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The rooftop, for many, is an oasis of calm—a place where students can relax and enjoy the silence away from the pressures of the world below. The perfect place to turn to when overwhelmed by life's biggest hurdles.
“It's pretty empty today, huh?” Heo-Yool said in passing as he set foot on the rooftop, his steps guided as he approached a spot by the guard railing, overlooking the sight of the school’s front yard.
Yoon-Ji nodded as she fell into place beside him, placing her arms on top of the barrier that separated her from a fall four storeys high. She watched as a stream of students walked the yard, then replied, "Most students have already gone home by now. We have extended clean-up duties, so it makes sense.”
“Right,” Heo-Yool nodded.
He took out a stick of cigarette from his pants pocket, examining it with his fingers for a moment before placing it between his lips. With a quick movement, he produced a lighter from his other pocket and sparked it to life, holding the flame to the end of the cigarette.
The cigarette ignited with a brief crackle, and Heo-Yool drew a deep breath. He exhaled slowly, letting a thick stream of smoke puff forth.
A moment of silence passed between them before Yoon-Ji turned, raising an eyebrow. “Was today that stressful?," she asked, a hint of curiosity in her eyes.
Heo-Yool shrugged his shoulders. “Eh, Not really.”
But Yoon-Ji knew better. Contrary to how he was known, Heo-Yool wasn't all just about fun and mischief. Behind that class clown image and prankster he paraded around the school was a boy who had his days when things didn't work out the way he hoped they would. And the one thing he adopted to deal with this was to smoke.
Yoon-Ji shook her head, turning away from the heavy scent of smoke. “C’mon, you only smoke like this when you're bothered by something,” she said, a hint of concern in her tone. “If you just wanted to hit for fun, you wouldn't have dragged me along.”
“Maybe I just needed company,” the boy answered before continuing, “Also, aren't you happy I basically gave you a good excuse to skip out on cleaning duty? Not even the prez could object to it.”
This earned him a deadpan from Yoon-Ji, who told him, “Yool, you told everyone we were going to go take a piss.”
Heo-Yool broke out into a small grin before his expression immediately fell at the realization. “What’s wrong with—oh?"
"And the reason Jun-Hee couldn't say anything was because you dragged me before he could," Yoon-Ji explained, feeling out her wrist, which her friend strongly seized as he hastily whisked her away.
She wasn't upset or anything; she was just a bit fretful since she knew the boy's personality like the back of her hand. Heo-Yool didn't answer right away, so she used the opportunity to gaze at him, her face conveying a slight trace of concern behind a light-hearted tone.
“Look, I'm not going to pry much,” she said, her voice understanding. "Just remember, I'm here for you whenever you need me.”
