The festival had ended, but the world around us didn't seem ready to let go of it yet.
The air still shimmered faintly with smoke from the fireworks, and the laughter of students drifted through the night like soft music. Lanterns swayed in the gentle breeze, their light reflecting in puddles that had formed after the brief evening drizzle.
It felt like time had slowed — as if the universe wanted this night to last just a little longer.
Beside me, Soo-min walked in silence, one hand tucked into her pocket, the other holding the faintly glowing lantern she'd kept from earlier. Its light brushed across her face, tracing the sharp lines of her jaw and the curve of her mouth. The short brown strands of her hair fluttered slightly against her cheek.
"Cold?" she asked suddenly, without looking at me.
"Hmm? Oh—no, I'm fine," I lied, hugging my arms a little closer anyway.
She glanced at me briefly, then sighed. "You're bad at lying."
And before I could respond, she shifted a step closer so that her shoulder brushed mine. The warmth of her sleeve against my arm made my breath hitch, even though she didn't say anything else.
We kept walking, the path glowing faintly under the festival lights. Somewhere behind us, Yura's laughter echoed — she was probably still dragging Hye-jin toward another food stall. Mirae had disappeared earlier, claiming she wanted to "watch the fireworks in peace," though I suspected she just didn't want to third-wheel us.
It was strange — how natural this felt.
Just the two of us, drifting quietly through the afterglow of something beautiful.
---
The path curved toward the back of the campus, where a small lake shimmered under the moonlight. We stopped there, both of us wordless for a while. The water reflected the lanterns and fireworks from afar, making it look like the stars had fallen onto the surface.
Soo-min sat down first, legs stretched out, one arm resting casually over her knee. I hesitated before sitting beside her, trying not to stare at the way the light caught the brown in her hair.
She broke the silence first.
"You really worked hard for that booth."
I blinked. "It wasn't just me."
"You didn't sleep for two nights," she said simply. "Your eyes were half-closed in class yesterday."
I let out a sheepish laugh. "You noticed?"
"I always notice," she said, so quietly I almost didn't catch it.
My heart did that annoying flutter again — that unsteady rhythm that always started whenever she said things like that. She didn't mean to sound gentle, but the way she spoke, the softness under all that calm — it always reached me anyway.
I looked down at my reflection in the lake, my cheeks already pink. "I just… wanted it to look nice for everyone."
"It did," she said after a pause. Then, with a teasing lilt: "Especially the photo booth part. You looked nervous in the picture."
I groaned softly. "Don't remind me."
She chuckled, the sound low and rare — something she didn't let out often. "I kept it, by the way."
"What— the photo?" I turned to her in disbelief.
She nodded, her eyes on the water. "It's cute."
Cute.
She said it so easily. Like it wasn't a big deal. But my brain practically exploded.
I tried to play it off, tugging on my sleeves. "You're… unbelievable sometimes."
"Good or bad?"
"Both."
That made her laugh again — softer this time, more like a breath than a sound.
---
We sat there a long time, saying nothing, just watching the lanterns floating across the lake. Every once in a while, she'd nudge a pebble into the water, and I'd watch the ripples fade into the reflections of the sky.
Then, out of nowhere, she asked, "You ever think about what you want to do… after all this?"
I tilted my head. "After college?"
"Yeah."
I thought about it for a while. "I'm not sure yet. Maybe something creative. Art, design, I don't know. You?"
She leaned back on her hands, eyes fixed on the stars. "Haven't thought that far." Then, with a half-smile: "Maybe follow you around until you figure it out."
My pulse skipped. "W-what?"
She didn't look at me, just smirked slightly. "You heard me."
I wanted to say something witty back, but my brain had completely given up on functioning. So I just muttered, "You're impossible," and focused on the lake again — though I was painfully aware of the warmth radiating from her side.
The wind rustled the leaves above us. Somewhere, faint music drifted from the festival grounds. It all felt surreal — like we were sitting inside a dream that might vanish if I moved too fast.
---
Eventually, our friends found us.
"There you are!" Yura called, waving dramatically as she ran up, nearly tripping on the path. "We've been looking everywhere!"
Mirae followed at a calmer pace, holding a couple of glowsticks. "You two disappeared."
"We were just…" I started, but the words got stuck.
Soo-min stood and brushed off her jeans like it was nothing. "Getting air."
Hye-jin crossed her arms, smirking. "Right. Air. Sure."
I hid my face behind my hands. Yura squealed. "Ooooh, were you two having a romantic moment by the lake?"
Soo-min gave her one deadpan glance. "Do you want to go swimming, Yura?"
That shut her up fast. Mirae laughed softly, shaking her head. "Let's just go back before the stalls close."
We walked together again, but this time, Soo-min's hand brushed mine as we walked. Once. Then again. I thought maybe it was an accident — until her pinky hooked around mine, just for a second.
It was so brief that I almost thought I imagined it.
But the warmth stayed long after.
---
By the time we reached the main campus, the lights were dimming and the crowd had thinned. The others ran off toward a dessert stall, but I stayed behind for a second, looking up at the sky. The smoke from the fireworks had finally cleared, leaving only a stretch of stars.
Soo-min stood beside me, her face turned toward the night. "You looked happy today," she said again, echoing her earlier words.
I smiled softly. "That's because I was."
She didn't answer right away. Then, quietly — almost too quietly — she said, "Good. I like you that way."
The words hung between us, heavier than the night air.
She didn't wait for my response — just walked ahead, hands in her pockets, leaving me standing there with my heart doing somersaults.
And I realized, as I watched her back framed by the lantern light —
I was already falling.
Maybe I had been for a while.