Secret

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As the classes ended, everyone started to leave the room. I hesitated, unsure whether to wait or just go. Jiho was still sitting at his bench, looking focused on something, so I decided it might be better to leave. I picked up my bag and was heading out when Yohan suddenly appeared.

"Hey, hey, where are you going?" he asked, panting. He had clearly rushed to catch me. I offered him a bottle of water, which he accepted with a smile, drinking it quickly.

"Slower," I said, a bit amused. "It's not like I'm going to run away."

"Yeah, you're right," he replied between sips. "But just in case, I didn't want to take any risks."

Yohan glanced over at Jiho. "Jiho, you're still here?"

Jiho slung his bag over his shoulder and stood up. "Yeah, I'm leaving now," he said, and then walked out of the classroom.

Yohan turned back to me, more serious now. "Let's talk in the president's room."

"Why not here?" I asked, curious and a bit wary.

"Here... it's just...," he trailed off, looking slightly uncomfortable.

"Okay, let's go," I agreed, although I couldn't shake the feeling that something serious was on his mind. I'd never seen Yohan this serious before, so it had to be something important.

As we entered the president's room, it was empty. Yohan closed the door behind us, making me feel slightly nervous. I slid my hand into my skirt pocket, where I kept my pepper spray, just in case he tried anything funny.

"Can you please keep this a secret?" he asked, his tone almost pleading.

"What?" I replied, genuinely confused.

"I mean, about the music. Whatever you saw in the music room-me playing the piano and all that-please don't tell anyone. That's my request," Yohan said, his seriousness catching me off guard.

I thought about it for a moment. It seemed like such a simple request, but he was treating it like a big deal. I didn't ask him why; I just nodded and said, "Okay."

"Is it a secret then?" he asked, looking for confirmation.

I nodded again. "It's a secret."

"If you keep this secret, I'll do whatever you want," Yohan said, a smirk playing on his lips.

It wasn't like I wanted anything from him. He had everything, and I had nothing, but that didn't mean I was the type of person to take advantage.

"I don't need anything," I replied. "If you're done, then bye."

But as I tried to leave, Yohan stepped into my path, spreading his arms wide with a playful grin. "You can ask me anything."

It felt like he was pushing me to order him around, like he was waiting for me to make some kind of demand.

"Then just leave me alone," I said firmly. "Don't talk to me."

Yohan's expression softened slightly, but his playful demeanor didn't waver. "How am I supposed to do that? If two people share a secret, they're bound together by a string, even if they don't want to be. So, that's one request I can't grant."

"Then what are you going to do for it?" I asked, starting to feel a little frustrated.

Yohan's smirk returned. "I can play the piano for you-only for you."

Those words-"only for you"-struck something deep inside me. I'd never heard anything like that before. It made me feel... something. Something unfamiliar and unsettling. I looked at his face, and his smile seemed a bit different this time, softer, maybe even genuine.

"I don't think I have time for that," I replied, trying to dismiss whatever strange feeling was bubbling up inside me.

"That bookstore where you work?" Yohan said, cutting me off. "There's a music store on the upper floor of that building. The owner is a friend of mine, and whenever I want to play music, I go there."

"But I still don't have time for-"

"Come at 7 pm," he interrupted again. "Your shift will be over by then. Okay?"

I hesitated, but his insistence left me with little room to argue. "Ah... okay," I finally agreed.

With that, Yohan's smile widened, looking pleased with himself, and I couldn't shake the feeling that I'd just agreed to something that might change everything.

As usual, I was busy with my tasks at the bookstore, but my mind was all over the place. Should I go? What if Yohan was just messing around? What if there was some kind of catch? I glanced at the clock-it was already 6:30, and we had agreed to meet at 7. My thoughts wandered to Jiho, who was quietly doing his work. I wondered if he knew about Yohan's secret. They seemed like best friends, after all.

Jiho suddenly looked up and caught me staring. "Is something on my face?"

"Oh, no, no, it's not like that," I stammered, feeling caught.

"The way you were looking at me, you could've drilled a hole in my face," he said, raising an eyebrow.

"I'm just... distracted," I said quickly, trying to downplay it.

"By me?" Jiho asked, tilting his head.

"No, no, not you..." I said, feeling flustered.

"Then who?" he pressed.

I panicked for a moment. I couldn't possibly tell him I was thinking about Yohan. Desperate to change the subject, I blurted out, "Wanna drink something?"

Jiho gave me a curious look but shrugged. "Sure, why not?" he replied.

As I headed to grab some drinks, my thoughts drifted back to the upcoming meeting with Yohan. Even as I tried to distract myself, the uncertainty gnawed at me. What was I really getting into?

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