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The bell rang, and a wave of motion swept through the classroom as students eagerly began shoving books and papers into their bags, chatting excitedly as they prepared to leave and head home. 

Just as a few students rose from their seats, the teacher clapped her hands sharply, her gaze sweeping over the room with a look that instantly quieted the chatter.

"Hold on, everyone!" she called, her voice calm yet firm, commanding attention. The students paused mid-action, exchanging reluctant glances as they settled back into their seats. 

The teacher waited a moment, letting the silence deepen, before continuing with a warm but serious expression, "I have a quick announcement before you all head out."

A few sighs echoed in the room, but the students stayed seated, eyes focused on her as they waited to hear what she had to say.

"We're going to be hosting a trip to Seoul this coming Friday," the teacher announced, her voice cutting through the room as students leaned forward, intrigued. "It'll be a week-long stay, and we'll be staying in a hotel with assigned partners. If you're interested, please fill out the forms I've placed on your desks." She paused, glancing around to make sure everyone was listening. "And tomorrow, once I know who's coming, I'll assign roommates."

With that, she gave a brief nod, signaling that they were finally free to go. The students immediately rose from their seats, buzzing with chatter about the trip. Jake, quiet and aloof as usual, slung his bag over his shoulder and quickly made his way toward the door, his face unreadable.

He moved with purpose, not looking back as he stepped into the hallway. But just as he reached the end of the corridor, he noticed Minjae, cheerful and bright-eyed, slipping into step beside him.

They walked side by side in comfortable silence as they headed toward the familiar path back home. Jake kept his gaze straight ahead, his hands in his pockets, while Minjae glanced at him, clearly wanting to break the quiet.

"Jake," Minjae finally asked, tilting her head with a hopeful smile, "are you going to come on the Seoul trip?"

"No," Jake replied bluntly, not even looking over.

Minjae's expression softened in disappointment, but she quickly recovered. "Aw, come on! It'll be fun! You'll get to explore the city, and who knows? Maybe you'll be paired with someone cool. It could be... interesting?"

Jake raised an eyebrow, still unconvinced. "I don't do 'fun' trips, Minjae."

Minjae nudged him playfully. "Oh, come on, Jake. Think about it—new experiences, a week away, no school. And with everyone there, it could be a good break for you."

Jake glanced at her, a faint trace of curiosity breaking through his usual detached expression. "And why would you care if I go or not?"

"Because," Minjae shrugged, smiling, "I think you'd enjoy it more than you realize. Besides, who else am I going to talk to?"

Jake rolled his eyes but couldn't completely hide a small smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. "You could talk to anyone else in the class, Minjae. Not like you'd run out of options."

"But they're not you," Minjae replied, her tone light but with a sincerity that made Jake falter. "Anyway, just imagine it. A week in Seoul, going to all the cool places—maybe we'd even get some free time to explore on our own."

Jake exhaled, a hint of amusement breaking through his usual aloofness. "You sound like you're trying to sell me something."

"I'm not!" Minjae laughed, her voice cheerful and infectious. "Think of it this way: it's only a week. Just seven days. And if you're that miserable, I'll buy you anything you want, no complaints."

Jake scoffed but couldn't fully mask the thoughtful look in his eyes. "Bribing me now, huh?"

"Only because I know you," Minjae said with a knowing grin. "And because I know, deep down, you'd actually enjoy it if you gave it a chance."

They continued to walk, the streets growing quieter as they neared their neighborhood. Minjae's steady encouragement left Jake in a rare, thoughtful silence. He'd already brushed off the idea of going on the trip, assuming it'd be just another week of pointless group activities and forced socializing.

But as Minjae kept talking about all the possibilities—new places to see, a change of scenery—Jake found himself wondering, just for a moment, what it might be like to actually go.

Minjae looked at him expectantly, a hopeful gleam in her eyes. "So...will you think about it? Just a little?"

Jake gave her a long, unreadable look before finally muttering, "Fine. I'll think about it."

Minjae's face lit up, and as they reached the corner of their street, Minjae turned to Jake, her grin as bright as ever. "Well, thanks for at least thinking about it. That's more than I expected."

Jake was about to brush it off with a casual shrug when, without warning, Minjae stepped forward and wrapped him in a quick, warm hug. Jake froze, his eyes widening as Minjae's arms tightened around him briefly, the hug filled with a familiar, comforting warmth.

Her embrace was warm—too warm—and far too close. His heart, usually steady and indifferent, slammed against his ribs with the force of a runaway train. He couldn't move, couldn't breathe, couldn't think.

What is this? Why does she smell like flowers and vanilla? Why are her arms around me? Why is my brain shutting down like a broken computer?

"There," Minjae said with a laugh as she pulled back, completely oblivious to the stunned look on Jake's face. "Consider that as a thank you for agreeing to come."

Jake stared at her, wide-eyed, trying to process the sudden loss of warmth and the fact that his heart was still racing like he'd run a marathon.

He then blinked, his usual composure slipping as he struggled to regain it. "Uh, yeah," he stammered, clearing his throat. "Don't... don't get too carried away, alright?"

Minjae just chuckled, his eyes sparkling with amusement as she took a few steps backward, waving. "See you tomorrow, Jake! Don't think too hard about it, okay?"

With a quick wave, Minjae turned and headed toward her house, leaving Jake standing there, still processing the unexpected hug. His heart was pounding, and he couldn't shake the lingering warmth of Minjae's embrace.

"What is wrong with me?" 

Trying to compose himself, he shook his head, muttering under his breath. But despite himself, a small, reluctant smile tugged at his lips as he watched Minjae disappear inside.

Maybe, just maybe, he was starting to consider that Seoul trip after all.