People Watching ★ 𝐒𝐮𝐧𝐒𝐮𝐧

28: What Was the Plan Again?

I'm feeding you guys today😔👍

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The school buzzed with its usual Monday morning chaos—students spilling into the hallways, half-finished homework being frantically scribbled down, and tired groans echoing as everyone dragged themselves through another start to the week.

Sunoo, however, was unusually quiet.

He sat at the far end of the courtyard, earphones in, but no music playing. He just... stared at the ground, replaying last night over and over again.

Sunghoon had hugged him.

Twice.

It wasn't like it meant anything. It was late, Sunghoon was tired, and everyone got weird when they were exhausted. But Sunoo couldn't stop thinking about the weight of Sunghoon's head on his shoulder, the way he'd whispered "Just... shut up for a second" like the world had been too much and Sunoo was the only safe place left.

His heart did a stupid little flip just thinking about it.

"Earth to Sunoo!"

He flinched, nearly dropping his phone as Jake plopped down beside him, glasses sliding down his nose. His backpack was half-zipped, and a crumpled worksheet stuck out like it had been shoved in during a panic. Typical Jake.

"You good?" Jake asked, pushing his glasses up with one finger. "You've been staring at that ant for, like, five minutes. Did it offend you or something?"

Sunoo blinked. "Huh? No, I was just—"

"Thinking about Sunghoon?"

Sunoo choked. "What—no! Shut up!"

Jake grinned like he'd won the lottery, adjusting his glasses again. "Dude, your face is red. Oh my God, did something happen?!"

"Nothing happened," Sunoo muttered, dragging a hand down his face. "And even if it did, it's none of your business."

Jake opened his mouth—undoubtedly to start another round of teasing—but the words died on his tongue as a familiar voice rang out from across the courtyard.

"Jake!"

Jake froze.

Sunoo barely had time to process what was happening before Hanna came running up, waving her phone in one hand. But Jake's wide eyes weren't on her.

They were locked on the figure standing by the front gate.

Heeseung.

He stood there casually, chatting with someone Sunoo didn't recognize, his hair a little longer than before and his jacket slung lazily over one shoulder. He looked cool, relaxed—completely unaware of the emotional breakdown happening across the courtyard.

Jake made a strangled noise, somewhere between a gasp and a scream. "He's back?!"

Sunoo blinked. "Who?"

"Heeseung!" Jake hissed, gripping Sunoo's arm like it was the only thing keeping him from collapsing. "He's back from America?! When did that happen?! Why didn't anyone tell me?! Oh my God, do I look okay? Is my hair weird?!"

Sunoo stared at him, half-amused, half-concerned. "Jake, you look like you've been electrocuted. Calm down."

Jake ignored him entirely, frantically trying to fix his hair in his phone's front camera. "I can't believe this. I'm not ready. I thought I had more time!"

"You act like you're about to propose," Sunoo muttered, watching Jake panic with mild fascination.

"I might as well!" Jake groaned, shoving his glasses up his nose for the fifth time. "Do you understand what this means? Heeseung's back! The Heeseung!"

"Yeah, yeah, your longtime crush and Sunghoon's older brother," Sunoo teased, though his heart wasn't fully in it. His mind was still stuck on last night, on the warmth of Sunghoon's arms, on the quiet "thanks" whispered into the cold air.

Jake didn't notice Sunoo's distraction, too busy hyperventilating.

Hanna, who had been silent until now, finally sighed and grabbed Jake by the shoulders.

"Jake," she said, voice firm, "you need to breathe. You look like you're about to faint, and I am not dragging you to the nurse's office again."

Jake blinked at her, inhaled sharply, and nodded. "Right. Breathing. Good idea."

Hanna let go, shaking her head with a fond smile. "You're ridiculous."

Sunoo chuckled. "Tell me about it."

Jake, now slightly more composed, finally tore his gaze away from Heeseung and turned back to them. "Anyway, enough about my crisis. What were you guys talking about before I blacked out from sheer panic?"

Hanna hesitated, her expression shifting into something more serious.

"Oh," she said quietly. "I was actually looking for you, Sunoo."

Sunoo frowned. "Me? Why?"

Hanna bit her lip, glancing around before lowering her voice. "I've made up my mind. I'm going to confess to Sunghoon."

Silence.

For a moment, the world seemed to tilt sideways. Sunoo blinked, convinced he'd misheard.

"...What?"

Jake's eyes widened behind his glasses. "Wait, what? I thought the whole point of this was for Sunoo to help you get closer to him first!"

"Yeah," Hanna admitted, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "But... I think I'm done waiting. I mean, he's been nicer lately, and he doesn't seem as closed off as before. I don't want to drag this out anymore. If he says no, fine. At least I'll know."

Sunoo stood there, frozen, like someone had knocked the air out of his lungs.

This was the plan, wasn't it? Help Hanna. Get her and Sunghoon together. That's why he'd started all of this—why he'd pushed down every stupid little feeling and smiled through every awkward moment.

But now, standing here, hearing her say it out loud...

It felt like someone had yanked the floor out from under him.

Jake, ever oblivious, clapped Sunoo on the back with a grin. "Well, mission accomplished, matchmaker! Guess you're out of a job."

Sunoo forced a smile, the edges of it sharp and brittle.

"Yeah," he muttered, voice hollow. "Guess I am."

And for the first time since this whole mess began, he didn't know if he'd made the right choice after all.