The class passed quickly, but it wasn't as fun for Hana as it used to be. When the bell rang, she immediately spotted Gaeun in the crowd and, as usual, headed for the exit without waiting.
When Hyunwoo noticed that Hana had once again left without waiting for him, he furrowed his brows slightly. At first, he acted like he didn't care, but then his usual habit kicked in, and he quickly caught up with her.
"Hana!" he called out.
Hana, hearing his voice, slowed down a bit but didn't stop completely. Hyunwoo caught up and walked alongside her.
"Why are you in such a hurry?" he asked, his voice nonchalant, but there was a hint of curiosity in it.
Hana shrugged. "Just because. I'm leaving early with Gaeun."
Hyunwoo smiled lightly. "You could've waited for me."
Hyunwoo was a bit bothered this time, but quickly recovered. "You know, it's up to you," he said casually. Then, suddenly smiling, he added, "But I still feel like you're being cold to me."
Just as Hana was about to respond, Gaeun interrupted. "Hana, we'll be late."
Hana turned to Gaeun and nodded, continuing to walk. Hyunwoo stopped in his tracks, glanced at Hana's retreating back, and sighed softly.
Inside, he thought, She's not the same anymore. But then he shrugged and continued on his way. He wasn't the type to dwell on things.
After saying goodbye to Gaeun, Hana started walking home. She felt more tired than usual today. Her thoughts were scattered, but at the same time, she didn't want to think about anything.
When she got home, her mom was preparing something in the kitchen, and her dad was sitting in front of the TV, watching the news. Hana just gave a brief hello and headed straight to her room.
She casually threw her bag on the chair, hurriedly took off her shoes, and collapsed onto her bed. As soon as she closed her eyes, everything that happened during the day flashed briefly in her mind. Hyunwoo's distant yet still interested behavior, the moments when she felt Aerin watching her differently, the relief of being able to talk freely again with Eunbi and the others...
But she wasn't in the mood to dwell on it. As soon as her eyelids closed, she fell into a deep sleep. The fatigue of the day wrapped around her body, and for a while, the world quieted down. But someone else was still thinking about that day.
Aerin sat on the edge of her bed, the dim light of her room casting soft shadows. She rhythmically tapped the pen on her desk, trying to silence her thoughts, but it was as if she couldn't escape the images swirling in her mind...
The moment from this morning replayed in her mind. When Hana's hair brushed her hand, she had frozen instinctively. Everything had seemed so natural; for Hana, it was probably just a simple action, something that held no meaning. But for Aerin... Even for a moment, that feeling hadn't left her mind.
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Stop being ridiculous," she murmured to herself. But was she really being ridiculous? She knew that for days now, she had been unintentionally watching Hana, feeling strangely comfortable around her, and sometimes unconsciously paying too much attention to her. At first, she had only thought Hana was an interesting person. But things had started to take a different turn.
She leaned her head back, staring at the ceiling. Today, it wasn't just that on her mind. Hyunwoo's behavior... Although he seemed uninterested this morning, he had tried to approach her again after school. With his usual indifferent but somehow magnetic attitude... Aerin couldn't say she liked Hyunwoo. She couldn't even understand what he felt for Hana. If he truly liked her, why was he so indifferent? If he didn't like her, why didn't he leave her alone?
She ran her hand through her hair. She was thinking about it all for nothing. Hana didn't even notice. She didn't know when Aerin's eyes had lingered on her. She didn't know how Aerin had thought about the moment her hair touched her hand for hours. It was better if she didn't know.
She reached for her phone and checked the time. It was well past midnight. "Tomorrow everything will be the same," she murmured to herself. The same people at school, the same classrooms, the same hallways... and probably the same feelings.
With a sigh, she turned off the light, crawled under the covers, and closed her eyes. But her mind still vividly replayed Hana's smile and that moment from the morning.