As Hana, Eunwoo, and Sera made their way toward the garden, she was initially a bit quiet, but the cheerful energy of her friends started to draw her in. Wandering around the school during breaks, escaping the stuffy atmosphere of the classroom for a bit of fresh air, had almost become a tradition for them.
"Ya, the other day the teacher was explaining something, and I totally zoned out. Suddenly, she asked me a question! I freaked out so much that I ended up explaining last week's lesson by mistake!" Eunwoo started telling, spreading her arms wide.
Sera burst into laughter. "You must have been sleep-deprived again, right?"
"Well, whose fault do you think it is? Who kept me up playing games last night?"
Hana chuckled softly. Spending time with them was always fun. She really needed to clear her mind for a while.
When they reached the front yard, they started to linger as usual. Just then, a group of students appeared by the entrance on the right. That was the usual spot where Aerin and her friends hung out.
Hana glanced over and noticed Hyunwoo standing right next to Aerin. For a brief moment, their eyes met. Hyunwoo paused for a second while looking at Hana, but then turned back to his friends.
Hana sighed and quickly looked away. She didn't know why, but a slight sense of sadness washed over her. A few days ago, she would have never thought Hyunwoo would act so distant.
At that moment, Aerin shifted her gaze towards Hana. As she watched her, there was an unreadable expression on her face. It seemed like she was trying to figure out what Hana was thinking. There was a feeling inside her, growing bigger, but she couldn't put a name to it.
"What are you doing to me, Hana?" Aerin thought.
She tilted her head slightly. Hana's laughter always seemed different from the other sounds around her. Even now, as she joked with Eunwoo and Sera, her eyes seemed a little distant, her smile a little off.
Aerin furrowed her brows without realizing it. There was discomfort inside her, but she didn't know why. She just didn't like watching Hana keep her distance.
When the bell rang for class, Hana and her friends headed back inside. Before returning to class, Hana, as usual, wanted to stop by the bathroom to check herself in the mirror. Sera came with her.
Hana took a quick glance at the mirror, then turned and asked, out of habit:
"Sera, is my appearance okay?"
Sera rolled her eyes. "Hana, you ask this every day, and every day my answer is the same. Yes, you look fine."
Hana puckered her lips as she fixed her hair. "Are you sure? I rushed out this morning, I'm not crooked or anything, right?"
Sera laughed and shook her head. "No, but we're going to be late for class. Let's go."
Hana took a deep breath and gave one last look at the mirror before heading out with Sera. Just as they were about to step into the hallway, they saw Aerin and her group coming from the other direction.
Hana's eyes instinctively moved to Aerin. Aerin was looking at her too, but this time there was something different in her gaze. It was more careful, a longer stare…
However, that moment was interrupted by Hyunwoo's voice.
"Hana!"
When Hana turned her head, she saw Hyunwoo approaching her. His voice, as energetic and relaxed as usual, made it seem like the recent strange behavior had never happened.
"You've been kind of quiet today," Hyunwoo said with a slight smile. "Is something wrong?"
Hana hesitated for a moment. If this had been a few days ago, his question would have warmed her heart. But now? It felt like the sincerity inside her had been replaced by an ambiguous distance.
"No, nothing's wrong," Hana said, her voice unintentionally colder than she meant.
Hyunwoo's smile faded slightly. "Are you sure?"
Hana gave him a quick glance. "Yes, I'm sure. We're going to be late for class."
After saying that, she continued walking. Hyunwoo stood there, watching her, his brow furrowing slightly. He could sense that Hana wasn't the same as before, but he didn't know why.
Aerin silently observed the scene. There was an odd feeling inside her. It wasn't just Hana's cold attitude towards Hyunwoo... It was more about whether Hyunwoo even noticed or cared about it.