Deception - L.HS

15

The Heart's Misfire

Sunghoon leaned against the wall, heart pounding as Hana walked into the room. She looked like a vision, every bit as mesmerizing as he had imagined,

and yet,

here he was,

trying to act like he hadn't just forgotten how to breathe. How was he supposed to tell her? He didn't even know her name when he first saw her, but now he felt like he knew her better than he knew himself.

The more Sunghoon watched her from a distance, the more he found himself in deeper waters. How was he supposed to explain that he wasn't just another observer of the chaos Heeseung was raining down on her? That he was, in fact, secretly cheering for her to dodge every bullet, every curveball life threw her way?

But there was no way to tell her any of this. Not without sounding like a lunatic or a stalker. And definitely not without her rolling those eyes at him again. The same eyes that held his entire world, and yet, had no clue who he really was. But the worst part?

He didn't even know why.

Why his heart kicked into overdrive whenever they made eye contact. Why his feet suddenly grew a mind of their own around her. He wasn't supposed to be here, feeling this way, yet here he was-

completely lost.

Scene 1: The Basketball Debacle

Hana's frustration bubbled over as she stormed into the school gym, her gaze zeroing in on Heeseung, who was shooting hoops like he didn't have a care in the world.

"Heeseung!" she called, trying to keep her cool as he continued to ignore her. His back was still turned to her, and she swore she could hear the sound of her patience snapping.

Finally, Heeseung turned around, casually wiping the sweat from his forehead. "Yeah?"

"Give me my phone back," she demanded, voice tight with barely-contained annoyance.

Heeseung tilted his head, a smirk playing on his lips. "I lost it."

"What?" Hana's eyes widened in disbelief. "You lost my phone?"

"Yup," Heeseung shrugged, turning back to his game.

"You-give me my phone back, Heeseung!" Hana's voice hit a note she didn't think possible, the pitch climbing with every word.

Heeseung stopped, turning to face her fully, arms crossed over his chest. "Give me my reputation back."

Hana blinked. "Are you out of your mind?"

"Possibly," Heeseung replied, looking way too pleased with himself. "You give me what I want, and you get what you want. Fair trade, don't you think?"

Hana felt the urge to scream. "You're ridiculous."

Heeseung shrugged again, picking up the ball. "You're out of luck."

Hana stared at him, speechless. "My mother is going to kill me."

Heeseung chuckled, spinning the basketball on his finger. "God better have mercy on what you love dearly, Hana."

"Don't. You don't know what you're asking for, Heeseung," Hana warned, her eyes narrowing.

But he was already back to his game, ignoring her completely.

Scene 2: Sunghoon's Internal Monologue**

Sunghoon watched Hana from across the hallway, a stupid grin forming on his lips as she argued with Heeseung. The way she scrunched her nose when she was annoyed, the way she threw her hands up in frustration-everything about her was absolutely perfect.

"Get a grip, Park Sunghoon," he muttered to himself, slapping his own face lightly. He was spiraling, and fast. The way his heart did flips whenever he saw her was concerning, to say the least.

"Why her?" he wondered aloud, his voice barely a whisper. "Of all the people in this school, why her?"

Maybe it was because she was different. Maybe it was because, deep down, he knew she was struggling. Or maybe it was because every time she rolled those eyes at him, he felt like his entire existence was being questioned, and he oddly liked it.

Either way, Sunghoon knew one thing: he was in trouble.

Scene 3: Hana's Missing Friend

As Hana left the gym, her mind was buzzing with frustration. She couldn't believe how everything was falling apart-first, her phone, then her sanity, and now, her best friend Jisoo. Jisoo, who was becoming more and more of a ghost with each passing day.

Walking through the school's corridors, she barely noticed Sunghoon watching her from a distance. Her thoughts were consumed by the strange distance that had grown between her and Jisoo. How did they go from being inseparable to... whatever this was? Jisoo was always with Yeji now, and the more they hung out, the more Hana felt like an outsider in her own life.

"Jisoo," she muttered under her breath, "what are you up to?"

Scene 4: The 'Cute' Note

When Hana finally reached her locker, she found a strawberry milk sitting on top of her books with a note attached. She sighed, rolling her eyes at the sight.

"'I'm sorry,'" she read the note aloud, recognizing Sunghoon's handwriting instantly. "You've got to be kidding me."

As much as she wanted to ignore it, her curiosity got the better of her. Why was Sunghoon suddenly so... nice? It didn't sit right with her. There had to be a catch. She eyed the milk suspiciously.

"Could be poisoned," she mumbled to herself. "Or maybe it's just a ploy to make me drop my guard." Ahy was he giving her the strawberry milk, again?

But the truth was, she didn't have a reason to distrust him. Not yet, anyway. But the note and the milk just didn't add up. She shoved the milk into her locker and slammed the door shut.

"Nice try, Sunghoon. But I'm not that easy."

Conclusion: Back to School

The next morning, Hana stormed into school, fury radiating off her in waves. She was determined to confront Heeseung about the break-in, but fate had other plans. As she approached her locker, she saw Sunghoon leaning against it, his usual carefree smile plastered on his face.

"Morning," he said, holding up another strawberry milk. "Truce?"

Hana glared at him, grabbing the milk and shoving it into her bag without a word.

"Wow, I'm really winning you over, aren't I?" Sunghoon joked, his smile faltering slightly as she continued to ignore him.

"Park Sunghoon," Hana said coldly, "if you're trying to play nice, don't bother. I'm onto you."

Sunghoon blinked, confused. "Wait, what? I didn't do anything!"

"Exactly," Hana snapped. "And that's the problem."

With that, she spun on her heel and marched off, leaving Sunghoon standing there, utterly baffled.

Wait what? Hana, you idiot. He is the problem here.