As soon as the bell rang to signal the end of class, everyone in the room started moving. While placing her notebook into her bag, Hana paused for a moment. Today felt a little different. She had planned to go to the cafeteria with Eunwoo as usual, but when Aerin turned to her with a slight smile and spoke, her plans changed.
"We're going to the cafeteria. You're coming too, right?"
There was the usual ease in Aerin's voice, but Hana still felt a slight hesitation. In the past—just a few weeks ago—she and Eunwoo would sit at their usual spot in the corner of the cafeteria, staying in their own little world. But now, she was spending more time with Aerin's group.
She was about to say something when Eunwoo quickly jumped in, answering as if on her behalf.
"Of course!"
Hana was surprised but realized that he also wanted to get closer to Aerin and her friends. Maybe she wasn't the only one feeling pressured to join the group.
So, they all headed toward the cafeteria together. As they entered, they saw that it was as crowded as ever. However, their arrival caused a slight stir. Some students glanced over in surprise, especially at the sight of Hana walking with Aerin's group.
As she sat at this new table, Hana suddenly felt like a stranger.
Am I really sitting here?
Just weeks ago, she wouldn't have even considered walking past this table, feeling like she didn't belong. But now, she was sitting with Aerin, Eunbi, and the others—yet she knew nothing about their past memories.
Laughter, conversations, old stories... They all flowed quickly, and Hana found herself struggling to keep up. Even though she was sitting next to Aerin, there were moments when she felt completely invisible.
Lost in thought, a voice suddenly interrupted her.
"Are you daydreaming?"
Hana quickly lifted her head. Hyunwoo stood right in front of her, holding a bottle of water.
She was about to respond when Eunbi interjected with a playful smile.
"Hyunwoo, are you sitting here now? Are you moving next to Hana?"
For a moment, everyone at the table paused. Aerin's eyes narrowed slightly.
Hana felt a lump in her throat, unsure of what to do.
Ignoring Eunbi's comment, Hyunwoo casually took the empty seat beside Hana. This action drew even more attention from the students in the cafeteria. Meanwhile, Aerin's faint smile started to fade.
"I guess this is the first time we're properly meeting," Hyunwoo said, looking at Hana. "Since we're in different classes, we haven't had much chance to talk."
Hana nodded slightly. "Yeah, that's true... But I guess now we have."
Hyunwoo gave a small smile. His relaxed demeanor made Hana even more nervous, especially since so many eyes were on them.
Just then, Eunbi chimed in again.
"Hana, did you text Hyunwoo?"
Hana's eyes widened as she quickly raised her hands. "No, no! Nothing like that."
Eunbi smirked. "Then why is Hyunwoo so interested?"
Aerin gently placed her spoon down on the table, her gaze unreadable.
"It's not such a big deal," Hyunwoo said with a chuckle. "I'm just talking to someone I just met."
Hana wondered how Aerin would react to this conversation. But Aerin, though her eyes held a faint chill, didn't let much show.
Wanting to ease the tension, Hana quickly changed the subject.
"Let's change the topic. We have a test tomorrow, right? Has anyone studied?"
Hyunwoo smirked slightly. "Hana, are you changing the subject or trying to distract everyone?"
Aerin's eyebrows furrowed slightly, but she still remained silent. Hana could feel her gaze growing colder.
Eunbi laughed, shrugging. "I mean, does Hana even need to distract us? Most of us aren't thinking about the test anyway."
Eunwoo spoke up with a serious expression.
"I am. Test scores affect our overall grades. Don't you guys care?"
Hyunwoo shrugged. "Not really."
Hana averted her gaze, focusing on her juice. The conversation continued around her, but she still felt uneasy.
At that moment, Aerin took a small bite of her dessert, chewing slowly before giving a faint smile.
"Hana, did you really change the subject because of the test?"
Hana hesitated for a moment. Aerin's voice was neutral, but her eyes seemed to be implying something else.
"Of course," Hana said, trying to hide her nervousness. "It's an important test, after all."
Eunbi laughed again. "I think Hana is trying to avoid something, but let's not push her."
Aerin placed her spoon into her dessert and nodded slightly. "Yes, let's not push her."
A brief silence settled over the table, despite the noise of the cafeteria. Hana was surprised at how quickly Aerin backed off, yet she couldn't shake the uncomfortable feeling inside her.
Hyunwoo, however, seemed completely unbothered by the tension at the table. He leaned slightly toward Hana.
"What are you doing after the test tomorrow?"
Hana blinked, surprised. "I don't know, I don't have any plans."
Hyunwoo gave a small smile. "Maybe we could do something."
Just then, Aerin's hand lightly tapped the table. It wasn't a big gesture, but it was enough to catch attention.
She tilted her head slightly, smiling faintly. "I think that would be nice for all of us, don't you?"
Hana tried to decipher the meaning behind Aerin's words as Hyunwoo leaned back with a small grin.
"Maybe," he said simply.
And at that moment, it was clear that there was something everyone at the table was thinking but no one was saying out loud.
Hana's mind was spinning. Was Hyunwoo really interested in her? Or was he just playing around? Why was Aerin so reactive to all of this?
As she tried to make sense of Aerin's words, she unconsciously clenched her fists. The tension at the table was almost tangible, yet no one openly addressed it.
Hyunwoo, seemingly unfazed, took a sip of his water before speaking again. "We'll see, maybe," he said, his gaze still fixed on Hana.
Meanwhile, Aerin stirred her spoon in her dessert and nodded slightly. "Yes, maybe," she echoed, her tone completely neutral.
Eunbi, trying to lighten the mood, laughed. "Wow, things got tense here! Let's talk about something more fun. Like... when will they announce the class trip?"
Eunwoo looked up. "I heard they'll announce it next week. There are some rumors about where we're going, but nothing confirmed yet."
Hana took a deep breath, relieved that the conversation had shifted. But she could still feel Aerin's eyes subtly watching the interaction between her and Hyunwoo.
Just then, a small commotion near the cafeteria entrance caught their attention. A group of students walked toward their table. One of them, someone Hana had seen a few times in the hallway but never spoken to, locked eyes with Hyunwoo.
"Hyunwoo, someone's looking for you outside," the boy said, raising an eyebrow slightly.
Hyunwoo let out a small sigh and stood up...