Chapter 0. Encounter

“Get ready!”

With the signal to start, Jaeheon Lee took her hand and began solving the questions one by one. Cheers erupted loudly, and children’s laughter trickled in through the noise. But Eunkyo couldn’t think of anything else. The sensation of his touch on her cheek, the dampness clinging to the back of her hand, and the heat of his body seeping through her back made her heart pound like it was going to explode.

“Ah!”

Jihoon shouted as the pen veered way off course.

“Oh no! We failed!”

Snapped back to reality, she looked down to see a red line trailing off in the wrong direction, far from the maze’s exit.

‘What just happened?’

She turned her head, and there was Jaeheon covering his face with one hand—his ears, cheeks, and the back of his neck all flushed a burning red.

“Sunbae.”

He whispered so quietly only she could hear. While the kids, giggling and teasing at Jaeheon’s mistake, turned their attention elsewhere—

“You know I’m a total psycho, right?”

“…What?”

“Shit, why is my heart beating so damn fast?”

“Huh?”

“I really wanna kiss you right now.”

When Jaeheon says he’ll do something, he does it.

Eunkyo, shocked, pushed his face away. He stumbled back slightly, clenched his jaw—and then grinned. Sensing the shift in the atmosphere, he waved at the kids, then grabbed her hand and started walking.

She had no choice but to follow him.

Strong light pierced through the branches above, casting net-like shadows. Every step she took, as if pulled along by him, drew curious glances that came and went like ripples.

“How far are you planning to go? Hey, people are watching—let go of me, will you?”

“Condoms are getting delivered this week.”

‘Oh.’

Her steps slowed, heavy and awkward, and her face flushed as if scorched by summer heat.

On a day when summer cried out loud, she met that boy…