Love in the Halls [Lee Donghyuck]

Chapter 73: This is Korea Man

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Tuesday afternoon arrived, and Narae couldn't shake the sense of dread that settled in her chest as she made her way to first-period English. After yesterday, she wasn't sure how she felt being around Haechan today. She tried to convince herself that it was just another normal day, but the lingering memory of sitting next to him on the bench, of holding his hand, and the way her heart had raced—none of that felt normal anymore.

She kept her head down as she walked into class, slipping into her usual seat one table away from Haechan. He was already there, talking to Jaemin and Yangyang, as usual, his voice a low hum of conversation. Narae purposely avoided looking his way, focusing instead on opening her notebook and flipping to a blank page. But no matter how hard she tried, her attention kept drifting back to him. What's wrong with me? she thought, feeling a rush of frustration.

Mr. Kim clapped his hands, bringing the class to order. "Alright, today we'll be working in groups of five. I want each group to analyze a specific paragraph from page 72 of the text. Focus on the structure of the sentences and try to understand the phrases in English."

Narae blinked, realizing she hadn't even glanced at the book yet. She flipped through the pages quickly, but her stomach dropped when Mr. Kim started assigning groups. When she heard her name, she already knew what was coming next.

"Sungchan, Jaemin, Yangyang, Haechan, and Narae."

She glanced at the boys, already feeling the weight of the upcoming group work. It wasn't that she didn't get along with them—she did, mostly—but working with Haechan after everything that happened felt... overwhelming.

The group gathered at a round table near the back of the room, and Narae took her seat between Jaemin and Sungchan, with Haechan directly across from her. She kept her focus on the book, trying her best not to make eye contact with him. But even with her eyes glued to the page, she could feel the weight of his presence, the quiet tension hanging in the air between them.

Yangyang leaned forward, his usual easygoing grin in place. "So, which one of us is gonna do all the work?"

Jaemin snorted. "Definitely not you."

Sungchan chuckled. "I don't think it's gonna be Haechan either."

Haechan rolled his eyes, not bothering to look up from his book. "I'm capable of doing my part, thank you very much."

Narae bit her lip, resisting the urge to roll her eyes. Capable, sure... if only he'd actually try.

They all settled into the assignment, flipping to the designated page, though most of them seemed more interested in bantering than analyzing the text. Narae, meanwhile, was trying her best to focus on the paragraph they were supposed to work on, her fingers tracing the lines of English words as she translated them silently in her head. The group's conversation drifted in and out of her attention, but she couldn't ignore Haechan's voice, drawing her back each time.

"We're supposed to analyze the structure, right?" Sungchan asked, looking between the others.

"Yeah," Yangyang replied, clearly not paying much attention either. "But honestly, who cares? As long as we get something down, Mr. Kim won't even notice."

Haechan had been quiet for a while, mostly flipping through the pages lazily, and Narae noticed that he hadn't said a single word in English yet. As she glanced up at him, she couldn't help but feel a little annoyed. We're supposed to be practicing English, and he's not even trying.

Without thinking, she spoke up, her voice quieter than usual but direct. "We're in an English class, but I haven't heard you say anything in English yet, Haechan."

The others glanced up at her, momentarily surprised by her comment, but Haechan's reaction was more amused than anything else. He tilted his head slightly, his lips curving into a small smirk as he finally met her gaze.

"I like too play games with Johnny," he said in English, leaning back in his chair like this was the most obvious defense in the world.

Narae arched an eyebrow, unimpressed. "That doesn't count."

Yangyang and Jaemin exchanged grins, sensing the slight tension in the air. Sungchan stayed quiet, flipping through his book like he wanted to stay out of whatever was about to happen.

Haechan let out a soft sigh, his smirk fading into something more neutral. "Fine. What do you want me to do? Read the paragraph out loud in English and analyze it?"

Narae shrugged, her tone cool but firm. "That would be a good start."

Jaemin snickered beside her, nudging Haechan with his elbow. "Looks like Narae's got you this time, Hyuck."

Haechan shot Jaemin a look, though it lacked any real bite, and he reluctantly turned back to his book. For a moment, the group fell into a tense silence as Haechan skimmed the paragraph they were supposed to be analyzing. Narae watched him out of the corner of her eye, trying not to think too much about the way he looked when he was concentrating—his brows furrowed slightly, lips pressed together in a thin line.

When he finally spoke, it was in English, and his voice, though casual, was surprisingly clear. "This paragraph is about..." he started, trailing off as he glanced back down at the text. "It's describing the setting, I guess. The author's talking about the landscape and how it reflects the mood of the characters."

Yangyang made a sound of approval. "Not bad, not bad."

Jaemin leaned back in his chair, looking far too amused. "See, Hyuck, you're not as hopeless as you think."

Haechan rolled his eyes, but there was a faint blush creeping up his neck, and Narae couldn't help but notice. She bit her lip, trying to focus on the assignment, but her mind kept drifting back to him.

He caught her looking and quirked an eyebrow, a smug grin slowly forming. "Happy now?"

Narae huffed, her cheeks heating up slightly as she looked away. "You're still not done. You have to analyze it properly."

Haechan groaned, flipping the page with exaggerated frustration. "You're really enjoying this, aren't you?"

Haechan shot Jaemin a look, though it lacked any real bite, and he reluctantly turned back to his book. For a moment, the group fell into a tense silence as Haechan skimmed the paragraph they were supposed to be analyzing. 

Just as Haechan opened his mouth to speak, he paused, then suddenly called out across the room, in English, "Hey, Mr. Kim?"

Mr. Kim looked up from his desk, surprised. "Yes, Haechan?"

"What country are we in?" Haechan asked, switching effortlessly into formal English, his voice smooth but with a hint of playfulness.

Mr. Kim blinked, clearly confused but answered, "Korea."

Haechan turned back to Narae, his smirk reappearing. "We're in Korea, man," he said in English, his tone mocking yet somehow casual at the same time.

Yangyang burst out laughing, while Jaemin tried (and failed) to stifle his chuckle. Sungchan shook his head, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips, but Narae merely rolled her eyes, scoffing at the entire interaction.

As the group worked through the rest of the paragraph, Narae tried to focus on the task at hand, but her thoughts kept drifting back to Haechan. There was something about the way he could frustrate her with such little effort, yet still manage to make her feel... something more.

And as much as she hated to admit it, she found herself wishing they weren't just in a group assignment, but somewhere else entirely—somewhere quieter, where they didn't have to pretend like everything was normal.

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