Choi Giryang squinted as he faced Seojin directly.
Up close, he couldn't help but notice it the guy was annoyingly good-looking. Sharp features, calm eyes, the kind of presence that made people instinctively back off.
Giryang brushed the thought aside and let out a light chuckle, trying to defuse the tension.
He pulled a cigarette box from his pocket and shook it slightly.
"...Look, we're not gonna do anything," he said. "Our friend was in the wrong anyway. You smoke? Here let's each have one."
Seojin didn't reply.
He didn't even blink.
He simply reached out, took the cigarette box from Giryang's hand, clenched it tightly then opened his palm.
The crushed box slipped from his fingers and hit the ground.
"I don't smoke," Seojin said flatly.
Giryang stared at the ruined cigarettes for a second, then scratched the back of his neck with an awkward laugh. "Oh… is that so."
Behind him, Kwangwoon was being hauled up by his two friends, barely steady on his feet. Blood still stained his face, his voice weak and hoarse.
"...Giryang. Let's just go."
Choi Giryang glanced back, hesitated for a moment, then nodded.
As they turned to leave, he shot Seojin and the rest of us a brief, wary look before following his friends.
I exhaled slowly and looked around. "Let's go too."
We started walking, and because their group was moving slowly half-dragging Kwangwoon along we caught up to them easily.
Giryang glanced back again, he still look at me warily, then his eyes landing on Park Dong and others.
"...Hey," he said cheerfully. "Next time we meet, say hi or something. Maybe we can have a smoke together under better circumstances."
They just give him a subtle nods.
Giryang looked toward our school building."Ah, since we're at Sangji High… would've been nice to see someone I know here. But you guys probably have night study sessions, right?"
Suwon tilted his head. "Who?"
Park Dong still has this flat expression of his. "You know someone at our school?"
"Of course I do," Giryang replied, a calm smile tugging at his lips.
Park Dong blinked. "Oh? Who is it?"
Giryang turned his head toward him and answered simply, "Hyorim."
Park Dong froze. "…Huh? You know Seol Hyorim?"
He stared harder, something clicking into place.
His eyes widened. "Wait hyung. Don't tell me you're..."
Giryang laughed lightly. "Now you remember? Honestly, I wasn't even sure you would. We only met briefly back then."
He turned back to Park Dong and smiled brightly. "I've changed a lot, right?"
Park Dong and Daegyu were the most shocked, mouths hanging open as they stared at him.
He was nothing like the guy they' remember.
Before, he was just quite cute.
Now? He was in-freaking-sanely good-looking.
Seojin, meanwhile, seemed completely unbothered.
He calmly unwrapped a lollipop, slipped it into his mouth, and thought absently.
Huh. Mango flavor taste pretty good too.
-
Hai-an was still on the floor, panting, glaring viciously toward the door.
Her eyes burned with fury as muffled murmurs rose from the crowd outside.
"Did you see her eyes?"
"They fought over a guy…?"
"Damn, this is insane."
"So… what do we do?"
"…Honestly, this is kind of entertaining."
Jinkyung and Seol Hyorim glanced back inside, horror spreading across their faces.
"…That crazy bitch," Seol Hyorim muttered.
They went back in.
Jinkyung slammed the door shut, the loud bang cutting off the noise outside.
Both of them glare sharply toward Hai-an.
Hong Aera flinched, fear flashing across her face as she worried another fight might break out.
Jinkyung snapped, furious. "Hey are you insane?! You're airing this out for the whole school to hear!"
Hai-an didn't back down.
She pushed herself up slightly, still glaring at them, voice shaking with rage."It was me who contacted him first! And.."
she clenched her fists, "He was supposed to meet up with me. He was supposed to date me originally!!"
Seol Hyorim crouched down to her level, eyes cold. "This girl seriously lost her mind… Hey, think about how embarrassed Irina must feel too. It's not just you."
Hai-an screamed back, tears threatening to spill. "Why do I have to be the one humiliated like this?! You weren't even the ones who got hurt! Why are you butting in?!"
Seol Hyorim straightened and turned toward Hong Aera, pointing sharply at Hai-an. In her other hand was the headband that had fallen earlier she must've picked it up.
"Hey, giraffe," she said flatly. "Do something, will you? Look at her eyes. She's completely crazy right now."
Hong Aera swallowed hard, panic rising. "W-Wait can I at least know what the hell is going on?!"
Outside, a few students pressed their ears against the door.
"What's she saying? Can you hear anything?"
"Not clearly… but it sounds like they're fighting again."
The crowd shifted when a student approached the door.
Wordlessly, they stepped aside and made way.
Inside, Hai-an had gotten to her feet.
Her eyes were still wild, burning as she glared at them.
"He's dating me because he likes me too,"
she snapped. "It's not like I forced him. Ever think your friend might have some faults too?"
"W-What?!"
"Are you completely out of your mind?!"
The door suddenly opened.
"What are you guys doing?"
Jinkyung and Seol Hyorim froze.
Irina stood in the doorway.
She didn't shout.
She didn't look angry.
She just stared lifeless, hollow eyes locking onto Hai-an.
Hai-an stiffened, surprise flashing across her face, followed quickly by nervousness.
Irina walked forward until she stood only a few steps away, never breaking eye contact.
Hong Aera, still utterly lost, thought bitterly.
What the hell is going on? Am I the only idiot here?
Jinkyung and Seol Hyorim grew tense.
Irina's words echoed in their minds.
"I just want to stay quiet…"
Irina finally spoke, her voice calm too calm.
"Can you tell me when it started? Has it been a while?"
Hai-an hesitated, fingers twitching at her sides before she answered, voice unsteady."…It hasn't been that long. It's just… we knew each other. We met up a few times."
"…I see."
Irina tilted her head slightly.
"Then why did you lend me your gym clothes?" she asked. "Did you feel sorry for me? Or were you just tossing me scraps?"
Hai-an dropped her gaze."Th-That's not"
Irina lifted her chin and let out a slow sigh, eyes drifting up to the ceiling.
"…I broke things off by text," she said quietly. "You can date him now. That jerk. Without having to worry about how I'd feel."
Seol Hyorim watched her closely, worry tightening her chest.
Irina continued, voice steady but cracked underneath.
"It wasn't just your fault. He's just as trash as you are."
A bitter pause. "…I guess I made mistakes too. I'm just not sure what they were."
"It's funny. You and I have to keep going to school together, dealing with how embarrassing this is. But that jerk? He'll go on like nothing ever happened."
She stopped, meeting Hai-an's eyes one last time.
"Do whatever you want."
Irina turned around.
Jinkyung and Seol Hyorim immediately followed.
Jinkyung gently patted Irina's back as they walked away, while Seol Hyorim glanced back once more her expression unreadable.
Jisung hurried after them and gently reached out."Irina… are you okay?"
She didn't answer.
Her head stayed down as she walked past him, steps unsteady, shoulders trembling.
At the doorway, Hai-an suddenly stepped forward. Staring at Irina's back, she shouted.
"I'm sorry!!"
The words hit Irina like the final string snapping.
All at once, memories crashed into her the moments of them, their promises, the future she'd believed in so stupidly.
Her vision blurred.
Tears welled up, spilling freely before she could stop them.
She turned around.
and then she ran.
Seol Hyorim, Jinkyung, and Jisung froze, shock rooting them to the spot.
The crowd too gasped staring at her in shock.
Hai-an stood there, staring blankly after her.
"…Huh?"
She leapt.
A flying kick snapped through the air.