A click closer || Ren

20

"And also Mali's."

She blinked. What is happening?

Thyme turned back to the stunned crowd. "Cancel means cancel. Got it? It means, going forward, Gorya is off-limits. Ok?"

Then, in a much quieter voice, he turned to Gorya, smirking. "As promised." He even had the nerve to wink.

Gorya, still trying to process, stammered, "But the date-"

"Wow, the date." MJ suddenly appeared, grinning. "This is big."

Kevin joined in, nudging MJ. "Let's take this conversation to the canteen."

"Yeah," MJ agreed. "So we can have a long talk."

Before Gorya could argue further, Thyme grabbed her hand. "Come on."

Gorya hesitated, looking like she wanted to resist, but before she could, she felt a tug on her other hand.

She turned and saw her friend smiling slightly. Without a word, she took Hana's hand as well, bringing her along.

Whatever was going on, she had a feeling this conversation was going to be interesting.

The guys lounged on the sofa casually, their presence filling the space with an air of arrogance and confidence. She ignored them completely, her eyes scanning the area instead. She had never dared to step into this part of the school before-it felt foreign, like a place she wasn't meant to be.

With quiet hesitation, she sat down, Gorya positioned between her and Thyme. She kept her posture stiff, feeling out of place among them.

Hana, who had been standing awkwardly, was about to make her escape when Kevin smoothly cut her off.

"Where are you going?" he asked, leaning forward slightly. "You're already here. Just sit with us for a while."

Hana hesitated, but Kevin was persistent, gently guiding her to sit down.

MJ smirked, tilting his head. "Are you still afraid of us?"

She barely paid attention to their conversation. She had no interest in whatever games they were playing. Instead, she pulled out her camera, flipping through her pictures, choosing to lose herself in something she actually cared about.

Her fingers froze over the camera buttons, her heart skipping a beat as Kevin's words rang through the air.

"To be frank, you like Ren, don't you? But you went out with Thyme. I don't want my friends to fight."

Her stomach twisted uncomfortably. No. Whatever she was thinking-whatever she feared-had to be wrong.

MJ's amused voice cut through the tension. "I can't believe these words are coming from the Father of Multi-Dating. What are you worried about? Are you afraid Thyme will get into a fistfight with Ren?" He gestured toward Thyme before adding, "We're grown-ups. We wouldn't be fighting like we were kids fighting over a doll."

She didn't hear anything after that. Her mind was spiraling, drowning out the voices around her.

Gorya likes Ren?

The thought hit her harder than she expected, an uneasy feeling creeping into her chest.

"I will be leaving. You guys talk."

Her voice cut through the conversation, making them all go quiet. She didn't wait for a response, turning on her heel to leave. The uneasy feeling in her chest made it hard to stay any longer.

Before she could take another step, MJ's voice called after her.

MJ leaned back, resting his arm on the couch as he looked at her with mild curiosity. "Leaving already? You just sat down."

She paused for a second, gripping her camera strap tightly before forcing a small smile. "I just remembered I have something to do."

Kevin raised an eyebrow. "Something more important than our little gathering?"

She didn't reply, simply giving them a small nod before turning away again. But just as she took a step, Thyme's voice stopped her.

"Tsk, what's with the mood? You're acting weird."

She clenched her fists, pushing down the emotions bubbling inside her. Taking a deep breath, she steadied herself before speaking, her voice as neutral as possible. "I'm just tired. That's all."

Without waiting for another remark, she walked away, leaving behind the lively chatter and teasing that now felt like background noise.

She found herself yet again at the rooftop. Cold breeze came on her face, making her hair move with the wind. She took out the paper from her pocket and looked at the portrait again and at the message.

She traced the lines of the portrait with her fingers, her heart feeling heavy. The soft strokes, the careful details-Ren had drawn her with such quiet understanding. It was almost like he could see right through her.

Her eyes moved to the message at the bottom.

"Stay strong and don't get in trouble. This time I won't be there to help."

She swallowed, feeling the weight of those words settle deep inside her. This time, I won't be there...

A part of her wanted to believe that it didn't matter, that she had never needed anyone's help to begin with. But another part-a smaller, more fragile part-felt the absence of his presence more than she wanted to admit.

The wind picked up again, making the paper flutter slightly in her grip. She sighed, tucking it carefully back into her pocket before looking out at the school grounds below. Everything felt the same... yet different.

She closed her eyes for a moment, letting the breeze wash over her.

"Gorya likes Ren."

The thought crept in again, uninvited. She shook her head and tightened her grip on the railing. Why did it bother her so much? Why did it feel like something inside her was twisting painfully at the mere idea?

Taking a deep breath, she pulled her camera up and aimed at the horizon, trying to focus on something-anything-other than the storm of emotions inside her.

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