Paper Friendship Chapter 34

Choi Juoon was silent, but I could tell he was still looking at me because he didn’t turn his head away.

“You have to keep hanging out with me even after becoming an adult. It’s mandatory now.”

Ah, come to think of it, we’ve already been adults for two days. I laughed a little at how silly I was being. Choi Juoon still didn’t answer, so I leaned my face in close, wondering if he was asleep. Then, Choi Juoon reached out and pushed my face away.

He’s not asleep. But why isn’t he answering? Just as I was about to turn my body away, feeling a bit deflated, Choi Juoon muttered in a very low voice.

“Lee Juun, your…. eye color is really bright.”

Choi Juoon’s right hand touched my left eyebrow. Perhaps because we had been drinking, Choi Juoon’s hand was really hot. His hand slowly moved down to my eyelid. I closed my eyes slightly. Choi Juoon caressed my eyelashes for a moment.

His hand slowly moved down the bridge of my nose and settled on my lips. It tickles. Choi Juoon’s hand toyed with my lips. We were silent. What is Choi Juoon doing right now? I laughed slightly because the feeling was strange, then moved my lips to kiss his finger. Then, Choi Juoon pulled his hand away.

“What? What did you just do?”

I said, smacking my lips. Choi Juoon sat up and wiped his hand with a tissue. Choi Juoon’s face reflected in the moonlight had no expression at all. I watched him for a moment and then turned my body toward the ceiling.

I like being with Choi Juoon. I want to be with him forever. I enjoy being with Choi Juoon this much and have so much fun, but when I think that Choi Juoon likes being with his girlfriend more…. I feel a bit sad. I shouldn’t have these kinds of thoughts, but honestly, I do.

But it’s okay. Because we’re friends. Because I will be by your side as your best friend. Because we’ll go to the World Cup together, and we’ll keep being together like this, forever.

Sleep came over me. I rubbed my eyes and said as if mumbling.

“Anyway, you have to go to the World Cup with me. Not with your girlfriend. The only case where you go with your girlfriend is when I get a girlfriend too…. Ah, I’m sleepy. In case it’s a double date…. Good night.”

Whether Choi Juoon answered or not, I don’t know. I fell asleep without hearing an answer.

I had a dream.

Someone was watching me. I couldn’t see their face, but I could feel that they were staring at me. That person reached out and touched my hair. Their touch was very gentle. Then, their hand moved down and touched my right ear. This time, it felt very natural. And when they touched my lips, I rubbed my face against the pillow because it tickled. Then, the touch slowly vanished.

∞ ∞ ∞

I slowly opened my eyes. The first thing I saw was Choi Juoon. Choi Juoon was leaning against the headboard of the bed, playing on his phone.

“What time is it….”

I said, rubbing my face against the pillow. Beyond my blurry vision, I heard Choi Juoon’s voice.

“Eleven…. thirty.”

“Eleven thirty?!”

I sat up in bed and stared at Choi Juoon.

“We…. our flight is at two.”

“There’s still time.”

“I, I haven’t even packed my bags yet.”

“It’s okay, you can do it at twelve. Sleep more.”

Choi Juoon laid me back down. It was about a 40-minute drive from here to the airport. So, we had to leave here by at least one o’clock. I was stammering, but Choi Juoon was incredibly relaxed. Is he flying out tomorrow?

I got out of bed first and headed straight to the bathroom. Then Choi Juoon followed me out and said.

“I’ll wash up first.”

“You still haven’t washed up?”

“Yeah, I just woke up too.”

Choi Juoon said, “Sorry,” and went in first. But he didn’t look sorry at all. Before going in, he even smiled at me. The door closed, and I stared blankly at it.

Anyway, he didn’t look like someone who just woke up…. I scratched the back of my head vigorously. Soon, the sound of water was heard, and I crouched down and started packing.

Not long after I finished packing, Choi Juoon came out. Looking at the time, it was exactly twelve o’clock. I felt much more relaxed, thinking we could make it on time. I took off my top and said.

“Ah, I’m too lazy to wash up.”

“Want me to wash you?”

“Are you crazy?”

I jokingly hit Choi Juoon’s shoulder and went into the bathroom. But I was genuinely too lazy to wash up, so I just stood there for a long time with the water running. Strangely, instead of waking up, the hot water made me feel even sleepier.

So, I washed for what I felt was quite a long time. When I looked in the mirror, my skin was all red. When I opened the door and walked out, Choi Juoon was sitting on the edge of the bed wearing red training pants and a black puffer jacket. He was already fully prepared.

“Were you waiting for me to really wash you?”

Choi Juoon said, looking at me. For some reason, hearing his slightly low voice, I stopped shaking my hair with the towel and looked at the clock hanging on the wall. It was twelve-forty. Twelve, forty.

“Uh, uh… wow.”

From then on, forget being relaxed; I got ready at the fastest speed I could. The time we checked out was twelve-fifty-seven. In fact, we could have gone faster, but Choi Juoon took out a hair dryer, saying he had to dry my hair. After some bickering, Choi Juoon’s stance was so firm that I had no choice but to sit down.

In the meantime, I called a taxi. We got into the taxi, and after I caught my breath for a moment, I said.

“We won’t be late, right?”

“Don’t know.”

“It would be a true legend if we missed our flight.”

I apologized to the driver, but I asked him to go as fast as he could from the moment we got in. Although we were already going at max speed, I honestly questioned whether we would reach the airport on time. No, I thought we would reach it on time, but…. I barely calmed my heart and leaned back against the seat, pretending everything was fine.

Perhaps because my body was in a state of extreme tension, I didn’t feel motion sickness. Glancing at Choi Juoon, he was calmly crossing his arms and playing on his phone. Seeing that, I thought, It’s confirmed that he’s flying out tomorrow.

Current time is one-eighteen, and the airport was visible in the distance. Hugging my bag tightly, I said to Choi Juoon.

“Choi Juoon, we have to run as soon as we get out. You know that, right?”

“….”

Choi Juoon just lifted his head and looked past the window. And then, truly miraculously, we arrived at one-twenty-nine, 31 minutes before the plane was set to depart. Fortunately, it seemed we wouldn’t miss the plane. Even so, I was worried I might get lost inside the airport, so I shouted toward Choi Juoon, who was still lingering.

“I’m going first, so you come quickly too!!”

I ran into the airport without even waiting for an answer. I didn’t need to look back to feel that Choi Juoon was not following me. Looking around for the gate, I hurriedly ran to the flight attendant at the counter.

“Um, um! Huff, it’s the two… huff, the two… o’clock flight.”

I caught my breath and looked at the clock. It was exactly 28 minutes before boarding the plane. Thank goodness. I succeeded in arriving. But contrary to my expectations, the flight attendant said with a troubled expression.

“Customer. I apologize, but the two o’clock flight has already closed boarding.”

“Pardon?”

“You must complete boarding procedures at least 30 minutes before departure time. Since 30 minutes have passed, it is now closed.”

“….”

“I am sorry, customer.”

“Then… is, is that to say… we can’t board the plane?”

“Yes, you will need to find another flight. I apologize.”

“Ah… no, yes, I’m sorry…. Thank you for your hard work….”

I turned around stiffly.

I’m in big trouble.

Really big trouble.

My mind truly went blank. In the distance, I saw Choi Juoon walking over with one hand in his pocket and pulling his suitcase with the other.

What am I really going to do? I was genuinely scared that Choi Juoon would be incredibly angry. I felt really, immensely, so, so sorry to Choi Juoon. My feet wouldn’t move. I squeezed my innocent bag tightly.

“You couldn’t finish the boarding procedures, right?”

“Huh? Uh-huh….”