At school on Monday.
A new week beginning is, of course, a trivial and natural thing.
Nothing special, just the same old return. So much so that I might not even register it as a newly begun week.
It’ll be an utterly ordinary, everyday kind of day.
It’s not a year or even a month, just a single week.
But for some, it could be a new turning point, a so-called inflection, or even a hopeful day that severs last week’s nightmare, wouldn’t you say?
At least, that’s how today felt to me.
“Want to book a practice room and run through it together during lunch?”
My seat, which used to be the target of uncomfortable stares from every direction, was now greeted by an ordinary conversation.
I couldn’t say they viewed me favorably yet, but I was already satisfied just being treated normally.
“Oh, sounds good. I think Yena will be fine with it too during lunch.”
I answered Yeonju’s suggestion.
Yeah, this is what proper school life should look like.
“Okay. Yena! Come here for a sec!”
Yeonju called out to Yena from the front of my seat, my desk, in a loud voice.
At that, Yena shuffled over this way.
“What’s up?”
“We were thinking of practicing for the performance evaluation together during lunch, you good?”
“Oh, yeah. Lunch is fine with me. But we need to reserve the room.”
“Really? Then I’ll book it. I can just go to the staff office, right?”
“Yeah.”
An ordinary, everyday conversation unfolded right in front of me.
The kind of relaxed conversation I could listen to without any tension or stress.
“So, we’ll meet in front of the practice room after we eat?”
I hopped onto that welcome flow as well.
At that, Yena and Yeonju exchanged a look, then glanced at me simultaneously.
“Huh? Aren’t we eating together first?”
“Yeah. Why eat separately and then try to meet up again.”
Ah… so that’s how it was.
I just assumed you two would eat with your own friends.
It’s not like I have a problem with it, since I’d eat with Junyong anyway.
***
And so lunchtime arrived, and our whole group ate together.
Just like any ordinary students would.
Maybe it’s because I’ve slipped back into this kind of normal routine, but even the faint whispers aimed at me have died down now.
Afterward, we headed to the practice room we’d gotten permission to use.
The moment we arrived, I sat down at the piano. Yena and Yeonju lingered around, drifting here and there somewhat aimlessly.
“Oh! We’re doing it with the piano accompaniment right away?”
Yeonju said that upon seeing me settle at the piano and set up the sheet music.
“Yeah, I’ve mostly memorized it.”
By memorized, I mean it’s become second nature to my hands.
To get it down, I practiced like crazy at home whenever I had spare time.
Because I couldn’t afford to make any mistakes.
“Whoa, already? What’s with the confidence?! Are you like some kind of genius?”
Yena played along with a joking tone, looking at me.
Well, I’m hardly a genius, obviously.
It’s not like I have any particular talent for handling instruments like this.
I just know how to play, that’s all. If I had to claim any talent… it’d probably be composing.
Though even that isn’t anything particularly outstanding.
Like a small hexagon, I suppose you could call it? Just being vaguely decent at everything?
“Anyway, want to give it a shot? You two already divided your parts… want to run it exactly like that? Or do you want to go through it separately first and then piece it together?”
As practice began, I was the one to speak up first, with confidence.
No matter how introverted I am, when it’s a field I’m genuinely confident in, the confidence seems to show on its own.
“Hmm… let’s pretend it’s the real performance evaluation and just go for it once!”
That was Yeonju’s suggestion, and Yena didn’t object much.
Alright, then we’ll do it that way…
I gently press the piano keys.
Starting from the intro, the music begins to flow softly.
.
.
.
It wasn’t bad, I’d say.
That was my verdict on our first combined run.
Except for the fact that Yeonju’s part was a bit shaky, that is.
Yena, by contrast, was cleaner than I expected. Surprisingly crisp, with no extra frills.
My impression was that it clearly showed she’d had formal training.
Yeah, less natural talent and more a strongly refined, corrected quality.
So she wasn’t just bluffing when she said she could handle anything thrown at her.
“I’m gonna run to the bathroom real quick! Yena, you wanna come too?”
“Huh? No, I’m good.”
Right after the first run, Yeonju said she needed to hit the restroom.
Maybe that nervousness earlier… was just her holding in the need to pee.
Anyway, that left just me and Yena in the practice room.
“Yena, you’re really good at singing.”
I shared my honest assessment with Yena.
At that, she thumped her chest proudly.
“Of course! I’m confident in my singing.”
Being that cocky is a bit much.
Still, I’m not about to deny her skill.
“Your tone is really nice.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, but listening to you sing, I think… rather than something slow, calm, and sorrowful, a slightly faster, more rhythmic feel would suit you better.”
“…Like what, for example?”
“Hmm, how should I put it… music built around electric guitar sounds? Honestly, I think band music would fit too.”
Oh crap.
My producer instincts slipped out without me realizing.
But what can I do when that’s all I can think of every time Yena sings?
That something else would suit her better.
“Whoa…”
Yena stared at me like she’d been struck speechless.
She seemed genuinely taken aback.
Did I… maybe just overstep way too suddenly?
“Ah, I’m not trying to butt in or anything… that was just my personal opinion.”
“No, I didn’t mean it like that either.”
Yena composed her expression again.
It looked like there was something she wanted to say, but she chose to swallow it back in the end.
Then she pursed her lips a little.
“Ah-! Why are you suddenly complimenting me? It’s creepy?!”
She raised her voice for no reason, tilting her head away all primly, that Yena.
The atmosphere seemed about to turn awkward, but Yeonju came back and snapped things back on track.
***
On the way home from school.
Today, Kang Junyong, that bastard, tried to get me to hang out again, but I turned him down.
Because he’d obviously drag me somewhere weird again.
So I was just walking toward the school gate alone.
And on that path…
“Oh! It’s Jinho!”
A figure approached me, looking glad to see me.
Thinking back on recent days, that was a rare sight.
“Hi… seeing you like this is kind of surreal.”
“Right? I feel super happy to see you too. Running into each other at school.”
It was Sohee.
As she said, we only really knew each other from running… this was the first time seeing each other at school.
It feels awkward and strange at the same time.
Speaking of which, she’s walking home alone too.
I figured since she was Choi Ahyeon’s friend, she’d have joined that whole group.
“Walking alone…”
“Walking home by…”
Coincidentally, our words popped out at the same time and tangled together.
And funny enough, we were both about to say the same thing.
If Sohee was about to ask that too…
“Want to walk together, then?”
Figuring that was her intent, I said it first.
At that, Sohee nodded and fell into step beside me.
“So where do you live? Every time we finish running, you head the opposite way.”
Sohee kept her gaze on her own feet as she walked steadily.
“Ah, from there I have to go the other direction. But if I’m starting from school… it’s the same direction as Choi Ahyeon’s place.”
“I see. I live near where Ahyeon lives. Then… I guess we can walk together until then.”
“Yeah.”
I gave a plain enough answer, but…
Inside, I was screaming for help at how awkward this felt.
I’m suddenly walking home from school alone with Sohee.
And that moment is probably going to stretch on for a while.
I’m the one who suggested walking together, but… this is killing me.
“H-how’s running been? You didn’t come today…”
I’d better force something out, at least.
No matter how I am, I’m not about to just stand there with my mouth shut like an idiot.
“Yeah, it’s fun. But… the problem is I’m too frail. I was going to go today too, but doing it on weekdays yet is still a bit… hehe.”
Sohee trailed off and gave an embarrassed little laugh.
“You’ve been improving pretty fast, though?”
“Really?”
“Yeah, I’m not just saying it. On Sunday, you were genuinely better than Saturday.”
“I didn’t notice. I’ve… been growing?”
“Yep.”
“Then, is it okay if I keep running with you all?”
So Sohee thought she was being a burden, huh.
That’s probably where that question came from.
“You’re more than welcome.”
“Mm… I’m glad. I kept feeling like I was making everyone stop early because of me…”
So that’s what she was thinking after all.
I guess that makes sense. It would be hard not to feel self-conscious, being the reason everyone has to stop mid-run.
“You don’t need to worry about that. Nobody thinks of someone trying their best as a hindrance. I can see you’re putting in the effort to keep up no matter what.”
“Oh… thank you for saying that. Heheh.”
Sohee gave a somewhat shy smile.
Surprisingly, the conversation kept flowing without dying out.
What a relief.
The only downside was that we still had a long way to go.
Now I need to think of something else to say.
“Oh, right. Ahyeon mentioned you brewed her some platycodon tea to help her throat heal faster.”
Luckily, Sohee was the one to speak up first this time.
I’m surprised she even knew about that.
Choi Ahyeon must have told her, right?
“Ah, yeah. Her throat’s always been a bit weak. I used to brew it for her often.”
“Wow… that’s so thoughtful. Taking care of her like that.”
“Well… it’s nothing…”
I almost said it was just something I always did.
Yeah, the word caught right in my throat.
I used to think it was so natural, but now it isn’t.
Even the tea I brewed just yesterday wasn’t something I did out of a natural desire to be kind.
Yesterday’s tea was brewed to prepare for my departure.
So that she could handle on her own what I used to do for her.
We talked for a while longer, and how far had we walked?
Past the school gate, just as we turned onto the street.
“Oh…”
This time, a familiar voice passed through my ears.
It was a familiar voice, but not a familiar sound.
Because I’d rarely ever heard such a fragile sigh from her.
“Ahyeon!”
Sohee, walking beside me, called out Ahyeon’s name in her usual bright, happy voice.
But… the expression I saw on Ahyeon’s face wasn’t nearly as delighted as Sohee’s.
“W-why are you two…?”
Ahyeon looked at the two of us with a confused expression.
A face that seemed to wonder how we ended up together.