Hearts Entwined || PpoToz

CHAPTER 32

NO ONE POV

As the study session continued, Seoyeon found it impossible to concentrate. Her biology notes blurred in front of her eyes, her mind replaying Yooyeon’s words from earlier over and over again. What’s the problem with that?The phrase echoed in her head, refusing to let her focus.

Yooyeon, ever observant, noticed Seoyeon’s distraction. A mischievous glint sparked in her eyes, and she leaned in close, pretending to point at something in Seoyeon’s notebook. Her voice dropped to a whisper, but instead of explaining the biology concept, she murmured, “You’re cute when you’re flustered.”

Seoyeon’s heart skipped a beat. Her face instantly heated up as she whipped her head to look at Yooyeon, her eyes wide. “W-What?”

But Yooyeon just grinned, sitting back in her chair as if nothing had happened. Seoyeon stared at her, completely thrown off. She couldn’t believe Yooyeon would say something like that out of the blue, especially after all the teasing. Her blush deepened, and she quickly turned back to her notes, trying to hide her face.

Nakyoung, who had been watching them closely, raised an eyebrow and smirked. “Yooyeon, if you keep that up, Seoyeon might explode,” she teased loudly, drawing everyone’s attention.

Sohyun, never one to miss an opportunity, joined in with a laugh. “Yeah, seriously. You guys should get a room at this rate.”

Xinyu, always ready for a laugh, added, “Careful, Seoyeon’s about to catch fire.”

Seoyeon groaned in embarrassment, her face turning even redder. She buried her face in her hands, trying to disappear from the relentless teasing. “Stop it,” she muttered, her voice muffled.

Across the table, Yubin pretended to gag, clutching her stomach dramatically. “This is too much for me. You guys are gross.”

Mayu, sitting beside her, closed her eyes and shook her head. “I don’t need to see this. Please, make it stop.”

The group burst into laughter, but Seoyeon was mortified. She peeked through her fingers at Yooyeon, who was watching her with that same playful smile, clearly loving how flustered she was. Seoyeon’s heart raced as she wondered if Yooyeon was doing all of this on purpose. It felt like a game, but she didn’t know how to win—or if she even wanted to.

With a deep breath, she tried to compose herself and focus on her studies, but the lingering warmth from Yooyeon’s closeness made that impossible. She was in too deep now, and it didn’t seem like Yooyeon was planning to let her off the hook anytime soon.

•••

The next morning, Seoyeon walked through the school corridors, her mind preoccupied with the upcoming CSATs and the lingering embarrassment from the previous day. As she approached her classroom, she spotted Yooyeon chatting with a girl she recognized as the junior from last week. They were laughing together, and Yooyeon seemed genuinely animated, her laughter bright and carefree.

A pang of jealousy struck Seoyeon, unexpected and sharp. Seeing Yooyeon enjoying herself with someone else made her heart sink. The sight of Yooyeon’s easy laughter and the way she interacted with the girl triggered an unfamiliar, uncomfortable feeling in Seoyeon’s chest.

Yooyeon, ever perceptive, caught sight of Seoyeon approaching from the corner of her eye. A playful smirk crossed her face as she noted Seoyeon’s reaction. Deciding to have a bit of fun, Yooyeon made a show of wrapping up her conversation with the junior girl, leaving her confused and waving goodbye.

As Seoyeon walked past, her head down, she tried to ignore the tight feeling in her chest. She entered the classroom and took her seat, opening her books with an air of focused determination, though her mind was still clouded by the earlier encounter.