The summer sky was still clear and bright. The heat was heavy, and the cicadas were loud enough to fill the air. Because of that, it was hard to believe that the new semester was already just around the corner. Why did time pass so quickly? Sneaking out into the backyard while her mom wasn’t looking, Hye-yeon whispered into her phone.

"I think studying is the easiest thing for me."

It was something adults said all the time. She never thought she’d be the one saying it herself. From the other side of the phone came Eun-seong’s low chuckle.

"Why? Is it that hard?"

Hye-yeon padded toward the pumpkin patch, carefully scanning her surroundings and lowering her voice.

"I’m dying."

As she spoke, the sounds of summer insects rustling through the grass mixed noisily with the chirping of crickets. She had come back to her hometown for summer break. 

If she’d signed up for a seasonal course in advance, she could have stayed in Seoul, but time slipped by before she even had the chance to look into it, leaving her with no other option. On the bright side, it meant that Hye-yeon, who was usually busy studying all the time, could help her mom out at work, even if only a little. 

At first, she thought it would be a good opportunity to experience a new part-time job outside of tutoring, but once she actually started, it turned out to be no joke.

"I get sick every single day I’m off, you know?"

Her whole body ached.

"I get why adults keep going 'ow, ow' all the time. When everything hurts, those sounds just come out on their own."

As Hye-yeon complained, lightly patting her shoulders, Eun-seong murmured back.

"Then I’ll massage your shoulders when I see you. Want a full-body massage too?”

"Massage?”

"Yeah. I was going to do it for you anyway, so I’ve been watching videos on YouTube lately. I even bought massage gel."

“Really?"

It was tempting, honestly. Though it also felt a little… suggestive. Lost in her own strange imagination, Hye-yeon swallowed dryly.

"I, uh… sounds nice.”

"Right?"

Eun-seong laughed. The sound felt more relaxed than before. Smiling faintly herself, Hye-yeon idly kicked at the dirt with her foot when—

"Hye-yeon, are you out there?"

Her mom’s voice called from the main room. For now, Eun-seong’s existence was still a secret from her mom. 

Once something became a secret, it felt like it just kept staying that way, and there was nothing she could do about it. 

Startled, Hye-yeon quickly ended the call and headed toward the front door, pretending nothing had happened.

"Ahem."

She even ended up clearing her throat. Just as she slipped off her slippers and stepped into the living room, her mom, who had dozed off with the TV on and just woken up, rubbed her eyes and asked. From inside the open bedroom, her mom’s slightly hoarse voice drifted out.

"Where did you go at this hour?”

"Uh, just for a short walk.”

"At this time?”

"Yeah."

After answering, Hye-yeon tried to scurry into her room. Her mom, exhausted from working overtime for several days, turned with a big yawn and said,

"If you’re talking to your boyfriend, don’t go somewhere dark and dangerous. Do it in your room. If you close the door, I won’t hear anything.”

"Uh… what?"

By the time Hye-yeon spun around in shock, her mom had already closed the bedroom door. Left standing awkwardly in the living room, Hye-yeon scratched her head.

"What the heck. She knew the whole time."

All that effort for nothing… Embarrassed, Hye-yeon cautiously slipped into her room.

* * * 

A few days later. At last, the long-awaited first day of the new semester.

'The day I get to see Eun-seong!'

After checking into the dorm, Hye-yeon quickly grabbed her things and hurried down the steps that cut through the wooded path. With the stamina she’d built up over break, she moved briskly over the up-and-down stairs and soon arrived in front of the engineering building. 

As the meeting time drew near, Hye-yeon pulled out her phone and quickly sent a text. 

[Where are you?] 

The reply came instantly. 

[In the lobby.] 

Filled with excitement, she dashed into the building. Somehow, she ended up pushing through a crowd of people and made her way to the center of the lobby.

'Where is Eun-seong?'

He was tall enough that she should have spotted him right away. It was strange. Turning her back to the crowd, Hye-yeon craned her neck. Then, from among the people she was sure he couldn’t possibly be in, she heard Eun-seong’s voice.

"Hye-yeon, over here."

The same gentle tone when he called her name. His voice was ridiculously low and nice, and paired with that affectionate way of speaking, it was honestly way too stimulating. 

Hye-yeon turned around with a slightly unhinged smile on her face. And then…

"Wow. No way.”

"He’s even more handsome when he smiles."

Eun-seong was walking toward her, effortlessly drawing every gaze in the crowded lobby.

'What is… this?'

For a moment, Hye-yeon felt like she’d lost her sense of reality, like she was floating. She blinked and even rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand, but it didn’t change.

"Why couldn’t you find me? I was right behind you."

Of course she couldn’t. She didn’t expect people to be gathering just to look at him. Still dazed, Hye-yeon looked up at him.

“Wow…"

The tall man had cut his hair neatly, and he looked like a completely different person. The admiration slipped out on its own. His looks were no joke. It was enough to make her think she might’ve bought low on Eun-seong’s stock.

"Wow…"

Like everyone else around her, Hye-yeon stared at him in unfamiliar awe, shaking her head. Seeing her awkward reaction, Eun-seong lightly bit his lip and ran a hand through his hair, fidgeting.

"Um… you said I looked like a Hollywood star, so I cut it. No matter how handsome a guy is, beards don’t really do it for me. So."

Watching her carefully, he asked,

"Is it bad?”

"Oh, no?"

There was no way it was bad. Hye-yeon immediately waved her hands in denial, reacting strongly. 

Around them, people who overheard their conversation kept exclaiming in admiration. He was the kind of handsome that was hard to believe actually existed until you saw it in person. Just changing his style made this much of a difference? As Hye-yeon’s eyes darted around, unsure where to land, Eun-seong leaned down halfway to meet her gaze. With a face so beautiful it felt almost sacred, he said,

"Then… will you like me even more?"

Watching him, she felt completely spellbound. She had thought she’d finally caught up to Eun-seong, that distant, godlike figure who felt impossibly far away. 

But now that he’d turned back into some kind of male deity all over again, how was she supposed to keep him under control?

'What, should I just stamp him with my seal?'

Hye-yeon cautiously read his expression, pressed her lower lip tight, then let it go. While she was still lost in her worries, Eun-seong broke into a bright smile. The moment his smiling eyes curved, her heart felt like it clenched painfully, making her flinch. Before she could react, he stepped closer and stamped her lips first. Peck. 

Startled by the sudden kiss, Hye-yeon hiccupped. 

Because of that, an unexpected, almost inhuman sound echoed loudly through the engineering building lobby. 

From that day on, the two of them became an extremely famous couple on campus.