When Park Sohee is forced to leave behind her childhood home, the familiar comforts of family, and all the memories she's spent years building, she's faced with the overwhelming challenge of starting fresh. With her younger brother Jisung by her sid...
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As school ended, Sohee grabbed her bag and quickly made her way toward the parking lot, eager to get to the field. Her first day had been a whirlwind, but now she could focus on something familiar—watching Jisung at his soccer tryouts. She had promised him she'd be there to cheer him on, and she wasn't about to miss it.
The chilly afternoon air hit her as she stepped outside, reminding her that the weather had turned colder. She'd forgotten to grab her coat that morning, so she made a quick detour to her car to get it.
When she reached her car, she unlocked the door and grabbed her thick jacket from the backseat. The moment she slipped it on, the warmth was a welcome relief. It wasn't freezing, but the wind had a bite to it, and she knew the bleachers would feel even colder.
She pulled her hood over her head, zipped up the jacket, and took a deep breath. As she looked out across the parking lot, she spotted a few other students heading toward the field, probably to watch the tryouts or just to hang out. Sohee didn't mind the cold; in fact, it felt almost refreshing after the stuffy classrooms and the nerves of her first day.
Jisung was already getting ready for his tryouts. Sohee had seen him practice countless times, but this was different—today was important. She walked briskly to the field, her boots crunching on the gravel as she headed for the bleachers.
As Sohee squinted toward the field, she couldn't help but do a double-take. Is that Sunwoo? she thought, her eyes narrowing as she tried to get a better look through the blur of players. It was him—she could tell by the way he moved. He was walking over to Jisung, who had just tripped over the ball and was now awkwardly trying to get back on his feet.
For a split second, Sohee's heart lurched with concern. Her immediate instinct was to bolt down to the field, but before she could even stand, she saw Sunwoo jogging over to Jisung with a relaxed, almost playful smile, offering him a hand to help him up.
Sohee stayed rooted to her spot, watching closely as Sunwoo patted Jisung's shoulder and gave him a small nudge, clearly trying to ease his tension. With a chuckle, Sunwoo tossed the ball back to Jisung, and the younger boy was soon back on his feet, ready to keep playing. Sohee couldn't help but smile to herself. Seeing Sunwoo step in and take charge with such ease put her at ease too.
She settled back into her seat, the worry in her chest slowly easing. It wasn't that she thought Jisung couldn't handle himself—he was tough. It was just nice seeing people care for him. And with Sunwoo, no less, who seemed to genuinely care. Sohee leaned back, wrapping her arms tighter around herself against the cold, feeling a small warmth in her chest.
As the tryouts went on, Sohee's attention was split between cheering quietly for her brother and observing Sunwoo, who was still hanging around the sidelines, offering words of encouragement to Jisung whenever he had a chance. Even from this distance, Sohee could see how Sunwoo's presence seemed to help calm Jisung's nerves.
