"Do you like Hyunwoo?"
Hana's eyes widened. She hadn't expected this question at all. It felt like she had been drenched with a bucket of ice water.
Hana was taken aback by Aerin's question. Her heart started racing, but she tried not to let it show on her face. She remained silent for a few seconds before parting her lips.
"What? Where did that come from?" she asked, her voice trembling slightly with surprise.
Aerin locked eyes with Hana. "I was just curious," she said calmly. "You've been spending a lot of time with him lately. You used to be closer to Eunwoo, but now Hyunwoo is always around you."
Hana averted her gaze. It was true—Hyunwoo had been around her more often these days. But that… wasn't unusual, right? Almost defensively, she said, "He's just friendly. Eunwoo is too. They're both… my friends."
Aerin nodded slightly. "I see," she said, but there was still a questioning look on her face, as if she wasn't entirely convinced by Hana's words.
Hana opened her mouth to say something but then changed her mind. She wondered what Aerin was really trying to tell her, but she didn't want to press the issue any further.
"Is that why you called me here?" she finally asked.
Aerin smiled faintly. "No, actually, there was something else, but I wanted to ask you this first. The real reason is… I want you to be careful."
Hana frowned. "Be careful of what?"
Aerin hesitated for a moment. It seemed like she wasn't sure about what she was about to say. Then, her voice became a whisper, more serious than before:
"Eunbi."
Hana looked at Aerin in surprise. "Eunbi? Why?"
Aerin took a deep breath. "I've noticed you've been spending a lot of time with her. But is she always nice to you?"
Hana thought about Aerin's words, going through her memories. Yes, Eunbi always seemed kind and polite, but sometimes… there were moments that felt a little off. As if there was something behind her smile.
"I don't know," Hana murmured. "She hasn't done anything bad to me, but… why are you saying this?"
Aerin hesitated before replying. "Well… maybe she likes Hyunwoo. And maybe she's jealous of you."
Hana's eyes widened. "Eunbi? Liking Hyunwoo? But she never said anything about that..."
Aerin shrugged. "Maybe she didn't, but she might see you as a rival without realizing it."
Hana flinched when she saw the seriousness in Aerin's eyes. What did she mean? Was Eunbi not who she seemed to be?
Before she could question Aerin further, the school bell rang. It was time for class.
"Can we talk about this later?" Hana asked.
Aerin nodded. "Of course."
As they walked toward the school, Hana's mind was now filled with thoughts of Eunbi. She kept replaying Eunbi's behavior over and over again. Was Aerin right? Did Eunbi really see her as a rival?
When they entered the classroom, Hana's eyes instinctively searched for Eunbi. She was smiling as usual, chatting with her friends. As Hana watched her carefree demeanor, a seed of doubt began to grow inside her.
Was there something hidden behind that smile?
The lesson started, but Hana's mind was still on Aerin's words. She needed to be more careful around Eunbi.
Throughout the class, Hana tried to observe Eunbi. She watched every movement, every word. But Eunbi acted completely normal—laughing, joking, participating in class… Hana was surprised at how natural she seemed.
Maybe Aerin was wrong. Maybe Eunbi really was just a good friend.
After class, Hana approached Eunbi. "Eunbi, can we talk for a bit?" she asked.
Eunbi smiled. "Sure, what's up?"
Hana hesitated. "Uh… I just wanted to check in on you. How have you been?"
Eunbi raised an eyebrow. "I'm fine. What about you?"
Hana let out a small relieved smile. "I'm good too."
They chatted for a while, and Hana started to believe in Eunbi's sincerity. Maybe Aerin's worries were unnecessary. Maybe Eunbi really was just a good friend.
However, there was still a lingering doubt in Hana's mind. Aerin's words echoed in her ears.
"I just want you to be careful."
Hana wasn't sure what to do with that doubt. Should she trust Eunbi? Or should she take Aerin's warning seriously?
She knew she needed time to figure it out.
When they entered the classroom, everyone slowly took their seats. Hana was still thinking about Aerin's words. Could Eunbi really like Hyunwoo? The thought kept spinning in her head, but she needed to focus on the lesson now. With a sigh, she opened her notebook and started writing.
As the teacher wrote some formulas on the board, Hana glanced around the room. Aerin was in the back, looking at her phone. Eunbi was focused on writing something, but Hana noticed her thoughtful expression.
As the lesson continued, Hana absentmindedly played with her pen, lost in her thoughts. If Eunbi really does like him… why wouldn't she just say so?
Gaeun, who was sitting next to her, nudged her with her elbow. "Hey, what's up with you? You've been spacing out and playing with your pen all class."
Hana snapped out of her thoughts and smiled slightly. "Oh, I didn't even notice."
Gaeun raised an eyebrow. "What's wrong? You're not usually this distracted in class."
Hana looked away. "I'm just tired."
Gaeun didn't seem completely convinced but didn't push further. "Alright, but if something's wrong, you can talk to me."
Hana smiled at her gratefully but didn't bring up the topic. She still felt uneasy inside, but she didn't want to voice it just yet.
When the bell rang, everyone started moving. Hana packed her bag when Aerin walked up to her.
"You've been acting weird today," Aerin said.
Hana forced a small smile. "It's nothing."
Aerin tilted her head. "Are you sure? Because Eunbi was acting a little weird today too."
That caught Hana's attention. Eunbi was acting weird too?
Just then, Gaeun joined them. "Are you heading home?"
Hana nodded. "Yeah."
"Want to walk together?"
"Sure."
As they walked down the corridor, Sera and Eunwoo joined them. Slowly, the group made their way toward the school exit.
While walking toward the bus stop, Hana noticed Sera, Eunbi, and Eunwoo waiting for the bus a little further ahead.
At that moment, out of the corner of her eye, Hana spotted a group of students standing near the school gates. Hyunwoo and a few of his friends were talking. One of them was smoking, while Hyunwoo was saying something to the others.
Just then, Hyunwoo's gaze met Hana's.
For a brief moment, their eyes locked. Hana's heart skipped a beat, and she quickly looked away.
Why do I feel like this?
She took a deep breath and turned toward Gaeun, just as she noticed someone approaching them.
A boy, dressed in casual, somewhat messy clothes—not wearing a school uniform—stopped at the bus stop. He had a confident smile as he stepped closer to Hana.
"Hey," he said in a self-assured tone.
Hana blinked in surprise...