Annyeongz One-shots

90. Sweet ( 2 )

The night air was colder than usual as Yujin walked down the quiet street toward his house, his backpack slung lazily over one shoulder. The sky was already dark, streetlights casting long golden shadows across the pavement. His mind was still heavy from tuition, from school, from her.

He kept replaying everything.

The pills.

Her worried eyes.

The way she avoided him.

He told himself to stop thinking about it.

Then he saw her.

At the bus station across the street.

Wonyoung.

Sitting alone on the metal bench under the dim fluorescent light.

At first, he almost didn't recognize her. She wasn't in her school uniform anymore. She wore something darker, more mature. Her hair fell loosely around her shoulders, slightly messy like she had run her hands through it too many times.

She looked smaller somehow.

And then he noticed-

Her shoulders were trembling.

Yujin slowed his steps.

Was she... crying?

He had never seen her cry.

Not once.

Not when classmates whispered about her cold personality. Not when teachers scolded her for being distant. Not even in the basketball hall when she looked shaken.

But now-

She was alone.

Head lowered.

One hand covering her face.

Something inside his chest tightened painfully.

Without thinking too much, he turned and walked into the small convenience store beside the station.

He didn't know what to buy.

He wasn't good at comforting people.

He stood in front of the drink fridge, staring blankly.

Water felt too plain.

Coffee felt wrong.

Then he saw it.

Strawberry milk.

For some reason, it reminded him of her.

Soft pink packaging.

Sweet.

Simple.

He grabbed one and paid quickly, barely hearing the cashier's greeting as he stepped back outside.

Earlier that evening-

Wonyoung had been standing in the back office of the bar, tension thick in the air.

Her father's voice was low but sharp.

"You think you can question my standards?"

"I'm not questioning," she replied carefully, though her voice carried strain. "I'm saying over-harvesting lowers long-term yield."

"You speak as if you care about the donors."

Silence.

Her father stepped closer.

"You are half of them," he said coldly. "Do not let that half weaken you."

Her fingers had curled into fists at her sides.