”

 

Hyun-joo Unnie was already sitting on the living room sofa, even though it wasn’t our meeting time yet.

 

“I didn’t have any work this morning. Did your exam go well?”

 

“I think I did well on today’s test. Let me change my clothes real quick, okay?”

 

“Sure, go ahead.”

 

As soon as I entered my room, I sent a message to Han-gyeol.

 

[I got home safe. I’ll wake you up in two hours.]

 

As I set my phone down and changed my clothes, it buzzed with a notification. Han-gyeol had responded almost immediately.

 

[A message from ㄱHan-gyeol.]

 

[ㄱHan-gyeol: Thanks. Study hard.]

 

[Will do. I’ll call you later. Sleep well.]

 

I put my phone away and went to the living room.

 

“Did Han-gyeol say he did well on his exam?”

 

“He probably did, right? He’s always been good at studying.”

 

“Oh my- At this rate, you two will go to the same university.”

 

“That would be nice, even if we’re in different departments.”

 

“Shall we start the lesson now? Are you up for it?”

 

“Yeah. I’m feeling good right now.”

 

I spread out my study materials in the living room and fetched my reference book.

 

“Your exam is calculus tomorrow, right?”

 

“Yeah, but I’m pretty good at calculus, aren’t I?”

 

“You shouldn’t be too worried then. The issue is integral, right? And that’s on the last day?”

 

“Yeah. It’s on the same day as ‘Language and Media,’ so it’s a bit packed. And there’s also biology.”

 

“It can’t be helped. Let’s start. We’ll go over the concepts and review the mistakes you made.”

 

“Okay~”

 

I began taking unnie’s lesson. The thought of the upcoming exam and the idea of going on a date with Han-gyeol motivated me to study joyfully.

 

I worked on problems I’d gotten wrong in the past and solved past test questions from the assessment institute. Reviewing the problems I’d mistakenly answered wrong allowed me to understand where I’d made errors. The two hours, which felt both long and short, flew by.

 

“Whew- We’re done. Are you leaving right away, unnie?”

 

“I should, shouldn’t I? Eun-ha, don’t you have other subjects to study?”

 

“It’s just ‘Sociology.’ I’m good at the exploratory subjects.”

 

“Alright then. Let me know how your exam goes tomorrow.”

 

“I will. Don’t worry too much.”

 

“If you say you’ll do well and then don’t, you’re in trouble, okay?”

 

“I apologize in advance.”

 

Unnie left the house, leaving me with a mix of encouragement and tension.

 

It seemed like my brother had gone out somewhere too. Being alone at home felt a bit odd.

 

There have undoubtedly been many days like this, but the emptiness I felt was probably because of Han-gyeol. How wonderful it would be if we could be together every day.

 

“Oh right. I should call him.”

 

I hurriedly went back to my room and picked up my phone, dialing with anticipation.

 

After several rings, I heard Han-gyeol’s drowsy voice.

 

-Hello...?

 

“Han-gyeol, it’s been two hours. You need to wake up.”

 

-Ah, right. Thanks for waking me.

 

“Do you want to sleep a bit more? Should I call you again in about thirty minutes?”

 

-No, this is good enough. Did you finish studying?

 

“Mhm. I’m planning to study sociology in a bit. Are you fully awake now?”

 

-Not really. Let’s talk a bit more.

 

“I wanted to as well.”

 

I moved to my bed to continue our conversation.

 

-After our exams, we’re going straight to the amusement park without stopping at home, right?

 

“Sounds good, doesn’t it? I don’t want to waste any time.”

 

-Then we should wear our gym clothes that day.

 

“Gym clothes? I wanted to wear our school uniforms and take pictures.”

 

-Wouldn’t it be uncomfortable on the rides?

 

“Don’t worry about it.”

 

-Okay. Let’s do that.

 

“Oh, and let’s wear headbands.”

 

-What kind of headband do you want, Eun-ha?

 

“You choose for me, Han-gyeol.”

 

-Eun-ha can have cat ears. What about me?

 

“You get pink bunny ears.”

 

-Okay, if that’s what Eun-ha wants.

 

“You promise not to change your mind later?”

 

-Of course. Let’s have fun when we go.

 

Just hearing Han-gyeol’s voice made the earlier emptiness vanish. His voice alone made me so happy.

 

‘What should I do? I don’t want to hang up.’

--- The End OF The Chapter ---

 

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