Beyond The Kiss | JoongDunk

Fourteen: Comeback

"Let's go to the library?" Ryu suggested.

Our major exam was approaching, so we were already reviewing. Less hanging out and flirting—really focusing on the exam. In fact, Milk was almost depressed because she hadn’t seen Love for two weeks.

"Alright, just give me a minute," I replied as I quickly gathered my things, stuffing my notebooks and pens into my bag.

I slung the strap over my shoulder and hurried to join them. Together, the three of us made our way to the library again.

At this point, the library had basically become our second home. We were there from morning till evening, only leaving when the librarian announced closing time.

Sometimes we ran into First and Earn, but they were usually studying with their own classmates. We didn’t sit together because, honestly, we had different courses, and studying together wouldn’t really help us much.

"Thank you," we said to the librarian in unison as we passed her desk on our way to our usual table.

I made a quick stop at the shelves to pick up some reference books for our study session.

"Is this right?" a voice nearby caught my attention.

I turned and saw a young boy, probably a high school student, staring intensely at a book. He didn’t seem like a regular at the library, judging by his unfamiliar school uniform. He looked pretty stressed out, too.

I wasn’t planning on saying anything at first, but he really did seem lost, like the book was overwhelming him. Poor kid.

"Hey, do you need some help?" I asked softly, not wanting to startle him.

He looked up at me, his eyes wide with surprise. For a moment, he just stared, then suddenly a huge grin spread across his face, like he had just seen someone famous.

"P'Dunk?" he asked, almost jumping with excitement.

I froze for a second. How on earth did this kid know me? I offered him a nervous smile. "Uh, hi...?"

"You're Khaotung's lover, right?!" he said, practically bouncing in place.

Wait, what? I glanced around, suddenly feeling self-conscious, hoping no one else had heard that. I gave him another awkward smile, not entirely sure what to say.

"Uhh..." I hesitated, biting my lower lip. "No, not anymore," I finally managed, feeling the awkwardness in the air.

The boy gasped in shock, his face turning pale as he immediately began bowing and apologizing over and over. This was getting really awkward now.

I waved him off with a reassuring smile. "It's fine, really. No need to apologize," I told him. He was just a kid, after all.

As I was talking, my eyes shifted to the book he was holding. With the title, "Guide to Becoming an Architecture Student."

"Interested in becoming an architect?" I asked, noticing the subject of the book.

He followed my gaze, then nodded, smiling shyly. "I'm still thinking about it," he admitted.

"Ah," I nodded, understanding. "Well, if you're passionate about it, why not go for it? Take the risk."

He sighed deeply, clearly troubled by the thought. "I'm just scared I’ll fail..." he said softly, his gaze dropping to the floor.

Well, this is not new to me. I chuckled lightly and gently patted his shoulder, making him look up at me in surprise.

"I get it. It’s scary to step outside your comfort zone. I’ve been there, too," I said, thinking back to my own struggles when I decided to follow my own path instead of the one my dad had planned for me.