his secret | woosan

five

the final bell rang, signaling the start of the art class. i hurriedly made my way towards the classroom, hoping to avoid encountering san and his friends in the hallway.

i managed to secure my seat before anyone else and decided to rest my head on the desk until the teacher arrived. the gusty wind outside the window served as a distraction, its sound mingling with my scattered thoughts. i turned my head to gaze outside, noticing the dark clouds slowly engulfing the sky, and i suddenly felt the chilly breeze seeping through the room, causing a shiver to run down my spine.

lost in my own world, a sudden tap on my left shoulder jolted me, and i quickly spun around to see who it was, only to find an empty seat behind me. curiosity got the better of me, so i turned to my right, discovering san sitting in the seat beside mine. he had his arms folded and his head resting on them, acting asleep, almost mimicking my previous position.

as if he caught me looking at him, his eyes popped open a moment later, and he flashed me with the most adorable smile i had ever seen. that's when i noticed the cute little dimple on his left cheek. how did i miss that before? but, i couldn't forget how him and his friends treated me the day before, so i made sure to give him the most dramatic eye roll ever, which wiped the smile off his face instantly.

disappointed, he sat up straight, and we both averted our gazes. wow, i'm already nailing it today.

—

it started pouring outside, heavy raindrops hitting the ground. today's class was rather uneventful. the teacher droned on for the entire period, solely focused on explaining the unit project. nothing more, nothing less.

throughout the entire class, i intentionally avoided eye contact with san, but that didn't alleviate the suspense building up inside me. why did he want me to wait after class?

*brrring*

the bell rang, causing my heart to skip a beat. the classroom erupted into chaos as everyone hurriedly packed their bags and left. meanwhile, i sat there, taking my time, gathering my things. when i finally looked up, the room was empty, except for san, who stood by the door, informing his friends that he would catch up with them later.

i rose from my seat and hopped up onto my desk, peering outside as i waited for san. rainy weather always put me in a good mood. the wind made the windows shutter, giving me a bit of a scare, but the chilly atmosphere in the classroom felt strangely comforting.

the room fell silent, and i turned around, realizing san's friends had left. our eyes met, and he began walking towards me. his hair looked on point today, slicked back with a few strands falling perfectly on his forehead. the shirt under his navy blue school blazer was crisp and neatly tucked, with a black tie snugly wrapped around his collar. he looked sharp. somehow, i felt underdressed next to him, even though we were both wearing the same uniform, except for the blazer he had on.

he casually leaned against the desk behind him, coming to a stop just in front of me, his alluring cologne enveloping the air with a captivating blend of musky and woody notes. "so, what is it?" i asked, unable to contain my curiosity any longer. san smirked and asked, "why, are you in a hurry?"

i retorted, "it's friday, san. plus, the weather is getting worse. i should probably head out soon." an eyebrow raise and a subtle eye roll from san indicated his annoyance. attempting to conceal his irritation, he cleared his throat and continued, "don't worry about that. i'll ask my driver to drop you off." i didn't mind the offer since he was the reason i had stayed behind.

i nonchalantly replied, "hm, okay. so, why did you want me to stay? oh, and by the way, how did you get my number?" san simply shrugged in response, saying, "i've got my ways." i nodded slowly, not bothering to question further.

"why'd you run away yesterday?" san suddenly asked, his eyes locked onto mine. i couldn't help but feel a blush creeping up my cheeks as i remembered that embarrassing moment when i bolted the instant i felt his hand graze my thigh. i definitely did not want to bring that up right now though. i couldn't muster the courage to meet his gaze, so i let my eyes fall to my shoes.

"you guys mocked me and then dumped all the work on me. i mean, what else would you expect me to do in that situation?" i half-lied, trying to explain my actions. i glanced up and saw him still staring at me, his head slightly tilted.

"mingi and hwa were just messing around, you know. but i'll apologize on their behalf. does that make you feel any better?" san said. his words caught me off guard, as i didn't expect such a response from him. after a brief moment, i replied, "yeah, it's fine, i guess."

the room fell into a sudden hush, and the rain outside seemed to intensify, its sound growing louder with each passing moment. i stole a glance out the window, taking note of the howling wind and the shutters rattling against the force. just then, a deafening clap of thunder echoed through the air, causing me to jump in surprise.

"so why am i even here aga-" i began, only to be interrupted by san's unexpected question. "you're cold?" he asked with an innocent glint in his eyes. without missing a beat, he started to remove his jacket, but i hurriedly replied, "no, no, it's the thunder that scared me." san let out a chuckle while swiftly putting his jacket back on. in that moment, i couldn't help but wonder if maybe he wasn't such a bad guy after all.

pulling my sketchbook out of his backpack, san said, "i wanted to return this to you." my sketchbook! my hands instinctively reached out to grab it, but he playfully snatched it away. "thank you?" he teased, raising an eyebrow. i let out a chuckle and corrected myself, "thank you." san's smile widened as he finally handed the book back to me. "you're welcome," he said, clearing his throat. "okay, let's go home now."

i quickly stashed my sketchbook away and stood up from my desk. when i looked up, i found san holding his hand out in front of me. i shot him a puzzled look, silently questioning his intentions. before he could explain, he took a firm grip of my hand and started walking, tugging me along with him. "the weather's bad. it's not safe," he stated matter-of-factly.

and how exactly would holding hands inside the building (!) help in this situation?

an: happy 5th chapter ><