Chapter 21 — Spring Isn't Here Yet
The morning after felt unreal.
Ji-Woo woke up with the faint smell of old books still clinging to his coat and Min-Ho's warmth lingering like an echo on his skin.
For a moment, lying there in bed, he thought maybe everything would be different now.
Lighter. Easier.
But spring hadn't come yet.
---
At school, the world hadn't changed.
Whispers still followed Ji-Woo in the hallways.
The same stares. The same questions no one dared to ask out loud.
He kept his head down.
But then Min-Ho walked beside him — not behind, not at a distance, but beside him.
In plain sight.
People noticed.
Ji-Woo heard the murmurs.
"Are they back together?"
"Wasn't he the one who—?"
His chest tightened.
---
At lunch, Ji-Woo sat alone by the window.
He didn't hear Min-Ho approach until the boy set down a tray in front of him and sat without asking.
"You're brave," Ji-Woo muttered.
Min-Ho shrugged. "I don't care what they say."
"You should."
"I can't."
Ji-Woo stared at him. "Why?"
Min-Ho's gaze didn't waver. "Because you're here."
---
Ji-Woo wanted to believe those words could shield them.
But he also knew winter doesn't end just because you want it to.
The thaw was coming.
But spring wasn't here yet.