IOSMC Chapter 2 (Part 2)

I yanked up my pants leg to show him the wound. The wary look on his face quickly turned to worry.

“…Want me to put it on for you?”

“Eh? No? I just carry it around. I’ve got tons at home, so you use it. You fell down the stairs, right? Geez, your face is a mess. I fell down stairs before too and looked just like you — you have to put ointment on, or it’ll scar.”

“……”

“Even if you have some at home, just take this. You were worried about my cut earlier, right? I feel the same. I’m just… worried. It’s your body. If you don’t take care of it, no one else will.”

In those blank eyes staring at me, the only thing left was a faint hint of wariness — everything else was gone. It made me realize, for sure, that this world was built on the novel.

A kid hurt by people letting down their guard from just this tiny bit of kindness — if this isn’t a fantasy, what is? …Actually, maybe it’s too real.

The more someone’s been hurt by people, the more they crave to be loved by them…

Lost in a silly yet somehow sad thought, I carefully reached out. Slow enough that he could easily dodge if he wanted — but he didn’t. He didn’t flinch or push my hand away.

The way he quietly accepted my touch reminded me of my younger self, filling me with a strange mix of bitterness and relief.

Keeping my expression neutral, I gently brushed aside the bangs covering his forehead.

I was careful not to touch his skin as I moved his hair. As it lifted like a curtain, his pitch-black eyes were revealed.

Completely dark — the kind of eyes that gave you a weird feeling if you stared too long. They didn’t reflect any light, and the sunlight occasionally bouncing off them looked like stars scattered in the night sky. Eyes carved from darkness.

Some people might find them scary or unsettling, but since I loved the night, I just thought they were beautiful.

After a long moment of eye contact, I slowly lowered my gaze, politely observing his face.

His pale, delicate skin was all mottled. Bruises that were fading and others that had just formed. I saw faint marks like cracks in porcelain, scrapes and cuts, and my brows lowered in sympathy.

“What’s with this pretty face… It’s such a shame. Be careful, okay? I’ve been walking around here the past few days, and wow, there are way too many stairs.”

“…Yeah.”

“If you fall again, definitely use ointment. If you run out, tell me — I’ll bring more.”

At those words, the boy’s face filled with doubt. His expression, which actually matched his age for once, was cute, so I laughed and raised my hand. Pointing at him once, then at myself with a finger, I said with a light, playful tone:

You and me…

“We’re kind of like secret friends, right? Friends who secretly meet and eat yummy stuff together without our parents knowing. If you eat together, that makes you friends, doesn’t it? And I’m the kind of person who can do everything for a friend—except co-sign a loan—so use me however you want.”

Grinning as I spoke, the boy made a strange face, then muttered, “What even is that…” Still, he didn’t seem annoyed, so that was a relief. I kept smiling like an idiot, but when I checked the time, I realized it was getting pretty late. I shot up, ready to head out, then turned back to him with an “oh, right!” face.

“Hey, friend, can you tell me your name?”

“……”

“I’m not some weirdo or anything… But if you don’t want to, that’s totally fine. I mean, being friends without knowing each other’s names isn’t so bad either. Kinda feels like I’m on a quest or something — actually, I like that. But in exchange, once we’re closer, you have to tell me your name, okay?”

Before he could feel guilty or uncomfortable, I cut off any chance of that by taking off the name tag pinned to my chest.

Maybe I had a feeling this would happen — maybe that’s why I insisted on wearing the name tag today. I was about to say, “Here, take it,” but with my hands full of snacks and ointment, that wasn’t happening.

After a moment of indecision, I just slipped the name tag into his pants pocket.

“Here, it’s my name tag. I’ll be back tomorrow, so call me by name then, okay?”

If I stayed any longer, I wouldn’t make it home before my parents got back. Slinging my bag over one shoulder, I glanced at the boy, who still hadn’t said a word, and told him I had to go.

I figured a send-off from a quiet kid like him wasn’t likely, so I started walking away — and I think I heard, “Be careful not to trip” from behind me.

It was so cute — him opening up, just a little — that I let out a small laugh as I continued down the uneven stairs.

The moment my feet hit the ground, I suddenly worried — What if that wasn’t Hee-jun? But even if it wasn’t, I was planning to show up here every day, so I’d definitely run into Hee-jun sooner or later.

And in the end, whoever that kid was, the fact that I, ‘Lee Sa-eon,’ had made a friend wasn’t a bad thing.

Thinking that, I boarded the bus that arrived just in time.

* * *

Getting close to a nameless friend wasn’t easy. He’d take the food I offered, but whenever he got the chance, he’d watch me with wary eyes. Most of the time we spent together was filled with his one-sided observation of me. From now on, I’ll just call him that kid.

I didn’t really mind his gaze. Maybe it was because he reminded me of a small, scruffy cat — one that still eats the food you leave out but never hides its suspicion of you. Like always, I rested my chin in my hand and watched him eat, sneaking glances at me from a little distance away.

“…Don’t you have anything better to do?”

Now that he’d eaten and was somewhat full, the kid threw a sharp question at me with a voice that cracked slightly.

If I answered honestly, the truth was: I did have things to do. Even as an elementary schooler, my parents were serious about academics. Thanks to their passion, I had a ton of tutoring and homework piling up.

But I didn’t see the point in mentioning all that, so I just nodded with a bright, innocent smile.

“Yup! I’ve got nothing to do.”

“No friends either?”

“Nope. No friends either.”

Even though his tone was kind of mocking, I answered calmly. I wasn’t the type to be easily hurt by the barbs someone raised to protect themselves, so I could take it in stride.

Then suddenly I realized, wait, I do have friends — and let out a soft “ah!”

“I guess I do have friends. There are a few kids I know at school… and there’s you, too.”

When I added that with a cheerful smile, that kid said nothing. He just stared at me with his lips tightly sealed. His dull, clouded eyes were hard to read, filled with a mix of gloom and wariness. And yet, because of that, I couldn’t miss the flickers of confusion and joy that appeared in them now and then.

Even just those glimpses of emotion made him shine — made him feel precious. I couldn’t help but wonder how utterly adorable he’d be once his eyes were filled, not with suspicion, but with the pure curiosity and delight unique to children.

Back then, I brushed it off as unnecessary meddling… but the day I got hit by my older brother, an adult had asked if something happened to me. They asked with genuine concern, wanting to help. I’d responded coldly, but part of me had been a little surprised by their kindness.

‘So… I can receive someone’s attention too.’

Because I wanted to.

So if I keep hovering nearby — not enough to be annoying — and gently knock on the closed door of his heart… then maybe, unlike me, this kid could escape that loneliness a lot sooner.

Sitting crouched on the stairs, I rested my face on my knees and looked at him. His pale, bruised face was filled with confusion.

But it was the kind of confusion I felt like I could help with, so I broke the silence I’d been keeping and spoke.

“What are you thinking about?”

The boy flinched at my sudden question and clenched his empty hands tightly. I looked at those hands holding nothing, then raised my gaze to the face half-hidden behind long bangs.

“That you’re really… a strange kid.”

It wasn’t a kind remark, but it was honest. The fact that he shared his thoughts with me just as they were made me so happy, I couldn’t help but burst out laughing. And he looked at me like I was the weird one — smiling even after being called strange.

I knew that’s how I looked to him, but I didn’t feel the need to explain. I just kept on laughing.

“Why are you laughing? Did I say something funny?”

“No, it’s just… it’s the first time anyone’s said that to me. But hearing it from you, it doesn’t sound bad. It means I’m not like everyone else, right? That I’m the first person like this you’ve met.”

“……”

“It’s an honor to be your first.”

Grinning playfully, I started packing up the food he hadn’t finished. “Eat this tomorrow,” I said as I gathered everything together. He nodded. Smiling at that, I also collected the trash separately.

“I should get going. I’ll be back tomorrow. Hey, friend, is there anything you wanna eat?”

“…No. I’m not shameless enough to start making requests when I’m just freeloading.”

“Why’re you drawing lines like that between friends? That’s so exhausting. Anyway, so what you’re saying is, anything’s fine?”

“Yeah.”

“Hmm, ‘anything’s fine,’ huh. That’s the hardest answer. There’s so much food in the world, and you want me to pick? I’m terrible at making decisions. Ugh, this is hard.”

I groaned dramatically, on purpose, and muttered to myself. His shoulders gave a small twitch. His expression clearly showed he didn’t want to trouble me by demanding food while being in the “freeloader” position.

I caught the side of his face as I pretended to agonize, my lips twitching. It was so hard not to laugh.

Whether he was really Hee-jun or not, one thing was certain — this kid was unbelievably lovable. I couldn’t understand how anyone could hit someone like him.

The moment I thought that, my insides started boiling. It was a mix of sympathy for the boy and bitterness over my own powerless past, and it took a while for those emotions to settle.

By the time I’d calmed down, the boy finally spoke.

“Then… just bring something you like. That’s easy, right?”

He wasn’t wrong. Maybe my nameless friend was actually a genius. The thought popped into my head before I realized it, and I quietly let out a sound of admiration.

“You’re seriously smart.”

“…What the heck are you saying all of a sudden?”

He reflexively snapped back in annoyance, but he couldn’t quite hide the blush spreading across his face. A faint red tint bloomed on his bruised, battered skin. For the first time, he looked truly alive.

‘I should make him smile more often.’

That thought came to me suddenly. I made up my mind then and there to work harder to make him laugh, and decided on tomorrow’s menu.

“Alright then, tomorrow I’m thinking of bringing kimbap, tteokbokki, and sundae. Can you handle spicy food?”

“No.”

“Hmm, so you’re not good with spicy stuff. I’ll remember that. Anyway, got it! Let’s meet here tomorrow at three or four, okay? Don’t forget!”

It was totally a one-sided promise, but with his still slightly flushed cheeks, the boy nodded obediently. His red cheeks made me smile again. I reached out and gently brushed my hand against his, then let go.

He tensed for a second when my hand came near, but when I lightly grasped his hand and quickly released it, he just stared at me blankly.

I looked at his face, full of complicated emotions, for a moment before standing up and grabbing the bag full of trash. By then, he had subtly closed the distance between us.

Even that was cat-like. He never came near when I was giving him something, but just when it was time to leave, he’d sneak closer like, You’re leaving already?

After checking the area was clean, I was about to head home when I noticed something on the corner of his mouth. I dug through my pockets but hadn’t packed anything for this kind of thing. After a short hesitation, I walked over to him.

“What are you trying to do?”

His wary voice made me shrug casually before I tugged down my sleeve and gently dabbed the corner of his mouth. It was the soft, careful touch you’d use to wipe baby food off a newborn’s face.

The whole thing happened so fast that he forgot to even say anything. He just sat there, blankly watching me do my thing. Meanwhile, I carefully checked his face, made sure there was nothing else left, and dropped my hand.

“Now that it’s clean, your face is glowing!”

At my playful comment, the boy’s shoulders suddenly trembled. It was an intense, abrupt reaction — like someone shouting “Tag!” during a freeze tag game. His innocent response made me chuckle, and I gently tidied his messy hair.

Even though he flinched every time I raised my hand, he didn’t move away — just quietly watched me. It was like he was trying to confirm with his own eyes that I wasn’t going to hurt him, trying to learn that fact.

His eyes sparkled like a student absorbing something new. It was a lovely sight.

As I watched the glimmer in his eyes, I thought, I hope his days are filled with moments that make his eyes shine like this.

Before heading home, I opened my backpack and pulled out a big envelope stuffed to the brim. I handed it straight to him, and he accepted it like I was offloading something heavy onto him.

“What’s this?”

He asked with a slight grimace, and I grinned, gesturing with my chin for him to open it. He looked skeptical but slowly opened the envelope. I zipped up my bag and slung it over my shoulder, watching him.

His eyes widened the moment he peeked inside. He didn’t seem upset, so I was relieved and moved to stand beside him.

“That’s the ointment I gave you yesterday. You can never have too much of that, right? And this — colored paper and a recorder. You’ve got big, pretty hands, so I bet you’re good at this kind of thing. I’ll teach you how to fold paper and play the recorder.”

“…And what’s this?”

“That’s jelly! For when you’re sad, or tired, or feeling down, or angry. Or you can eat it when you miss me?”

I’d been speaking seriously, but I made the last part light on purpose to keep things from feeling too heavy. The boy let out a faint, involuntary laugh at that, and I smiled wide.

“Today I’ll just show you how to use the recorder’s finger positions. Tomorrow I’ll bring some sheet music, so practice on your own, okay?”

“…I don’t think I can do it.”

“Why not? Your hands practically say you’re good at instruments. Believe in yourself, my friend! And if you become a famous musician, don’t forget me — buy me something tasty.”

The recorder was a basic instrument. Perfect for a kid like him, who spent his days doing nothing but sitting blankly on the stairs. I figured I’d bring some workbooks next time too, and began teaching him the finger positions.

As expected, he picked it up quickly. Sometimes the sound wouldn’t come out because he lacked finger strength, but just seeing him focus on something was a positive sign. I clapped excitedly, cheering him on no matter what.

After wrapping up that chaotic little recorder lesson, I taught him how to fold paper cranes and hearts, then stood up.

“Okay, now I really have to go. Don’t cry from boredom just ‘cause I’m gone, okay?”

“Hah. Judging by how you act, you’re the one who’s gonna cry.”

“Sharp as ever. I’ve been bawling my eyes out on the way home every day lately, y’know. ‘Cause I wanna keep hanging out with you.”

I joked around as I adjusted my backpack. It felt strange — the bag that had been heavy with gifts on the way there was now light. For no reason, I reached behind me and fiddled with it, then turned my head.

There he was, sitting quietly on the stairs with the gifts I’d given him.

The setting sun dyed everything in shades of red, like the world was on fire. In that fiery scene sat a small boy, all alone. I made him a gentle promise.

“I’ll come again tomorrow.”

He was silent for a moment, then slowly nodded. “Bye!” I waved lightly and stepped down the stairs one by one.

Behind me, I could hear the clumsy sound of a recorder being played. Toot, toot, huff.

I hummed along, mimicking the sound as I waited at the bus stop bench.

After a short wait, I hopped on the bus and got off at a stop near the last on the line.

Since becoming a kid again, my stamina had taken a hit. As an adult, I could’ve easily handled a day like this, but now I was yawning like crazy, dragging myself home. After wrapping up the rest of my day, I collapsed into sleep.

The next day.
It was the weekend, so no one came to wake me. I ended up sleeping in until pretty late.

Instead of getting up right away, I buried my face into the pillow, using the sunlight peeking through the curtains as an excuse. I stayed like that for a while, then finally reached out for my phone by the bed. Squinting at the light, I saw the time — it was well past noon.

“Wow, I slept in so late…”

I mumbled in a groggy voice and slowly sat up. Honestly, I wanted to stay in bed until nightfall, but I had plans — a promise I had to keep.

Yawning, I slid my feet into slippers and shuffled into the bathroom attached to my room. After a quick wash, I stepped out.

I hadn’t noticed while asleep, but now I was starving. I wondered what to eat, then remembered I’d be having tteokbokki later. Instead of a full lunch, cereal sounded like the better option.

Decision made, I opened the cupboard, grabbed a cereal bag, and pulled a bowl from the shelf. I poured in the cereal and was just about to add milk when I heard the sound of a door opening from the second floor.

Even on weekends, both my parents usually went out, so I’d assumed the house was empty. Surprised, I looked up — ‘Mother’ was coming down the stairs, looking tired.

It still felt weird calling her ‘Mother.’ I couldn’t get myself to refer to her out loud as “Sa-eon’s mother,” so I just kept calling her Mother in my head… but it didn’t feel natural.

Feeling awkward, I avoided her gaze and stirred the cereal aimlessly with my spoon.

She came down the stairs quietly, but when she finally noticed me, she looked over.

Her gaze was gentle enough to seem caring, but also oddly distant — like someone pretending at affection without much real warmth. I met her eyes briefly, then lowered my gaze and gave a slightly late morning greeting.

“Good morning.”

“Yes, Sa-eon, did you sleep well? It’s the weekend, so I didn’t wake you. About to eat now? …Hmm, I’m not going to lecture you about food, but maybe you should eat something more filling than cereal.”

“Oh, it’s just that I promised to have lunch with a friend today.”

“A friend? When will you be back?”

She asked that as if it were expected, heading toward the front door. I left the cereal bowl on the table and followed her, answering as I walked.

“Probably before dinner.”

“Don’t be too late. If it looks like you will be, call me.”

“Okay. Will you be home early today?”

When I asked, recalling how my father had come home right at 6 PM yesterday while she hadn’t returned until well past 10, she nodded calmly.

“It’s nice to hear you’re spending time with a friend — it’s been a while. I won’t ask where you spent the money, so if you need anything, just feel free to use the card.”

“Okay. Take care on your way out.”

“I will.”

With that brief exchange, Mother left the house. The sudden silence felt strange, so I rubbed the back of my neck for no reason and wandered into the kitchen.

I turned on the TV — even though I wasn’t planning to watch it — and left it on some random channel. Then I sat down at the dining table and started eating my cereal.

Once I’d finished, my mouth felt oddly dry. After a moment of debate, I grabbed a bottle of orange juice from the fridge and downed it.

Even though I knew we had someone who helped with housework, I habitually cleaned up after myself, then checked the time.

“How is it already past one when I’ve done nothing?”

Grumbling about how time flew by way too fast, I hurried back to my room.

Unlike last night — when I came home yawning and ready to collapse — once I actually got into bed, I’d been too tense to sleep. I ended up spending hours doing this and that until I finally drifted off. One of those things had been picking out my outfit for today.

I quickly changed into the neatly folded clothes and practically bounced out the door.

I was going to take the bus, but I figured I’d be late, so I hailed a taxi instead.

There were a lot of tteokbokki places near the school — I wondered which one would be best. I was deep in thought, face all serious, when we arrived at the front gate.

I paid the fare and stepped out of the taxi — and that’s when I heard someone calling my name.

At first, I thought they were calling someone else, so I ignored it. But then the voice came again, closer this time, clearly calling me. I looked up — and saw a familiar face right in front of me.

“Un-ah!”

“Oh, Eun-ie. Hey there, Eun-ah.”

Out of habit, I smiled with my eyes as I greeted him. Then, as if he hadn’t just called my name loudly in a voice dripping with excitement, Eun smiled shyly and scurried closer.

I’d seen him in his school uniform plenty of times, but this was the first time I saw him in casual clothes — it felt new.

A white t-shirt, cotton pants, and a thick, slightly oversized cardigan. Nothing fancy, but everything suited Eun so well that he looked especially adorable today.

His still-chubby cheeks had a pink flush, and he quietly sidled up next to me.

Maybe our first meeting in the nurse’s office had left a positive impression, because ever since then, Eun greeted me with almost excessive enthusiasm whenever we crossed paths.

I was grateful, of course — grateful that he liked me. But… the way he completely ignored personal space every time we met was a little, just a little, surprising.

Maybe it felt different from the original story because that incident hadn’t happened yet? Compared to his canon personality — calm and slightly distant — I kind of liked this version better.

‘Right… once I’ve made progress with saving Hee-jun, I’ll have to protect Eun from that incident too.’

Since the event took place long before the novel’s timeline, there weren’t many details — just that it happened in autumn. Besides that, everything was vague. Honestly, it was a bit overwhelming.

Even more reason to pay closer attention to Eun at school. I ended the train of thought with that resolve.

Anyway, maybe because of his small-animal-like vibe, the way he approached me wasn’t uncomfortable — like a puppy flopping down in the arms of someone he just met. It was unexpectedly natural.

Whenever Eun greeted me like this over the past few days, I felt a strange mix of pride and “I didn’t expect us to get this close.” I blinked quietly, unsure how else to react.

Of course, Eun had no clue what I was thinking. As usual, he came right up to me — and it really hit me then how tall he was for someone so cute.

Maybe because he was an important character in the novel. I was already tall for my age, but Eun was almost the same — definitely not small.

Right now, he was doing something adorable that didn’t quite match his height or pretty face.

It was simple: his fingers were fidgeting under the sleeves of his cardigan — which were long enough to cover the backs of his hands — and he was sneaking glances at me.

That cute gesture definitely meant he had something he wanted to say. I thought about asking what it was, but figured that might feel too pushy, so I just waited.

Thanks to the taxi, I’d arrived earlier than expected, and I wasn’t in any kind of rush that would make waiting a problem.

I gently rolled up his cardigan sleeves, just enough so they wouldn’t bother him, then patiently waited for him to speak. About three minutes passed before Eun finally asked, cautiously:

“Um, so, like… why are you here? Did you come for a tutoring class too? Or did you have plans with a friend? Or maybe… you were just bored?”

He seemed most hopeful at the last option, “just bored.” It was obvious from how eager he sounded. Unfortunately, my answer was the second one.

Feeling a bit guilty, I lightly tapped his round cheek with a finger and answered.

“Mm, I have plans.”

“Ah… so you came because you have plans. Then… I guess you can’t hang out with me today… Well, I mean, it’s not like we made plans in advance anyway.”

Sounding disappointed, Eun mumbled with a sulky look on his face. He must’ve been planning to ask me to hang out if I’d said I was just bored.

Technically, there was no reason to feel bad since we hadn’t made any prior plans — but that face kept poking at my conscience.

I rolled my eyes around, wondering what to do, and eventually came up with a decent answer.

It would both cheer Eun up and help me find a good tteokbokki place.

“Eun-ah, do you like tteokbokki?”

“Huh? Why do you ask all of a sudden?”

“I’m supposed to eat tteokbokki with another friend today. They’re really shy, so I can’t exactly invite you along without asking, but I can buy you some. We won’t be hanging out together, but if we’re eating the same food, it’ll kind of feel like we are, right?”

When I smiled and added that I could buy him other snacks too, Eun hesitated for a moment before saying he’d like that.

“Alright. I’ll get you some tteokbokki. Do you have a place you go often?”

“Not really. I usually get delivery. But I do know where other kids go a lot.”

“Let’s go there, then.”

Nodding, Eun gently grabbed my sleeve and took the lead. I followed him at a leisurely pace until a shop came into view.

I ordered four rolls of kimbap, one serving of sundae, and two servings of not spicy tteokbokki to-go — including Eun’s share. Eun, like it was totally natural, chose the spicy option and looked at me with curiosity.

“Hm? What?”

“Un-ie, do you not like spicy food? Most kids these days all get the spicy kind.”

“Oh, I do like it, but the friend I’m eating with can’t handle spicy food.”

I laughed as I said, Shouldn’t you match the food to the person who can’t eat certain things? and finished paying. I checked the time while receiving my change — about 40 minutes left until 3 PM.

“How long will the order take?”

“Not long. I’ll give it to you as soon as it’s ready.”

“Alright, thank you.”

If I left right after picking it up, I’d probably arrive early. Better early than late.

Instead of sitting down, I took the plate the owner handed over and set it on the table where Eun was sitting. He smiled in thanks, pulled out a fork, and speared a piece of tteokbokki to eat.

His mouth was so small — just one piece and his cheek puffed out like a balloon. It was both funny and adorable, and I couldn’t help but laugh.

“Is it good?”

Seeing him munching away made me want to mess with him a little, so I asked. Eun nodded as he chewed, answering without words.

I kept watching him for a while, completely absorbed, and before I knew it, a lot of time had passed. It was like I’d been under a spell or something.

Letting out a short laugh at how ridiculous that felt, I grabbed the plastic bag the owner had set on the table and stood up.

“You’re leaving already?”

Maybe because the food suited his taste, Eun had been eating enthusiastically, but he paused, his eyes drooping as he asked. I nodded in response.

Because of his pale skin, the red sauce around his mouth stood out even more. I grabbed a napkin from the table, leaned down slightly, and gently wiped his mouth clean.

“But we’ll see each other at school, right? Let’s hang out there. I’ll come visit your class.”