Campus Log - Chapter 74

A face far removed from the appearance of a panda was staring intently at me alone. From deep in my throat, something unstoppable surged up. It was closer to an urge to let out a loud shout than a laugh.

“Ha.”

Eventually, a laugh escaped. It was closer to a scoff, but still, the muscles around my mouth definitely twitched. Startled, as if I were laughing for the first time in my life, my shoulders stiffened.

Either way, Ryu Eun-seok’s handsome features were formidable in and of themselves.

Immediately, his lips spread wide. The way his eyes creased deeply at the corners suggested he was very pleased. For him, smiling was this easy—so why was I so stiff?

“See? It’s good.”

The displeasure had completely vanished from Ryu Eun-seok’s voice.

“What’s so good about it?”

“It’s good that you’re smiling, and it’s good that I got what I wanted.”

He turned his body slightly. Finally, we could start walking toward the back gate of the school.

“It would be nice to see it often.”

The man’s quiet murmur settled on the top of my head. It was only one short phrase, but I nearly jumped as if he had blown a puff of air into my ear.

The power of the word “nice” was as strong as his handsome face. Like an idiot, I stretched the corners of my mouth enough to feel the impulse, I liked the fact that an awkward smile had affected someone’s mood.

Our walking figures were reflected in the dark glass window of a closed clothing store. The top of my head barely reached Ryu Eun-seok’s shoulder, and no matter how I looked at our outfits, they seemed intentionally matched.

My eyes met the reflection of myself in the glass.

Light heels that felt like they might float away, both hands fluttering busily, a distance where even when his forearm touched me, it didn’t separate.

My own face, oddly excited just like Lee Dong-ha had been, flashed past me.

The university district, now much quieter, was still circled by cool night breezes. Yet a warm heat rose to my cheeks. Having applied makeup—something I don’t usually do—only made it feel more stifling.

“What are you doing over vacation?”

Ryu Eun-seok’s quiet question cut through the silence between us.

“I’m planning to get a few certifications, accumulate volunteer hours, and rest.”

“Is that really resting?”

He chuckled and asked back.

“Of course. Starting winter break, I have to prepare for job hunting.”

“I guess so.”

Ryu Eun-seok quickly changed his attitude and agreed with my point.

“Because you graduate earlier than me.”

Ryu Eun-seok was still a sophomore, so he had plenty of time. If his father’s company recovered, he wouldn’t need to struggle and worry about the future like I did.

Right now, he had the leisure to walk the night streets together like this, but come next year, we probably wouldn’t see each other often. When circumstances change, it’s only natural that the connections lacking common ground are the first to be cut.

“Don’t go radio silent just because it’s vacation. Let’s see each other sometimes.”

Ryu Eun-seok’s cliché farewell cut through my thoughts.

“We’re neighbors.”

It took an hour by car, hardly “neighbors,” but Ryu Eun-seok used that expression to shrink the distance between us.

“I won’t tell you to contact me first, so if I send you a message, don’t ignore it. Got it?”

Because I had a track record, my heart stung. I mumbled “okay” and averted my gaze.

Being told by Ryu Eun-seok to expect his messages made the farewell feel like it was right around the corner.

I had finally gotten someone I could call a friend after a very long time, and if I had known vacation would come this quickly, I should have opened up sooner. All that time I spent avoiding him to protect my pointless pride felt like a waste.

I wish I hadn’t scolded him to sit three seats away, had bought coffee together sometimes, and enjoyed the breeze under the acacia tree with him…

“Wait a moment.”

Arriving in front of the dormitory, I stopped Ryu Eun-seok before he headed to the male student residence. The man, whose elbow I had grabbed, looked down at me with a puzzled face.

“I’ll be right back. Just wait.”

I could dismiss this impulsive decision as the alcohol talking, or make excuses that my heart was racing because of the summer night that had suddenly arrived.

But what mattered was that I wanted to do this.

I didn’t want to part with Ryu Eun-seok like this. Even if we did see each other occasionally during vacation as he said, tonight I wanted to give him a proper farewell. I also wanted to belatedly make up for all the effort I had put into avoiding him.

After stopping by my dorm room, I hurried back down to the first floor. Ryu Eun-seok was still standing in the same spot.

His gaze moved from my face to my hand. Before he could misunderstand, I quickly approached him.

“You didn’t buy this.”

In my hand was a panda keyring holding a bouquet of r**e flowers.

“I bought it as soon as it was released, but I just kept it on my desk because I couldn’t bear to use it.”

The hand holding the keyring fidgeted nervously. It felt embarrassing, as if I were giving him a used item after receiving a new one from him. But I could confidently say this was the thing I liked and treasured most among everything I owned.

“You said before that you wanted to carry one around too.”

Toward the end, my voice crept inward. Unable to bring myself to check his expression, I lowered my gaze.

But Ryu Eun-seok reached out readily. Before I could even hand him the keyring, he took it first. Then he repeatedly squeezed and released it, just like when he had fidgeted with the same doll attached to my bag once.

“It’s really cute.”

I was just staring down at the panda doll that didn’t match his large, knobby-knuckled hand, when I heard a low voice laced with laughter. Somehow, it sounded like he was saying that to me. I had believed I wasn’t drunk, but maybe that wasn’t true.

“Well, uh, have a good vacation.”

I hurriedly lifted my head and awkwardly said goodbye. Before I could do anything stranger, I needed to get out of here. Without even waiting for Ryu Eun-seok’s reply, I turned on my heel.

“See you again.”

Ryu Eun-seok left a similar farewell. “See you sometimes,” and “see you again.” The intention to keep meeting even during vacation was there, and it made my heart noisily flutter for no reason.

As I stepped onto the stairs leading to the residence hall, I glanced back. Ryu Eun-seok was still standing in front of the dormitory entrance, fidgeting with the panda doll.

That this would remain a scene deeply etched in my mind—I could already tell.