? HARD BOY BABY // SIM JAEYUN ?

the following week, seohyun found herself looking forward to school, something she hadn't expected. joon had become a steady presence in her life, and with each passing day, they got a little closer. they started sitting together at lunch, chatting about anything and everything—schoolwork, movies, even their favorite foods.

one afternoon, as they walked out of class together, joon spoke up, her tone more thoughtful than usual. "hey, seohyun... can i ask you something?"

"yeah, sure," seohyun said, glancing over at her.

"have you ever thought about doing something... just for yourself? like, something that makes you happy?"

seohyun frowned slightly, unsure. "like what?"

"i don't know... something that's just for you. something you don't have to explain to anyone. we spend so much time worrying about what other people think, but we never stop to ask ourselves what we want."

seohyun paused, considering the question. it was something she hadn't really thought about before. she was always trying to make it through each day, just trying to survive. she'd never really thought about what made her happy, outside of the moments where she could escape into books or music.

"i don't know," she admitted. "i guess i never really thought about it."

"you should," joon said with a smile. "find something you love, something just for you. it's so easy to forget about yourself, you know?"

seohyun nodded slowly, her mind turning over the idea. maybe she could find something just for herself.

a few days later, joon invited seohyun to a local park, a place she'd never been before. the sun was setting, casting long shadows across the field, and the air was crisp with the first hints of fall.

"i come here when i need to think," joon said, glancing over at seohyun. "it's peaceful. and... i don't know, it helps clear my head."

seohyun looked around, taking in the view. it was beautiful—quiet, with a few scattered benches and trees swaying gently in the wind. it felt like the kind of place she could breathe.

they found a bench near the edge of the park, and for a while, neither of them spoke. the silence was comfortable, and seohyun felt a sense of calm she hadn't realized she needed.

"thanks for bringing me here," seohyun said quietly after a while. "i think i needed this."

"i'm glad," joon replied, her tone warm. "sometimes, it's the little things that help the most."

they sat there for a long while, just taking in the peacefulness around them. joon had become more than just a classmate to seohyun. she was someone who understood, who didn't ask for explanations but just was there. someone who made seohyun feel seen in a way no one else ever had.

it had been a few weeks since that day in the park, and seohyun found herself relying more and more on joon's quiet support. she started looking forward to their lunch breaks together, their little outings, and even the moments when they'd just sit in silence, knowing someone was there beside her.

one afternoon, after a particularly difficult morning, seohyun sat by herself in the library, trying to focus on her homework. the pages blurred as her thoughts drifted back to the notebook she'd found near the river. she couldn't get it out of her head—the words, the raw emotion that had been scrawled on every page. it felt like whoever wrote it had been speaking directly to her, like they understood her in a way no one else did.

her fingers itched to pick up the notebook again, but she hadn't seen it since that day. she tried to shake the thought from her mind, but the words lingered, floating in the back of her mind.

just then, joon appeared at the library door, her eyes scanning the room until they landed on seohyun. a quiet smile formed on her lips as she walked over.

"hey, you're here," joon said, settling into the chair across from seohyun. "how's everything?"

"better," seohyun replied, her voice quiet but genuine. "i think i'm getting used to... everything. you know, with school, and... my mom. it's not perfect, but it's better."

"i'm glad to hear that," joon said, her voice warm.

seohyun nodded, then hesitated before speaking. "hey, joon, can i ask you something?"

"of course," joon said, leaning in slightly.

"do you... do you ever feel like you're not really seen? like there's something about you that no one else understands?"

joon blinked, her expression unreadable for a moment. "i guess i've felt that way before," she said slowly, her voice soft. "sometimes, it feels like you're invisible, even when you're surrounded by people."

seohyun nodded, her heart beating faster as she remembered the notebook. she didn't know why she was suddenly compelled to ask, but it felt like the right moment.

"do you... do you write? like, poems or something?"

joon's gaze flickered, and for a second, seohyun could have sworn she saw something hidden in her eyes—a flash of something, maybe even recognition.

"why do you ask?" joon's voice was casual, but there was a slight edge to it.

"i... i found a notebook once," seohyun said carefully, "and it felt like someone understood exactly what i was going through. it had words in it, things that seemed like they were written just for me."

"hmm," joon murmured, her gaze dropping to her hands. "funny how that happens sometimes. people leave things behind, and we end up finding them when we need them most."

seohyun's heart skipped a beat. "was it yours?" she asked, before she could stop herself.

joon's expression faltered for just a moment, before she gave a small, almost unnoticeable nod. "yeah. it was mine," she said, her voice quiet.

seohyun's breath caught in her throat. "so... you were the one who wrote all those things?"

"yeah," joon said, her eyes meeting seohyun's. there was no hiding now, no more pretending. "i guess it was my way of... letting out everything that was inside me. it wasn't meant to be found. but i guess... it's okay, now."

seohyun didn't know what to say. she felt a wave of emotion rush through her—surprise, understanding, even a little relief. "you... you get it," she said softly, her voice thick. "those words... i felt like they were speaking to me. like i wasn't alone."

joon looked at her, her gaze softening. "you're not alone, seohyun. not anymore."

seohyun felt a warmth spread through her chest. the connection between them felt stronger now, like they were both carrying pieces of the same weight.

"thank you," seohyun whispered, her eyes brimming with gratitude.

"don't thank me," joon said with a small smile. "we're in this together."

and for the first time in a long time, seohyun felt like she wasn't alone in the world, that someone truly understood her pain.