Love in the Halls [Lee Donghyuck]

Chapter 15: Fragile Promises 2.0

ʕ ᵔⰙᵔ⠕ʔ

Haechan's POV

Haechan sat at his desk, tapping his pen against his notebook with a rhythm that matched his racing thoughts. His eyes flicked to where Narae sat,  right next to him. The faintest frown creased her brow, and he couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt twist in his gut. It felt as if now any time she looked down, worried or stressed it was his fault.

Ever since their disastrous project presentation, Narae hadn't spoken to him. Not a word, not a glance. She acted like he was invisible, like he didn't exist. And honestly, Haechan couldn't blame her. He'd messed up. Badly. He knew he hadn't put in enough effort, that he'd been too focused on his games and too lazy to pull his weight. The disappointment in Narae's eyes that day had been like a punch to the gut. Her voice, tight with barely contained frustration, still echoed in his ears: "You've really let me down."

And he had. He had let her down.

Haechan let out a sigh, leaning back in his chair. He tried to play it cool, to act like everything was fine, but the truth was, Narae's silence was getting to him. At first, he'd tried to make up for it in small ways—cracking jokes in class, trying to catch her eye, even attempting to start conversations. But each time he approached, she would turn her back, or give him a curt nod before walking away. Eventually, he stopped trying.

Now, he just watched her.

He noticed things he hadn't before. Like how Narae always organized her desk meticulously before class started, lining up her pens and notebook just so. Or how she would tap her foot under the desk when she was deep in thought. She rarely spoke to anyone unless spoken to first, and when she did, her answers were concise, never more than what was needed. Narae kept to herself, surrounded by an invisible wall that kept others out.

It made sense now, why she hated him so much. To her, he must've seemed like a chaotic storm, barging into her quiet, orderly world. Haechan was loud, he joked too much, he rarely took anything seriously, and he'd let her carry the project alone. No wonder she couldn't stand him.

A voice broke through his thoughts, snapping him back to the present. Heejin's voice.

"We had so much fun. He's really sweet, you know?" Heejin's words were clear as day, even though she was sitting across the room. Haechan shifted uncomfortably, suddenly aware that the conversation was about him. His date with Heejin last weekend had been fine. Nice, even. She was pretty, laughed at his jokes, and seemed genuinely interested in him. They'd spent hours talking at a café, and Haechan had enjoyed her company. But even as he'd smiled and nodded, he couldn't help but wonder why it didn't feel like enough.

It was stupid, really. Haechan barely knew Narae. She was just a classmate, someone he'd been paired with for a project. Yet, ever since she'd started ignoring him, he couldn't stop thinking about her. He found himself wondering if she ever went out, if she had friends outside of school, if she'd ever been on a date. He imagined her in a café, like the one he'd gone to with Heejin, sitting across from someone, smiling and talking. The thought was strange, almost surreal. Narae always seemed so serious, so focused. What would she even talk about on a date?

Haechan's gaze drifted back to her. She was still writing, completely absorbed in her work. He remembered the way she'd looked during their presentation—calm, composed, every word precise and clear. He'd stumbled through his part, barely keeping up, but Narae had been like a rock. Unshakeable. He admired that about her, even if he hadn't said it out loud. Maybe that was why her disappointment hurt so much. Because, in a way, he wanted her to think well of him.

As if sensing his gaze, Narae looked up, her eyes meeting his for a brief moment before she turned away, her expression unreadable. Haechan's chest tightened. He'd thought about apologizing, about telling her he was sorry for messing up the project. But every time he got close, the words got stuck in his throat. He didn't know how to make things right, and he was afraid that even if he tried, it wouldn't change how she felt.

The bell rang, signaling the end of class. Haechan watched as Narae quickly gathered her things, moving to the door without a backward glance. Renjun caught up with her, and they walked out together, Renjun talking animatedly while Narae nodded along, her face still set in that unreadable mask.

Haechan stayed in his seat, feeling a wave of frustration. Why did he care so much? Narae wasn't the first person to dislike him, and she probably wouldn't be the last. But something about the way she looked at him, or rather, the way she didn't look at him, made him want to fix things. He wanted to see her smile, to hear her laugh. He wanted her to know that he wasn't just some lazy, careless guy who didn't take anything seriously.

But maybe that was exactly what he was. At least to her.

He got up slowly, slinging his bag over his shoulder. As he left the classroom, his thoughts kept drifting back to Narae. Maybe she did hate him. Maybe there was nothing he could do to change that. But he couldn't help but think that, if he just tried a little harder, if he could show her that he wasn't all bad, maybe things would be different.

For now, though, all he could do was watch and wait, hoping that one day, she'd let him in. Even just a little.

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958 words