𝐞𝐱𝐜𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐬 - 𝘚. 𝘑𝘢𝘦𝘺𝘶𝘯

Subtle Hints

Jake barely slept the night before.

He'd replayed the entire encounter with Yeri in his head more times than he cared to admit: the knock at the door, the cookies, Layla's overenthusiastic greeting, and—worst of all—his pajamas. She'd seen him at his least prepared, and while she hadn't seemed too judgmental, Jake couldn't shake the gnawing feeling that something was... off.

What if she knew?

Jake groaned, pulling his hoodie tighter around himself as he trudged through the school courtyard. He had barely set foot near his friends when Sunoo's voice rang out, loud and cheerful.

"Well, if it isn't our favorite rude neighbor! Survived another day, huh?"

"Shh!" Jake hissed, glancing around frantically. He dropped his bag onto the bench beside them, his expression frazzled.

"Dude, relax," Sunghoon said, spinning a basketball lazily on his finger. "She's not gonna hunt you down for that text."

"You don't know that," Jake shot back, raking a hand through his hair. "She came to my house yesterday. My house, Sunghoon! That's too close to home."

Jungwon raised an eyebrow, his smirk annoyingly smug. "So? Did she say anything?"

Jake shook his head. "No, but what if she's just waiting for the perfect moment to drop it? Like, what if she's planning to expose me in front of the entire school?"

Jay snorted. "You think Yeri is plotting to ruin your life? Have you even met her?"

"She's quiet," Jake muttered. "That's exactly why I'm worried. Quiet people are unpredictable."

"Or," Heeseung interjected with a grin, "she's moved on and you're just being paranoid."

"Right," Niki added, barely looking up from his phone. "You're making it way bigger than it is. She probably doesn't even care."

Jake opened his mouth to argue but froze when a familiar figure appeared in the corner of his vision. Yeri was crossing the courtyard, her head tilted slightly down, as if trying to avoid attention. Jake stiffened.

"Hey, relax," Sunoo whispered, elbowing him. "You look like you just saw a ghost."

Jake didn't reply, his eyes glued to Yeri as she walked closer. She passed their bench, her footsteps measured and deliberate.

Then it happened.

"Jake," Yeri said softly, glancing at him for the briefest of moments. "I hope your mom liked the cookies."

It was a perfectly normal sentence—if it hadn't been for the subtle emphasis on the word mom.

Jake's heart skipped a beat. His friends froze mid-conversation, their gazes darting between him and Yeri like they were watching a live soap opera.

"Uh... she did," Jake stammered, his voice cracking slightly. "Thanks again."

Yeri nodded, a ghost of a smile tugging at her lips. "Good. You know, it's important to make a good impression on your neighbors."

And with that, she walked away, leaving Jake and his friends in stunned silence.

For a moment, no one spoke. Then Niki let out a laugh. "Ouch. That was a direct hit."

"What was that about impressions?" Jungwon asked, grinning. "Think she knows?"

"She definitely knows," Sunoo declared, leaning back against the bench.

Jake buried his face in his hands. "I'm doomed."

"Doomed? Nah," Heeseung said, hittinghim on the shoulder. "This is entertaining."

Jay laughed. "She's playing you, man. And she's doing it well."

"I told you," Jake muttered through his hands. "Quiet people are the worst."

Yeri, meanwhile, sat in her first class, her heart racing. Her little remark had been subtle enough, right? She hadn't come off as weird or obvious?

Stop overthinking, she told herself, clutching her pen tightly.

But despite her nerves, a tiny part of her couldn't help but feel satisfied. She'd done it—her first move.