As the exam season drew closer, the weight of it all was becoming too much for Wonwoo to bear. He had been feeling a sense of tension between himself and Jain ever since that day they had fought. Though they hadn't spoken since, Jain made no attempt to mend the rift either. Wonwoo had tried to move on, focusing on his studies, knowing the exams were right around the corner. But deep down, the situation with Jain still nagged at him.

David, on the other hand, had not shown much interest in studying. He was more focused on socializing and distracting himself from the pressure. This attitude bothered Wonwoo, especially as the exams loomed closer, but he chose not to address it. After all, David was his friend, and he had his own way of dealing with stress.

The exams came and went, and as expected, Wonwoo scored well—his hard work paying off. Yet, despite his high marks, there was a lingering feeling of dissatisfaction in him. Something was missing. He felt as though he hadn't truly resolved the issues that had been weighing on him.

Wonwoo had been thinking about Jain a lot. He had tried, unsuccessfully, to reach out a few times, but Jain would always ignore him. His silence was deafening, and each ignored attempt only made the rift feel deeper. But after nearly a week of this, Wonwoo made up his mind: he would try again. This time, he would talk to Jain and apologize, no matter how hard it was.

It was late afternoon, and Wonwoo and David were getting ready to leave school together. As they packed their things, Wonwoo turned to David with a small smile. "Hey, I've got to meet with the teacher for a bit. You don't need to wait for me—go ahead and head home."

David paused, his brow furrowing slightly. "Are you sure? We usually walk home together."

Wonwoo nodded, trying to sound casual. "Yeah, don't worry about me. I'll catch up later."

David seemed to hesitate, but then shrugged. "Alright. Don't take too long."

Wonwoo watched as David left the classroom, feeling the weight of what he was about to do. He knew David would be confused, but this was something he had to handle on his own.

Walking down the hallway and out the door, Wonwoo spotted Jain standing alone in the school's backyard. Jain was looking down, avoiding eye contact with anyone. Wonwoo's heart skipped a beat, but he knew this was his chance.

He approached cautiously, but as soon as Jain saw him, he tensed up. Without a word, Jain began to walk away quickly. Wonwoo's heart raced as he sprinted to catch up. He grabbed Jain's arm gently.

"Jain, wait! Please, I need to talk to you," Wonwoo said, his voice louder than he intended.

Jain immediately jerked his arm away, his face hardening with anger. "What do you want, Wonwoo? Don't you get it? I don't want to talk to you."

Wonwoo felt a sting in his chest at the coldness in Jain's voice, but he pushed forward. "I'm really sorry for what happened that day. I never meant to hurt you. I just want us to move past this—forget everything and start fresh."

For a moment, there was silence. Jain stood there, his fists clenched, his chest rising and falling with each breath. Then, in a low, angry voice, Jain spoke. "I don't need your apology. Just stay away from me. If you ever approach me again, I won't just ignore you. Understand?"

Wonwoo froze, his face falling as he took in Jain's harsh words. Jain's anger was unmistakable, and he could see that the distance between them was now wider than ever.

"I... I never meant to hurt you," Wonwoo whispered, but Jain was already turning away, walking briskly toward the exit.

Feeling defeated, Wonwoo watched Jain disappear around the corner, his heart heavy with regret. He had tried to fix things, but it seemed that Jain wasn't ready to forgive him.

As he stood there, lost in thought, he turned around to leave as well. But then, he saw David standing at the school gate, watching him.

David walked up to him, his gaze knowing. "I overheard your conversation with Jain," he said quietly.

Wonwoo's heart skipped a beat, and he felt a cold wave of panic rush over him. "You... you heard?"

David nodded. "Yeah. I didn't mean to, but... it's hard not to hear when you're standing that close."

Wonwoo felt a lump form in his throat. He couldn't look David in the eye. "I just... I don't know what to do anymore. I thought maybe... maybe things could get better. But now it feels like everything's falling apart."

David placed a hand on Wonwoo's shoulder, offering him a small but sincere smile. "Sometimes, things don't go the way we want them to. But you tried. That's all anyone can really do."

Wonwoo sighed, looking at the ground. "I just wish I could fix it. I don't want things to be like this."

David's expression softened. "You'll figure it out, Wonwoo. Just give it time."

For a moment, the two of them stood in silence, watching the sun begin to set. The weight of the day was heavy, but in that moment, Wonwoo felt a small sense of relief. At least he wasn't alone.