IN OUR COSMOS | ᴄʀᴀᴠɪᴛʏ

ten

𝒜mid the bustling lunchtime crowd, a voice rang out, catching Heejin's attention. She slowed her pace and turned, finding a boy in a tae kwon do uniform standing before her.

His presence triggered a rush of memories—he was the same boy who had come to their rescue during the kidnapping attempt in the basement carpark. The memory was vivid, the adrenaline-fueled chaos of that night still fresh in her mind.

The boy smiled at her, his eyes lighting up in recognition. "Hey, you're that girl from the basement carpark!"

Heejin blinked, her lips curving into a small smile. "Right, you're Ma Allen, if I remember correctly," she said, pressing a finger to her temple as she tried to recall his name.

"Yeah, that's me!" Allen's cheerful demeanor remained as he affirmed his identity. "What are you doing here alone?" he asked, his curiosity evident.

Heejin shrugged casually. "Just taking a walk after having lunch. It's become sort of a habit for me, a way to digest, I guess."

Allen nodded in understanding, his gaze friendly. "It's really nice to see you again."

Heejin's smile widened. "Likewise."

The encounter was pleasant, but a curiosity had been gnawing at Heejin ever since that eventful night. She had noticed that both Allen and Jungmo had disappeared after the incident, and now seemed like the perfect opportunity to clear her doubts.

As they stood there in the school's courtyard, the sun casting dappled shadows through the trees, Heejin mustered the courage to ask, "By the way, that night... when you helped Areum and me, where did you and Jungmo go after everything?"

Heejin watched Allen's expression closely, her curiosity genuine yet cautious. She needed to know what had transpired that night, especially considering the tense atmosphere between Allen and Jungmo afterward.

Amid the silent pause that followed Heejin's question, Allen's expression shifted as if he were weighing his words carefully. However, before he could utter a response, an urgent shout pierced the air, snapping their attention elsewhere.

"WATCH OUT!"

Heejin's head snapped around just in time to see a baseball hurtling towards her, headed directly for her head. Time seemed to stretch, the seconds elongated by shock. Heejin found herself frozen in place, the impending impact paralyzing her.

But then, as if materializing from thin air, someone leaped into action. A figure shot in front of her, snatching the baseball out of the air with a deft move, as if it was the most natural thing in the world. Heejin blinked, the shock giving way to awe.

"Wonjin!" Allen's voice rang out, tinged with a mix of shock and recognition. He recognized the one who had just saved her.

The baseball hero turned towards Heejin, his expression shifting from intense concentration to a frown of frustration. "Are you stupid?" he berated, his tone more harsh than Heejin had expected. "Why didn't you move away? You just stood there like a fool!"

The boy's words were laced with irritation, yet Heejin sensed a hint of concern beneath the harsh exterior. As the gravity of the situation settled in, Heejin's heart raced. She hadn't even noticed the incoming baseball, her thoughts consumed by her conversation with Allen. It was a reality check, a sharp reminder of how quickly accidents could happen.

"I'm so sorry!" Heejin immediately blurted out, her apology carrying genuine remorse.

"Don't worry about it," Allen reassured her with a smile.

Meanwhile, the baseball hero, Wonjin, let out an exasperated sigh, his irritation seemingly dissipating. He returned the ball to the pitcher on the field adjacent to the school gym. The proximity of the baseball field to the gym was clear; the two spaces coexisted, separated only by a thin boundary.