Pick Up the Rejected Pure Love

Chapter 26: Moonlit Lake Park

chapter 26: moonlit lake park

i had miserably failed.

the questions weren’t particularly difficult, yet no matter how hard i tried, i couldn’t find the right answer.

i should have moved on to the next question, but i stubbornly clung to the problem, thinking i was close to solving it.

in the end, i failed to manage my time and, consumed by impatience, couldn’t properly answer the other questions either.

when i got home, i didn’t even bother to check my answers.

i didn’t want to face what i knew would be a dismal outcome.

was it because i didn’t put in enough effort?

or did i simply not try hard enough?

enveloped by a sense of defeat, i couldn’t bring myself to leave my bed.

all i could do was close my eyes and try to sleep.

at least when i’m asleep, i don’t have to think about anything.

but the despair was so overwhelming that i couldn’t even fall asleep.̃øv€lß1n.

after tossing and turning for a while, i went to the bathroom to wash my face and returned to bed.

finally, i caught a fleeting moment of drowsiness and fell asleep.

but somehow it felt like i had just blinked for a second.

i was sure i had slept, but it didn’t feel like i had.

fully awake, i remembered exactly what was on my mind before i drifted off.

i checked my phone; it was already past ten in the evening.

i closed my eyes to quickly fall back asleep, but sleep didn’t come.

i stared at my phone beside my bed, wishing sleep would overtake me.

but there was nothing particularly interesting, and it only made my heart ache more.

i had no one to blame but myself, and there was no one to confide in.

so why was it that the first person to come to mind was han-gyeol?

why did i keep thinking about him so intensely when i was this tired and worn out?

why did i feel this childish need to rely on someone and throw a fit?

although it was late and i couldn’t see his face, i still wanted to hear his voice.

normally, i would have hesitated, but at that moment, i had become a rather selfish girl.

tap-tap—

i tapped my phone screen and called han-gyeol directly.

though it felt a little off, and i was about to hang up, han-gyeol’s voice suddenly came through.

- hello?

hearing han-gyeol’s voice made me feel a bit sad.

the pent-up frustration seemed to be leaking out from within me.

i held my phone and spoke to han-gyeol.

“hello. were you sleeping, han-gyeol? i’m sorry. i called you so late...”

i apologized for calling at such a late hour.

however, han-gyeol assured me it was fine without a moment’s hesitation.

- no, i don’t go to sleep this early. what’s up?

i couldn’t be honest in answering his question.

i missed you.

i can’t see you.

so, at least i want to hear your voice.

it must be due to han-gyeol’s kindness, showing up at my doorstep without a word. and more importantly, his considerate treatment of me, without prying, as he always does.

i should have said i wanted to go farther. then we could have stayed out longer.

it was a night filled with selfish thoughts.

***

upon arriving at lake park, we parked the bike and took a short walk through the grounds. although it was my idea to visit the lake, i felt like i spent more time looking at han-gyeol’s face.

the atmosphere was romantic, just the two of us walking around the lake park late at night.

i wondered what han-gyeol was thinking. was he as conscious of this as i was?

“han-gyeol.”

“hmm? what’s up?”

“thanks for coming. and sorry for bothering you.”

“hey, no need to apologize. we don’t live that far apart, anyway.”

“still, thank you. i was feeling a bit down, but i feel better now.”

“well, that’s good to hear.”

my eyes darted away the moment i saw han-gyeol speak, illuminated by the moonlight.

my heart was pounding so loudly, that i feared it would drown out the surrounding sounds. but i couldn’t just show him my back, so i faced han-gyeol again.

“i messed up my mock exams.”

“oh, i see.”

“i studied hard, but the results were disappointing. i was both mad and sad.”

“yeah, that’s completely understandable. you did work hard, after all.”

han-gyeol’s soft response was comforting. i was grateful he was just willing to accept my emotions. and his empathetic nature continued to warm my heart.

“do you think i worked hard?”

“yes, you worked really hard.”

“i’m not so sure.”

han-gyeol halted his steps.

“should we sit for a while? i’ve walked a lot.”

“sure, there’s a bench over there.”

as soon as we sat down on a bench facing the lake, han-gyeol began to speak.

“you know, when i don’t feel like i’ve worked hard enough, i convince myself that i haven’t. you’re probably the same. but from what i see, you have worked hard.”

i listened carefully to han-gyeol’s words.

“i mean, you come to school early every morning, you never doze off during class, you even go to the standing desk at the back if you get sleepy. i’ve often refrained from talking to you because you’re always studying even during breaks. so, i’m not forcing you, but i think you should also believe that you’ve worked hard.”

han-gyeol avoided eye contact, perhaps a little embarrassed by his heartfelt speech. i also turned my gaze toward the lake.

so, he had been watching me all this time.

han-gyeol also looked at me from time to time.

the person i like had noticed me as well.

irrespective of my hard work, that simple fact stayed with me. embarrassed, i clenched the hem of my pants.

“thank you.”

“mm.”

“really, thank you for saying that!”

i was looking at the placid lake, but inside, my emotions were anything but calm.

--- the end of the chapter ---

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