***
As the school day ended, Min Soo stood by the entrance, watching the students disperse in groups, laughter and chatter filling the air. He hesitated, clutching the straps of his bag.
How do I get home? he thought. He had no memory of Min Soo's neighborhood or the route to his house. If he wandered aimlessly, he'd definitely get lost.
Just as he was about to resign himself to aimless wandering, a familiar voice called out.
"Min Soo!"
He turned to see Hanni jogging toward him, her cheerful smile lighting up her face.
"Let's go home together!" she said.
For a moment, relief washed over him. What a perfect coincidence, he thought. He nodded, hiding his gratitude. "Sure," he said casually, falling into step beside her.
As they walked, he glanced at her. "Thanks."
Hanni looked puzzled. "Thanks? For what?"
He paused, realizing he couldn't explain his predicament. "Oh, nothing. I'm just… thanking you for no reason," he said, forcing a smile.
She tilted her head, studying him. "You're acting weird today, you know that?"
"Weird?" he echoed, feigning innocence.
"Yeah," she said, narrowing her eyes playfully. "You're not as talkative as usual. Normally, you'd be telling me about some random fact or teasing me about something."
He panicked internally, searching for a way to deflect. "Uh… How about your homework today? Do you need my help?" he asked, changing the subject.
Hanni's face brightened. "My homework? Oh, right! I totally forgot about it. Hehe. Can you help me, Min Soo? Please?"
He chuckled at her sudden shift in tone, her playful pleading bringing a small smile to his face. "Of course. We can work on it after we play that game you mentioned."
Her eyes sparkled. "Yeay! You're the best."
They continued walking, the streets quiet and peaceful. Hanni kicked at a loose pebble on the ground as she turned to him again. "You know, I bought your favorite game yesterday. Want to come over this evening and play it?"
"Game?" he asked, caught off guard.
"Yeah! Don't tell me you forgot already. It's that new action RPG you've been talking about for weeks," she teased.
"Oh," he said, nodding as if he remembered. "Of course. I'd love to play."
She grinned. "Great! But seriously, you're acting really weird today. Are you sure everything's okay?"
He avoided her gaze, focusing on the road ahead. "I'm fine. Just… a little tired."
Hanni gave him a sideways glance but didn't push further. Instead, she changed the subject. "You'll feel better after we game, trust me. And don't forget about my homework," she added with a wink.
As they neared an intersection, Hanni suddenly stopped and pointed ahead. "Uh… Min Soo? Don't you want to go home? Your house is that way," she said, gesturing to a small lane.
He blinked, realizing he'd gotten distracted by their conversation. "Oh, my bad," he said with an embarrassed laugh. "I wasn't paying attention."
Hanni rolled her eyes playfully. "See? Weird. Anyway, see you this evening!"
"Yeah, see you," he said, waving as she turned and headed toward her own house.
Watching her retreating figure, he smiled to himself. Maybe this life isn't so bad after all.
***