Hearts Entwined || PpoToz

CHAPTER 25

NO ONE POV

The sun had barely risen when Yooyeon walked into the classroom the next day, her steps lighter than they'd been in weeks. The atmosphere felt different, more relaxed, and for the first time in a while, she didn't feel the weight of judgmental stares as she entered. Seoyeon was already in her seat, fiddling with her notebook, and gave Yooyeon a curious glance as she sat down.

Mrs. Jo walked in shortly after, her usual stern expression softened slightly as she addressed the class. "I have an announcement," she began, her voice steady. "Jae Yoojin has transferred to another school as of this morning. I’m aware some of you are aware of the reasons. Unfortunately, Yoojin admitted to threatening the principal's daughter, which led to the decision."

A murmur rippled through the room as the students processed the news. Yooyeon noticed a few heads turning toward her, but the looks weren't as harsh as they used to be. If anything, they seemed more curious than accusatory. She exchanged a glance with Seoyeon, who raised an eyebrow in silent question. Yooyeon shrugged, a small smile tugging at her lips. For once, she didn’t feel the need to explain herself.

The room was buzzing with whispers as everyone dissected the news. Even though Yoojin was gone, she was still the main topic of conversation. Her actions had left an impact, but there was also a collective sense of relief that she was no longer there to cause trouble.

Nakyoung, who had been unusually quiet, let out a long sigh, drawing the attention of both Seoyeon and Yooyeon. "Finally," she muttered under her breath, her expression one of pure relief. She then offered them a sheepish grin. "I was getting tired of all the drama."

The day continued as if nothing had ever happened. The conversations shifted away from Yoojin, and soon it was as if things had returned to the way they were before she had arrived. And that meant one thing: Yooyeon and Seoyeon were back to their old ways, bickering and challenging each other at every turn.

In math class, it was no different. The two were at it again, leaning over their desks as they argued over who had the correct answer to the problem on the board.

"I’m telling you, it's 324!" Seoyeon insisted, her voice full of conviction as she tapped her pencil against her notebook.

"No, it's definitely 342," Yooyeon shot back, her eyes narrowing as she double-checked her calculations.

Their answers were so close, almost identical, that it seemed impossible for either of them to back down.

Nakyoung, sitting between them, rolled her eyes and pulled out her calculator, hoping to settle the debate once and for all. She punched in the numbers quickly, but instead of a solution, the screen displayed "MATH ERROR."

"Well, that's helpful," Nakyoung muttered sarcastically, earning a light chuckle from both Seoyeon and Yooyeon.

The class continued with its usual rhythm, their argument forgotten as the lesson moved on. Everything felt normal again, as if the past few weeks had been nothing more than a bad dream. Yooyeon and Seoyeon’s rivalry resumed its place as the centerpiece of the classroom dynamic, with Nakyoung occasionally caught in the middle, her sweet but slightly clueless nature often leading to unintended hilarity.

As the day drew to a close, Yooyeon found herself smiling more easily. For the first time in a long time, it felt like things were finally back to the way they were meant to be.

•••

After lunch, the classroom buzzed with the usual energy as students trickled back to their seats. Yooyeon and Seoyeon were no different, their usual playful banter marking the end of the break. But as they settled down, a classmate—a quiet girl named Jiyoung—dragged her chair in front of Yooyeon's desk, interrupting their rhythm.

Both Seoyeon and Yooyeon exchanged confused glances. Jiyoung rarely interacted with them, so this sudden move was unexpected. But before they could ask what was going on, Jiyoung hesitated, then looked up at Yooyeon with a hopeful expression. "Hey, Yooyeon, could you help me with the assignment? I'm really struggling with it."

Yooyeon, always ready to lend a hand, nodded. "Sure, I can help." She was just about to start explaining the concepts to Jiyoung when the bell rang, signaling the start of the next class. Jiyoung quickly returned to her seat with a shy smile, leaving Yooyeon slightly disappointed that she couldn't help right away.

The class monitor walked in, holding a piece of paper and looking a bit out of breath. "Everyone, listen up! Our teacher had an urgent matter to attend to, so we’ve got some free time. You can work on your assignments or study quietly."

As soon as the monitor finished speaking, Jiyoung turned in her seat and glanced back at Yooyeon with hopeful eyes. She bit her lip, unsure if it was okay to ask again, but Yooyeon didn’t hesitate. Picking up her notebook, she stood and made her way to Jiyoung’s desk, sliding into the seat beside her.

Seoyeon, still at her desk, watched the whole thing unfold with mild curiosity. At first, she didn’t mind, figuring it was just Yooyeon being helpful as usual. But as she worked on her own assignments, she found herself glancing over at them more often than she intended.

Yooyeon was focused, patiently explaining the material while Jiyoung nodded along. But Seoyeon noticed something odd—Jiyoung wasn't really paying attention to what Yooyeon was saying. Instead, she seemed to be more interested in Yooyeon herself, her gaze fixed on Yooyeon's face rather than the notes in front of her.

Seoyeon rolled her eyes, annoyed by the unnecessary distraction. "Why ask for help if you're not even going to listen?" she muttered under her breath, forcing herself to return to her work.

Suddenly, she felt a presence next to her. Nakyoung had quietly slipped into Yooyeon's now-empty seat. Seoyeon looked up, her confusion evident.

Nakyoung leaned in slightly, a teasing glint in her eyes as she raised an eyebrow without saying a word. The unspoken question hung in the air, and it took Seoyeon a moment to realize what Nakyoung was implying.

"What?" Seoyeon whispered, genuinely confused by Nakyoung’s silent tease. She had no idea why Nakyoung was looking at her like that.

Nakyoung just smirked, not bothering to explain, and casually glanced over at Yooyeon and Jiyoung, then back at Seoyeon. The message was clear: Nakyoung was picking up on something Seoyeon hadn’t fully registered yet. But instead of pressing the issue, she simply leaned back in the chair, content to let Seoyeon figure it out on her own.

Seoyeon, still perplexed, shook her head slightly and returned to her work, though she couldn’t help but sneak one last glance at Yooyeon and Jiyoung. Nakyoung’s knowing smile lingered in the back of her mind, but Seoyeon quickly dismissed it. There was nothing to worry about, right? Yooyeon was just helping a classmate. It wasn’t like it mattered to her who Yooyeon spent time with... or so she told herself.

As the classroom buzzed softly with the sounds of students working, Seoyeon tried to push all thoughts of Yooyeon and Jiyoung out of her mind. But deep down, an unfamiliar feeling was starting to take root, though she was far from ready to admit it.