𝐞𝐱𝐜𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐬 - 𝘚. 𝘑𝘢𝘦𝘺𝘶𝘯

Her House

The dismissal bell rang, and Jake was still trying to make sense of the whirlwind that was Yeri. The way she'd looked at him behind the school, her awkward stammer when she agreed to talk—it all stuck in his head like an unresolved chord. He swung his backpack over his shoulder and made his way out, intending to head straight home. But as he stepped out of the building, he spotted her ahead of him.

The sunlight caught the loose strands of her hair, framing her figure as she walked, her steps small and slightly unsure. Jake slowed his pace, contemplating whether to catch up or give her space. He was too preoccupied with nerves to notice how he was already closing the distance.

Yeri glanced back, her eyes widening slightly when they met his. She quickly looked away, and Jake swore he saw the faintest flush bloom on her cheeks.

Before he could second-guess himself, he jogged to catch up. "Hey... uh, heading home?"

Yeri nodded, clutching the straps of her backpack a little tighter. "Yeah."

They walked in silence for a moment, her steps quickening slightly, as though trying to keep ahead of him. Jake scratched the back of his neck. "So... I was thinking," he began, his voice louder than intended. "About ice cream."

She stopped and turned to him, her brows knitting together. "Ice cream?"

"Yeah," Jake said, trying to sound casual. "There's a convenience store nearby. Thought it might be nice. My treat." He shrugged like it wasn't a big deal, though his heart raced in his chest.

Yeri hesitated, glancing at the street ahead before looking back at him. Her lips parted, and for a second, he braced himself for rejection. But instead, she gave a small, shy nod. "Okay."

The fluorescent lights of the convenience store buzzed faintly as Jake held the freezer door open, glancing at the rows of brightly colored ice cream wrappers. Yeri stood beside him, quiet and fidgeting with the hem of her cardigan.

"Pick whatever you want," Jake offered, glancing at her.

She stared at the options, her indecision almost comical. Finally, she reached out for a strawberry popsicle, her movements hesitant, like she wasn't sure if it was the right choice.

"Strawberry, huh?" Jake teased, grabbing a choco cone for himself. "Safe choice."

Yeri blinked at him, then frowned lightly, her cheeks pink. "What's wrong with strawberry?"

"Nothing," he said quickly, holding his hands up in mock surrender. "It's classic. Just like you."

Her eyes widened slightly at his words, and she looked away, busying herself with unwrapping her popsicle. Jake bit back a grin.

They sat at one of the small plastic tables near the window. Yeri nibbled on her popsicle in silence, her gaze darting to the floor and occasionally back to Jake, who was much less subtle about watching her.

"You're really quiet," Jake said finally, leaning back in his chair.

Yeri's fingers paused mid-movement. "I'm... not used to this," she admitted softly, her voice barely above a whisper.

"To eating ice cream?" Jake joked, though his tone was gentle.

Yeri shook her head, a faint smile tugging at her lips. "No. To... this. Hanging out."

Jake blinked, her honesty catching him off guard. He thought about his friends, the constant noise and banter that filled his days. "You're not missing much," he said lightly. "Most of the time, my friends are just yelling at each other over video games."

Yeri gave a small laugh, quickly covering her mouth with her hand. Jake couldn't help but stare at the way her eyes crinkled when she smiled.

"Still," she said, looking down at her popsicle, "it's... nice. Different."