Chapter 75
Despite the farewell we had lingered over in front of the dormitory, my reunion with Ryu Eun-seok came sooner than expected.
On the last day of June, when the sun occasionally peeked through thickly settled dark clouds, I was doing a walking volunteer shift at a stray dog shelter. Ryu Eun-seok sent me a message asking what I was doing, so I replied with photos of the dogs.
*”The path looks familiar. Where is this?”*
I sent him the location of the shelter, situated in a quiet neighborhood between Cheongju and Cheonan.
*”I know where this is lol. I can walk there from my house.”*
Then he even searched the route between his family home and the shelter on a map app and sent me a screenshot. It was truly a 12-minute walk.
So if I follow the stream a bit further from here, I’d reach Ryu Eun-seok’s house. I looked at the two panting dogs and shook my head. What am I even thinking about going there? I need to focus on these guys.
“Let’s go home now.”
When the dogs’ walking pace slowed due to the sweltering heat, I made a U-turn. Since this was already the seventh time I had walked this route, my T-shirt was soaked with sweat. Just one more team to go, and I’d be done.
As I walked, I recalled the last image of Ryu Eun-seok I had seen. His large hand holding the used doll as if it were a precious gem, his low voice genuinely admiring it, saying it was really cute, and the night air that, despite the gentle breeze, couldn’t cool the heat on my cheeks…
“Hong Sang-hee!”
My name called out from over my shoulder made me flinch and my turtle-like neck retract. As my grip on the leashes tightened, the dogs stopped walking and looked up at me.
“Sang-hee!”
Turning my head back, I saw a towering figure running from the end of that path. His long legs gracefully cut across the roadside overgrown with weeds on either side. His fine hair fluttered in the humid, warm wind.
Even from a distance, the man’s features stood out clearly. Thanks to that, I immediately knew who was sprinting in this heat.
“Hey.”
Ryu Eun-seok, stopping while catching his breath, smiled brightly at me. His fair face was full of satisfaction. Even with the gray sky above his head, his round white eyes seemed to draw in all the remaining light.
The man had run quite a distance but only gave off the faint scent of damp grass. However, since my forehead was beaded with sweat, I first took a step back from him.
It was definitely a face I had seen just ten days ago. But meeting unexpectedly in an unfamiliar neighborhood made me feel as if I were facing a stranger. My heart pounded as if I had been the one running. So flustered was I that I just stood there blankly, not even thinking to return the greeting.
While I was only blinking, Ryu Eun-seok’s gaze shifted to the dogs.
“Hello to you too.”
The dogs, always starved for human attention, didn’t bark at the unfamiliar man but wagged their tails gently. After patting each dog’s head several times, Ryu Eun-seok reached out his hand to me.
“Give me one. I’ll walk it for you.”
“What’s this all of a sudden?”
Only then did the first words finally escape my lips.
“What else? Since it’s near my house, I came to see you.”
Ryu Eun-seok curled the corners of his mouth and unilaterally took the orange leash. The dog I had been walking started following him closely, so I had no choice but to start moving. It was much easier than walking two dogs alone.
“You’ve been going back and forth in this heat?”
As soon as I received that question, I moved two steps further away from Ryu Eun-seok. I was self-conscious about smelling like sweat.
“Walking them is the easiest part. You have no idea how hard cleaning and carrying food inside is.”
Just playing nicely with cute dogs, and my volunteer hours piled up. The sweating was a problem, but for now, I could just keep some distance from Ryu Eun-seok.
“Still, you should wear a hat or something. Your face is red.”
Suddenly, the back of Ryu Eun-seok’s hand touched my cheek. My skin was noticeably warmer compared to his body temperature.
But that wasn’t the important part. The problem was Ryu Eun-seok, who had ignored the distance I had considerately created and stepped right next to me. I nearly collapsed on the spot from the unexpected contact.
“The sun isn’t even out yet.”
I answered more gruffly than usual and walked hugging the edge of the path. The overgrown foliage was now brushing against my legs.
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