The midnight I met him

the midnight I met him 2

      Previous episode continues
__________________________________________
        
    As they approached Haru's bus stop, Joonoh stated, "I'll walk you home."

"Fine," Haru replied, her voice neutral.

They walked in silence until they reached Haru's front door.

"Thanks," Haru said curtly.

Joonoh nodded and turned to leave without another word.

Haru watched him go, feeling a mix of relief and annoyance. She wasn't sure what to make of Joonoh's distant behavior.
             
   The next day, Haru was sitting in class, trying to focus on the lesson. Suddenly, she heard a commotion at the door. Two students, Kim Hangul and Kim Yuna, walked in, chatting loudly.

"Hey, Haru! Long time no see!" Haneul exclaimed, plopping down in the seat next to her.

"Yeah, we just got back from vacation," Yuna added, smiling brightly.

Haru forced a smile. "Hey, guys. Welcome back."

Haneul leaned in, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "So, what did we miss? Any juicy gossip?"

Haru shook her head. "Nah, nothing much happened while you were away."

Yuna grinned. "Well, we've got plenty to catch up on then!"
              
       Just then, the teacher announced, "Alright, class. Today we're going to have a group project. Please form groups of three."

Haneul's eyes lit up. "Yes! Let's team up, Haru! And... oh, perfect! Joonoh's sitting alone. Let's grab him too!"

Haru's heart skipped a beat as Hangul dragged her over to Joonoh's desk. "Hey, Joonoh! Join our group!"

Joonoh raised an eyebrow, his expression unreadable. "Fine."

As they formed their group, Haru couldn't help but wonder what this project had in store for her, stuck with the cold and enigmatic Joonoh... and her two chatty friends.
            
      As they formed their group, Haru couldn't help but feel nervous. Joonoh's piercing gaze made her heart race, while Hangul and Yuna chattered excitedly about their project idea.

"Okay, so we're doing a marketing campaign for a new fashion brand," Hangul explained, her eyes sparkling with creativity.

"And we need to come up with a slogan, logo, and social media strategy," Yuna added, already typing away on her phone.

Joonoh raised an eyebrow, his expression skeptical. "That's a lot of work. Let's focus on one aspect at a time."

Haru nodded, relieved that someone was bringing some sense to the conversation. "Yeah, let's start with the slogan. What do we want to convey?"

As they brainstormed, Haru found herself stealing glances at Joonoh, who seemed to be warming up to the task. Maybe this project wouldn't be so bad after that

     Haru's face turned bright red as she blurted out, "How about 'Fashion so fierce, it'll make you roar'?"

The room fell silent, and Haru's heart sank. She couldn't believe she'd said something so cheesy out loud.

But then, something unexpected happened. Hangul and Yuna burst out laughing, and even Joonoh cracked a small smile.

"That's... quite... fierce," Joonoh said, his voice dripping with sarcasm, but his eyes sparkling with amusement.

Haru's embarrassment turned into relief as the group laughed together, the tension broken. "Okay, maybe that one needs some work," she admitted, grinning.

As they continued brainstorming, Haru felt a sense of belonging she hadn't expected. Maybe this group project wouldn't be so bad after all.

               ~To be continued ~