Adrian's POV)
I couldn't stop laughing.
It had been so long since I laughed this much… since anyone made me laugh this much.
Valerie Kang — or Kang Areum, as I sometimes called her — was something else.
Even now, as I leaned against the wall near the classroom , catching my breath, I could still see her face when she yelled "도망가! (Domangga!) — Run!" and sprinted like a little kid.
It was ridiculous… and funny.
"너 진짜… (Neo jinjja…) — You seriously…" I started, shaking my head, "You never stop, do you?"
Valerie, still laughing, bent over with her hands on her knees. "너무 재밌었잖아! (Neomu jaemisseotjanha!) — But it was so much fun!"
I rolled my eyes but couldn't fight the grin tugging at my lips. "재밌긴 하지… 근데 넌 항상 문제야. (Jaemitgin haji… geunde neon hangsang munjeya.) — Yeah, fun, but you're always trouble."
She tilted her head and smirked. "그래서 나랑 친구하잖아. (Geuraeseo narang chinguhajana.) — That's why you're friends with me."
"아니. (Ani.) — No."
"거짓말. (Geojinmal.) — Liar."
She stuck out her tongue, and for a moment, I just stood there — watching her laugh like sunlight.
Something about her energy reminded me of the warmth I hadn't felt in a long time.
Even with all the noise around us, it felt… quiet.
Then Ciel ran past, dragging Ci-N by the sleeve and shouting something about "no more donut pranks."
Valerie giggled again, brushing her hair aside as she looked at me.
"너 웃을 때 좋아. (Neo useul ttae joa.) — I like it when you smile," she said softly this time.
I froze.
"뭐라고? (Mwora-go?) — What did you say?"
She laughed nervously and waved her hands. "아무것도 아냐! (Amugeotdo anya!) — Nothing!"
Then ran back inside before I could even reply.
I stood there, still smiling, shaking my head.
"Valerie Kang… 너 진짜 이상해 (Neo jinjja isanghae) — you're really strange," I muttered under my breath.
But as I walked back toward Section E's building, I realized — my smile hadn't faded once since that prank started.
(Jayjay's POV)
If Section E ever made a movie, that moment would be the trailer.
From my seat by the window, I had watched the entire thing — from Valerie's prank setup to Adrian chasing her, Ciel, and Ci-N all the way out the hall.
The classroom had been shaking with laughter. Even keifer almost fell out of his chair.
But I just sat there — somewhere between laughing and… feeling something weird in my chest.
"Jayjay," Keifer said beside me, leaning on his arm, "I've never seen Adrian laugh like that before."
I turned to him. "Yeah… he's actually smiling a lot lately."
Keifer sighed. "Valerie really brought out a different side of him. It's like she flipped a switch."
I nodded, pretending to agree, but my fingers were fidgeting with my pen.
It's not that I didn't like Valerie — she was sweet, funny, and honestly fun to be around.
But watching her with Adrian like that…
It was strange.
I glanced toward the hallway again, and there they were — Adrian and Valerie, walking side by side, talking in Korean and laughing about something I couldn't understand.
Keifer followed my gaze. "You're staring."
I quickly looked away. "No, I'm not."
He chuckled. "You are. Don't worry, Jay, he's not your boyfriend — you've already got me."
That made me smile. "Yeah, yeah. Whatever you say."
Still, a tiny part of me wondered what Valerie had said to make Adrian laugh so easily.
Because whatever it was…
It made even Section E stop and look.
Ciel came in moments later, holding her stomach from laughing too much. "Guys, that was gold! Valerie actually tricked Adrian good!"
I crossed my arms. "You all planned that, huh?"
"Of course," Ciel said proudly. "It was revenge for the whole 엄마 on the phone thing."
Keifer just shook his head. "That girl's got guts."
"More like chaos," I said under my breath — though I couldn't help but smile a little.
Because even though Valerie was unpredictable, loud, and completely fearless…
she had somehow made the usually quiet Adrian come alive.
And maybe — that's what scared me the most.