𝐞𝐱𝐜𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐬 - 𝘚. 𝘑𝘢𝘦𝘺𝘶𝘯

Stolen Glances

The next morning, Jake slid into his usual seat, eyes heavy from a night of little to no sleep. He leaned back, casually stretching his arms, trying to shake off the fatigue. His gaze drifted around the room, casually scanning for one person in particular. She was already there, sitting a few rows over, her head down, scribbling something in her notebook. Jake tried to act normal, fiddling with a pen and looking away as if he hadn't just been caught staring.

Meanwhile, Yeri sat quietly, tapping her pencil against her notebook as she wrote down the day's notes. She could feel the flutter of curiosity mixed with a lingering, faint sense of unease, though she kept her expression neutral. After seeing that same pen yesterday—the one she'd stumbled upon at the piano room—she couldn't help but feel slightly put off.

The teacher's voice broke through her thoughts. "Alright, class, listen up!" Mrs Lee called from the front of the room. "I want to remind you all that your group projects will be an important part of your final grade. You'll need to make time to meet up, collaborate, and make sure everyone is contributing."

Groans spread across the room, but Yeri stayed focused, glancing over at Ningning, who was sitting beside her, already smiling.

"Guess we'll be seeing a lot of each other," Ningning whispered, nudging Yeri with a grin.

"Guess so," Yeri replied with a small smile, though her gaze couldn't help but shift a bit, just for a second, to Jake.

At the back of the room, Jake's friends were already throwing him amused glances. Sunghoon gave him a pat on the back, trying to look sympathetic but failing miserably. "Think of it this way—at least you've got an excuse to talk to her now."

Jake rolled his eyes, feigning nonchalance as best he could. "It's just a project, man. Relax."

Jay raised his eyebrows. "Sure, that's why you're a nervous wreck every time she's around."

Sunoo smirked. "Yeah, tell us more about how you're 'relaxed.'"

Before Jake could respond, Mrs Lee was calling for the class's attention again. "As a reminder, group project meetings are encouraged outside school. I suggest making the most of your time together, alright?" With that, she gave a dismissive wave and returned to her notes.

Sunoo leaned over toward Jake. "What's the plan, lover boy?"

Jake threw him an annoyed look. "Not you too, Sunoo. I'm telling you, this is just a project. It's not a big deal."

Sunoo didn't look convinced, but he let it slide, his smirk stayed as he packed up his books.

When the bell rang, Jake shot up from his seat, eager to escape his friends' knowing looks. He stuffed his notebook into his bag, trying to ignore the fact that he'd spent the whole class thinking of something—someone—else. He gave his friends a quick nod, hoping they'd take the hint.

"Hey, Jake, don't forget to be all casual and cool when you see her later." Jay called, voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Oh, shut up," Jake mumbled, a faint blush creeping up his neck.

As he exited the classroom, he couldn't help but hope the project meetings wouldn't be too awkward. But something told him that avoiding awkwardness, when it came to Yeri, might just be impossible.