Kim Soyeon pushes her hair behind her ears as she slides into her seat, flustered by what just happened. She has never been stared by a boy so intensely before, not in her entire life of seventeen years. She rubs her reddened cheeks as she settles into her seat in class. She chooses a window seat, one that is right to the end corner of the huge classroom. The morning light filtersin through the half-opened window, casting a yellowish shadow on her pile of school books. Suddenly remembering something, she pulls out a sketchbook from the pile, flipping it open.

Wait...

This isn't mine...

The page that she has landed on was full of pictures, and it seems like the theme for that particular page is the sunset. Pictures of a beautiful sunset are arranged haphazardly on the page, some taken with a normal camera and others with a lomography camera. Soyeon’s fingers touches the side of a picture that catches her gaze. The position of the setting sun is perfectly placed at the bottom left corner of the photo, and the surprise light leaks from the lomography camera potrays the sun ‘exploding’ light; it is as though the photographer is taking the sunrise, not the sunset.

The pictures are just beautiful.

Soyeon flips through all the pages, trying to find a name on the sketchbook, but there isn't one.

Then, something clicks.

It must belong to that guy she has banged into, since he was carrying a camera around. Just as she was thinking about how to return the book to him, that very guy stumbles into class, confusion on his face, and looking thoroughly lost. Soyeon is just going to return him the book when the teacher walks in right behind him. She sits down, a dejecting feeling spreading throughout her, when she spots something familiar sticking out of the boy’s arm of books.

Her sketchbook!

Unknown Photographer Guy half slips, half walks to the only empty seat left in class, the one that is the furthest from where she is sitting, in the other corner of the class.

Before that dude opens her sketchbook, Kim Soyeon has to get it.

Fast.

 

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Jang Kyumi smiles unconsciously after sighting Moon Jongup slouched on the table, his eyes half-open but it is really obvious that he is actually sleeping, judging by the small line of drool slowly making its way out of the boy’s open mouth.

She walks off with an imperceptible shake of the head, her bag trailing after her as she only uses one strap. As she reaches her own classroom and randomly sits on an empty seat, the memories suddenly comes flooding back to her head. It isn't unusual or anything, but Jang Kyumi always keeps thinking about the day they found Jongup...

 

__________________

It was a cold winter day in December, a few days before Christmas when both Kyumi’s parents were out of town and she was over at her friend’s house to play. They were around ten years old then, not afraid of the immense cold, throwing snowballs at each other and making snow angels on the frosty ground.

It was when they were playing hide and seek when Kyumi found a huddled body in one of the snow-capped bushes.

“Found you!”

However, it was not her playmate. It was a boy, teeth chattering body trembling tremendously. His face was extremely pink from the cold and when she approached him, his eyes suddenly met hers, and it was completely full of fear. He didn’t look any older than her, and somehow, the immense difference between the boy and her got to her. She was wearing the thickest winter clothes, and playing in the snow while this boy had on minimal winter clothes, just a thin jacket to keep himself warm, and he obviously wanted to get out of his snowy hell.

Without thinking twice, Kyumi took off her own fluffy winter coat, wincing slightly as the cold winter air blasted at her, and draped it over the boy, who clutched at it tightly.

His eyes found hers again.

And this time, it was a look of gratitude.

 

__________________

“But oppa―”

“He's just homeless! Why should we keep him?” One of the chubbier-looking boys protested, pointing a finger at the lost boy. After hours of persuading, Kyumi found out that his name was Jongup.

“Remind me Yoo Youngjae, why did we take you in then?” His younger sister, Kyumi’s playmate, retorted back, arms folded and a defiant expression on his face. “I’ll ask Daehyun oppa. He’s far more reasonable than you!”

Yoo Youngjae scowled, literally stomping into the house after his sister. Kyumi was just going to follow when she felt a small tug on her shoulder. Looking down, she saw Jongup staring wistfully at the bright, warm lights of the house before he gave a perceptible shake of the head.

“It’s okay, Youngjae’s always that mean.”

“Really?” Jongup half-squeaks. “B-but...”

Jang Kyumi resumes her operation of Trying-to-Drag-Jongup-Into-A-House when Jongup squeaks again and shakes his head.

“I’m scared...”

Kyumi gently holds Jongup’s hand and smiles. “Don't be, I’m here, right?”