The Best of Tomorrow [ 내일의 으뜸]

Tomorrow's Best Side Story Episode 1

seventeen, spring

On the first day of school, Baek In-hyuk, who was in a different class from Sun-jae as a sophomore, was sulky from the moment he walked through the school gates and whined like an animal being led to a cage before entering his classroom.

"Hey, see you at recess."

Baek In-hyuk said pitifully as he stood in front of the classroom door, but Sunjae walked down the hall and entered the classroom. When the bell rang for the end of first period, Baek In-hyuk shouted, "Ryu Sun-jae!" and opened the front door of the classroom.

"Sunjae Ryu, let's go to the cafeteria."

Sunjae, who had just closed his textbook, looked at Baek with his palm resting on top of his textbook. His shirt was untied, two buttons undone, and the collar loose. With one hand shoved in his pocket, Baek rapped his fist on Seonjae's desk and gestured down the hall. As if they were going to walk together on the ecstatic path to the canteen. After watching Baek's face wordlessly, Sunjae picked up his textbook and put it in his drawer.

"I have P.E. next. Go alone."

Sunjae got up from his chair and walked toward his locker. Baek pouted his lips and stormed out of the classroom.

The second period class filled fifty minutes. Sunjae ran around the playground chasing a soccer ball, while Baek underlined his textbook with nothing to do, waiting for the bell to ring.

The bell rang. Baek's head snapped up from twirling a pen in his hand to the blackboard. The classroom doors burst open and kids spilled out into the empty hallway, and Baek joined them. He went out into the hallway with the cornbread he had bought at the cafeteria during recess.

He wandered in front of Sunjae's classroom, which was empty because it was gym class. When a group of kids in gym uniforms showed up, he walked into the classroom with them as if he'd been waiting for them and took his seat. When he returned to the classroom later, he burst out laughing when he saw Baek In-hyuk taking his seat.

"Why do you keep coming back when you have nothing to say?"

"When have we ever had anything to talk about?"

Sunjae took off his gym top and placed it on the desk. Then he nudged Baek's shoulder. As if to say, give up my seat and go back to yours. Baek pouted his lips and offered him his chair.

Once seated, Sunjae pulled a notebook out of the drawer and fanned it. The wind created by the up and down motion of the notebook blew Sunjae's hair. He was still overheated from playing soccer. Pulling out the chair in front of him and sitting back down, Baek pointed at the gym clothes on his desk.

"You don't use your name?"

"Why would I use my name?"

"Because you don't use your name, so you don't get stolen."