Love in the Halls [Lee Donghyuck]

Chapter 72: Get A Grip

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Narae tossed her backpack onto the floor with a soft thud, collapsing face-first onto her bed. She hadn't talked to Haechan at all today. Not during class, not in the hallways. They hadn't even exchanged one of those subtle glances they sometimes shared—nothing. Yet, as she lay there, face buried in her pillow, her heart did that ridiculous fluttering thing again, like it had a mind of its own.

It was almost embarrassing how easily he had taken up residence in her thoughts. Every time she thought about the way his voice sounded on Sunday at the park, that lazy drawl when he teased her, or how his smile crept up so effortlessly—it sent a wave of warmth through her.

And don't even get her started on how he smelled. She rolled over onto her back, staring at the ceiling with a dazed look. She could still remember the faint scent of his cologne. It was subtle, clean, with this hint of something warm, almost spicy, that clung to the air around him. It made her head spin in the best way possible. He always smelled so good, like he had just walked out of a magazine ad, and she found herself thinking about it more than she'd ever admit.

Her fingers absentmindedly traced the fabric of her blanket as she let her mind drift back to how he looked that day—casual but somehow still effortlessly put-together. His tan skin had practically glowed in the sunlight, and the memory of it made her lose her cool. He wasn't conventionally handsome, maybe not in the same way Jaehyun or Johnny were, but there was something about him that had her hooked.

And his eyes. God, his eyes. The way they seemed to dance with mischief, always glimmering like he was in on some joke no one else knew about. She found herself replaying every little detail of him in her head: the curve of his smile, the messy tousle of his hair that looked both careless and perfect at the same time, his laughter—soft but teasing.

Her stomach did a tiny flip just thinking about it all.

Maybe it was just the lingering effect of Sunday, of spending actual time with him outside of school. Or maybe, she was in way too deep. But whatever it was, she couldn't stop the butterflies that seemed to swarm her whenever his face popped into her mind. Even if they hadn't spoken today, even if they had passed each other like strangers—it didn't matter. Just the thought of him was enough to make her feel... giddy.

She had sat next to Haechan a hundred times before in class, shoulder to shoulder during boring lectures, sometimes close enough to hear him mumble under his breath when he got annoyed with an assignment. It was normal. Routine, even.

But sitting next to him on that bench? That had felt... different.

Her heart fluttered embarrassingly at the thought. It was ridiculous, really. They'd sat together plenty of times before, so why did this feel so intense? Maybe it was the setting, the soft glow of the sunset, the quietness of the park. Or maybe it was the fact that, this time, it was just them. No buzzing classroom, no other students around. Just the two of them, sitting close enough that she could feel the warmth radiating from his skin.

And then... there was the hand-holding.

She threw herself backward onto the bed with a groan, burying her face into the pillow. What were you thinking? she scolded herself silently, but at the same time, her heart sped up just remembering it. His hand had been warm—kind of sweaty, but soft—and the way he blushed? She didn't know if she'd ever seen him so caught off guard before. Her fingers instinctively curled into her palm, almost like they were trying to remember how his hand had felt in hers.

It had been so simple, so innocent, but her mind was running wild with it now. She had felt this rush, something completely unfamiliar, when their fingers had laced together for that brief moment. She'd held his hand. Held his hand. Her, Bang Narae, who barely let anyone past her walls, had been the one to reach out.