Chaeryeong's POV
The apartment was silent, the only sounds coming from the occasional car passing outside and the faint rustling of the trees in the wind. It was late—later than I should have stayed up. But even as I lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, sleep refused to come.
I sighed, shifting onto my side and burying my face in my pillow. My body was exhausted, but my mind was wide awake, stuck on something I didn't want to think about.
Or rather, someone.
With another sigh, I turned over and reached for my nightstand, hesitating for just a second before pulling the drawer open.
And there it was.
Taehyun's lighter.
I picked it up, the cool metal smooth against my fingers. It was plain, nothing flashy, just a simple black lighter. It should have been insignificant, just another object. But for some reason, it felt heavy in my palm, like it carried more weight than it should.
Why did I even take it?
I had told myself it was instinct, that I just hated smoking and couldn't stand the idea of him doing it on my balcony. That's all it was.
But deep down, I knew that wasn't the whole truth.
I closed my eyes, but instead of darkness, all I could see was him—the way he had leaned in, his breath warm against my ear, his voice low and teasing.
"Be careful, my little cherry. I think you take me too lightly."
My face burned.
God, why was I thinking about that now? I groaned and rolled onto my stomach, pressing the lighter against my palm like that would somehow ground me.
Taehyun was annoying. Arrogant. Smug.
Yet somehow, he got under my skin in a way no one else did.
I bit my lip, trying to shake the thoughts away. This is ridiculous. It wasn't like I liked him. He was just... frustrating. Infuriating.
But also kind of—
I sat up abruptly, tossing the lighter back into the drawer like it had burned me and slamming it shut. Nope. Nope. Absolutely not.
Shaking my head, I forced myself to lay back down, pulling the blankets over my head as if hiding from my own thoughts.
It was nothing. Just a stupid lighter. Just a stupid moment.
Just a stupid boy.
That's what I told myself, over and over again, until sleep finally claimed me.
Even though, deep down, I wasn't entirely convinced.
Author's POV
Jungwon sauntered into the Student Council Office, hands shoved into pockets, looking like he had all the time in the world. He barely glanced at the polished furniture, the neatly stacked documents, or the immaculate desk that screamed responsibility. None of it interested him.
Behind the desk, Minji sighed before he even said a word. "You're late."
Jungwon smirked, letting the door close behind him with a lazy push. "Good morning to you too, President."
Minji didn't bother responding to his antics. Instead, she slid a neatly printed document toward him. "You're being assigned a mentor."
Jungwon raised an eyebrow, taking the paper lazily. "What, like a babysitter?"
Minji's lips twitched, but she refused to humor him. "It's part of the mentorship program. Every student in our year gets one."
"Why would I need one?" Jungwon leaned against the desk, playing with the edge of the paper. "You and I both know I'm doing just fine on my own."
