Episode 3.
Their eyes met. Sean Frost’s pie-bald eyes were a mix of blue-green and brown. Like the Earth.
Well then. His gaze seemed to say that. The moment Sena slowly nodded, Sean went on his way.
The reason Sean Frost could act as cold as he did without earning a bad reputation was partly due to his elegant and sophisticated looks, but there was a much more significant reason that surpassed even that.
Now everyone knew. Sean Frost’s ‘religion’.
Sean arrived at school earlier than anyone else, prayed alone in the chapel for morning prayers, and attended classes. He wore a silver cross necklace around his neck and sometimes carried a Bible.
While he didn’t socialize privately with peers, if someone started a conversation about the Bible, he engaged seriously. The tremendous news someone discovered about Sean spread far and wide throughout the school in no time.
“I heard Sean Frost is going to enroll in a theology college in Germany later. He’s even learning German to study the Bible?”
Sean Frost’s popularity, having become synonymous with aloofness, rose even higher. Some upperclassmen had taken seats behind Sena, who was sitting by the library window.
Sean Frost really was a topic of conversation; even those not in 4th grade talked about him. Like now.
“Did you hear? Someone asked Sean Frost which church he attends, you know what he said?”
“What?”
“He said he attends the services of the church he used to go to in New York online every Sunday.”
The other person’s mouth dropped open.
“But he’s from New York, right? He’s not even from the Bible Belt.”
“That’s nothing. You know—”
Sena, not hearing the next part, unconsciously leaned her upper body slightly.
“What?! Sean Frost’s ring is a Purity Ring?”
“It’s true!”
“Wow, he’s literally God’s son.”
Sena, who had quietly listened to the conversation, slowly lifted her gaze. Her blue eyes rolled around.
…A Purity Ring?
Sena lowered her eyes to the notebook on the desk. Under the title ‘Sean’, the characteristics of Sean she had secretly compiled so far were written.
Cross necklace, and… the ring on his ring finger?
So the ring on his ring finger wasn’t an engagement ring?
“My high school cousin used to wear one to look cool or something, and she totally regrets it now.”
“Who the hell wears that these days, it’s so cringe. And a guy, too.”
“Arta is a cutting-edge industry, but I guess their family traditions are totally outdated. Ew.”
“Amazing~ But if that’s the case, they should’ve sent him to a religious school in the first place. Why did he have to come here?”
It was a valid question. Elmir Westlake respected religious diversity, so a strict Christian would inevitably stand out too much.
“Sean is… my son is currently… I can only call him a psychopath…”
The voice that had brushed past Sena’s mind resurfaced. But Sena quickly shook her head.
If a mere 4th grader had a religion, it would likely be inherited from his parents and family. It didn’t make sense for a father to call his son a ‘psychopath’ for having strong faith.
‘I was trying to erase it from my memory since I overheard it…’
While Sena wrestled with a faint sense of guilt just for ruminating on the overheard conversation, the other students didn’t.
‘Sean Frost who wears a Purity Ring’.
That soon became the prey seized by the Sean Frost haters who had emerged stealthily.
“Knock knock!”
“Who’s there?”
“Virgin!”
“Virgin who?”
“You, of course!”
Wahahaha. Unpleasant laughter followed.
The kids who had planned to try and make Sean Frost laugh as a joke quickly lost interest and left, replaced by 5th graders Sena had never spoken to before.
Closing her locker, Sena made a face. Even though it was someone else’s business, it felt so unpleasant; it was obvious how the person involved must feel.
Sena slowly turned her head. Sean, who had also closed his locker, wore an expression of utter indifference, contrary to Sena’s expectations.
‘…Did he not hear?’
Impossible. The 5th graders snickered and left, and Sena immediately followed Sean. On the stairs leading down outside the building, Sena called out to Sean almost shouting.
“…Sean! Hey, are you okay?”
If we were at least friends, I would have stepped in.
It was so frustrating that she couldn’t, that she didn’t have the qualification.
Sean’s descending steps halted. He turned his upper body and lifted his head towards Sena.
“What about?”
“Just now, the 5th graders said weird things. I thought you might feel bad…”
“Ahh.”
Sean reacted as if recalling something from long ago, even though it had just happened.
“I don’t pay attention to every dog that barks. You don’t need to bother either.”
……A dog?
It was a slightly bewildering analogy, but Sena prioritized saying what she had resolved to say.
“Sean Frost!”
Sean’s steps, about to continue on his way, were caught by Sena’s shout.
“Be friends with me!”
Sena strode down the stairs and stood on the same step as Sean. Their gazes were just a few inches apart.
“…Suddenly?”
“It’s not sudden! I was so, so frustrated earlier too. Even if you say you don’t care, you’re still the target of bullying.”
“So you mean if we were ‘friends’, you would have stepped in or something?”
“Of course! I really wouldn’t have just stood by!”
“Why?”
There it was again. Sean Frost’s patented move, crossing his arms like a true New Yorker.
Sena’s gaze naturally fell on the ring finger of Sean’s right hand. The infamous silver Purity Ring glittered in the sunlight.
‘…So does that mean Sean doesn’t have a girlfriend either?’
Or even if he does, they don’t do anything…
What snapped Sena out of her brief reverie was Sean’s stiff voice.
“Thinking about it, you were like this on the first day too. Is there a student council at this school? Or is it just your personality?”
“I just want to help, do you have to question the reason…?”
“People usually call that being a busybody. From my perspective, you’re more—”
Sena could see Sean Frost choosing his words.
“It’s troublesome. I’d prefer it if you didn’t pay attention to me.”
Put nicely, it’s ‘troublesome’. To be blunt and honest…
‘Does he find me annoying?’
That to Sean, I’m more annoying and burdensome than those bullies…?
Sena was genuinely shocked. But she couldn’t let Sean slip away again. She had no intention of just bearing and enduring another situation like the one that just happened.
But the moment she tried to chase after Sean, who had started descending the stairs again, her foot stepped on the edge of a step, and her balance tipped sideways.
“Gahk!”
Sean reacted to the sound and turned immediately, but the timing to catch her had already passed. Sena tumbled down the remaining five steps, hitting them with her whole body.
“Ow, that hurts…”
Sena immediately tried to dust herself off and get up. But managing to push her upper body off the ground with her hands was the best she could do. Her ankle hurt peculiarly, as if she’d hit it wrong somewhere.
“I guess you understand now that sticking your nose in other people’s business rarely ends well.”
Infuriating. How can he say things in such an irritating way?
Sena thought she might start disliking Sean Frost a little. Maybe it would be easier if she did dislike him.
Since Sean Frost seems to want that too.
“Grab on. Can’t get up?”
Sean, who looked like he might leave any second, approached Sena and held out his hand.
“……”
Sena tried to hold his hand and pull herself up, but at the pain in her ankle, she silently gritted her teeth.
“…Piggyback me.”
Sean bent both knees and turned his back to Sena.
“…Why?”
“Should I just leave you then? If you plan to sit here until you feel better, I’ll respect that.”
Sena immediately grabbed Sean’s shoulders. His hands gripped her arms and pulled firmly. Without much apparent effort, Sean easily hoisted Sena onto his back.
Sena’s mouth pressed into a firm line. It was the first time she’d been piggybacked by someone other than her dad. And by… a boy from school, no less.
