The Warmth of Pale Hands

A former schoolmate of Chang-Min’s from middle school and last year’s student council president. On her maternal side, her family had produced a local district congressman, and her father was the pastor of the city’s largest church. Her grades were not only at the top of the class but also ranked nationally. Coupled with her upright conduct, she was recognized as a model student by both teachers and parents—truly a paragon of virtue acknowledged by all.

“…Why are you giving her a ride?”
Chang-Min asked the question Ye-Kang should have asked herself.

“We live in the same neighborhood.”

“Ha… Do you think District 1 and District 2 are the same?”

“It’s basically the same. It’s only a 10-minute walk.”

Another world at the foot of the hill. A high-end residential area filled with detached houses and towering fences was being lumped into the same neighborhood by Je-Ha. Ye-Kang felt even more humiliated by Je-Ha’s nonchalant attitude than by Chang-Min’s astonishment.

“Since when have you been so kind?”
Chang-Min placed his hands on his hips, looking incredulous.

“Starting today.”

Ye-Kang couldn’t stand listening to the conversation anymore. That was why she raised her voice.

“Thanks to both of you for your concern. But I’m comfortable taking the bus.”

“Does that even make sense?”
Je-Ha looked her straight in the eyes as he asked. It was the first time their eyes had met since the day she transferred yesterday. His gaze was still as nerve-wracking as ever, and she involuntarily swallowed hard.

“…What’s so unreasonable about that?”
She spoke before she could think. It was because she couldn’t suppress the surge of emotion rising in her chest. Je-Ha was deliberately provoking her, as if to show off. His way of teasing her was maddeningly unique.

“Waiting for a bus that never comes, switching to another bus, running to the school gate, and narrowly avoiding being late—how is that convenient? Anyone would find that strange.”

Ye-Kang’s heart pounded rapidly. How on earth did he know what had happened to her this morning?

“What do you even gain by being so stubborn? Pride?”

What a lunatic.

Ye-Kang’s face turned pale, and she clenched her fists tightly. It was a relief that the bell rang at that moment. Otherwise, she might have blurted it out—that he was the weirdest and most annoying person ever for deliberately needling someone minding their own business.

“Chang-Min, the bell rang.”

“Seriously, Je-Ha, your manners are awful.”

Chang-Min, who had been watching them with an amused expression, chuckled and returned to his seat. Ye-Kang opened her textbook, trying hard to calm her rising anger, but it was futile.

“From tomorrow, wait for me at the railroad crossing at 7 a.m. It’ll be more convenient if I give you a ride on the way.”

Je-Ha said, looking at her profile as if it were an order. Ye-Kang couldn’t hold back any longer. She raised her head, glared at him, and bit her lip.

“…No, thanks.”

“Why not?”
Je-Ha asked, his face puzzled.

“…Because I don’t want to.”

She didn’t care if it was stubbornness. Even if this meant Je-Ha would intentionally make her life miserable, it didn’t matter. Just like how he had forced her to borrow his textbook without considering her feelings, she wouldn’t let him decide things for her again.

“So, I’d appreciate it if you stopped concerning yourself with me.”

The teacher entered the room, and she no longer had to continue the conversation. Whether or not she was distracted by him throughout the class was a separate matter.

Lunch Break.
Ye-Kang left the stifling classroom and sat blankly on a bench. It was only her second day at the new school, and everything was already a mess.

Earlier, a girl stopped her in the restroom. Claiming to be Chang-Min’s best friend, she had gone on at length about a topic Ye-Kang didn’t want to hear.

“Chang-Min and Je-Ha have been dating since their first year, so I hope you’ll watch how you act. Je-Ha may come across as rude, but he’s not just being nice to you, okay? Sometimes, girls misinterpret his behavior, and it’s caused trouble for Chang-Min before. But that’s just how Je-Ha is. He’s even more like that with kids who are struggling financially.”

“Ha…”

A long sigh escaped her lips. Ye-Kang leaned back against the bench, slowly closing and reopening her eyes. She couldn’t understand why she had to listen to something like that.

“What are you doing here?”

Someone plopped down beside her. It was Chang-Min from the art club. Aspiring to get into university with his artwork, he spent more time out of the classroom than in it. That was apparently why he didn’t have a partner. When Ye-Kang looked at him with a hesitant expression, Chang-Min casually struck up a conversation.

“I heard you caused a stir in the classroom earlier while I wasn’t there.”

“…What?”

“I heard you told Jeha and Chang-Min to get lost.”

Ye-Kang couldn’t comprehend how the story had been twisted into that.

“Right now, the entire school is buzzing because of you. Well, to be precise, it’s partly because of Jeha and Chang-Min too.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I’ll tell you if you get me a soda.”

“…I just thought about it, and I don’t think I need to.”

“Wow, cold as ice. Haha.”

Before Ye-Kang could stop him, Chang-Min launched into his story. The rumor that had turned the school upside down was that the new transfer student had disrupted the dynamic between Vice President Chang-Min and Class President Jeha. It wasn’t much different from what she had overheard in the restroom.

“That sounds like complete nonsense.”

“Whether it’s true or not doesn’t matter. What matters is whether it’s entertaining or not. It’s obvious that Chang-Min likes Jeha—that much is clear. The real issue… is Jeha.”

Chang-Min leaned in a little closer, causing Ye-Kang to subtly slide away. Lowering his voice, Chang-Min pointed at a group of boys emerging from their classroom, carrying a basketball.

“Let’s warm up a little, guys!”

Leading the pack was, of course, Jeha. He wasn’t just popular among the girls—boys liked him too. As he ran across the field, the sunlight seemed to follow him. There was nothing he lacked.

“Jeha definitely stands out. He’s the most famous guy in school, and everyone—boys and girls alike—wants to get close to him.”

The subtle envy in Chang-Min’s voice didn’t escape Ye-Kang’s notice. She quietly observed him.

“But now that Jeha has suddenly taken an interest in you, Chang-Min is losing her mind. She talked to you first, right? She probably wanted to befriend you before making things clear. She’s good at that—getting people on her side. If it weren’t for Chang-Min, the number of girls confessing to Jeha would probably be double what it is now.”

“…”

“But Jeha stirred things up even more, didn’t he?”

“…Why are you telling me this?”

Chang-Min hesitated for a moment before responding, his face slightly flushed.

“Chang-Min grew up like a princess and is incredibly jealous. She and I have been friends since childhood—we went to the same art academy. I just… thought I should warn you. You know how kids who don’t get the toy they want throw tantrums and lash out at others?”

“Do you like Chang-Min or something?”

At Ye-Kang’s question, Chang-Min’s eyes widened, and he stammered.

“How… how did you know?”

As he looked at her with astonishment, as if she were a mind reader, Ye-Kang let out a long sigh. This town was undeniably exhausting. It wasn’t even midsummer yet, and she already felt drained.

On the field, Jeha kicked up a cloud of dust as he made a perfect shot. The ball arced gracefully before landing squarely in the hoop. He grinned brightly, high-fiving his teammates with an energy that was almost blinding. It was as if sunlight followed him everywhere, and yet he didn’t seem overheated.

“So, are you telling me to go for Jeha because you like Chang-Min?”

“Uh, no… I mean…”

Chang-Min stammered in embarrassment, and Ye-Kang stared at him as she continued.

“Sorry, but I have zero interest in getting involved in your love triangle. I just want to live quietly. Didn’t Chang-Min tell you? She knows where I live, doesn’t she? You’re her friend, right?”

Chang-Min looked flustered, like he had been caught off guard.

“No, I really don’t care about that. You just… seemed special…”

“What’s so special about me? Have I done anything to stand out since I got here yesterday?”

Ye-Kang knew her anger was misplaced. It wasn’t Chang-Min’s fault. He had just shown up at the wrong time, and she was being overly sensitive.

She had been careful enough. She hadn’t acted annoyingly cheerful despite her circumstances, nor had she laughed sweetly to impress the boys. She hadn’t looked down on others or flaunted herself, and she hadn’t acted gloomy and self-conscious either. She had tried to be invisible, like air. Yet after only one day, this was the result.

Thump.

A basketball rolled directly to the bench where they sat, stopping right at Ye-Kang’s feet. Moments later, a face she wasn’t happy to see appeared. Jeha, having dashed across the field, stood before them, breathing heavily. Though drenched in sweat, he somehow managed to look annoyingly fresh.

“Are you two dating?”

Chang-Min hastily denied it, but Ye-Kang glared at him and spat out a reply.

“What does it matter to you?”

“…What?”

Jeha raised an eyebrow and smirked, though his eyes narrowed slightly. Ye-Kang recognized that look all too well—it was the prelude to bullying. She was all too familiar with that gaze.

“You’re dating Chang-Min, aren’t you? What does it matter who’s dating who?”

The words spilled out impulsively. She had tried to hold them back but failed. Regret surged through her, but it was too late. Ye-Kang quickly turned her head and stormed off toward the classroom.