Chapter 24 — The First Warm Day
It happened without warning.
One morning, Ji-Woo stepped outside and felt it — the air was softer. Not warm exactly, but no longer biting.
He didn't need to pull his scarf so high.
The ice along the school fence had started to break apart in thin, glassy sheets.
It wasn't spring yet.
But it was close enough to taste.
---
At lunch, Min-Ho leaned against the wall beside Ji-Woo's usual spot by the window.
"You're smiling," he said.
"Am I?"
"You are."
Ji-Woo looked out at the courtyard where puddles shimmered under pale sunlight.
"I just… forgot what it felt like to breathe without my chest hurting."
Min-Ho didn't say anything. But after a moment, Ji-Woo felt a gentle pressure — Min-Ho's sleeve brushing against his.
It wasn't a touch anyone else would notice.
But Ji-Woo noticed.
---
After school, they walked home the long way, through the park.
The ground was still damp, the benches still cold, but Min-Ho sat down anyway.
Ji-Woo followed.
For a while, they just listened — not to whispers, not to traffic, but to the steady drip of melting snow.
Min-Ho glanced at him. "Feels like the world's waking up."
Ji-Woo thought about that.
"Maybe we are too."