Tomorrow we’ll go home and the school trip will end too. They planned to play to our hearts’ content since it’s the last day, but In-sae and Seon-yoon already fell asleep. I couldn’t fall asleep and tossed and turned, then eventually got up from my spot. I’ve been sleeping well lately but to be like this on the last day.
I left the room while killing the sound of my footsteps so the kids wouldn’t wake up. Unlike inside the room, the hallway was brightly lit. I frowned at the suddenly brightened view.
In the hallway, Cho-yeon was walking around without sleeping. I looked around. Fortunately, there’s no one in the hallway. Relieved, I approached and spoke to him.
“Cho-yeon. Why aren’t you sleeping?”
“You’re speaking casually just because there’s no one around. You go to sleep yourself.”
Cho-yeon turned around in surprise then relaxed. I didn’t answer and just smiled. We stopped in the hallway and faced each other. Cho-yeon asked in a somehow powerless voice.
“When are you coming home?”
“The Five Great Kings’ suspicions have lessened so I’ll come soon.”
“They don’t even know my house, so why did you say you won’t come?”
It’s just like throwing a tantrum. I’m worried if it was very hard during this time. Feeling sorry, I answered as kindly as possible.
“In case they follow me. Even so, every week I hear rumors about following someone and revealing their hidden identity or whatever.”
I was also a bit scared since I could become the subject of those rumors. Why do they even follow people? There were many times I kept turning around just in case while going home from school with In-sae.
“You drew that much suspicion? Just how suspiciously do you have to talk for it to become like that?”
“I wasn’t really suspicious. But they’re like that.”
They’re kids with good intuition. But they still can’t recognize the acting. Is it because now I can smoothly spout out praises and such without even thinking? The moment Cho-yeon frowned and opened his mouth, the door to the room next door opened.
“Whoa.”
A boy who had been walking forward half-asleep covered his mouth. It seems he didn’t hear us talking alone just now, and if we act well we can get through this. I immediately switched my stance and shouted.
“What? It wasn’t a dream I guess. My goodness, I thought it was a dream but it wasn’t. I thought I woke up from sleep and was seeing a vision. I love Han Cho-yeon-nim so much!”
Can’t leave out these kinds of words, after even clapping my hands I wiped away tears that hadn’t even flowed. The kid from the next room who was fooled by my acting hit me and spoke quickly.
“Is this a dream or reality…. You thought it was a dream too, right? I won the lottery, the lottery!”
The kid from the next room responded together and clapped wildly. At the sudden praise festival, Cho-yeon frowned. Natural again today! The kid stared at Cho-yeon for a moment.
“For what matter have you graced us with your presence until this late night, Your Majesty?”
The kid suddenly bent his waist politely and spoke like a historical drama. That just now was kind of funny though. Cho-yeon had a cold expressionless face as if it wasn’t funny at all. The kid saw Cho-yeon’s expression and quietly closed the door.
“I, I shall withdraw.”
He doesn’t abandon that act until the end. I give bonus points for that passion. I also read Cho-yeon’s mood and thought about going to my room. If I stay too long, someone else will come out and say ‘don’t tell me you two know each other?’
That won’t do. What becomes of pretending not to know until now? It seems Cho-yeon wouldn’t want it to become like that either, so there’s no choice.
“I’ll go to sleep.”
I waved my hand and went to the front of the door. Cho-yeon stared at me blankly with an expressionless face, then said in his characteristic voice with strong ups and downs.
“You love me? Lies are just coming out.”
I was just about to open the door when I laughed at Cho-yeon’s words. Cho-yeon was making a strange expression that was neither happy nor angry.
“Originally you have to throw in one of those lines.”
“Go to sleep.”
Cho-yeon said with an expression of not listening at all. He must have been worried since I haven’t been sleeping until now.
“Okay, Cho-yeon. You sleep well too.”
I entered the room and closed the door. Cho-yeon told me to go sleep, but sleep still didn’t come. Since it seems I won’t be able to sleep even if I go and lie down, I sat on the floor. And I was spacing out for a while when someone called softly.
“Shi-dan.”
Someone with a familiar voice approached right next to me. I recognized him immediately and answered.
“Hee-ae? It’s late but you were still awake?”
“No, I just woke up not long ago.”
I examined Hee-ae’s complexion. He certainly does seem to have just woken up. I know Hee-ae sleeps early, so I’m worried he’s awake at this late hour.
“Shouldn’t you go back to sleep?”
“I just don’t think I’ll be able to fall asleep.”
An insomnia comrade. Hee-ae squatted down next to me. He was spacing out for a moment then took something out. It’s a keychain designed with quite an aesthetic sense. There’s some logo attached but I don’t think I need to look more closely. Just seeing the large 5 written on it, it’s the Five Great Kings logo.
“Look at this. I asked the president and received it. Before, I couldn’t even do this so you received the guidebook and gave it to me.”
It was a proud tone. Hee-ae smiled gently and tapped the floor with his finger. I quietly made eye contact with Hee-ae. A jingling sound came from the keychain.
“Even in March I was really timid. I know. I didn’t know anyone so I kept….”
“It wasn’t really that bad.”
“That’s a relief. Now there’s someone I want to look good to….”
Hee-ae cut off his words for a moment. He pondered, even took a deep breath and said.
“It seems there is. So now I want to not look timid at all, and speak without hesitation.”
“That’s cool.”
Hee-ae laughed. If there’s someone he wants to look good to, does that mean someone he likes appeared? I have no intuition in this area so I had no idea at all. Hee-ae, who had been touching the keychain, lowered his voice and muttered to himself.
“I’ll express it a lot so please like me.”
Talking to yourself is a bad habit. If someone hears it they’ll misunderstand. Perhaps surprised by his own words, Hee-ae even blushed. Perhaps sleepy, while yawning Hee-ae rubbed his eyes and continued speaking.
“That just now….”
“I didn’t misunderstand.”
Hee-ae didn’t look so happy at my words. Wasn’t what he was going to say ‘don’t misunderstand’? I can’t even grasp it. The atmosphere became awkward somehow so I changed the topic feeling uncomfortable.
“I’m sleepy too. Let’s go to sleep.”
I said while getting Hee-ae up. Hee-ae couldn’t meet my eyes and turned his face to the opposite side. I lay down in my spot, and just as I was about to sleep, In-sae suddenly sat up.
“Ah… Shi-dan?”
In-sae walked toward me while talking in his sleep. He still seems to be asleep but is walking around perfectly fine. Well, my younger sister Dan-a was like that often too. I was convinced. In-sae approached and literally buried his face in my shoulder.
“Ugh.”
I grabbed my numb shoulder and pushed In-sae. He has strong strength so he doesn’t push well either. This isn’t a large dog running over happily and bumping into me, what is this.
“In-sae. In-sae?”
Startled, I called In-sae. In-sae muttered incomprehensible words. Hee-ae was also just about to lie down to sleep when he got up from his spot and shouted.
“What kind of situation is this?”
Were you surprised too? Hey, me too. I answered calmly while trying to remove In-sae.
“It seems to be sleep talking. In-sae, go to sleep.”
In-sae stayed like that for a moment then finally let go. Unlike before, it’s somehow suspicious how quickly he understands. Wasn’t it actually not sleep talking? In-sae didn’t even go to his own spot and slept lying down in my spot. My spot, no, why are you lying in my spot.
“You have that kind of sleeping habit too.”
Hee-ae said while trying hard to hide his disagreeable look. I was also surprised and stared blankly at the sleeping In-sae.
“That’s Shi-dan’s spot.”
“Yeah.”
Hee-ae’s expression soured. I can’t carry someone sleeping and put them back in their place. I pondered.
A moment of silence flowed and Hee-ae put his face on my shoulder like In-sae. It didn’t hurt with his careful attitude. I don’t know why Hee-ae is also imitating In-sae. Perhaps noticing my gaze, Hee-ae rambled incoherently.
“No, it’s that.”
Hee-ae cut off his words while burying his face deeper. Only after some time passed did Hee-ae open his mouth. It was a tone with hesitation gone.
“I wanted to try this. I’ll just be like this for a moment.”
Right, well. He could imitate it because In-sae’s strange behavior was curious. But what are these kids who are even taller than me doing while even lowering their heads? But if he says he wants to try this, there’s no choice. I just considered it a loss and left Hee-ae alone.
In the midst of this, what do I do about In-sae sleeping so well in my spot? The situation became very awkward. I decided to deal with In-sae first.
“In-sae, this isn’t your spot.”
When I briefly moved Hee-ae aside and whispered, In-sae got up at once. I really don’t think he’s asleep. In-sae looked around then stared piercingly at me. In-sae, who had been spacing out for a moment, answered slowly.
“…Yeah.”
Has he woken up a bit now, he looked more normal than before. In-sae got up with a face full of sleepiness and went to his spot. What a strange sleeping habit. In-sae, who went to his spot, immediately fell asleep. Hee-ae made a subtle expression while watching In-sae fall asleep.
“Do I have a sleeping habit too?”
“Hugging the person next to you?”
“Really?”
Hee-ae was surprised and grabbed my sleeve, bringing his face close. It seems it was a sleeping habit Hee-ae had never known about until now too. He covered his mouth and apologized.
“Sorry, you must have been surprised.”
“I wasn’t really surprised. It’s okay.”
Perhaps relieved, Hee-ae let go of my sleeve. He let out a sigh of relief. Looking closely, golden eyes are really fascinating.
Unlike me who was thinking other thoughts, perhaps Hee-ae recognized the distance that had become much closer, his ears turned red. He hesitated for a long time then moved far away.
The last night is truly eventful. I lay down in my spot first and closed my eyes. Hee-ae also lay down next to me. I greeted him quietly.
“Good night.”
Like that, the school trip ended leaving only unknowable questions.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
I think hee-ae wants you to misunderstand shi-dan ah…
Also not all 3 potential ml making moves lmao
Is Chae-yoon interested in mc too?👁️👁️
Well yeah leave those corny ogleads