Sanzzy Episode 🐱 All × San [⏯]

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Seonghwa couldn't understand why, in this scorching summer heat, San still endured wearing his thick coat. Although it was a favorite piece of clothing, Seonghwa thought he wouldn't keep wearing it if it meant risking his life.

However, he assumed San must have a good reason, something more than just claiming it as a favorite coat. San was the type to enjoy jokes, especially with people he knew well. So Seonghwa teased, "Do you have a skin condition so terrible and embarrassing that you have to keep covering your body like that?" He said with a half-laugh.

But San wasn't offended at all. Knowing Seonghwa well, he understood the playful intent behind the question. So he responded with a light tone and a similar laughter, "As if! It's not like that. This coat is like a talisman for me. I've been wearing it for over two months, and nothing unlucky has happened. Pretty amazing, right?"

"But I've seen you changing into other coats often? Well, maybe because there are times it needs washing. But really, if it's a talisman, why keep changing coats?"

"Because all my coats are talismans. Every single one. Anyway, if I take it off when going out, I'll be unlucky."

"Hmm..." Seonghwa tried to hide his skeptical expression from San.

"Alright, I'm heading to the cafeteria. I'm so hungry. Do you still have a class to retake? Go quickly, or you'll be late, and you won't pass that class."

Seonghwa chuckled softly. "Alright, San. See you in class two hours later." They exchanged smiles before parting ways.

That's what San thought.

But not the reality.

Because Seonghwa quietly followed San, observing his every step.

"He must be hiding something. Maybe he got a tattoo on his arm, regretted it, and decided to cover it up?" There were many other probabilities running through Seonghwa's mind.

Continuing to follow San from a distance, occasionally hiding in angles he wouldn't be noticed, Seonghwa kept assuming, predicting, and speculating. He felt like a detective now.

The second strange thing Seonghwa discovered, besides San always wearing the coat, was San lying about going to the cafeteria for lunch.

Because in reality, San turned, heading towards the yard of the campus, a secluded area that had been that way for over the past ten years. There were many rumors surrounding the garden. One was about the tragic death of a prospective student during a particularly harsh and inhumane orientation event organized by the student council seniors. After that, the girl's spirit was said to wander around the yard.

Well, that was one of the rumors.

If there were other rumors, they were different.

Now Seonghwa added another speculation to his list of suspicions about San. Perhaps the guy was performing some sort of worship or ritual and went to this spooky place to avoid being seen. And he had to dress oddly to fulfill the ritual, hence covering it with a coat. Seonghwa, who slightly believed in what people said, felt a bit scared and creepy but continued to follow San. He prayed that he'd always be under God's protection.

Arriving at the garden, Seonghwa hid behind a large, eerie-looking tree. The haunted garden was truly an all-in-one package. From there, Seonghwa observed San clearing dry leaves from a bench with his bare hands, cleaning it, and then sitting down.

Then what Seonghwa had been waiting for happened. San finally took off his coat. As expected, he was drenched in sweat. It made sense, considering it was a scorching summer and everyone was suffering.

What surprised Seonghwa, though, was seeing San's visibly large belly under the thin shirt. San smiled sweetly as he rubbed his belly, talking to it, "You really make things difficult for me. But strangely, I don't mind. All for you."

Now it was San's turn to be surprised when someone handed him a handkerchief. Looking at who it was, he said, "Seonghwa?!" He immediately turned, facing away from Seonghwa, and hugged his belly, as if trying to protect the fragile creature growing inside him. Or maybe just trying to hide it, even though his efforts were in vain. Seonghwa had seen it all.

"San..."

San lowered his head. "I'm sorry, Seonghwa."

Seonghwa laughed softly. "For what? You don't need to apologize."

"I have to. I lied to you."

"It's okay; everyone deserves to have secrets. And sorry for being so insistent on uncovering yours."

San felt a soft cloth wiping the sweat on his neck. Definitely Seonghwa.

He turned around, observing Seonghwa who was smiling at him while continuing to clean his sweat.

"Thank you."

"No problem. Want to talk about it?"

At that moment, San shared his story. Why he became pregnant and why he had to keep it a secret. Because Seonghwa asked why it had to be hidden. Pregnant students were common, right? San explained that he wanted to avoid the questions that would arise from his appearance, from the changes in his body, from his growing belly. Being abandoned by the man who made him like this, he didn't want to hear the criticism. He wasn't ready to face judgment. People around him were very judgmental, and he didn't want to become the subject of mockery and gossip.

But Seonghwa, here, was a witness. To what really happened behind the coat that San wore every day. He didn't judge San at all. He only asked kindly, even sympathized. If possible, he would also help San cover this up.

"What if you take a leave?"

"I don't want to. I want to graduate with my friends on time."

San looked incredibly adorable, thought Seonghwa. He couldn't believe that this cute creature, San, would soon become a parent.

"Aren't your parents against it?"

"What makes them object is not about my child being born without a father. It's about me having a child at such a young age. They pity me because my youth was taken away so easily because of a mistake. I felt very burdened by that at first, so much so that I wanted to get rid of it. But I found out I was pregnant when my belly was already big, so it felt so cruel to get rid of something that had grown so big. Besides, it's my own flesh and blood."

"So you're saying that if you knew about your pregnancy early on, you would have gotten rid of it?"

"Of course! It's easier to get rid of something that hasn't been given life yet."

"What about your future?"

"Don't worry; I'm still studying, right? After graduation, I'll look for a job. So, I won't burden my parents for my and my child's living expenses. Maybe marry someone willing to be a life partner for a man who already has a child like me?"

"What if that man comes back to you and proposes? Would you accept him?"

San chuckled briefly. "I know that people can change, and we can give them a second chance because they might make our lives better. But no, I've suffered too much, and my heart is broken. I'll never forgive him because he has to pay for all my pain."

"In that case, San,"

San looked into Seonghwa's eyes as he spoke with a more serious tone.

"What if you give that chance to me?"