Autumn Calculus

Ch.12.

Eun-ji couldn’t help but feel the warmth of the previous day lingering as she walked through campus Monday morning. The cultural festival had been a whirlwind of laughter, food, and shared memories. Ha-rin and Min-seo had sent her countless photos from the event, flooding their group chat with selfies, shots of the hanbok booth, and even a blurry picture of Ji-hoon struggling with a paper lantern.

As Eun-ji scrolled through the messages while waiting for her first class to start, she felt her lips curve into a smile. It wasn’t like her to start the week feeling so... light. For once, the weight of her responsibilities didn’t feel as suffocating.

The door to the lecture hall opened, and a familiar figure slipped in. Ji-hoon spotted her immediately and made his way over, plopping into the seat beside her.

"Morning, Miss Calculus Queen," he greeted, leaning back casually in the chair.

"Morning," she replied, trying to sound nonchalant.

"Did you recover from yesterday’s chaos?" he asked, pulling out his notebook—surprisingly, a new and slightly less battered one.

"Chaos is one word for it," Eun-ji said, glancing sideways at him. "You, uh, handled that paper lantern pretty well."

He groaned dramatically. "You saw that, huh? I swear those things have a grudge against me."

She chuckled softly. "Maybe stick to simpler crafts next time."

Ji-hoon grinned at her, but before he could respond, the professor entered, and the room quieted down.

Throughout the lecture, Eun-ji found herself sneaking glances at Ji-hoon. He was actually taking notes today, his brow furrowed in concentration. It was... unexpected. But before she could dwell on it too much, Ha-rin’s name flashed on her phone screen, accompanied by a message:

Ha-rin: Lunch today? I have gossip!

Eun-ji sent a quick thumbs-up emoji and tucked her phone away, making a mental note to ask what the “gossip” was.

---

At lunch, Eun-ji joined Ha-rin and Min-seo at their usual spot near the campus fountain. Ha-rin was practically vibrating with excitement, while Min-seo sipped her iced coffee with an amused expression.

"Okay, spill," Eun-ji said, setting down her tray.

"You’ll never guess who confessed to Min-seo last night!" Ha-rin exclaimed, leaning forward dramatically.

Eun-ji’s eyes widened as she turned to Min-seo. "Wait, what? Someone confessed?"

Min-seo shrugged, her cheeks faintly pink. "It wasn’t a big deal."

"Not a big deal?!" Ha-rin looked scandalized. "He wrote her a whole letter and handed it to her at the festival!"

Eun-ji couldn’t hide her surprise. "A letter? That’s... kind of romantic."

Min-seo rolled her eyes. "It’s just Sang-woo from biology. He’s sweet, but I don’t think I feel the same way."

Ha-rin sighed dramatically. "You’re too calm about this. If it were me, I’d be swooning for days."

Eun-ji laughed, shaking her head. "Maybe you just like the idea of a love letter, Ha-rin."

"And what’s wrong with that?" Ha-rin shot back, sticking out her tongue.

Their conversation drifted to lighter topics, and Eun-ji found herself enjoying the easy camaraderie of her friends. It was moments like these that reminded her why she’d been so determined to break out of her shell this semester.

---

Later that evening, Eun-ji settled into her usual study corner at the library, expecting her usual solitude. But as she pulled out her notebook, Ji-hoon appeared, sliding into the seat across from her with a mischievous grin.

"You’re stalking me now?" she teased, arching an eyebrow.

"Who, me?" he said, feigning innocence. "I just happened to wander in here and thought, ‘Why not join the hardest-working student on campus?’"

"Uh-huh," she said, unimpressed. "What do you need, Ji-hoon?"

"Nothing," he said, leaning back in his chair. "Can’t a guy enjoy some company while pretending to study?"

Eun-ji shook her head, but she couldn’t hide the small smile tugging at her lips. "Fine. Just don’t distract me too much."

They fell into an easy rhythm, with Eun-ji focused on her work and Ji-hoon making occasional comments or asking questions about her notes. At one point, he pulled out his phone and snapped a picture of her scribbling equations.

"Hey!" she protested, reaching across the table to grab his phone.

"Relax," he said, holding it out of her reach. "You just looked so intense. I had to capture it for posterity."

Eun-ji huffed, but she couldn’t suppress a laugh. "You’re impossible."

"And yet, you tolerate me," he said, flashing her a cheeky grin.

As they packed up for the night, Ji-hoon walked her to the campus gate, their conversation flowing easily. For once, Eun-ji didn’t feel the need to rush back to her dorm or dive straight into her next task. Instead, she let herself enjoy the moment, the crisp evening air, and the company of someone who was quickly becoming a constant in her life.

Before they parted ways, Ji-hoon turned to her with a thoughtful expression. "Hey, Eun-ji?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks for letting me tag along today. It... means a lot."

She blinked, caught off guard by the sincerity in his tone. "You’re welcome," she said softly. "And... thanks for keeping things interesting."

Ji-hoon grinned. "Anytime."

As she watched him walk away, Eun-ji felt a strange sense of contentment. The lines between friendship and something more were starting to blur, but for now, she was happy to let things unfold at their own pace.