The Best of Tomorrow-Chapter 2.6

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She changed direction, walking not toward home but toward the park. Sitting on a bench, she stared blankly at the dark scenery. The cloudless sky looked soaked in ink, completely black.

She sighed, and white breath spread from her lips, curling into the air before vanishing. Just like that disappearing breath, she too would vanish from this time she had suddenly entered. The past version of herself—who knew nothing of Seon-jae—would live out her unremarkable high school life again, ending it in quiet sadness.

Her mood sank, oddly and deeply. The moment she got that call about the watch, she understood: the time travel was going to end. She would no longer be able to use the watch. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to return—but her heart felt strange. Like a lump had formed, something unmoving and hardened, heavy inside her.

She thought of Seon-jae, who had silently sat next to her. She had liked that quiet. That wordless time by his side had comforted her. She could still hear the voice that eventually broke the silence.

“I don’t know what’s going on, but don’t worry about it. You’ve done so many weird things that there’s no way anyone’s forgetting you.”

And then, his voice again—“Wait... was that really why you cried?”

“You cry over the weirdest things.”

When she started sniffling again, he had stared at her like she was unbelievable—then let out a soft laugh.

Just thinking of him made her nose sting.

Ryu Seon-jae. What am I, some dog that cries every time I think of you?

She scrunched her face to hold back the tears.

“Hnng, huhhh...”

But it came out anyway. She couldn’t ride the bus or the subway like this. So she decided to walk all the way home from the park. The person who used to cry and laugh just from seeing Seon-jae on TV now cried simply from looking him in the eye. That, at least, gave her a reason for these tears. She gave her own sadness meaning.

As she sniffled her way down the street, a cigarette butt flew in front of her feet. She scowled and turned her head. A man standing in front of a convenience store widened his eyes in surprise. It seemed he had flicked his cigarette thoughtlessly, and it had landed right in front of her.

“I’m so sorry.”

The man bowed apologetically. She was just about to say, “Hey, maybe be a little more careful,”—but she recognized him.

It was Woo Hyeon-seong. “Cooking oil” from Potato Pancakes.

As she sniffled and stared, he looked even more alarmed—maybe he thought she was crying because of him.

“Are you okay? Are you crying?”

He stepped forward and picked up the cigarette butt from her feet.

“I didn’t see anyone coming.”

He was two years older than Seon-jae. His reputation back then hadn’t been great—mostly because of girls.

There’d been a scandal when a girl he had dated before debut leaked photos of them online. Fans had gone wild debating whether the guy in the photo was him. It was eventually passed off as “someone who just looked like him.” But now, seeing his face clearly—yeah, it was him. The fans knew it, too.

“Excuse me.”

“Yes?”

He replied politely—respectfully, even, since she was in a school uniform.

Woo Hyeon-seong had been Seon-jae’s roommate. They had gotten along decently. The last photo Seon-jae ever posted on Instagram had been taken by Hyeon-seong.

She figured... maybe since they’d run into each other like this, she could stop one of his future controversies. That scandal had caused a mass exodus of his fans to other groups.

“So... I actually serve a guardian spirit.”

“...Sorry?”

He raised his eyebrows, completely baffled.

“A spirit. Just now, the general spirit said something. That woman you’re seeing? You need to end it. She’ll bring misfortune.”

Woo Hyeon-seong took a step back, looking a little spooked.

“I’m serious. If you don’t want trouble in your career, break up now.”

But now he stepped closer again, face impressed.

“I don’t take payment.”

She bowed and started walking again—but stopped after only a few steps and turned around. He was still standing frozen, clearly startled.

“There’s a guy near you—two years younger, puppy-like face, around 184 cm tall. Please take care of him. If he looks like he’s having trouble sleeping, read to him or something.”

Hyeon-seong rubbed his arms and glanced around, as if trying to spot the spirit himself. Sol nodded solemnly like it was a request, then turned around again.

“Oppa—”

She heard a girl calling him from behind, but didn’t look back. Whether or not he broke up with that girl was his choice. But she hoped he would remember her last words.

“...Wait.”

She stopped walking and looked back.

“What I just said was something from the future... but the voice came out. Why could I say that?”

Woo Hyeon-seong was already walking off with the girl.

□ ■ □

During cleaning time, several girls had gathered at the back of the classroom with their pouches, fixing their makeup. Eyeliner, mascara, bangs rolled up with curlers—like they were getting ready for something big.

Sol had one foot deep in a trash bag, stomping it down. She perked up when she heard their conversation.

“Hey, we’re hanging out with that guy’s friends today, right?”

“Probably?”

“Ugh, they say all the Jagam High guys are hot. I’m so excited.”

Jagam High?

Still shoving her foot deeper into the trash bag, her head leaned slightly toward their direction.

“The MC today is supposed to be super cute.”

“What’s his name?”

“Was it Heon-jin?”

“No way. Isn’t that Kim Ja-eun’s ex?”

By now she was practically folded over into the bag. They weren’t whispering at all, but she leaned in closer anyway—because they hadn’t said what she really wanted to hear.

“Hey, you’re gonna rip the bag.”

“Huh?”

She straightened and turned. Eun-hee had entered the classroom with a mop and was now pointing to Sol’s foot.

“Oh... right.” Sol pulled her foot out of the bag.

“Wait, is it the Jagam festival today?”

“Yeah. That’s what I heard.”

Eun-hee flipped the mop upside-down and leaned it by the window. Sol watched the water droplets fall onto the floor. She’d almost missed this huge day.

Eun-hee tapped her shoulder.

“Hurry up and throw it away. The bell’s gonna ring.”

“Thanks, Eun-hee. I’ll be quick.”

She hoisted the bag and headed out. Had I ever walked this lightly on a trash run before?

The festival video of Seon-jae singing had tons of views. A handsome guy hitting high notes perfectly, not a single slip—that alone made it famous. The only flaw was the person recording it constantly muttering in the background.

Since it was a public festival, she figured she wouldn’t run into him directly. She planned to find a quiet spot, focus on his singing, and enjoy. Maybe she’d stop by the stationery store for binoculars.

As she was setting the trash down, her phone vibrated. Not a saved number—but the last four digits were unmistakable.

[Sol-ah.]

Her heart sank. Sol-ah?

It was her name, but it felt strangely foreign—like she was seeing it from someone else’s perspective.

[Hi. What’s up?]

[What are you doing? Thinking about oppa?]

...What was this corny, off-key line?

She stared at the screen, rereading it in disbelief. No matter how she looked at it—this wasn’t Seon-jae’s tone. He never called himself “oppa” or “hyung,” even to younger fans. He’d say things like I’ll do it, I already did it, can you do me a favor—but never hyung said this.

There was one member who did talk like that though.

“Yoon-jae, didn’t hyung say not to take your socks off inside out?”

“Didn’t hyung tell you a million times it’s hard to clean when you eat chips on the couch?”

[Baek In-hyeok?]

She sent the message and waited. Students passed by, throwing away their own trash.

Her phone buzzed.

[Nope. It’s Seon-jae. Why’d you say In-hyeok’s name? Do you like him?]

Her face twisted. This was obviously Baek In-hyeok. Do you know how early I could ID Seon-jae’s parts before the line distributions were released? That I could recognize his posts from a blurry cloud picture and a single caption saying “Hope everyone has a good day”?

[I like Ryu Seon-jae, okay?]

She shoved her phone into her pocket and started walking. As she entered the building and climbed the stairs, another message arrived.

[Whoa, bold. You got plans tonight?]

[Nope. Why? What’s up? Why do you have Seon-jae’s phone? He treasures his battery life. Give it back already.]

[LOL how did you even know that.]

Because I’m a fan, that’s why.

Seon-jae had once said he always forgot his portable charger and had to switch to low-power mode the moment he left the dorm.

[Our school’s festival is today. Seon-jae’s performing. It’s your chance to swoop in.]

She already knew, thanks to the earlier classroom gossip. She had planned to go quietly, but with In-hyeok texting her like this, stealth was out the window.

[Oh, it’s the festival?]

[Yep. See you there. I’m giving Seon-jae his phone back, so don’t reply.]

I haven’t even said I’m going yet, she thought. Though I obviously am.

But... why did she have to see In-hyeok?

She closed the chat and thought about Seon-jae getting his phone back. That festival performance she had only seen through video—it was happening today. Not on a screen. Not through someone else’s camera.

She would see it with her own eyes. No muttering from the person filming. No bad angles. Just her, her binoculars, and the stage. A smile spread across her face as she walked back into the classroom.

□ ■ □

On the bus to Jagam High School, the seats were full of students. Everyone seemed to be heading to the festival.

She opened her bag to check the binoculars she’d bought at the stationery store. She wanted to take them out and test them, but worried people would stare. Who brings binoculars to a school festival?

At least she hadn’t brought a step ladder. But still—maybe even the binoculars were overkill.

After all, this was student Seon-jae, not celebrity Seon-jae.

I licked my dry lips and scanned the students on the bus. Everyone had makeup caked on like they were new brides. I looked at my face reflected in the window. Should I have put something on my lips too? I rummaged through my pocket. The only thing I had that I could put on my lips was lip balm.

...Smack.

I looked out the window with a regretful face.

On the way to Jagam High School’s auditorium, I ran into familiar faces. Kids with gray irises from lenses and hair dyed yellow and red. Just as I tried to avoid them by pretending not to see, the one with yellow hair pointed at me and said, “Huh?”

I had a bad feeling.

“Hey.”

As I tried to change direction, the yellow-haired one grabbed my bag. I cautiously turned my head.

“...Yes? Me?”

“Yeah. You.”

“W-why?”

Another kid slung her arm around my shoulder and laughed.

“If you're friends with Seon-jae, you should've said something.”

“Huh?”

“We didn’t know you were Seon-jae’s friend. He’s singing today. Let’s go together.”

“Huh? Together?”

The one with her arm around me nodded and started walking. I was dragged along with her hand still on my shoulder.

This isn’t right... I’m not his friend...

The auditorium. I was standing with the three girls by a wall close to the stage. I had no idea what kind of scene this was supposed to be.

Apparently, according to them, one of the three had taken it upon herself to go talk to Seon-jae the day after he dragged me off in the alley. She asked him if the girl he brought with him was really Kim Chun-baek and what their relationship was. And Seon-jae said, “She’s a friend. Don’t be mean.”

“I see,” I nodded.

I hadn’t planned to stand anywhere near the stage. I was going to hide way in the back where there were no people, listen to the song, and watch Seon-jae with binoculars. Baek In-hyeok had said to meet up later, but honestly, I had no intention of seeing him. I was going to come secretly, watch Seon-jae’s performance, and sneak away. But now this? The kids’ hair was so flashy, they stood out like neon signs. One even had yellow hair and was tall on top of that.

Standing awkwardly next to them, I watched for an opening. The three of them were huddled around a phone laughing at something. I tried to slowly step back, but the one with the gray lenses turned her head and saw me.

“Hey.”

“Yes?”

I froze mid-step.

“Let’s go see Seon-jae after this.”

“Huh?”

I was so startled I leaned forward with my hand over my heart.

“Tell Seon-jae you want to hang out with him after. Make it sound natural.”

What are you even saying...? What do you mean, “make it sound natural”? I couldn’t even properly save Eutteum.

I stood there mumbling without being able to answer, and the one with red hair said, “Huh?” and pressured me to respond. I wanted to cry. Why are you doing this to me? Seon-jae didn’t even know I was here.

As I rubbed my face with a flustered expression, someone placed a hand on my shoulder. The kids’ gazes shot up above my head. I looked up at the person standing next to me.

“Hey, what are you doing here?”

It was Baek In-hyeok. This was my chance. My chance to get away from these girls.

“Uh... I was looking for you.”

“Me?”

Baek In-hyeok pointed at his own face with wide eyes. I nodded vigorously. He smiled slyly with squinted eyes.

“Let’s go. It’s too crowded here.”

Baek In-hyeok placed both hands on my shoulders and gently pushed me away as he turned to walk.

We moved to a far corner of the auditorium. Baek In-hyeok narrowed his eyes and asked why I was hiding away like this, what I was planning to do with him, but I didn’t respond. If what you’re saying isn’t even coherent, why should I respond?

As I watched the stage, I glanced at Baek In-hyeok, who was still standing next to me. Why isn’t he leaving? Wondering that, I tapped his arm.

“Are you going to stay here the whole time? Go hang out with your friends.”

“Seon-jae’s my only friend.”

Would it kill you to say something nicer? Just on the way here to escape those girls, I ran into over five of Baek In-hyeok’s friends. One of them, seeing me standing next to Baek In-hyeok, said, “Yo, you got a girlfriend?” and started laughing while smacking his shoulder. Without giving me a chance to say anything, I politely said on his behalf, “No.” If it had been the past, I might’ve added, “That’s inappropriate,” but being around him now, I realized Baek In-hyeok wasn’t a bad person. It’s just his fans who were cruelly hunting down Seon-jae.

The Jagam singing contest began. Seon-jae’s turn was coming up soon. I wished Baek In-hyeok would finally leave, but he showed no signs of doing so.

I shifted my bag to the front and fiddled with the zipper pull. If I pulled out my binoculars now, Baek In-hyeok would definitely yell and laugh. Not sure what to do, I hesitated—then Seon-jae stepped onto the stage. That moment of hesitation instantly vanished, and my fingers unzipped the bag.

“Oh, hey, Seon-jae—”

Baek In-hyeok must have been trying to tell me that it was Seon-jae’s turn, but when he turned his head and saw what I was doing, he didn’t finish his sentence.

I grabbed the binoculars with both hands and turned the focus knob. Maybe because they were cheap ones from a stationery store, they were small and barely worked. I removed them from my eyes and looked at Baek In-hyeok. He had the face of someone who had seen something unimaginable.

“Did you seriously bring that from home? Just to see Seon-jae?”

“I bought it from a stationery store.”

“You bought it? Just to see Seon-jae?”

What... never seen someone with binoculars before...? You’ll be seeing plenty more of that later.

I turned back toward the stage. Seon-jae was wearing gray school pants, a white shirt, and a black knit sweater with a cable pattern. Just like in the videos I’d watched. I covered my mouth with both hands and stood at attention. Soon the intro would play, and Seon-jae’s voice would fill the auditorium.

Baek In-hyeok took out his phone and turned on the camera. He pressed the record button, clearly planning to film the performance. Before he did, he gave me a warning.

“Hey, don’t scream and ruin the recording.”

Okay. I’ll try my best, I thought.

The song hadn’t even started yet, but there was already tension in the air. I couldn’t see Seon-jae’s face well from this angle, but just being there as he prepared to sing made my chest tighten.

The intro began. Something felt off. This wasn’t the beginning of the video I’d watched countless times. Seon-jae was supposed to sing Naul’s “The Memory of the Wind.” Did he change the song?

My heart pounded at the realization that something had changed. The intro ended, and Seon-jae’s voice echoed through the auditorium. I knew this song all too well. He was singing Lee So-ra’s “Just Like the First Feeling.”

I thought my heart would stop. I had listened to every single one of Seon-jae’s live performances from radio shows and TV appearances. But this song had never been one of them. For a fan, a “first” is something priceless—and I was hearing it live right now.

Even the key was the same as the original. Seon-jae had a wide vocal range. His calm yet gentle voice blended naturally with the melody. The sound was incredibly pure.

When he sang the line, “Forget the day I turned my eyes away when I saw you yesterday,” the crowd screamed. I bit my fist at the effortlessly rising high note. Then I realized, what was I doing biting my fist? I quickly took out my phone and turned on the flashlight. I waved it from side to side in a wide arc—like the fishing lights of a squid boat on a dark sea.

“Hey, your hand keeps getting in the shot.”

Baek In-hyeok grumbled as he grabbed my arm. Why is he like this? Responding to a performance is basic courtesy. I pulled my arm free and stepped aside, waving one hand again. As I listened to Seon-jae’s song, I felt like I was being pulled into some kind of rapture. I thought, You, singing up there, are so beautiful.

□ ■ □

As I left the auditorium with the binoculars around my neck, Baek In-hyeok laughed at my dazed expression. I walked forward blindly, and he grabbed my coat to stop me.

“Hey, snap out of it.”

“Ah, yeah. Wow, Seon-jae was insane. Gave me chills.”

We stood by the flower bed across from the auditorium, and Baek In-hyeok burst out laughing.

“You liked it that much?”

“Yeah. Totally. Seon-jae’s the best.”

I gave him a thumbs-up. Then I raised the other thumb, turning it into a double thumbs-up. Baek In-hyeok laughed again.

“Hold still.”

He took out his phone. I blinked, still holding my double thumbs-up. Just as I opened my mouth to ask what he was doing—click—the shutter went off.

“Hey!”

“Gotta show this to Seon-jae.”

“No, don’t. Delete it.”

I dropped my thumbs and grabbed Baek In-hyeok’s phone. I opened the photo gallery. It looked like a picture someone would take after eating a delicious meal at a restaurant. Why would you show this to Seon-jae? I deleted the photo without hesitation.

As soon as I did, a video of Seon-jae came up. I stared at the white play button, dazed, and Baek In-hyeok asked, “Want me to send it to you?”

“Huh?”

“Your number. What is it? Leave it in here while you’re at it.”

“Me?”

“Yeah.”

I /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ was about to head back soon anyway, and nothing good could come from leaving my number in Baek In-hyeok’s phone. But I did want that video. My mind teetered like a seesaw—then tipped completely in one direction. I decided to give him my number.

I tapped the keypad and entered it. As I handed the phone back, Baek In-hyeok flicked his thumb and asked, “What should I save you as?” Then he giggled to himself and typed something. I peeked at the screen. It said: “Run Away with Seon-jae on Your Back.” Geez. What a thing to laugh at.

Leaning back against the flower bed, I looked up at the sky. The moon halo above was beautiful.

“But why do you think Seon-jae changed his song? Do you know?”

Baek In-hyeok tilted his head and scanned my face. His sharp eyes always gave the impression he could see right through you. His silent gaze made my heart shrink for no reason.

“Why?”

“Just curious.”

“About what?”

“How did you know Seon-jae changed songs last minute?”

“......”

I bit my lip and glanced away. Then I peeked at him. His face looked suspicious. I avoided his gaze and said, “Ugh, it’s cold,” stuffing my hands into my pockets.

Baek In-hyeok placed his big hands over my ears and turned my head toward him. I met the gaze I had tried to avoid.

“What... what now...”

“Are you stalking Seon-jae or something?”

“No. I’m not... Those girls earlier told me...”

Baek In-hyeok tilted his head the other way.

“Who? Those girls you were with?”

“Yeah.”

“I’m the only one who knew.”

...I’m screwed.

I looked off into the distance. I had no more excuses. Baek In-hyeok cupped both my ears with his hands again, bent down close, and stared into my face. Startled by the sudden closeness, I swallowed hard.

“Hey.”

“Y-yeah?”

“You’re not like, psychic or something, right?”

“P-psychic?”

“Seon-jae was going to sing ‘The Memory of the Wind.’ But when you asked him to sing that other song the other day, even though he didn’t show it, we were both kinda shocked.”

“......”

The way Baek In-hyeok stared at me felt like a predator closing in. I could hardly breathe. What should I say if he asks why I requested that song? I could say it’s just a favorite. But what if he asks how I knew that was the song he was originally going to sing? Should I say it was all over the internet, and I was probably responsible for half the views? Would he believe that?

“What are you doing?”

A different voice suddenly broke in. Baek In-hyeok turned toward the sound. I was still trapped in his hands, so I just moved my eyes. Seon-jae was walking toward us, still in the outfit he’d worn on stage. 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

Seon-jae’s gaze moved from Baek In-hyeok to me. As Baek In-hyeok removed his hands, my face was exposed. I bit my lip and smiled awkwardly. The closer Seon-jae got, the stiffer his expression seemed to become. I turned my head and made a distressed face, thinking: Is this another situation ripe for misunderstanding?