"Take care, Serin."
That was the message Serin had just received.
Their short-lived conversation ended right there.
Serin stared at her phone, confused. A blink. A pause. Her fingers curled around the device slowly as she whispered,
"Whatever."
She placed her phone calmly on the desk.
No frustration.
No drama.
She stood up, made her bed neatly, turned off her light, and crawled into her sheets.
The ceiling stared back at her.
Her wide eyes blinked slowly in the dim glow of the moonlight leaking through her window.
"Damn... what was that?" she murmured.
There was a strange curiosity blooming in her chest. It wasn't love. Not even close. But interest? That undeniable itch to understand?
Yes.
She pulled the blanket closer.
A calm, collected girl by nature — Serin wasn't the type to chase mysteries. But that night, Ren's abruptness haunted her.
She rolled to her side. The silence in her room was louder than usual.
"What kind of guy was he really?"
The morning sun painted her walls in warm shades of apricot. Birds chirped somewhere far away, but Serin was already sitting on the edge of her bed, brushing her fingers through her hair in slow, lazy strokes.
She was still curious.
Even while bathing, brushing, getting dressed — her thoughts kept straying.
"Emm... Sissy?" her younger sister peeked in with a smirk, "Why are you in such a rush? Got a new boyfriend or something?"
Serin rolled her eyes, holding back a laugh. "Yeah, yeah. I got ten of them. Now get lost."
Both of them laughed.
She glanced in the mirror while combing her hair. Her eyes were lazy — the kind of cute tiredness that made her look like she hadn't slept, but was still effortlessly adorable. Her cheeks held a soft pink hue like cherry blossoms after rain. Her lips curved into a small, amused smile.
She wasn't thin. Nor was she too chubby. She was… in between. Like a soft mochi bun wrapped in spring.
Yet, Serin was insecure. Always a little too conscious of how she looked in her uniform. How her blazer fit. How her thighs brushed slightly when she walked.
But still... there was a glow.
She was beautiful. In a way that wasn't loud. She was the kind of girl you'd want to draw in a sketchbook while sipping Espresso in a quiet café.
"Aight, mom! Love you! Bye!" she shouted, running to the bus stop.
Just in time. The school bus doors slid open.
"Oh sh*t! I think the tires are gonna explode 'cause this obese just hopped in!" joked a voice.
Her childhood best friend Haito — grinned cheekily.
Serin rolled her eyes. "Hahaha… Very funny."
The whole bus laughed. She laughed too.
Though a part of her felt a soft sting. Still, she brushed it off. She was too cool to let it get to her.
"Hey Airi… I gotta tell you something!" she leaned over to her other best friend, Airi, her voice bubbling with excitement.
"What? What happened?" Airi gasped.
Serin explained everything.
The text.
The vibe.
The confusion.
"OMG! And then??"
"I don't know… Should I ask someone about him?"
"You should." Airi nodded like it was a mission.
The bus reached school. She walked in — still zoning out. Thoughts of Ren weaving between her textbooks and the morning announcements.
"Who're you thinking about? Zoning out like that?"
Haito smacked her gently on the head.
"Yeah yeah. It's my boyfriend," she winked.
They laughed.
During break, Serin made her move. She went around asking different classmates about Ren.
Responses came like arrows.
"Ew. That playboy? You know him?"
"Hell no. He's the cringiest guy I've ever met."
"What? That simp texted you?"
She blinked. So many people either hated him or didn't take him seriously. It was strange.
The guy she talked to last night… was dramatic, sure. But calm. Honest. A little too raw.
She tilted her head and smiled, "Hmm... this is interesting."
"Maybe he's changed."
"Maybe I should text him."
"...Or maybe I should wait."
"Hey, do you know Ren? What's your opinion on him?" she asked one last person — a calm guy with cat-like, twinkling eyes.
"Ohh yeah, I know Ren," he nodded. "He called me last night too. Told me everything. I know, I know… he's a bit dramatic, but trust me, we studied together for 10 years. He had a really rough past. Everyone avoided him for how he looked. So he became a class clown for attention. He had a glow-up later, and yeah, he dated around like a lot of Girls.
But I think he's better now."
Serin paused.
A soft smile crept onto her lips.
She Looked At the Guy with the Eyes of a cat , ' Ashiwkun ' and Grinned
"That's it. He could be a good friend for me."
When she returned home later that evening, the decision to text him floated in her chest like a warm breeze.
She tapped her phone screen.
Serin:Hey…
Serin:I'm sorry. I should've held my horses.
Serin:But I kinda asked about you to my friends.
Serin:Chill. I'm cool about it. I know you had a rough past.
Serin:I'm not gonna judge you, bruh.
Serin:So we good now?
Serin:Helloooo?
Serin:Rennnn?
Serin:I'm so sorry, Ren.
Serin:I hope you won't hold grudges.
She slid the phone into her pocket.
"Girl… he's just another guy. Why am I thinking about him 24/7?" she muttered.
"Hey mom! I'm home!" she called.
"Sissy! How was your day?" her younger sister hugged her.
"It was good. Trying to do better every day." She smiled gently.
She peeked into her dad's room. "Papa… you okay?"
He gave her a quiet nod. She smiled again and tiptoed away.
Then came the kitchen battle.
"MAKE YOUR BED! And take your goddamn clothes from the wash!" her mom yelled.
"Yeah yeah, fine fine! Just chill out!" she laughed, already climbing the stairs with a mountain of laundry in her arms.
She couldn't even see over the pile.
Tiptoeing carefully, she nudged open her room door with her foot, dumped the clothes on the bed, and locked the door behind her.
"Phew… I'm exhausted."
Ping.
Her phone buzzed.
One new message.
She stared at the screen.
Her eyes widened.
"You really want to know the truth about me? Then don't blame me for what comes next."