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Page 7.

After school, Chae ah left the class quickly, standing at the gate waiting for someone.

Not long after Heeseung passed by, waving goodbye.

"Why are you still here?"

"Waiting for someone."

She looked away when heeseung asked. He understood right away, because being her close friend he could guess by her tone.

"Oh, he's coming soon. Just don't step on his shoe again."

He chuckled.

"Go away unless you want me to step on yours."

She growled to which he obediently left without further say. After Heeseung left, Jake came out of the gate, eyes trailing to the guy who was speed walking away from her.

He glanced down at her, who was evidently waiting for someone. His hands in his pockets, he had a blank expression, still in a bad mood. Even so, he didn't leave as he knew she wanted to say something to him.

Chae ah sensed his presence and turned to face him.

"I'll clean that so just pass it to me."

She put her hands out, as if she was asking him to pass the shoe to her now.

Was this her way of apologising?

Her sentence sounded like a joke to him. Jake felt like laughing for a moment as he couldn't believe the girl offered to wash his shoe.

"I'm serious, I'll return it to you once I'm done. You can pass it to me tomorrow."

She continued, retracting her hand as she thought through that it didn't make sense for him to pass his shoe now.

"You? Cleaning my shoe?"

"If you want money then tell me how much..."

Chae ah's voice started to get softer as she not only felt timid but also guilty.

"Money?"

Jake was quite rich and Chae ah thought money wouldn't satisfy him.

"I only have 30,000 won with me now but I can-"

"Such a hassle."

He mumbled, not waiting for her to finish her sentence before walking off. However, Chae ah stopped him from leaving as she hadn't heard his answer.

"So money or you'll pass it to me tomorrow?"

She bit her lips, blocking his path.

"Either way won't it look like I'm bullying you?"

He bent down a little, scoffing as he reasoned with her.

"It's my fault so how is that bullying me."

"So you're finally admitting something?"

He asked again. Chae ah didn't know what to answer.

"I'm sorry."

"I'll do it myself so you don't have to care."

Jake straightened his posture, ending their conversation as he dismissed the issue. Even so, Chae ah still felt unsettled. She wasn't always in good terms with him but still felt an apology wasn't enough.

Her hand's hesitated to stop him again to ask another question. But Jake was already strolling to the bus stop, a few steps ahead.

Chae ah stood on the spot, sighing as something seemed to be blocking her mind that day.

Yellow leaves fell onto the ground as she continued to eye him from the back, walking through the path.

The leaves floated in the air for a while before landing on the ground, so slowly that it felt that time was put on slow motion, Jake too, walking at a slow pace.