checkmate. | pi hanwool

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CHECKMATE
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After school, Gaeun walked home alone. It wasn’t intentional—she and Gamin had barely spoken since their argument last night. They had gone to school together in silence, and even though she acted like it didn’t bother her, it did.

She hated fighting with him.

With a sigh, she made a detour, heading toward the convenience store at the corner of their street. The bright neon lights flickered above the entrance as she pushed open the glass door, the chime ringing softly.

She walked straight to the freezer section, her eyes scanning the different flavors of ice cream. Gamin wasn’t picky, but he usually preferred chocolate or vanilla—nothing too fancy.

She grabbed a chocolate cone and a soda for herself before heading to the counter.

As she paid, she thought back to their fight. Gamin had been right—he usually was when it came to her. But admitting it out loud was never easy.

By the time she reached home, the sky had already darkened. She stepped inside, toeing off her shoes before heading straight toward Gamin’s room.

The door was slightly ajar, and she could see him sitting at his desk, flipping through his notes. His brows were furrowed in concentration, his leg bouncing slightly—his usual habit when he was deep in thought.

She knocked on the doorframe. "Hey."

Gamin barely looked up. "Why?"

Instead of answering, she walked in and placed the ice cream on his desk, right next to his notebook.

Gamin paused, his eyes flicking between the ice cream and her. "What’s this?"

"Your peace offering," she said, crossing her arms.

Gamin raised a brow. "You think you can bribe me with ice cream?"

Gaeun scoffed. "Obviously."

For a second, Gamin just stared at her, but then a small smirk tugged at his lips as he took the ice cream from the table. "At least you know my weakness."

Gaeun leaned against the wall, watching as he unwrapped the ice cream and took a bite.

"Look," she started, exhaling. "I’m sorry about last night. I was just in a bad mood, and I took it out on you."

Gamin licked his ice cream, glancing at her. "I know."

Gaeun blinked. "That’s it? No lecture?"

He shrugged. "I figured you’d come around eventually."

Gaeun rolled her eyes but felt a little lighter. "You’re annoying."

"And you’re bad at apologies," he shot back, smirking.

They sat in comfortable silence for a moment—Gamin eating his ice cream while Gaeun absentmindedly scanned the papers scattered on his desk.

Then Gamin spoke again, his tone more serious. "You don’t have to tell me what’s bothering you, but… if you ever want to, I’m here, okay?"

Gaeun hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "Yeah. I know."

She straightened up and turned to leave. "Anyway, don’t stay up too late."

Gamin raised a brow. "Why?"

"Because we have the exchange meeting in Seoul tomorrow," she reminded him, shooting him a pointed look. "And if you oversleep, I’m leaving you behind."