Seorin pressed the tip of her pencil down until the graphite snapped against the paper.

A smear of black dust clung to the side of her palm. She brushed it away with her thumb, then reached into her pencil case for a spare without lifting her head.

The practice worksheet in front of her was nearly full. Rows of numbers filled the page, each written with the same precise pressure.

The classroom door opened.

Morning air drifted in along with footsteps and the scrape of chairs.

“Seorin... what happened to you?”

Her hand stopped.

She looked up briefly. Dongchul was standing beside her desk, slipping his bag off one shoulder. The hair falling across his forehead was slightly messy, the ends still damp from the morning breeze.

“Your eyes are swollen.” His gaze lingered a beat longer than usual.. “What’s wrong?”

Seorin lowered her eyes back to her workbook.

“I think I’m coming down with something.”

The line she drew veered slightly off course. She immediately traced over it again until it turned dark and straight.

“Oh, right.” Dongchul pulled out the chair behind her. “The weather’s been weird lately.”

The sound of a zipper sliding open followed.

“Have you taken any medicine?”

“Not yet.”

“Do you want me to walk you to the nurse’s office?”

Seorin shook her head without looking up.

“There’s no need.”

***

The cafeteria buzzed with the clash of trays, shouted names, and layers of overlapping laughter.

Seorin sat between Kang Ara and Minji. Her tray was neatly arranged. The spoon in her hand barely made a sound against the plate.

Minji let out a long sigh.

“Come on. You two need to make up already.”

Before Seorin could react, Minji had already grabbed both their hands and dragged them into the middle of the table.

“This is easy.” She lifted their joined hands slightly. “Shake hands. Problem solved.”

Seorin immediately turned her face away.

“Ah—ow!”

Minji winced as she looked at their hands, which stubbornly remained locked together.

“...Okay. Maybe not that easy.”

Seorin glanced over.

Ara was smiling faintly.

Her fingers tightened around Seorin’s wrist. Not enough to hurt.

Just enough to keep her there.

“Look at me.”

Seorin shifted her gaze to another table.

The pressure increased slightly.

“Look. At. Me.”

“Ara! Have you completely lost your mind?” Minji smacked Ara’s arm hard enough that the sound disappeared beneath the cafeteria noise.

“I already apologized.” Ara sounded perfectly relaxed. “But look at her.”

“That is not how people apologize.”

Seorin yanked her hand free. A faint red mark lingered beneath the cuff of her uniform sleeve.

Ara leaned back in her chair.

“It is.”

One shoulder rose in a small shrug.

“I’m proof.”

Minji snorted.

“You’re weird.”

“I’m consistent.”

Ara’s gaze settled on Seorin again.

It didn’t move.

Seorin held it for several seconds before—

“Hey, Seorin.”

Her head turned immediately.

Hyun Woo stood beside their table, a tray balanced in one hand. His uniform was immaculate, without a single crease, his tie still perfectly straight despite the crowd of students flooding the cafeteria after morning classes.

Behind him stood two basketball club members holding canned drinks.

“Hyun Woo,” Seorin said softly. “What is it?”

“All the other seats are taken.” He glanced around the cafeteria. “Mind if my friends and I join you?”

Seorin looked around as well.

Almost every chair was already occupied by a bag or a lunch tray.

There was still room at their table.

She glanced at Minji.

Minji stabbed a piece of rolled omelet without lifting her head.

“If it’s a problem, that’s okay,” Hyun Woo added. “I can find somewhere else.”

“Sorry...”

Hyun Woo gave a small nod and started stepping back.

Minji quietly set her chopsticks down on her tray.

“You can sit here.” She stood up and picked up her drink. “Ara and I are finished anyway.”

Ara rose as well without much comment.

“We have practice.”

Seorin looked at their trays.

Steam was still rising from Minji’s soup.

Ara hadn’t even touched her drink.

“Hey, Hyun Woo.” Ara tapped the table lightly as she passed Seorin’s chair. “Don’t embarrass Woonsung in front of Haneul later.”

A faint smile tugged at Hyun Woo’s mouth.

“Don’t worry.”

Ara and Minji disappeared into the crowd without looking back.

Minji bumped shoulders with several students as she went. Ara walked beside her at an easy pace, both hands tucked into the pockets of her hoodie.

Seorin was still watching them when the chair across from her scraped against the floor.

“There are grapes today.”

She turned.

Hyun Woo had already sat down. He pointed toward a single purple grape resting in the corner of her tray.

Seorin reacted faster, lifting her spoon to block that section.

“Sorry... I don’t like grapes.”

“Seriously?”

She nodded.

“The texture’s weird.”

Hyun Woo laughed softly through his nose.

“That’s the first time I’ve ever heard that reason.”

His hand still hovered near her tray.

Their hands hovered inches apart for a brief second.

“But I like them.”

Hyun Woo’s hand moved slightly closer to the corner of her tray.

The scrape of a chair came from beside them.

Another hand reached the center of the table first.

In one quick motion, the grape was gone.

The back of Dongchul’s hand brushed the tips of Seorin’s fingers before retreating again with the grape.

“If you don’t want it, give it to me.”

He popped it straight into his mouth.

“Don’t waste food.”

Seorin stared at him.

Dongchul unscrewed his drink bottle and chewed leisurely, as though he had simply taken a side dish from a shared table.

“Dongchul...” Seorin’s voice came out smaller. “What are you doing?”

“Eating a grape.”

He glanced at her.

“Do you need a more detailed explanation?”

Hyun Woo smiled faintly.

The smile stopped at his lips.

Seorin drew in a slow breath and turned toward him.

“Sorry. Dongchul usually isn’t like this.”

“I’m fine.”

Hyun Woo rested an elbow lightly on the table.

“My match is in three days.”

The spoon in Seorin’s hand stilled.

“I hope you’ll come.”

His gaze was steady. Calm. Not demanding.

But it didn’t move away either.

“This time, don’t turn me down.”

“I haven’t turned you down yet,” Seorin replied quietly.

“Our debate club schedule is packed this week.”

Dongchul cracked open a can without looking at either of them.

A soft hiss slipped into the cafeteria noise.

“Seorin won’t have time to come.” He took a sip. “Right?”

Seorin turned toward him.

Dongchul was still staring straight ahead. His jaw moved slowly as he swallowed. Two pairs of eyes were waiting for her answer now.

“Mm... y-yeah.” Her voice nearly disappeared beneath the noise of the cafeteria. “Maybe.”

Hyun Woo lowered his head slightly.

“Oh.”

“But...” Seorin glanced briefly toward Dongchul. “I’ll try to make time.”

A small smile returned to Hyun Woo’s face.

“Then I’ll be waiting.”

Dongchul said nothing.

He picked up a piece of chicken from his plate and bit into it without a sound. His chopsticks landed on the tray a little harder than before.

His gaze shifted toward Hyun Woo.

He stayed silent for several seconds.

Then looked back at Seorin.

The look lingered.

Long enough for the voices around them to blur into indistinct noise.