?????? ???
??say my name and everything
just stops. i don't want you
like a best friend?
?? ????? they argue like it's a full-time job
and swear they're just friends but can't eve...
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❝ ─── chapter seventeen ONE TOO MANY.❞
CROSS SOMEONE'S PATH, unexpectedly meet someone. Ye Seul shook off Hu Min's grip from her wrist without looking at him, brushing the crease in her school blazer like nothing happened. Her expression bounced back into a friendly smile the moment she saw Si Eun and Jun Tae standing a few meters away, mid-conversation. She waved enthusiastically.
"Hey, Si Eun. Jun Tae!" Her voice carried its usual chipper lilt, but her eyes darted sideways like she was already anticipating Hyun Tak or Hu Min doing something dumb behind her. "Wow, you guys are already up this early? What's the occasion?"
Jun Tae shyly raised his hand in response, a faint smile tugging at his lips. Si Eun, however, simply stared, stone-faced and expressionless as usual.
But Ye Seul didn't take offense. That was just him and his own, weird way of saying hi.
"What's this?" Hu Min's voice interrupted, theatrical as ever. He dropped his arm from where it was lazily draped over Hyun Tak's head and dramatically darted behind him like he was ducking an arrow. He stuck his hand out in a stiff karate-chop motion.
"Are we under attack?" he deadpanned. Hyun Tak let out a groan and awkwardly cleared his throat.
Si Eun blinked at them and said calmly, "We're wanted in the teacher's office."
"Wait, what?" Ye Seul's head turned so fast it nearly whipped her bangs off.
Yet before she could process what that meant, she found herself already lined up beside the four of them. Hyun Tak to her left, Hu Min to her right, Jun Tae and Si Eun just beyond them as they all stood before the teacher's desk like convicts awaiting sentencing.
"You're right. That did happen at the underpass," Hyun Tak said, his voice calm but cautious. "But that's an exaggeration—"
The teacher cut him off mid-explanation, not even looking up as he used the back end of the wooden stick he always carried to scratch his back. "Everyone who hangs out with Choi Hyo Man is absent today. Do you think that's strange?" His eyes finally met theirs, sharp. "There were some kids who saw the fight."
Ye Seul shifted uncomfortably on her feet, nervously switching her weight from one shoe to the other. Her gaze flickered to her right.
"That's news to me," Hu Min said beside her, blinking as if the whole thing had just dawned on him. The teacher turned to look at him. So did Hyun Tak.
Then Hyun Tak leaned toward Hu Min, but didn't bother keeping his voice down. "Yah. 'That's news to see,' dumbass."
"Isn't that what I said?" Hu Min whispered back, louder than necessary.
