Projection Novel (Completed) - Chapter 124

You did well. You’ve worked so hard these past three years. You tried so hard, it would be strange if you failed. You knew you’d get into a national university anyway…

Before leaving home for the graduation ceremony, Cheon Sejoo took out a letter carefully kept in his drawer. It was a letter Sejin had written to him last November, when he achieved a perfect score on the college entrance exam.

If you go to university, you’ll probably be so busy that you won’t have time to come home, right? But I’m fine, I’m just afraid Hyein will be sad, so it’s good to visit home once a week… Twice is fine too. Hyein still needs attention, right? If you’re too busy during exam season, I’ll come and look after her, so don’t worry.

Behind the letter were traces of the sadness Sejin tried to hide, fearing he wouldn’t see Cheon Sejoo again when he went to university. Nevertheless, Sejin was strong, even promising to take care of Hyein, whom he had only met a few times. A lump rose in Cheon Sejoo’s chest, and he couldn’t help but press his lips to Sejin’s words.

It was time to end their sweet school romance, so they had to part ways. Sejin would stay, while Cheon Sejoo had to move into the Seoul National University dormitory to save commuting time.

Though disappointed, he could still visit Sejin on weekends. Just seeing him safe every week was enough.

“Haa.”

Cheon Sejoo sighed and turned around. He looked at himself in the full-length mirror in the large common living room, tidied his clothes, and then briefly greeted before going to school. As the student representative for graduation, Cheon Sejoo had many things to do with the teachers early on.

The school he attended always had students admitted to Seoul National University every year, but Cheon Sejoo was the first to achieve a perfect score on the rigorous exam to enter the Medical Faculty. Without a doubt, he was the main character of today’s graduation ceremony.

“Is this the speech?”

“Yes, it’s a bit long, can you memorize it all? If not, you can read it.”

“It’s fine. Ten minutes and I’ll be done.”

“Oh my, if you win the Nobel Prize in Medicine later, don’t forget me.”

Cheon Sejoo arrived at school and received the newly completed speech. After a few jokes with the teacher, he immediately memorized the speech and returned to class after having committed it to memory. The early arrivals greeted him cheerfully.

“Hey, Cheon Sejoo’s here! Let’s take pictures!”

“Okay, okay! How should we pose?”

Cheon Sejoo and his friends, excited to have just become adults, captured their last memories. For 20 minutes, they took hundreds of photos. Looking back, he saw friends from other classes also rushing over, having heard he was there.

“Cheon Sejoo! Take a picture with me!”

“Me too, me too!”

It was like a fan meeting. Although a bit bothersome, Cheon Sejoo happily took photos with everyone one by one. By the time it was done, it was ten o’clock.

Everyone gradually went to the auditorium, and the graduation ceremony officially began. From the beginning, Cheon Sejoo had to go on stage many times to receive awards, receive congratulations from student body president Heo Woojin, and at the principal’s request, he also gave a speech sharing his experience of passing the exam with his juniors.

When he tiredly stepped down from the podium, the ceremony was almost over.

Seeing the nun, the priest, and the children from the orphanage applauding him from a distance, Cheon Sejoo waved a casual greeting and then looked around the auditorium.

He had told Sejin in advance not to attend the graduation ceremony because it would be very crowded, but if it was Sejin, who always disobeyed, he would definitely come. And just as he expected, Cheon Sejoo saw Sejin wearing a neat uniform, with an old jacket draped over it.

Even though it was cold, he didn’t wear a padded jacket because he wanted to look neat. That meticulousness was adorable. When their eyes met, Cheon Sejoo’s left chest felt like it was burning. He wanted to run to him immediately.

“…I wish everyone a bright future.”

Immediately after the principal’s final address and the farewell song by the junior students, Cheon Sejoo immediately left his seat. He pushed Heo Woojin, who had just run over, towards the nun and the priest to buy time, then quickly turned and headed towards Sejin.

“Sejin.”

“…Congratulations on your graduation.”

Adorably, Sejin was even holding a small flower. His cheeks were flushed, and he held out a red rose with a slightly pouting face, but that deliberately cool expression made the flower resemble his lips even more. Cheon Sejoo smiled and accepted the flower.

Even though it was a scentless flower, Sejin’s affection intoxicated him. He lowered his head, buried his face in the flower, then looked up, smiling.

“Thank you.”

“…”

But then Sejin, who had just been looking at him, suddenly lowered his head, saying nothing, just staring at the tip of his shoes. Cheon Sejoo called his name, confused.

“Sejin.”

There was no response. A moment later, Sejin quietly wiped his cheek, then looked up. Meeting his gaze, Cheon Sejoo’s heart dropped.

Sejin’s small face was drenched in tears, his eyes rimmed red, and inside, his glistening eyes were full of tears. His lips were tightly pressed as if to suppress a sob that was about to burst out, seemingly ready to bleed at any moment. Kwon Sejin was crying. Cheon Sejoo, who thought nothing could scare him, now panicked and grabbed his shoulders.

“Why are you crying? Did I do something wrong?”

“It’s just…”

Sejin couldn’t continue, only silent tears fell.

The school he once only wanted to drop out of, where he felt he was wasting time because he learned nothing. But since meeting Cheon Sejoo, school has had a different meaning.

This was where he could be with him, meet him. Even though they weren’t in the same class, just being in the same building as Cheon Sejoo made Sejin love school.

Fearing that Cheon Sejoo would think he was lazy, Sejin, at some point, stopped dozing off in class. He tried pretending to study, and before he knew it, he was genuinely studying. Knowledge gradually accumulated, so even if his progress wasn’t outstanding, he slowly began to understand everything.

Lately, there were times when curiosity would suddenly spark within him. At those moments, Sejin couldn’t be patient and would immediately open a book. Naturally, studying became a habit. As a result, his grades also rose from 21st to 17th place, and Sejin even received praise from his mother, Kim Hyun Kyung.

All these changes were thanks to Cheon Sejoo, thanks to the sweet snacks that demanded nothing in return.

“It’s just…”

Sejin couldn’t imagine a school without Cheon Sejoo. How lonely the road to school would be without him. How solitary it would be to study alone in his own room.

He didn’t want to be away from Cheon Sejoo, didn’t want to let him go far. Even though he knew it was unreasonable, he wanted to be stubborn. Sejin tried to stifle a sob, looked up, and asked him.

“If… you don’t graduate… would that be okay?”

Tears streamed down his smooth, white cheeks, still retaining a hint of childishness. This was the first time Sejin had cried in front of him. His eyes trembled, the rims red, cheeks drenched, and throat burning.

Cheon Sejoo felt both pain and tenderness, his heart aching yet overflowing with happiness. He was crying because of him. But… this face, it was best that only he saw it.

To make Sejin stop crying, Cheon Sejoo smiled gently and said:

“So? I won’t graduate anymore? Cancel my admission, stay for two more years, and graduate with you?”

The one who had just asked him not to graduate was Sejin, but now hearing Cheon Sejoo say that, tears flowed freely from him, and he shook his head vigorously. He probably even mumbled, “No, you can’t.”

Sejin was always honest and couldn’t hide his feelings, truly adorable and making Cheon Sejoo’s heart clench. He wanted to kiss him so much, but there were too many people around. Cheon Sejoo clenched his fist tightly and hugged Sejin, just enough not to be too close, gently stroking his back.

“I won’t go to college anymore. That way you’ll stop crying, right? I’ll call to cancel my admission in a bit.”

“No, you can’t…!”

Sejin shook his head again, his voice firm. His small face rubbing against his chest was maddeningly cute. Cheon Sejoo really wanted to tease him. He reached out and gently stroked the back of Sejin’s neck, then whispered in his ear.

“No, I won’t go. I hate seeing you cry.”

Seeing him cry like that just made him want to kiss him endlessly. When Cheon Sejoo lowered his voice and said that, Sejin’s eyes widened, and he pushed him away. His eyebrows furrowed, his hands clenched as if he were very angry.

“Are you crazy?!”

Cheon Sejoo squinted his eyes, smiling, and shrugged. He reached out to wipe Sejin’s cheeks and spoke gently as if he had never teased anyone before:

“Finally stopped crying. Don’t cry anymore. It breaks my heart.”

Watching him pretend to clutch his chest as if hurt, Sejin bit his lip tightly. He was always playing tricks. While one’s heart was in turmoil, dying of sadness, what was with that nonchalant attitude?

The remaining tears dried up, and anger flared. Sejin puffed out his cheeks and glared at Cheon Sejoo. But Cheon Sejoo, as always, looked at Sejin with doting affection. He stroked Sejin’s head with a smile, then turned to look at the orphanage residents and Hyein, whispering:

“It’s cold, you should go home first. I have something to do, so I can’t be with you now. But I’ll stop by your house later tonight. Got it?”

“…Yes.”

Perhaps because he was sad to part, he answered curtly. Cheon Sejoo stared at Sejin, then burst out laughing like a madman, hugged him tightly, and turned to leave.

The next time he went to school, it would probably be Sejin’s graduation. Cheon Sejoo smiled, imagining twenty-year-old Kwon Sejin, 168cm tall, holding a bouquet. By then, they would surely have done more than just kiss. He didn’t forget the fantasies based on burning desire.

Yes. Even then, it would be the same. Cheon Sejoo had no idea that Sejin would grow taller than him.

Kwon Sejin was 20, Cheon Sejoo was 21.

Last year, when he turned 19 and had to pack up his remaining belongings at the orphanage, Cheon Sejoo moved into a new house with Hyein on January 2nd. The money he had was the total scholarship received from various companies after the college entrance exam, excellent performance scholarships, and high-paying tutoring jobs he managed to squeeze in during his busy first year, enough to rent a small house with two rooms, a separate living room, and kitchen.

He gave Hyein her own room, and he also had his own room. But soon after, his room became a shared room with Sejin. It was a natural change as Sejin often came to take meticulous care of Hyein whenever he was busy.

During the semester, Cheon Sejoo stayed in the dormitory, but when the holidays came, he returned home, and all three of them practically lived under one roof throughout the summer and winter.

Kim Hyun Kyung, who was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer when Sejin was 18, followed Cheon Sejoo’s advice and successfully underwent treatment. She occasionally visited their house. The four of them lived like a family.