“Not every meeting changes your life immediately.
Some simply become the beginning of a story you don’t realize you’re living.”
The rain had stopped.
Only the smell of wet earth remained.
Jeheon sat on the same bench outside the convenience store, staring at another page full of mathematics.
“…Thirty-one.”
He sighed.
“…Maybe thirty-two next time.”
A shadow fell across the notebook.
“So…”
“…did you defeat your greatest enemy?”
Jeheon looked up.
“The enemy is winning.”
Dong laughed.
“I can see that.”
He placed a warm bun and a carton of banana milk on the bench.
“I remembered.”
Jeheon looked surprised.
“You remembered I don’t drink coffee.”
Dong shrugged.
“I don’t like forgetting small things.”
Jeheon smiled.
“…Thank you.”
For a few minutes…
Neither of them spoke.
People hurried past.
Cars splashed through puddles.
Life continued around them.
Dong broke the silence.
“Can I ask you something?”
Jeheon nodded.
“When everyone else walked past that wallet…”
“…why did you stop?”
Jeheon looked down at the road.
“I don’t know.”
“You don’t know?”
“I just…”
He searched for the right words.
“…noticed it.”
Dong smiled.
“No.”
“You noticed something everyone else ignored.”
Jeheon looked confused.
“Isn’t that the same thing?”
Dong chuckled.
“…Not even close.”
Jeheon didn’t fully understand.
But somehow…
Those words stayed with him.
At Hanyoung Middle School…
The lunch bell echoed through the building.
Heosok stretched dramatically.
“If school had another math class…”
“…I’d transfer to another country.”
Yongi closed his notebook.
“You’d still have math there.”
“…Don’t ruin my dream.”
The two walked toward the courtyard.
Halfway there—
Someone bumped into Heosok.
French fries flew through the air.
“No!”
Heosok watched them fall in slow motion.
“My children…”
A girl looked down at the scattered fries.
Then back at him.
“…Oops.”
Heosok blinked.
“…Oops?”
She nodded seriously.
“Would you prefer ‘sorry’?”
“…Yes.”
“Okay.”
She smiled.
“Sorry.”
Then she reached into her own bag…
Pulled out another packet of fries…
And handed it to him.
“There.”
“We’re even.”
Heosok looked at the fries.
Then at the girl.
“…You’re strange.”
“I’ve heard that before.”
She walked away.
Heosok stood there for a moment.
Then laughed.
“…I like those fries already.”
Several steps ahead…
Jiwoo covered her face.
“I cannot believe you just did that.”
Jisoo smiled proudly.
“He looked like he needed a personality.”
“You dropped his lunch.”
“I upgraded it.”
Jiwoo sighed.
“…One day…”
“…someone is going to argue with you.”
Jisoo grinned.
“I hope they’re good at it.”
Behind them…
Heosok called out.
“Hey!”
Jisoo turned around.
“What?”
“You still owe me one apology.”
“I already gave you one.”
“I mean a proper one.”
She tilted her head.
“I’ll think about it.”
Then she disappeared into the crowd.
Heosok couldn’t help smiling.
“…She’s impossible.”
Yongi had watched the entire conversation quietly.
He looked at the fries in Heosok’s hand.
“…You kept them.”
Heosok shrugged.
“Free fries.”
“…Fair.”
They continued walking.
But for some reason…
Yongi glanced once more toward the hallway where Jiwoo had disappeared.
Not because she was loud.
Not because she was pretty.
Because…
She made an ordinary afternoon feel unexpectedly different.
That evening…
Jeheon walked home carrying the mathematics book Dong had recommended.
He still wasn’t sure why a man he’d met only twice believed in him.
But…
Someone believing in you…
Has a strange way of making you want to believe in yourself.
He stopped walking.
The bookstore window reflected the street behind him.
A man wearing a black cap stood across the road.
When their eyes almost met…
The man turned away.
Jeheon frowned.
“…Weird.”
Maybe…
It was just a coincidence.
He continued walking.
Across the street…
The man waited until Jeheon disappeared around the corner.
Only then…
He quietly took out his phone.
“I’ve found the boy.”
The call ended.