The bus ride out of school felt like we were escaping something.
As soon as the engine roared to life, someone cranked up the speakers and the whole place eruptehqcheering, clapping, screaming like we hadn't just seen each other five minutes ago. Snacks were flying from seat to seat. Someone nearly lost a shoe in the aisle. Teachers stood outside pretending they didn't see any of it.
Freedom smelled like sunscreen and cheap perfume.
I got dragged along by Hana, who was vibrating with excitement like she'd just downed three energy drinks.
"Beach. Trip." she said, enunciating every word like she was casting a spell. "On. Graduation. Day."
"I still don't get why this feels illegal," I muttered.
"It's because it's fun," she said. "And fun always feels illegal."
By the time we reached the school gate, people were already loading into the rented buses, blasting music, throwing snacks, being loud in every possible way. The summer air smelled like sunscreen, fried food, and freedom.
"Come on!" Hana dragged me forward. "You're sitting with me… oh wait-"
We paused agree entering the bus for our class. The bus was full. Like, completely full.
Not actually full. There were backpacks on seats. Tote bags. Hoodies. Someone's entire shoe collection, apparently. But every human seat was taken.
Except one.
I followed Hana's gaze unwillingly.
Beside him.
Jaeon sat by the window, earbuds in, head leaned slightly back, staring outside like the chaos around him didn't exist. Sunlight cut across his face in a way that should've been illegal. He looked calm. Untouchable. Annoyingly peaceful.
My stomach dropped.
The seat beside him.
No no no…
"Uh…" I tried to push past, but someone from the back yelled, "Sorry! All booked!"
Another chimed in, "Yeah! No space left!"
I squinted. "There's literally three empty seats."
They all grinned like little demons.
"Oh no," I whispered.
"Oh yes," Hana said, already pushing me forward.
"I'm not sitting there."
"You are."
"I will simply stand."
"You will not."
Hana leaned in smirking, whispering, "Fate's calling, babe."
"Tell fate to leave me alone and chill out," I hissed.
Too late.
Someone shoved me from behind, not aggressively, just enough to throw me off balance and suddenly I was sitting. Right there. Next to him. Heart racing. Face hot. Soul leaving my body.
Jaeon glanced up from his phone.
Calm. Expressionless. Like I was just… there.
"Hi," I said, because my mouth hates me.
He nodded once. "Hey."
That voice. Low. Smooth. Unbothered. I hated it.
Hana popped up outside the bus window, pressing her face against the glass and making an exaggerated heart shape with her hands before turning to enter with her boyfriend Asher, i wouldn't say i was shocked to see her plop on an empty seat that once upon a time was occupied with a book when it was my turn to sit. I flipped her off instinctively, smiling anyway.
The bus lurched forward.
As Seoul blurred past the windows, the noise inside doubled. Someone started arguing over music. Someone else opened chips way too loudly. The heat pressed in, thick and sticky.
The bus rattled down the coastal road, sunlight slicing through the windows in lazy golden beams. The sea stretched out beside us, glittering like it had secrets. The bus smelled like every flavor of chips that should never be mixed together.
Someone in the back was blasting Chanel by Tyla which i absolutely love cause a fact about my school was that there was rarely a trace of racism, we were all just ourselves like a big family, two people were already arguing over the AUX cord, and Hana's face was popping up every three seconds on my phone screen.
> Hana: tell him you love him 😭
Hana: or at least his jawline
Hana: girl this is the last day!!
Me: I'll die first
Hana: okay but like dramatic deaths get remembered
Me: what if he doesn't respond
Hana: Atleast tell him and get ready to either be accepted or rejected with pride
I rolled my eyes, biting my lip to hide a laugh. Jaeon was sitting right next to me, earbuds in, staring out the window with that same "I hate everything but somehow look hot doing everything " expression.
Outside, the road melted into sunlight. The closer we got to the coast, the more the sky started to shift, that endless blue blending with the shimmer of the sea.
People cheered when the first wave came into view.
"Finally!" someone yelled.
"Freedom!" another shouted.
I smiled, looking out the window. The view from afar was so pretty it looked so alive like the ocean was breathing.
Jaeon unplugged one earbud. "You like the beach?" His voice startled methat when i knew he noticed me staring out, which won't be much of a shock considering at a point i did.
"Huh? Oh.. yeah. I mean, sort of. It's… nice." I said nervously
He nodded, quiet for a second, then said, "You don't seem like the kind of person who likes sand."
"Wow, okay," I said, pretending to be offended. "Do I look too classy for sand?"
He actually smirked. "Maybe."
And that was it.
Just a small, stupid exchange, but it sent a ridiculous spark straight through me.
From the back, a voice yelled, "Rachel! Rap for us!"
I laughed nervously. "No way."
"Oh come on!" Hana shouted from somewhere behind me. "You killed it last week!"
Before I could protest again, Graduation by Juice WRLD started playing through a tinny speaker, and suddenly everyone was chanting my name like this was a concert I never agreed to headline.
I sighed. "Y'all are insane."Then I rapped.
Loud. Messy. Confident. Like the words belonged to me. The bus clapped along. Someone banged the seat in rhythm. I forgot to be nervous halfway through—forgot everything except the beat and the way the moment felt big and small at the same time.
When I finished, the bus erupted.
I glanced sideways without thinking.
Jaeon was watching me.
Not staring. Just… observing. A small smirk tugged at his lips before he looked away again, like he hadn't just rearranged my entire emotional stability.
The bus rocked gently as the road curved. The heat, the noise, the motion, it all blurred together. I leaned back, pressing my forehead briefly to the window.
At some point, my eyes closed.
I didn't mean to fall asleep.
I just… did.
The next thing I knew, my head tipped sideways and landed against something warm and solid.
I froze for half a second.
Then I realized.
His shoulder.
The bus quieted, not silent, but softer. Like everyone noticed at once.
Someone whispered, "Aww."
Another giggled.
I stayed still, pretending I was still asleep, even though my heart was doing backflips. Jaeon stiffened at first. I felt it. Then slowly he shifted, adjusting just enough so my neck wasn't bent awkwardly.
Careful. Gentle.
I exhaled without realizing I'd been holding my breath.
For a moment, everything felt… easy.
The bus slowed.
"We're here," Jaeon said quietly.
I opened my eyes, straightening immediately, mortified. "Oh sorry. I didn't mean to…"
"It's fine," he said simply, already standing to grab his bag.
The doors opened, and chaos returned instantly.
When the buses finally pulled up, chaos broke loose.
Everyone jumped up at once, like the seatbelts had been torture devices.
Bags flying, snacks dropping, people yelling, it was certainly survival of the loudest.
People rushed forward, laughing, shoving, tripping over each other in their hurry to escape the stampede. I stepped down carefully except someone bumped into me from behind.
I stumbled.
And then a hand caught my arm.
Firm. Steady.
I looked up.
Jaeon.
For a second, the noise faded. The sea glittered behind him. The sun hovered low. His hand was still wrapped around my wrist like letting go hadn't occurred to him yet.
"You good?" he asked.
I swallowed. "Yeah."
He let go but slowly.
I stepped onto the sand, heart racing, cheeks warm.
I texted Hana.
> Me: where are you 😭
Hana: finalizing my documentary of my soul mate ship of you and Jaeon, today we will know if it will be for remembrance if Jaeon rejects you or if it will for your wedding anniversary🍾🎉
I laughed looking far at the ocean, i don't know what was gonna happen but something about today kept catching me.
And I had a feeling it wasn't done yet.