dandelions｜kim dohoon

chapter one - fleeting moments 🌸

yewon sat at her desk in class, her gaze drifting toward the window where the sun cast a golden glow over the school courtyard. the scent of freshly cut grass and distant chatter from students outside filled the air, but yewon's attention was elsewhere-on kim dohoon, the student council president, who was walking across the yard with a few of his friends.

he was as composed as ever, his tall frame cutting through the crowd like he was meant to stand out. every step he took, every glance he shared with his friends, felt deliberate and effortless.

yewon's heart fluttered, a quiet ache settling in her chest. she had watched him from afar for so long now that it felt like second nature-like an unspoken routine she couldn't break even if she tried. kim dohoon, with his sharp features and stoic expression, was a mystery to her. he seemed unreachable, a figure of authority who ruled the school with a quiet, unwavering strength.

but it wasn't his title or his popularity that drew her in. it was the small moments-the brief smiles that tugged at his lips, the soft tone of his voice when he spoke to someone he trusted, the subtle kindness he showed in passing.

"yewon, earth to yewon?" the voice of her best friend, naomi, broke through her reverie.

yewon blinked, snapping out of her thoughts. she glanced at naomi, who was sitting beside her, a teasing smile on her lips.

"you've been staring at him again, haven't you?" naomi asked, her tone light but knowing.

yewon flushed, turning her gaze back to the window, though she couldn't stop the soft smile that curled at the corners of her lips. "i wasn't staring. just... observing," she muttered.

naomi rolled her eyes playfully. "right, observing. if by observing, you mean making googly eyes at him."

yewon sighed, her heart sinking a little. "he's out of my league, naomi. i know that."

"you say that, but you never stop looking at him like he's the only person in the room."

yewon glanced back at naomi, meeting her friend's gaze. she tried to explain, but the words didn't come. how could she possibly explain the pull she felt toward dohoon? how could she describe the way her heart raced every time he looked in her direction, even if it was just for a split second?

she had tried to tell herself time and time again that it was just a passing infatuation, that it was nothing more than a schoolgirl crush. but it didn't feel like that. it felt... deeper.

"he's not like the other guys at school," yewon said quietly, almost to herself. "he's... different."

naomi raised an eyebrow. "you mean he's cold, unapproachable, and practically untouchable? yeah, i get that vibe too. but hey, at least he doesn't seem like one of those obnoxious, popular types that won't even give us the time of day."

yewon nodded, though the warmth in her chest grew with naomi's words. dohoon wasn't obnoxious. he wasn't the typical "student council president" that everyone expected-cold, indifferent, and self-important.

he had a presence, yes, but there was something more to him, something underneath that exterior. he had these rare, fleeting moments when his guard would drop just enough for her to see a glimpse of his true self. those moments were like treasures-small, precious, and worth holding onto.

like that time during the recent student council meeting when he had overheard a younger student nervously stumbling over a question about an upcoming event. instead of brushing him off like most would have, dohoon had taken the time to kneel down beside him, speaking quietly and kindly, offering reassurance.

yewon had watched from the corner of the room, her heart pounding as she saw the softness in his eyes, the gentleness in his voice. it was a side of him that no one else seemed to notice, but to yewon, it was everything.

"maybe i'm just... trying to hold on to something that isn't real," yewon said, voice barely above a whisper.

"maybe," naomi replied, her tone softening. "but it doesn't hurt to dream, right?"

yewon didn't respond, her gaze drifting back to dohoon, who was now talking to the vice president of the student council, yoon aeri.

aeri's laughter was loud and clear across the yard, and yewon couldn't help but notice the way she leaned in just a little too close to dohoon, her hand brushing his arm with a subtle, almost flirtatious gesture.

yewon's stomach churned, a quiet pang of jealousy twisting inside her.

she knew what it meant. yoon aeri had been the vice president for years, and she was as ambitious and determined as dohoon was. she had always been around him, always by his side at school events, always the one who was in his inner circle.

yewon knew that aeri had feelings for dohoon. anyone with half a brain could see it. but what bothered yewon the most was the way aeri didn't seem to care about the boundaries she was crossing.

yewon couldn't help but wonder if dohoon even noticed it-if he even cared. sometimes, it felt like she was invisible to him, like she didn't even exist in his world.

but then, there were those moments-the brief moments when their eyes would meet across the room, when he would look at her with something soft in his expression, as though he saw her for more than just the quiet girl at the back of the classroom.

those moments kept her going. those moments were what made her believe that maybe, just maybe, her wish could come true.

the bell rang, pulling her from her thoughts. the students began to file out of the room, chattering excitedly about their plans for the evening.

yewon gathered her things and stood up, glancing one last time at dohoon as he spoke with aeri. she turned away, forcing herself to take a deep breath.

"are you coming to the study session after school?" naomi asked, falling into step beside her.

yewon nodded, though her mind was still preoccupied. "yeah. i'll be there."

the two of them walked out of the classroom and into the hallway, the noise of students echoing around them. yewon's thoughts drifted again, back to dohoon. why was she so fixated on him? it wasn't just because he was handsome, or because he was the student council president.

it was something else. something deeper. something about the way he carried himself, the way he took care of things without needing recognition, the way he always made time for others even when he didn't have to.

yewon couldn't explain it. maybe it was just her heart looking for something to hold onto in a world that often felt too overwhelming.

"yewon," naomi's voice broke through her thoughts again. "did you hear me? i asked if you're still planning to go to the study session."

"oh. yeah. i'll be there," yewon repeated, though her voice lacked the usual enthusiasm.

naomi eyed her, a teasing smile playing on her lips. "you sure? because it looks like you've got something else on your mind. care to share?"

yewon shook her head, laughing softly. "nope. nothing important."

the study session passed in a blur. yewon tried to focus on the notes in front of her, but her mind kept drifting back to dohoon. she couldn't help it.

every time she saw him, every time she caught a glimpse of that small, shy smile he would sometimes flash her way, her heart would race. she couldn't help but wonder if he saw her the way she saw him, even if it was just for a second.

as the study session came to an end and the students began to pack up, yewon gathered her things, her heart heavy. she glanced one last time at the door to the student council office, where dohoon had just stepped out from.

for a moment, she stood there, frozen, unsure of whether she should make her move and say something, anything, to get his attention.

but she didn't.

instead, she turned and walked out of the room, the familiar feeling of longing settling deep in her chest. the day was over, but her thoughts of dohoon remained. maybe one day, she thought, maybe one day, he'd look at her the way she longed for him to.

until then, she would keep wishing. keep hoping. because sometimes, that was all you could do.