Hearts Entwined || PpoToz

CHAPTER 34

The next day at school, the group gathered in the library as usual, diving into their study session for the upcoming exams. Books were scattered across the table, and everyone was bouncing questions off each other, reviewing different subjects. But Seoyeon was quiet, her mind still caught up in the whirlwind of emotions from the previous evening.

Nakyoung, flipping through her notes, asked Seoyeon a question about their biology topic. When Seoyeon didn’t respond, Nakyoung blinked in surprise. She called Seoyeon’s name once, then twice, then a third time.

Still no answer.

On the fourth try, Seoyeon finally snapped back to reality. “Huh?” she muttered, blinking and looking around as if she’d just woken up from a dream.

Everyone stopped what they were doing, their eyes on Seoyeon. Nakyoung furrowed her brows. “Seoyeon, are you okay? You’ve been zoned out for a while.”

Seoyeon gave a weak smile, trying to shake off the fog in her mind. “Yeah, I’m fine. Sorry, I was just… thinking.”

But the group wasn’t convinced, especially Yooyeon, who leaned in closer, her expression filled with concern. “Are you sure?” Yooyeon asked softly, her voice barely a whisper as she hovered close to Seoyeon’s side. “You seem really out of it today. Is it the exams? Are you stressed?”

Seoyeon waved her hand dismissively. “No, no, it’s not that.”

“Are you feeling sick?” Yooyeon pressed on, her tone more insistent now. “Maybe you should take it easy.”

Seoyeon shook her head quickly, feeling flustered under Yooyeon’s constant barrage of questions. “I’m fine,” she said firmly, louder this time so the whole group could hear. “Really, I’m just… tired.”

Yooyeon’s gaze lingered on Seoyeon, and though she didn’t say anything more, it was clear she wasn’t convinced. She knew Seoyeon better than that. The way she had been acting today—it wasn’t just stress or tiredness. Yooyeon suspected it had everything to do with last night’s confession.

The rest of the group exchanged glances, unsure whether to press Seoyeon further or let it go. Nakyoung tried to lighten the mood with a joke about overstudying, and Xinyu and Sohyun chuckled, but the atmosphere remained tense.

Yooyeon leaned back in her chair, giving Seoyeon some space for now, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that Seoyeon was still processing everything. Yooyeon was tempted to ask again but held back, not wanting to overwhelm her. For the rest of the session, Yooyeon occasionally glanced at Seoyeon, quietly observing, knowing that, sooner or later, they’d have to talk about what happened between them.

But for now, she’d wait.

•••

As all the seniors gathered in the large hall for their special mixed-class lesson, Seoyeon and Yooyeon found themselves sitting together as usual. The school had mixed the classes for this session to encourage students to collaborate in preparation for the upcoming CSAT exams, which meant that their entire group — Nakyoung, Sohyun, and Xinyu — were also seated nearby.

The lesson began with the teacher explaining concepts on the board, but Seoyeon couldn't focus. Her thoughts kept drifting to Yooyeon’s confession from the previous evening. Meanwhile, Yooyeon noticed Seoyeon's distracted expression and, seeing an opportunity, leaned closer, whispering teasing comments under her breath.

"Still thinking about yesterday?" Yooyeon murmured with a mischievous smile.

Seoyeon’s heart skipped a beat, and her face flushed as Yooyeon’s breath tickled her ear. She tried to stay focused, but Yooyeon kept at it. Every time Seoyeon looked down to take notes, Yooyeon would poke her cheek with a pen or whisper playful, sweet comments to make her flustered.