i wish it was you 🐰ྀི 2yeon

viii: jeongyeon

viii: jeongyeon

I FINISHED my practice feeling more exhausted than ever. My muscles ached and my throat was parched. I took a quick shower in the locker room, the hot water soothing my tense body, and then changed into my school uniform.

I stepped out and the hallways were eerily quiet. It was almost 8 PM and the school was a ghost town. Everyone had left hours ago, either to go home or to the local café to study. I figured I was the only one left, that is, until I saw the faint glow of the library lights shining through the glass window.

I approached the library doors, which were slightly ajar. Inside, Nayeon was there, hunched over a table, her eyes scanning through the papers scattered before her. She looked up as the sound of my footsteps echoed in the silence room, her expression unreadable.

"What are you doing here?" I asked as I dropped my bag on the ground.

"Reviewing the survey questions," she replied, not looking up from her papers. "What about you?"

"Same," I lied. "What's up with the survey?"

Nayeon sighed and leaned back in her chair. "Just going over the questions and the background problems," she said. "Mrs. Park wants them to be perfect."

It was strange seeing her here, outside of her usual role as a popular student. "You should go home," I said finally. "It's late."

Nayeon looked up, her eyes meeting mine. "I can't," she said. "There's too much to do."

"Let me help," I offered, taking a seat across from her.

"No, you rest," she said. "I saw you practicing earlier. You must be tired."

Her words were kind, but I could see the curiosity in her eyes. "I'm used to it," I said with a shrug. "But thanks for noticing."

"I noticed," she said softly, her eyes lingering on me for a moment longer than necessary.

The silence between us was awkward, filled with the unspoken tension that had been simmering since we were paired together. "But seriously," she continued. "You should go home. I can handle this."

"I'm okay," I said, trying to hide the exhaustion in my voice. "I've done this before."

Nayeon looked at me for a beat too long before nodding. "Okay," she said. "But promise me you'll rest."

"I will," I lied.

Nayeon and I threw hypothetical questions at each other mimicking Mrs. Park's probing style. Her mind was sharp and she fired off questions that I hadn't even considered.

Her phone chimed, interrupting our mock interview. She glanced at the screen and her face fell. "It's my dad," she murmured, swiping to answer.

"Hello?" she said, her voice tight. "Yes, I know it's late, I'm sorry." Her eyes met mine as she listened, and I could see the guilt in them. "I'll be home soon," she assured him, her voice strained. "I'm just finishing up some homework."

Her gaze drifted to the clock on the library wall. It was already 8:30 PM. I had been so caught up in our preparations that I hadn't noticed the time. Nayeon was always the one who knew exactly what she was doing, who had everything under control. To see her flustered was a rare sight.