We finished dinner together.
Even though everyone had been enjoying the food, I hadn't eaten much.
The cramps in my stomach still hadn't gone away.
Soon, we stepped out of the restaurant.
The cool evening breeze brushed against my face.
Ahead of us, Yian and Minhu were already walking side by side, arguing about which place we should visit first in Jeju Island.
Their voices echoed down the street, making both of them laugh.
I couldn't help but smile.
Beside me, Sihoon walked quietly.
His pace was slower than usual.
As if he already knew I couldn't walk as fast today.
Neither of us said anything.
But somehow—
the silence didn't feel awkward.
For the first time, I realized...
Sometimes, staying beside someone without saying a single word was enough.
I glanced at Sihoon.
He was looking straight ahead, his hands tucked into his pockets.
Maybe he hadn't even realized it.
But he had slowed down for me.
Suddenly, Yian turned around.
"Hey, Jia."
He walked backward for a few steps, grinning.
"Tell me, where should we go first in Jeju Island?"
I looked at him for a moment before smiling helplessly.
"I've never been to Jeju Island before."
"So..."
"I don't know which places are the best."
"It's your first time?" Minhu asked in surprise.
I nodded.
A smile spread across his face.
"Then this trip will be even more special for you."
Yian immediately threw an arm into the air.
"Exactly!"
"You'll never forget this trip."
I couldn't help but laugh.
"You're making my expectations really high."
"They should be," Yian replied confidently.
"This is our first trip together."
As everyone continued talking excitedly, I glanced beside me.
Sihoon was quietly listening to their conversation.
A small smile rested on his face.
He didn't say anything.
But somehow—
it felt as though he agreed with every word.
For some reason...
I had a feeling this trip would become a memory I would never forget.
Before we knew it, we had reached the place where we usually went our separate ways.
Minhu looked at me.
"I'll walk Jia home."
Before I could reply—
Yian suddenly grabbed Minhu by the arm.
"Hey!"
"What?"
Minhu looked at him in confusion.
"We need to buy something."
"What do we need to buy?"
"I'll tell you on the way."
Without giving Minhu another chance to ask, Yian dragged him toward a nearby convenience store.
"Yian!"
Minhu called helplessly.
But Yian only waved his hand without looking back.
"I'll explain later!"
I watched the two of them disappear into the crowd.
A small smile appeared on my face.
It wasn't the first time Yian had done something like this.
Somehow—
both Sihoon and I already knew he was giving us some time alone.
Neither of us pointed it out.
Instead, we simply looked at each other...
and quietly started walking home.
Although I tried not to show it, the pain in my stomach hadn't gone away.
A few minutes later, we arrived in front of my house.
I let out a small breath.
"Thank you for walking me home."
Just as I was about to step through the gate, Sihoon suddenly spoke.
"Jia."
I turned around.
"Wait here for a few minutes."
I blinked in confusion.
"Why?"
"I'll be back."
Before I could ask anything else, he had already started walking toward the convenience store at the end of the street.
...
A few minutes later, he returned with a small paper bag.
He held it out to me.
I looked inside.
There was a heat patch.
I looked up at him in surprise.
"You..."
"You said your stomach still hurts."
His voice remained as calm as ever.
"The pharmacist recommended it."
For a moment, I couldn't say anything.
No one had ever noticed something so small before.
Slowly, I took the bag.
"...Thank you."
Sihoon gave a small nod.
"Go inside."
"And get some rest."
I smiled.
"I will."
This time, when I walked toward the front door...
The warmth I felt wasn't coming from the heat patch in my hands.
That night, after taking a warm shower, I carefully opened the small paper bag.
Inside was the heat patch Sihoon had bought for me.
A small smile appeared on my face.
"...The pharmacist recommended it."
I remembered his words and gently attached the patch.
The warmth slowly spread across my stomach.
For a moment, it really did make me feel better.
Maybe...
Tomorrow would be fine.
After changing into my pajamas, I lay down on my bed.
My eyes slowly closed.
...
I didn't know how much time had passed.
Suddenly—
I woke up.
The room was silent.
I reached for my phone.
2:11 a.m.
A sharp pain shot through my lower abdomen.
"...Ah..."
I instinctively curled into myself.
My breathing became uneven as another wave of pain followed.
I pressed my hand against the heat patch.
It was still warm.
So why...
Why did it still hurt so much?
I closed my eyes, waiting for the pain to ease.
"It'll be okay..."
I whispered to myself.
"It's probably just worse than usual this month."
I tried to convince myself.
Slowly, I reached for the bottle of water beside my bed and took my medicine.
After several long minutes, the pain finally began to lessen.
Exhausted, I lay back on my pillow.
Just before falling asleep again, one thought crossed my mind.
"I hope tomorrow is better..."
Then, little by little...
I drifted back to sleep.
The next morning...
When I opened my eyes, my whole body felt heavy.
The pain had eased a little after taking the medicine, but I still didn't feel completely better.
I looked at the clock.
"...I'm late."
I quickly got ready, grabbed my bag, and hurried to school.
By the time I reached the school gate, the morning classes had already ended.
I let out a small sigh.
"Great..."
As I walked toward the building, I noticed a few familiar faces standing outside the Film Club room.
Yian was the first to spot me.
"There she is!"
He waved dramatically.
"We've been waiting for you!"
I blinked in surprise.
"Waiting... for me?"
Minhu smiled.
"Of course."
"We're all going to the club together."
Yoonji crossed her arms.
"We were about to come looking for you."
I smiled apologetically.
"Sorry... I overslept."
Before anyone could say anything else, Sihoon quietly walked over to me.
"You look tired."
His voice was calm.
"Are you feeling better?"
I gave a small nod.
"...A little."
He looked at me for a second, as if trying to decide whether to believe me.
Then he simply said,
"Let's go."
Together, we walked toward the Film Club room.
When we reached the Film Club room, Sonje was already there, waiting for us.
The moment we walked in, he looked up from the script in his hands.
"You're finally here."
We all took our seats.
Before anyone else could speak, Yian suddenly stood up.
"I have good news!"
Everyone in the room turned to look at him.
Sonje raised an eyebrow.
"What happened?"
Yian grinned from ear to ear.
"Minhu's dad agreed!"
For a second, the room fell silent.
Then Sonje looked at Minhu.
"...Really?"
Minhu smiled and nodded.
"Yes."
"We can all go to Jeju Island together."
A smile slowly spread across Sonje's face.
"That's great."
"I'm really glad."
The atmosphere in the room instantly became brighter.
Yian couldn't stay still.
"I told you everything would work out!"
Yoonji rolled her eyes.
"You've been saying that since the beginning."
"Because I believed it!"
Everyone laughed.
For the first time in a long while...
It truly felt like our Film Club was complete again.
The Jeju trip we had been waiting for...
Had finally become real.