Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
╚══════════════════════════════════════. ■ .╝
IT WAS FINALLY LUNCH BREAK, the air thick with chatter and laughter under the big, shady tree where y/n and her two acquaintances had settled. Eun-ji was animatedly discussing the test questions with Ri-na, the silver-haired "weirdo" who y/n had been silently trading lunch items with since day one. The girl wasn't much of a talker, and it turned out that wasn't because she was shy or aloof but simply because she was too lazy to bother with conversation. Her occasional "huh" and "hmm" responses barely registered as an effort, but they were enough to confirm she was at least listening.
Today, y/n had traded her fishcakes for Ri-na's tteokbokki, while Eun-ji managed to swap her kimchi for extra miso soup. The three munched away, occasionally nodding in agreement or raising an eyebrow as they debated the difficulty of the paper—or rather, the lack of it.
"Honestly, the whole atmosphere was distracting," y/n muttered, breaking into their conversation.
Eun-ji shot her a questioning look. "Distracting? Like, in what way?"
Y/N bit her lip, feeling a bit silly as she tried to clarify. "Well... like, I saw people flirting in the middle of the test," she said, shrugging to play it off casually.
"Wait, you mean Ha-dam asking Jae-sung for an extra pen?" Eun-ji deadpanned, one brow raised.
Y/n felt her face flush. "Oh... so that's what it was," she mumbled, looking away as the realization hit her.
Eun-ji and Ri-na both exchanged amused glances, with Ri-na letting out a dry chuckle. For a moment, y/n thought they'd leave it at that, but the way Eun-ji's eyes lingered told her that wasn't happening.
"What's up with you lately, anyway?" Eun-ji asked, nudging her lightly. "Not just today, but like... the past two weeks? You've been totally out of it."
"Isn't it obvious?" Ri-na cut in bluntly, her usual lazy tone tinged with something suspiciously close to amusement. "I'd be distracted too if my crush ghosted me out of nowhere. Can't be fun watching him walk away every time she tries to talk."
Y/n stiffened, shooting her a sharp glare. "I don't have a crush," she said, a bit too quickly, the defensiveness clear in her voice.
Ri-na smirked, unbothered. "Right. Sure."
Eun-ji's eyes gleamed with curiosity, leaning in. "Ohhh, wait—who's ghosting you? Jae-sung?"
Y/n rolled her eyes, doing her best to keep her tone light and casual. "Look, there's nothing between us, alright? It's just a tutoring thing."
