The alarm rang loudly as the cheerful chirping of birds filled the morning air. After a few moments, a young man with messy hair and a wrinkled T-shirt slowly opened his eyes. Letting out a long yawn, he reached over to silence the alarm before slipping into his slippers and heading to the bathroom to freshen up. Once he was done, he walked straight into his younger brother's room. Without hesitation, he nudged the sleeping boy with his foot.
"Hey, bastard. Wake up and get ready for school."
The boy didn't move.
"You're always late."
He nudged him again.
"If your rank drops this time, I'll kill you."
"Ahh... Hyung, stop nagging me first thing in the morning. Just five more minutes," the younger boy groaned, burying his face deeper into the pillow.
Another kick.
"Fuck... stop! I'm awake!"
"Heesung!" the older brother shouted. "Mom! He's using bad words again!"
From the kitchen, their mother called out,
"Sungjin, stop using bad words! And both of you, come downstairs and eat your breakfast!"
"Okay, Mom! We're coming!" Heesung replied.
The two brothers headed downstairs and sat at the dining table, enjoying the breakfast their mother had prepared.
After finishing his meal, Heesung picked up his bag and gave his mother a big hug.
"Bye, Mom. I'm leaving for college."
"Okay, my dear son. Take care."
"By the way, where's Dad?"
"He left for the office before you woke up. He said he had an important meeting."
He smiled brightly.
"Bye, Mom. Love you."
His mother returned his smile. Heesung slung his backpack over his shoulder and hurried toward the bus stop. A few minutes later, the bus arrived. He climbed aboard, found a seat by the window, and watched the city slowly come to life outside. Taking his earphones out of his bag, he plugged them into his phone, pressed play on his favorite playlist, and quietly enjoyed the peaceful ride to college.
After ten minutes, the bus arrived at Seoul University. The campus was already bustling with students. Laughter and conversations echoed throughout the grounds as everyone made their way to their classrooms. Heesung had just stepped through the university gate when someone came running from behind.
"Heesung! Wait for me!" his friend shouted.
Before Heesung could react, his friend casually threw an arm over his shoulder. Heesung frowned and immediately pushed it away.
"I've told you before—I hate skin ship. Remove your hand and walk normally."
His expression turned serious.
"This is the last time I'm saying it. If you do it again, I'll break your hand."
"Ow, ow! Sorry, man!" his friend laughed awkwardly. "Why are you getting so worked up? We're friends. What's the problem?"
"It's just... I don't like it when two guys get too close."
"Hmm? What do you mean by 'too close'?"
Heesung looked away, clearly uncomfortable.
"You know..."
"Oh..." His friend finally understood. "You mean gays?"
Heesung felt embarrassed that his friend had said it so loudly.
"Yeah."
"But why do you hate them?" his friend asked curiously.
"It's just my personal opinion. I don't like seeing people of the same gender in relationships. Gays... lesbians... I don't like any of it."
His friend shrugged.
"Hmm... that's your opinion. I don't hate them. They're humans just like everyone else."
Heesung didn't respond. The two continued walking toward their classroom while chatting about random things. Soon, the first lecture began.
Unlike most students, Heesung rarely talked during class. As the top student in his department, he listened attentively, carefully taking notes without missing a single point.
He was majoring in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (AI & ML).
Ever since he was young, Heesung had loved coding. He had worked tirelessly throughout high school to earn a scholarship at Seoul University, and his hard work had finally paid off.
As soon as the lecture ended, a group of friends gathered around his desk.
"Guys," one of them said excitedly, "let's go to karaoke after classes!"
Everyone immediately agreed. Everyone... Except Heesung.
"No. I'm having dinner with my girlfriend. You guys go without me."
"Oh, come on!" another friend complained. "You always ditch us because of her. Can't you cancel your plans just this once?"
"No."
He answered without hesitation.
"Tsk... Fine! Next time you invite us somewhere, we're definitely not coming."
"Fine by me," Heesung replied with a small smile.
Before anyone could continue arguing, the next professor walked into the classroom. The students quickly returned to their seats. One lecture followed another. Between classes, they had a short lunch break before returning for the afternoon sessions. Hours passed. The golden evening sun slowly painted the campus in shades of orange as the final class finally came to an end. Heesung packed his books into his backpack. Just then, a cheerful voice echoed from outside the classroom.
"Heesung-ah! Let's go!"
A beautiful girl stood by the classroom door, waving at him with a bright smile. The moment his classmates saw her, they started making teasing noises.
"Ooooh...Someone's popular!"
Heesung ignored all of them. Smiling softly, he walked over to his girlfriend.
"Sorry for making you wait."
"It's okay," she replied with a smile.
He turned back toward his friends.
"See you guys tomorrow."
Without waiting for another round of teasing, the two left the classroom together and headed toward a nearby restaurant. Soon, they entered a nearby restaurant and chose a table by the window. After taking their seats, they ordered their food.
As they ate, they chatted about random things. However, Heesung couldn't help but notice that his girlfriend seemed unusually quiet. She looked nervous, and there was an awkwardness in the air.
Even though he noticed it, he decided not to ask.
After a few moments, she looked at him and smiled faintly.
"Heesung... can we go on a date tomorrow? I have something I want to tell you... and I also have something to give you."
Heesung looked at her in confusion.
"Aren't we on a date right now? You can tell me here and give it to me now."
She quickly shook her head.
"No... let's meet tomorrow."
She insisted so sincerely that he eventually nodded.
"Alright."
After that, the atmosphere became strangely quiet. Neither of them spoke much for the rest of the meal. Once they finished eating, Heesung paid the bill. As they stepped outside the restaurant, he looked at her.
"I'll walk you home. It's already late, and it's not safe."
She smiled and shook her head.
"It's okay. The station is just nearby."
"If you're sure..."
He hesitated for a moment before adding,
"Then send me a message once you get home."
"Okay. Bye."
She waved at him before turning around. Heesung quietly watched as she walked down the brightly lit street until her figure slowly disappeared among the city lights. After standing there for a moment, he headed toward the bus stop. A few minutes later, the bus arrived. He climbed aboard, found a seat by the window, put on his earphones, and played a soothing song. As the city lights passed by outside the window, he quietly listened to the music all the way home.
After reaching home, he greeted his family briefly before heading straight to his room. Without even changing his clothes, he flopped onto the bed, completely exhausted. When Heesung woke up, it was already morning. He had slept like a log the previous night, so exhausted that he hadn't even bothered to change out of his clothes. Stretching lazily, he headed to the bathroom and took a refreshing shower.
Today was different. He was going on a date. After drying his hair, he carefully picked out his outfit. He wore a crisp white shirt tucked neatly into a pair of brown trousers, topped with a matching brown blazer. After spraying on a light fragrance, he looked at himself in the mirror one last time. Even though he had been on countless dates with his girlfriend before, for some reason, he felt unusually nervous today. Trying to ignore the strange feeling, he went downstairs.
He grabbed a few slices of bread, poured himself a cup of coffee, and quietly ate his breakfast. His mother noticed him and smiled.
"What happened yesterday? I called you several times, but you never came downstairs. When I checked on you, you were sleeping so soundly that I didn't want to wake you. You didn't even change your clothes."
Heesung smiled sheepishly.
"I was just exhausted, Mom. That's all."
She looked at him suspiciously before shaking her head with a smile.
"Alright, alright."
Just then, his younger brother sat beside him, chewing on a slice of bread while resting one leg on the chair.
"Where are you going all dressed up?" he teased. "Don't tell me you're going on a date."
Heesung looked at him with an annoyed expression.
"Yes. So what?"
His brother laughed.
"Oho~ Someone's excited."
"You should worry about your studies instead," Heesung shot back. "If your rank drops this time, I'll break your legs."
His younger brother immediately raised both hands in surrender.
"Sorry, Brother! That was my mistake. Every time I talk to you, you somehow bring up my grades."
Heesung chuckled softly.
"Good. Then study hard."
he headed toward the door.
"Okay, Mom. I'm leaving."
His mother smiled warmly.
"Have fun... and take care."
Heesung smiled back before stepping outside, completely unaware that this ordinary day was about to change his life forever. Before his girlfriend arrived, Heesung reached the café early and reserved a table for the two of them. A few minutes later, she walked in, carrying a large cardboard box in both hands. Heesung smiled the moment he saw her. He had dressed up carefully for today's date, hoping to make a good impression. But she didn't even seem to notice. She slowly walked over and sat across from him.
An awkward silence filled the table. It looked as if she wanted to say something, but the words refused to leave her mouth. Unable to bring herself to say it immediately, she forced a small smile.
"Did... did you order anything?"
Heesung looked at her in confusion.
"No... I was waiting for you."
She lowered her gaze and nodded.
"That's... fine."
She took a deep breath.
"I thought... after giving this to you and telling you everything... I'd leave."
Heesung frowned.
"What do you mean?"
Without answering, she slowly reached across the table and gently placed her hand over his.
"Heesung-ah..."
She paused for several long seconds.
Then, gathering all her courage, she whispered,
"Let's... break up."
Silence.
His mind went completely blank. It felt as though something inside him had shattered. He stared at her, unable to process what he had just heard. She slowly withdrew her hand.
"I'm sorry..."
She struggled to meet his eyes.
"I...I realized I'm a lesbian."
"I only realized it after I started dating you."
"I felt guilty for lying to both of us."
"So... I'm ending our relationship."
"I'm really sorry."
"You'll... understand, right?"
Her voice became distant. He couldn't hear anything anymore. His ears rang loudly. The only words echoing over and over inside his head were—I'm a lesbian. She gently pushed the cardboard box toward him.
"I came to return everything you gave me."
Slowly, she stood up. Without waiting for an answer, she walked toward the exit. Before opening the café door, she stopped. Without turning around, she quietly said,
"I'm sorry, Heesung-ah."
Then she walked away. He remained frozen in his seat, staring at the unopened box in front of him. Every sound around him faded into the background. The bustling streets, the passing conversations, the honking cars... None of it reached his ears. The only words echoing endlessly in his mind were—
"I'm a lesbian."
His hands trembled as he picked up the cardboard box. Without knowing where he was going, he slowly walked out of the café. His eyes were empty. His mind was blank. Completely lost in his thoughts, he stepped onto the road without even noticing that the traffic light was red. Cars sped past him. Several drivers slammed on their brakes while others swerved just in time to avoid him.
"Hey! Watch where you're going!"
"What the hell is wrong with him?!"
The angry shouts couldn't reach him.
He just kept walking...
BANG!
Every sound around him faded away. The world continued moving... but for Heesung, everything had come to a stop.
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