Her arms were crossed, her head slightly tilted down, and she was lightly tapping along to the rhythm of the music playing in her earphones.
Gaeun had been Hana's closest friend since middle school. They knew everything about each other, but ever since high school started, they hadn't been seeing each other as often. Especially after Gaeun had to repeat a year, the distance between them felt even more noticeable.
But no matter what, some things never changed—like how Gaeun still bought Hana water and chocolate every morning.
When she saw Hana, she lifted her head and gave a small smile. Her wavy brown hair shimmered under the morning light. Adjusting her glasses, she asked, "Skipped breakfast again?" while shaking the small convenience store bag in her hand.
Hana squinted her eyes. "Can you stop knowing me so well?"
As she grabbed the chocolate and water from the bag and opened them, she sighed dramatically, "No matter how many times I thank you, it'll never be enough."
Gaeun rolled her eyes. "You owe me. One day, I'll get my revenge."
Hana laughed and kept walking.
As they stepped through the school gates, they made their way through the noisy morning chatter echoing in the hallways. Hana crumpled the chocolate wrapper in her hand and tossed it into her bag.
Gaeun lightly tapped her shoulder. "If your class is free, want to hang out at the cafeteria?"
Hana nodded. "Sure, let's check the classroom first."
They had just turned towards the stairs when Hana's eyes drifted to the schoolyard.
Aerin and her friends, as always, were laughing and chatting about something. Aerin leaned back slightly, throwing her head back as she laughed. Even from a distance, her voice stood out—carefree and effortless.
Hana quickly looked away, but it was too late.