'It's so sweet, knowing that you love me
Though we don't need to say it to each other, sweet
Knowing that I love you, and running my fingers through your hair
It's so sweet'
Jaeyi doesn’t know how long she’s been watching her.
It’s not intentional. Or at least, not entirely. Seulgi just has this way of pulling her attention toward her, as if the entire world fades into the background, leaving only her figure, her concentrated expression, her body moving clumsily on the board.
It’s nighttime, and the park is empty enough that the streetlights illuminate only the scattered figures of a few guys on their skateboards. Jaeyi came with them, as always, but she stopped paying attention to them a while ago.
Seulgi is on the other side, trying to skate on her own, without anyone’s help. It shows in the way she leans too far forward when pushing the board, in the way she furrows her brows when she almost loses balance. There’s something about her persistence, her stubbornness, that makes her look more adorable than she should.
"What are you staring at?" someone asks beside her.
It’s Kyung, holding a can of soda with a teasing smile on her face. Jaeyi looks away immediately.
"Nothing."
Kyung lets out a laugh.
"Yeah, sure. Nothing."
Jaeyi clicks her tongue and gives Kyung a light shove with her shoulder. She doesn’t want to give her the satisfaction of admitting it, but she knows she can’t hide it. Not when her eyes keep drifting back to Seulgi without her control.
She watches her stumble, almost fall, but at the last moment, she manages to stay on her feet. The way she presses her lips together in frustration is so Seulgi that Jaeyi feels a strange pang in her chest. She doesn’t know if it’s fondness or a deep urge to walk over and help her.
It’s a stupid idea. But before she can think too much about it, her feet are already taking her in that direction.
“Need some help?” she asks, trying to sound casual, though something about the way Seulgi looks up at her makes her stomach tighten.
Seulgi narrows her eyes, studying her as if she’s unsure whether to accept the offer.
“I can do it on my own,” she replies stubbornly.
Jaeyi smiles—of course she would say that.
“I don’t doubt it, but I just saw you almost kill yourself like three times in the last few minutes.”
“That’s not true!”
Jaeyi shrugs.
“I won’t judge you if you take my help.”
Seulgi crosses her arms, thoughtful. Jaeyi can see the conflict on her face, as if part of her really doesn’t want to admit defeat. And then, with a long, resigned sigh, she mutters:
“Fine. But only because I want to get better fast.”
Jaeyi doesn’t say anything else. She just smiles as she picks up the skateboard and sets it in the right position.
“Trust me.”
And Seulgi, without realizing it, already does.
The night breeze is cold against her skin, but the warmth from the park lights gives the air a cozy feel. Seulgi watches the skateboard beneath her feet with a mix of excitement and nervousness, feeling the weight of the board as something completely foreign to her body. Jaeyi, beside her, smiles with that confident expression that has always been with her.
“It’s not as hard as it seems, I promise,” Jaeyi says, effortlessly balancing her own skateboard, as if it were a natural extension of her body.
Seulgi snorts, crossing her arms.
“You say that because you’ve been doing it for years.”
Jaeyi laughs and bends down to adjust Seulgi’s foot on the board. Her touch is firm but gentle, and Seulgi feels a strange shiver run through her skin when Jaeyi’s fingers brush her ankle.
“Put your right foot forward and use your left to push. Keep your balance, and if you feel like you’re going to fall, bend your knees a little.” Jaeyi murmurs with a crooked smile.
Seulgi swallows and nods, trying to memorize every word. She takes a deep breath, places her foot, and pushes awkwardly. The board moves, but her body doesn’t follow well, and before she can react, she loses her balance and falls to the ground with a sharp thud.
“Shit!”
Jaeyi bursts out laughing, but quickly approaches and offers her a hand.
“Are you okay?”
Seulgi makes a face, feeling the sting in her palms, but takes Jaeyi’s hand and stands up with an exasperated sigh.
“Yeah, yeah. Just my pride got hurt.”
Jaeyi looks at her with bright eyes, as if the scene amuses her too much. Seulgi frowns.
“Stop laughing.”
“I can’t help it, you look cute when you frown.” Jaeyi responds without thinking too much.
The words fall in the air like a stone in water. Seulgi blinks and feels the heat rise to her cheeks but pretends to ignore it.
“I’ll try again.”
Jaeyi nods, although the smile still hasn’t left her face.
This time, when Seulgi gets back on the board, Jaeyi stands behind her, holding her waist with both hands. Her touch is warm, firm, and somehow, Seulgi feels her whole body tense for reasons unrelated to the skateboard.
“I’m going to let you go slowly, but keep your eyes forward, don’t look at your feet.” Jaeyi whispers, her breath brushing against Seulgi’s ear.
Seulgi nods without saying anything, feeling the air around her grow heavier. Jaeyi gives her a light push and lets go. This time, the board moves more steadily. Seulgi feels the wind on her face, the adrenaline coursing through her chest, and when she realizes it, she’s gliding across the pavement without falling.
“Jaeyi!” she shouts with a mix of excitement and surprise. “I’m doing it!”
“I knew you could!”
Jaeyi’s laughter reaches her, and for a moment, everything feels light. The fear, the doubts, the insecurities… they all disappear in the instant she’s on the board, moving freely. And when she finally gets off the skateboard, panting but laughing, she meets Jaeyi’s gaze, bright and filled with something Seulgi still can’t name.
“You were amazing,” Jaeyi says, and without thinking, ruffles her hair with one hand.
Seulgi frowns, pretending to be annoyed, but her heart is beating too fast for her to really care.
“Only because I had a great teacher.”
The night has advanced enough for the park lights to emit a dimmer glow, blending with the darkness of the sky. Seulgi still feels the adrenaline buzzing in her chest as she sits on one of the benches, her skateboard beside her, knees bent and elbows resting on them.
Jaeyi sits next to her, drinking from a water bottle that Kyung tossed her a while ago.
For the first time in a long time, Seulgi feels good. Truly good.
“You did better than I expected,” Jaeyi says, turning her head toward her with a satisfied smile.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Seulgi narrows her eyes, pretending to be offended.
Jaeyi shrugs with her usual carefree attitude.
“I thought you’d fall at least five more times.”
“Ugh! You don’t trust me at all.”
“I’m just telling the truth.”
Seulgi makes a face, but when Jaeyi lets out a soft laugh, she finds herself smiling too. The air is cool, the pavement still holds the warmth from the day, and the voices of the few skaters left in the park blend with the distant sounds of the city.
For a moment, it’s just the two of them in their own world.
“How long have you been skating?” Seulgi asks after a while, playing with the label of a half-empty water bottle.
Jaeyi seems to think about it.
“Since I was twelve. My older sister taught me.”
“Is she good?”
Jaeyi tilts her head.
“She was good. But she got bored and stopped. Now I’m the only one still doing it.”
Seulgi nods, imagining a young Jaeyi on a skateboard, probably with bruised knees and a determination similar to the one she felt tonight.
“And you?” Jaeyi asks suddenly. “Why did you decide to try it?”
Seulgi falls silent.
She’s not sure how to answer that. There’s no specific reason, no inspiring story behind her desire to learn. Just an impulse. Something inside her pushed her to want to try it, to want to feel the wind on her face and the speed beneath her feet.
“I don’t know,” she says finally. “I guess I just wanted to try something different. Something that made me feel…”
She stops, unsure of how to finish the sentence.
Jaeyi looks at her, and the way her eyes soften, Seulgi knows she understands.
“Free,” Jaeyi completes for her.
Seulgi looks at her, surprised.
Jaeyi doesn’t look away.
“It feels like that, doesn’t it?”
Seulgi lowers her gaze to the skateboard at her feet.
Free.
Yeah, maybe that’s it.
She lets out a soft laugh and leans back against the bench, lifting her face to the dark sky.
“Yeah,” she murmurs. “It feels like that.”
Jaeyi doesn’t say anything else, but Seulgi feels her move beside her, her arm brushing against hers in a light, casual touch.
Seulgi doesn’t pull away.
And in the night breeze, amid the stillness of the park and the faint sound of wheels gliding on the pavement, Seulgi thinks that this is one of those moments that, no matter what happens, will stay with her.
Maybe forever.