.
Raising my head, I called his name with a slightly blank face.
“Yeo Dan oppa.”
“Uh-huh,” he nodded.
“Did you send me the text first? Before Yeo Ryung?”
“…”
Watching his head slowly moving up and down, I widened my eyes. With a moment of hesitation, I asked, “… Why?”
Yeo Dan oppa was staring at me. After quite a while, his response returned, which sounded the same as usual.
“I have no idea.”
Before I tried to ask him, ‘Are you sure?’ he then weighed his words, saying, “… But I seem to know why.”
I looked up at him speaking that way. Yeo Dan oppa dropped his gaze and continued, “Now I come to think of it…” He kept on speaking with a low voice, “Maybe there was no reason why we became close.”
“… True.” I nodded wordlessly.
That made sense. The theory I saw in the news that I just rattled on could be applied to the relationship between neighbors. Our parents moved to Seoul and settled down at this place where Yeo Dan oppa’s parents were living next-door. That was a coincidence with a very small probability.
Sometimes I did think about it, ‘What if the Bans and our family weren’t living next-doors? If we just lived in the same apartment complex instead of living right beside each unit, would we become this close? If we weren’t next-door neighbors, would I be able to have an advantage over the other girls living in this apartment who adored Yeo Dan oppa?’ After rambling these thoughts, I always shook my head.
So, yeah, coming to think about it, the reason why I became so close to Yeo Dan oppa wasn’t that different to why I befriended the Four Heavenly Kings.
That was when I nodded my head again. His following words made me raise my head vacantly.
“Well, although we’ve become close for no reason, it doesn’t mean that we have to grow apart for the same thing.”
“…”
“What I’m trying to say is that a relationship doesn’t always need a reason to end, but…” Hesitating shortly, Yeo Dan oppa soon continued, “But some relationship doesn’t work that way.”
“…”
“At least, I don’t.”
Looking at him in a daze, I quickly lowered my head. While I pressed my crease firmly with my palms, Yeo Dan oppa kept on speaking.
“Back then, I hated that you and I weren’t real siblings, but now I feel how lucky it is. That’s changed, but I…”
I lifted my head again. His black eyes never felt this much warm. He then concluded, “I still like being with you.”
“…”
“So, don’t worry too––.”
Continuing his remark nonchalantly, Yeo Dan oppa suddenly slurred the end of his sentence with a bewildered look. As if he didn’t know what to do, Yeo Dan oppa hesitated for a second but soon took a step forward to me. He then slowly pulled me into his arms. His umbrella fell on the ground near his feet.
“Don’t worry,” he uttered, “Everything’s gonna be fine.” With a moment of hesitation, he slowly added, “… We’re gonna be alright.”
His shoulders touching my forehead turned very warm. I lifted my head. The rain stopped before I even knew. Sunlight poured through the clouds and touched Yeo Dan oppa’s shoulders.
There was a vibration in my pocket out of the blue. However, I ignored it and just shoved my face back onto his shoulders.
* * *
Once I returned home, I encountered an extreme fatigue as if I had been inside a whirlpool of water. Without even thinking to change my clothes, I collapsed on my bed and took a deadly sleep for about two or three hours. I even had no dreams. In the end, I arose from slumber when my mom came home after work.
Listening to my mother nagging me about going to bed without changing the dirty outfit from Sports Day, I barely raised my body. Once she left my room, I rubbed my eyes for a while then suddenly got out of bed and walked to my desk.