My stomach turns. My hands go clammy. My vision swims. He’s angry, and he’s enjoying this. The judgment comes one after another, sharp and suffocating. So suffocating, I remind myself to breathe. 

I can’t speak. For a singular second, I can’t move. I feel frozen, trapped in this flood of his hatred. 

Although I can feel his anger, I can tell that the way he’s thinking about me is so cynical, so cold. He reminds me of Ara.

He walks away, brushing past me with a casual shove, and I feel the sting of his touch like a slap. And the pressure curling around my lungs releases. My chest feels lighter, my heart pounds in my ears, and I can feel myself unravelling, the weight of his judgment almost swallowed me whole.

Ha-Yoon’s voice cuts through my recovery. 

“Hey, you! Apologise to her right now!” The words sound strong, filled with an unshakable confidence. No hesitation. It’s like she’s a force of nature, standing in front of me, unyielding.

The boy turns, for a fleeting moment, something shifts—his expression falters, and for the briefest second he looks almost normal. But the venom quickly returns, coursing through him again, and then it’s as if nothing has changed. His eyes are still icy, still looking down at us like we’re insignificant.

"What did you say to me?" His voice is slow, deliberate—like he’s savouring the power he holds. His words hang in the air, a challenge meant to crush to silence.

Ha-Yoon doesn’t flinch. She steps forward, her movements sharp and precise, her shoulders squared, her presence commanding. “I said, apologise to Nari.”

Seong-Ho’s gaze turns to her, and the mockery in his expression deepens. His lips curl into a more contemptuous sneer. “Nari? That name should be reserved for people who are pleasant to look at,” he spits out the words, his voice dripping with condescension.

Ha-Yoon doesn’t flinch. She just stands there, her silence thick and dangerous, her eyes never leaving his. The air between them crackles with hostility. It’s like a storm waiting to break.

And I feel it. The shift. I can’t explain it, but something in me screams that I’m watching something bigger unfold—something that could spiral out of control in an instant. I feel the danger like an electric current, buzzing in the air. My instincts scream at me to stop this before it goes too far.

But I can’t move.

I remember the warning I heard so clearly: “Consequence: [DEATH]”

And that’s when it hits me. And I don’t mean to, but I touch my wrist and the map opens. Three pins appear at the centre of the map. 

Pink [Ha-Yoon]

White [Nari]

Blue [Seong-Ho]

Of course, of course it’s him. The boy with the cold eyes is Seong-Ho. The second love interest. I need to get Ha-Yoon away from him. Away from this moment. 

Ha-Yoon cracks her knuckles, the sound sharp and final, and her voice drops into a dangerously low tone. “Listen here, you—”

Consequence: [DEATH]

Consequence: [DEATH]

Consequence: [DEATH]

I throw my half-drunk juice box at him, it hits him in the face, the juice dirtying his shirt. I don't know what might happen if I mess up their first meeting, if it's not completely ruined by now. I grab her arm and run as far away from him as I can before anything else can happen. Ha-Yoon follows me silently and squeezes my hand when I start to tremble. We walk around the football field. 

Ha-Yoon stops, and I’m pulled back lightly. She looks at me, tears in her eyes, “He’s lying, you know?” She sniffs, “You’re the prettiest girl in this school- in the world” I smile, it’s not a big smile, but it’s sincere. 

“I know”, I don’t, not really. Ha-Yoon looks into my eyes. I wish I’d beat him up, I hope Nari knows he’s a liar, that he’s jealous and horrible and-’

“Want to get some ice cream?” I say, she nods. Ha-Yoon’s smile is small but warm. “Don’t let him get to you. People like him thrive on making others feel small. Don’t give him that power.”

I feel my shoulders relax just a little, the heaviness in my chest easing. Ha-Yoon’s right. But Seong-Ho’s words have hurt me, and in my weak, twisted mind, they define me. Maybe one day I'll be able to ignore them.

I turn my head towards the field, the sun is warm, and it reminds me of Ha-Yoon. 

I look towards the boys who are playing football, shouting. Are they always so loud? And why are they telling me to move away? They’re quite rude. I watch as the football gets closer to me, it’s quite fast- as if it’s flying towards me- wait!

I try to cover my head with my arms, but there’s no need. Ha-Yoon stops the ball with her hands. Someone runs up to us, apologising, “Sorry! I was trying a new trick” 

Ha-Yoon scoffs, “Well, it's not a very good trick”

The boy grabs his heart as if he’s been wounded. “I’m still practising”, he shrugs,

Ha-Yoon tilts her head “You know you have to aim towards the goal, right?” The boy laughs, and his team comes up to the rescue “Don’t insult our captain!” Fly around until a smaller boy screams, “Show them how it’s done, Ju-Won!”

Ju-Won? Ju-Won Ju-Won? As in Ha-Yoon's Ju-Won?

Shi-

The sound of a ball being kicked sounds, and I turn in time to see the football slam into the net at the opposite side of the field. Everyone stays silent as Ha-Yoon straightens her skirt. 

“Let’s go, Nari, I want a chocolate ice cream” She grabs my arm, and we walk off.

Sh*t. Sh*t. Sh*t.