off limits ✧ zb1 applyfic

✧ sixteen

Today again, Gunwook found himself walking by the school garden during lunch break, as he'd done for the past few days. No particular reason. But this time, unlike the times before that, Narae was there. She was crouching in front of a flower bed, her chin resting on her knees. But she wasn't wearing her usual gloves, and her hand shovel was lying on the ground next to her, untouched.

Instinctively, Gunwook took a few steps closer, unable to simply continue his aimless wandering. With closer inspection, Narae was sporting a small pout, as she stared off into space, silently. This wasn't the usual Narae. Feeling a pang of worry in his heart, Gunwook closed the distance between them. If she wasn't feeling well, he had to go check up on her. He just...Had to.

"Um, Narae?"

When she heard his voice, she slowly turned her head to look in his direction, still holding her knees close to her chest. As their eyes met, her pout melted off her face, and she instead gave him a tender smile. She'd looked like a wilting flower just a second ago, yet now she seemed to be blooming back to life, all of a sudden. Gunwook gulped, confused by her abrupt change of attitude. He couldn't really be the cause for that, right? That was just wishful thinking.

"Oh hey, Gunwook. You keep coming here, huh?"

Gunwook immediately straightened up, suddenly feeling like she was seeing right through him. "Ah, well, yeah, it's um, part of my lunch break walk."

He could hardly admit he'd been passing by here in the hope of seeing her again. Though it was a good thing she hadn't been there the past few days, when he'd come here again and again. She would think he was for sure trying to talk to her. Which, in all fairness, he was. But not for a weird reason or anything. He simply...Felt like seeing her. Talking to Narae during lunch break managed to clear his mind of all the responsibilities school brought him.

And since she managed to put his heart at ease, he hoped he could do the same for her, too.

"Are you...Okay?" he finally asked, trying not to sound too nosy.

Narae's pout instantly came back. "I'm sulking. Klarisse had a club meeting during lunch, so now I'm alone. And I didn't feel like going to the cafeteria by myself."

"Oh, I see," Gunwook murmured as he embarrassedly rubbed his nape. He'd been a little scared it was something more serious. "So, did you not eat?"

She shook her head fervently, as she finally decided to stand up. "Nope. The worst part is I didn't even pack lunch, since I didn't know she wouldn't be able to eat with me." She then put a hand on her stomach. "I'm hungry," she whined, and Gunwook's heart bumped against his ribcage.

Narae was so disconcerting, in so many ways. She was never the type to try and act cute, but somehow...She managed to look strangely adorable, without even realizing it. And not the same way Gunwook found Yujin cute. With Narae, it was something else, an aura he couldn't quite put his finger on. Whenever she spoke in a softer voice, Gunwook felt compelled to protect her, even if there really wasn't much to shield her from, and he had an inkling she could take care of herself just fine.

That being said, today, there was something Gunwook could protect her from. Hunger.

"Well, I can finally return the favor," he said with a chuckle, as he pulled his backpack off his shoulders. "Do you want one of my sandwiches?"

As he took the ziplock bag out of his backpack, Narae eyed the sandwiches, blinking slowly. "Oh...But they're yours."

"Hah, I only eat one. Two would be too much."

Narae tilted her head, one of her eyebrows flying up. "Really? Then why do you always pack two?"

Agh. Maybe he should've worded that differently. "Ah, you know, just in case I'm really hungry..."