함부로 헤픈 짓

Leeseo arrived at the main house in Hannam-dong during the spring of the year when Junmo entered the sixth grade.

It was the time when the flowers on the forsythia tree had fallen, and snow-like white blossoms of the winter jasmine were blooming. That year’s cold snap was unusually severe, leaving the flowering trees in distress.

Achoo!

A sudden sneeze erupted as pollen floated through the air.

Startled by Junmo’s sneeze, the girl, as if someone had grabbed her by the hair, raised her head abruptly.

The moment Junmo’s gaze met the girl’s large, round eyes, he felt as though time had stopped. Everything around him seemed to freeze, and only the plain-looking girl stood out starkly.

Beneath her rounded forehead, the girl’s expression revealed raw vulnerability.

Her eyes seemed to glisten with moisture, and soon, her tightly clenched jaw began to tremble. Tears, which had been welling up, finally burst forth like water gushing from a faucet.

Junmo felt a sudden pang in his chest. At the same time, a wave of irritation surged within him.

What did I even do?