checkmate. | pi hanwool

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ
.˚✮🎧✮˚.⋆
CHECKMATE

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ
Gaeun wasn’t sure how long she and Hanwool stood on the rooftop after their confessions—how long the silence stretched between their lingering fingers, how many times she caught herself stealing glances at him when she thought he wasn’t looking.

But even without words, there was something comforting about just being with him. For the first time since the chaos at the café, her heart felt a little lighter.

Eventually, the school bell rang in the distance, marking the end of lunch. A breeze passed through them, tugging at their uniforms and snapping her back to reality.

"I should go," she murmured, not quite wanting to.

Hanwool looked at her. "I’ll walk you."

They walked in silence down the stairs together, and though their hands didn’t touch, Gaeun could feel the heat of his presence beside her—steady, warm, grounding.

When they reached the hallway near the girls’ classrooms, Gaeun paused and looked at him.

"You should go before Gamin sees you," she teased softly, trying to ease the tension she knew lingered between the boys.

Hanwool sighed, a hand rubbing the back of his neck. "Yeah… I owe him more than just one apology."

She nodded, her smile fading into something quieter. "He was just scared. We all were."

"I know."

A pause.

Then Gaeun looked at him. "Thank you… for coming to find me."

Hanwool didn’t say anything right away. He just looked at her like he was memorizing everything—the faint tiredness in her eyes, the small winces she tried to hide whenever she shifted her weight, the way her fingers clutched the strap of her bag.

"You don’t have to thank me," he said quietly. "Just don’t scare me like that again."

She gave him a small, crooked smile. "No promises."

He rolled his eyes but smiled back, and with one last glance, he turned and walked away.

When she reached her classroom, she took a steadying breath before pushing the door open.

Inside, Jiwoo and Heewon were huddled at their desks, laughing over something Jiwoo was scrolling through on her phone. Their laughter faded when they saw Gaeun enter.

"There you are!" Heewon shot up from her seat and walked over. "You said you were going to the infirmary. We were about to call you."

Jiwoo tilted her head. "Wait. You didn’t go, did you?"

Gaeun looked sheepish. "I needed air."

Jiwoo narrowed her eyes. "Air? On the rooftop?"

Gaeun didn’t say anything. Her lips curled into a subtle smile, and Jiwoo’s eyes widened in realization. She gasped and jumped to her feet.

"No. You didn’t."

Heewon blinked between them. "What’s going on?"

"You saw Hanwool, didn’t you?" Jiwoo asked, voice high with suspicion and excitement.

"I ran into him, yes," Gaeun replied, walking over to her desk.

Heewon’s jaw dropped. "Did you guys talk? Oh my God, Gaeun, you’re blushing."

"I’m not blushing," she muttered, fanning her face. "It’s just warm."

"Sure," Jiwoo said, practically bouncing back into her seat. "Did he say something? Did you say something?"