...
Of course, not everything turned out as I had imagined.
After all, physics was much more complex than I had tried to make out on the spot.
Yeonha, for example, even though she was now in my arms, didn't exactly have her lips coming towards mine.
For that to really happen, there would have to be a small technicality: she would have to be taller.
Which she definitely wasn't.
I was 1.87 cm tall, while Yeonha, who had stumbled towards me because of the door push, was barely 1.74 cm tall.
So, despite the tension in the air and the closeness that would make anyone hold their breath, the "almost kiss" was nothing more than a light impact, cheek to cheek, to be exact.
In other words, if there were a Newton's Fourth Law, she would probably say something like:
"For an accidental kiss to happen, you need the ideal alignment of height, speed, a little push from fate and a lot of luck so that the two bodies stay upright with the minimum of inclination."
"Sigh!"
I sighed, a little disappointed.
In truth, what I'd said about letting physics do the rest was more joke than truth, but deep down, I'd hoped it would have happened.
'It would be amazing to see how she would act afterwards...'
Would she be speechless? Would she faint with shame? Or would she run off as usual? Just imagining it, a small smile escaped.
"Unm!"
The muffled sound brought my eyes down. Yeonha was still there, pressed against my chest, her fists clenched and her cheeks burning as if they had been dipped in ink.
She let out a second "Unm!", this time louder, and began to back away slightly, with short, hesitant movements. Her eyes, however, remained fixed on the ground, as if looking at me at that moment was like staring at the sun.
"Ugh! I-I..."
Her voice was shaky, muffled by all the accumulated embarrassment she had to go through.
"Inhale.... Ahh!"
She drew in a small amount of air, trying to gather her courage, but still not facing me.
"I just... I overbalanced because the door suddenly opened! That doesn't mean anything, understand?"
I didn't hold back the slight smile that threatened to grow at the corner of my lips, and in an ironic voice I spoke, waving my hand.
"Oh, of course. Don't worry, it was no big deal, just an accident."
Yeonha tilted her chin up, her eyes still running away from mine. Clearly she was trying to maintain a modicum of dignity, even if her ears were still as red as her cheeks.
"Exactly. An accident! So... forget about it."
"I've already forgotten."
I replied naturally and, of course, blatantly lying.
She bit her lower lip, visibly annoyed at how easily I was taking it. Her body shook slightly, as if she was holding herself back from stomping her foot on the floor like a tantruming child.
"You're... unbearable, you know that? I don't know how to deal with you."
"Don't worry, in time you'll get used to it."
"You talk as if I should get used to it."
She said, crossing her arms again in a failed attempt to appear indifferent.
"It's inevitable."
I shrugged as I walked past her to the door.
"Interesting people always end up being close, one way or another, for better or worse, the result is the same."
This time, she didn't answer. She just gave me a sidelong glance, with a mixture of suspicion and, however slight, amusement.
Her lips finally moved in a resigned sigh.
"Idiot."
"Thanks, I'm flattered."
Yeonha rolled her eyes at my sarcastic response.
"Hey! Did you see who opened the door like that? I swear, when I find out, I'm going to make you pay dearly."
"I did, but are you sure you want to know?"
"Of course, I won't let it go."
"It was Jonghak. He went the other way from us, without even looking at us."
Yeonha froze for a second. Her expression changed subtly, the anger that once seemed certain where it was coming from now wavering
"Jonghak...?"
She repeated quietly, almost to herself.
"Yes. He went out like a hurricane, without looking around, and walked away as if the world was collapsing in on him."
Yeonha frowned without saying a word.
It was easy to imagine her internal conflict, between the liking that still existed and the growing emotional distance that was perhaps beginning to take hold.
"Shall we go in?"
I asked, breaking the moment.
She looked at the already open door, and nodded almost imperceptibly as she entered.
After she'd gone in, I went in too and closed the door behind me, then glanced around the class.
The room was quieter than I had expected.
Despite the large number of students present, everyone seemed stuck in the aftermath of what had just happened moments before. Some glanced covertly at Nayun, who simply didn't give a damn.
She was relaxed, sitting in her usual place with her arms crossed and a slight smile on the corner of her lips as she looked at us.
Clearly puzzled as to why I was coming along with Yeonha.
Yeonha hesitated when she saw that questioning look. She hesitated for a second before going back to her seat.
"Good morning tigress! Did you miss me?"
Nayun looked at me, rolled his eyes, and asked a question that hit Yeonha hard.
"You two arrived together, huh? That's new."
Her voice was light, but full of ulterior motives.
I didn't fall for Nayun's intentions, but the girl next to me was apparently no match for me.
Yeonha, almost halfway to her seat, stopped for a moment, as if she had been hit by an invisible stone. Her shoulders tensed, but she didn't say anything.
She just carried on, sitting in her seat with her gaze firmly ahead, deliberately ignoring Nayun's question.
After all, how could she explain that, minutes before, she had been practically glued to Nayun's boyfriend's body? Even if nothing much had happened, the thought alone was enough to make her uncomfortable and embarrassed.
"...Good morning, Nayun. I met Theo halfway."
Yeonha tried to be as convincing as possible when explaining.
Nayun stared at her, then sighed, giving up on teasing her.
"You're both dull."
And so, after this little meaningless exchange, as if fate had decided to change the subject, the door to the room opened and the instructor entered.
"Hello Cadets! I hope you're looking forward to another lesson."
The atmosphere changed in an instant. His firm, authoritative gait cut through any previous mood, replacing it with tension.
He walked to the center of the room, placed a folder and a tablet on the table and, with a simple movement of his hand, turned on the interactive screen behind him.
White letters appeared on the magic screen:
"Combat Tactics and Behavioral Analysis under Stress"
As everyone began to pay attention to the instructor's words, my gaze slid discreetly over to Nayun, who was already beginning to show signs of quiet desperation. With a dramatic sigh, she lightly tapped her forehead against the table, as if saying goodbye to her sanity.
'My tigress... This first class is definitely not going to be kind to you.'
Hours later...
Time passed and it was time to go back to the dormitory.
Today's combat lesson was simple, a little exploration in the forest in a group of four.
Yes, today we cadets were responsible for assembling our own group.
And the ones I chose for my group were Nayun, Hazuki and Yeonha.
"Hah! My legs hurt from walking..."
...