There was no more conversation that night.

It had gotten too late. The lights had been turned off earlier than usual, and the students had already been warned not to wander around after curfew.

Seorin carefully shifted onto her side.

Useless.

Her ankle still throbbed.

The medicine from earlier had dulled the pain, but it hadn’t erased it. Every small movement sent another sharp ache through her leg.

She let out a quiet breath and stared at the wooden ceiling above her.

“Can’t sleep?”

Kang Ara’s voice came softly from behind her.

Seorin glanced back and gave a small nod.

Without another word, Ara moved closer. Before Seorin could react, a hand settled lightly against her shoulder, guiding her carefully onto her back.

Seorin stiffened for a second.

Normally, she would’ve pushed that hand away. At the very least, she would’ve complained.

But strangely, not a single protest left her mouth this time.

Ara folded a small blanket and slid it beneath Seorin’s injured foot.

Her movements were careful.

Too careful for someone who was usually so irritating.

“Wait here.”

Seorin only nodded faintly.

A few minutes later, Ara returned carrying a small basin.

Seorin had barely started to sit up when Ara pressed a hand lightly against her shoulder again.

“Stay still.”

“Ah—cold!”

Seorin tensed instantly as the damp towel touched her ankle.

“Well, obviously it’s cold,” Ara said calmly. “It’s ice water.”

Seorin reflexively pulled her foot back.

“Are you trying to torture me?”

“If I wanted to torture you,” Ara replied without even looking bothered, “I’d just leave you in pain all night.”

That shut Seorin up.

Ara wrapped the cold towel carefully around the swollen area.

“This’ll help with the swelling,” she added. “And the pain.”

“I’m fine,” Seorin muttered.

Ara let out a quiet scoff.

“If you were fine, you’d already be asleep.”

Seorin wanted to argue.

But the ache in her ankle was too real to turn into another pointless fight.

Instead, her gaze drifted toward Ara’s hands as she adjusted the compress. The tips of her fingers had turned red from the cold water. Still, Ara didn’t complain once.

“I’m an athlete,” Ara said after a moment, as if she’d caught Seorin staring. “I’ve dealt with injuries like this before.”

The cold towel pressed against Seorin’s skin again.

Still freezing.

But no longer painfully sharp.

Little by little, the throbbing began to ease.

The room grew quieter.

Minji had long since started softly snoring in the corner.

Seorin’s eyelids slowly grew heavier.

The last thing she saw before sleep finally pulled her under was Ara sitting beside the bed.

Her brows were faintly furrowed. Her hands moved carefully as she changed the compress, as though pressing too hard might hurt Seorin even more.

***

When Seorin opened her eyes again, the room was still dim.

The sky beyond the window hadn’t fully brightened yet. She shifted carefully.

Her ankle still hurt a little, but nowhere near as badly as last night. The towel draped over it was no longer cold—only damp now.

She lifted it away and turned her head.

Ara was still asleep beside her.

Her hair was slightly messy.

Across the room, Minji had rolled onto her side, half her blanket hanging off the mattress.

Ara shifted a little in her sleep.

One hand reached vaguely toward Minji’s blanket, missed, then retreated again as she curled slightly into herself.

Only then did Seorin notice.

Ara’s blanket was still tucked beneath her injured foot.

Since last night.

Seorin stared a little too long.

Then, before she could think too hard about it, she pulled part of her own blanket loose and draped it carefully over Ara.

Up to her shoulders.

Ara shifted slightly, her brows pinching together for a moment before relaxing again.

That should’ve been enough.

Seorin should’ve gone back to sleep.

But instead, she stayed sitting there.

Too close.

If she leaned forward even a little, their foreheads might touch.

Ara looked different asleep.

Not annoying.

Not constantly talking.

The pale morning light sharpened the line of her jaw.

Her eyelashes were ridiculously long.

And her breathing—

Soft.

Steady.

“Han Seorin…”

The whisper slipped out before she realized it.

Seorin immediately looked away.

Weird.

Seriously weird.

Her gaze landed hastily on the sunflower resting on top of her suitcase instead.

Safer to look at that.

***

Seorin was halfway through breakfast when Ara stepped out of the house.

The spoon in her hand paused for half a second.

She quickly lowered her gaze back to her soup, stirring it as though it suddenly required all her concentration.

No reason to look at Ara.

Especially after last night.

“Are you still mad?”

Park Dongchul appeared beside her carrying a glass of milk.

“What do you think?”

Dongchul winced.

“I’m seriously sorry.”

Seorin didn’t answer.

Dongchul.

Minji.

Ara.

Everything that had happened over the past few days felt unbearably loud inside her head.

She still didn’t know what to do with any of it.

***

Seorin limped toward the hot bath area.

At the very least, she deserved some comfort today.

But her steps stopped short.

Ara stood in front of the entrance.

“Your parents are doctors, right?”

Seorin frowned.

“What does that have to do with anything?”

“You’re seriously about to take a hot bath?”

Seorin nodded.

Ara let out a short sigh.

“Warm water’s going to make the swelling worse.”

“I don’t care.”

“You need cold water.”

A shiver instantly ran down Seorin’s spine.

No.

She still remembered how freezing the water here was.

“Absolutely not.”

A few minutes later—

Seorin was still standing in front of a sink full of cold water.

With Ara beside her, arms crossed like some prison guard.

“Hurry up.”

“You’re annoying.”

“I know.”

The icy water touched her face.

Seorin recoiled immediately.

“You’re seriously asking for it if you keep acting like this.”

Instead of backing off, Ara stepped closer.

And then suddenly—

“Hey!”

Seorin’s body lifted off the ground.

“Ara!”

“You’re way too stubborn.”

Before Seorin could even struggle properly, Ara had already carried her toward the cold bath area.

In front of everyone.

Her face burned so hot with embarrassment she thought she might actually combust.

“Come on,” Ara said casually. “Just get it over with. I want to shower too.”

Then Ara sniffed her own arm and grimaced.

“I smell.”

Seorin narrowed her eyes.

She grabbed the ladle.

And—

Cold water splashed directly onto Ara.

“Han Seorin!!”

Too late.

Ara splashed her back immediately.

And somehow, somewhere in the middle of it all, they ended up throwing water at each other like little kids.

Laughter burst out of Seorin before she even realized it.

By the end of it, she’d almost forgotten how freezing the water actually was.

***

A few minutes later—

Seorin was beginning to regret everything.

Her hair was still damp. The ends of her clothes clung cold against her skin. Even the blanket pulled all the way up to their necks wasn’t helping.

“Hah-choo!”

The sneeze rattled through her entire body.

Beside her, Ara scrunched up her face and sneezed twice in a row.

“Hah-choo… hah-choo!”

Minji, who had only just woken up, froze mid-step.

Her gaze moved from Seorin to Ara.

Then to their damp hair.

“You two are seriously weird…” she muttered. “Why are you showering with cold water in weather like this?”

“Ask your friend.”

Seorin shot Ara a look from beneath the blanket.

Ara looked right back at her.

“If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t be freezing like this either.”

Seorin clicked her tongue.

“And whose fault is it for dragging me into the cold bath in the first place?”

Minji’s eyes widened.

“WAIT—You two showered together?”

“No! And absolutely not!” Seorin answered much too quickly.

Minji pressed her lips together, very obviously trying not to laugh.

“Okay, okay. But dry your hair before both of you get sick.”

Still rubbing sleep from her eyes, she wandered out of the room.

Silence settled again.

Only then did Seorin realize they were still sitting far too close beneath the same blanket.

She quickly shifted away.

When she glanced over, Ara was still looking at her.

“I can dry my own hair,” Seorin said quickly.

“I wasn’t planning to help.”

The answer came too quickly.
sounds cleaner.

Seorin yanked the blanket higher, up to her chin.

Great.

She’d embarrassed herself again.

***

School cleanup resumed not long afterward.

Since her ankle still hadn’t fully recovered, Seorin had been assigned to paint chairs in the back courtyard instead.

Minji sat beside her with a paint can resting on her lap.

The quiet scrape of brushes against wood filled the air.

“Are you still mad at us?” Minji asked suddenly.

“A little.”

The answer slipped out before Seorin could stop herself.

Minji nodded.

“I know I’m annoying,” she said lightly. “And honestly? I didn’t really like you at first either.”

Seorin glanced at her.

“But what I said yesterday was true.”

Seorin’s brush paused midair.

“Being annoying,” Minji counted on her paint-stained fingers. “Arrogant. Always picking fights with you.”

Seorin let out a short breath.

“How was I supposed to think anything good about you guys?”

Minji didn’t answer immediately.

A breeze drifted through the courtyard carrying the sharp smell of paint.

“But…” Seorin lowered her brush again, dragging fresh white paint across the wood. “I was wrong too.”

Minji turned toward her immediately.

Seorin gave a small shrug.

“I judged all of you before actually getting to know you.”

Minji’s face lit up instantly.

She looked seconds away from hugging Seorin before noticing the paint covering both their hands.

“Then…” Minji rested her chin against her knees. “Why are you still mad at Dongchul?”

“He’s different.”

Seorin’s brush slowed.

“He should’ve told me everything from the start.”

Minji snorted softly.

“Dongchul really is annoying.”

The corner of Seorin’s mouth twitched upward.

“I’m not forgiving him that easily.”

“I support that,” Minji replied immediately.

They laughed quietly together.

Then Minji spoke again.

“What about Kang Ara?”

This time, Seorin paused longer.

She dipped her brush back into the paint before answering.

“Whether I’m mad at her or not…” She dragged the brush slowly across the chair. “It doesn’t really matter.”

The brush moved again.

“We never exactly liked each other.”

“I think Kang Ara likes you.”

Seorin’s hand stopped.

A drop of white paint slid from the tip of her brush.

“What?”

“She freaked out the most when she found out you liked Dongchul,” Minji said casually, like they were discussing the weather. “And she was the first one who said Dongchul needed to tell you the truth.”

Seorin stared at the chair in front of her.

White paint gathered at the edge of the brush and dripped down slowly.

“I wasn’t trying to trick you,” Minji continued. “But you know what things are like for me.”

She shrugged.

“If people found out we were dating, Dongchul would be dead. People at school get seriously weird.”

Seorin didn’t argue.

She’d seen people start fights over Minji smiling at someone before.

“Trust me,” Minji said with a small smile, “you’d be lucky to have Kang Ara as a friend.”

Seorin didn’t answer immediately.

She only stared at the uneven layer of paint drying across the wood.

***

At lunchtime, Seorin spotted Ara and Minji sitting together.

Minji’s words had been impossible to ignore.

They’d circled through her thoughts all morning.

Kang Ara likes you.

Ridiculous.

Ara was annoying.

Bossy.

Always appearing out of nowhere and turning Seorin’s life upside down.

But—

Seorin slowed to a stop.

Now that she thought about it…

Lately, she didn’t really mind when Ara sat beside her.

She didn’t rush to leave anymore.

And this morning—

Without even realizing it, she’d ended up laughing while they splashed cold water at each other.

Normally, she would’ve chosen a different table.

But this time, her feet stopped in front of Ara instead.

“Han Seorin?”

Ara looked up, her cheeks full of food.

Seorin frowned.

“Swallow before you talk.”

Ara immediately went quiet.

Beside her, Minji covered her mouth, trying not to laugh.

“I want lunch too,” Seorin said, pulling out a chair.

Then she sat down across from them.

Minji’s eyes lit up instantly.

“Aww, Han Seorin…” she said dramatically. “You’re seriously adorable.”

Seorin simply reached for a spoon.

The corner of her lips lifted slightly—

before she quickly smoothed her expression flat again.