The school halls were too bright for how tired I felt.
White lights. Clean floors. Echoes of shoes and voices bouncing off lockers like the building itself was awake before I was.
I walked slowly.
Not because I wanted to—
because my body still hadn't forgiven me for existing yesterday.
My locker was somewhere down the corridor.
Same routine. Same path. Same life pretending to be normal.
I turned the corner—
and stopped.
Someone was already there.
Leaning lightly against the lockers like she had been waiting for me specifically.
Lalita.
Hair tied back in a loose ponytail, a few strands slipping out and framing her face in soft, careless waves.
Black eyeliner sharpened her gaze, making her eyes look more awake than the rest of the school combined. Her lips were a soft pink—calm, deliberate.
She looked… unfairly put together.
Then she smiled slightly.
And said my name.
"Min-Jun."
My brain stopped working for half a second.
She straightened properly, adjusting her uniform jacket like she was stepping into a scene she already rehearsed.
Then—
"Are you busy Thursday?"
I blinked.
Once.
Twice.
"...Thursday?"
She nodded.
"Yeah. Halloween party."
My ears felt warm.
My face followed immediately after.
"...Party?"
"Mm."
She tilted her head slightly, watching me like she already knew the answer before I spoke.
"Everyone's going to be there."
Everyone.
That word made it worse.
I swallowed.
"…you're inviting me?"
She smiled a little more now.
Not teasing.
Not loud.
Just… sure.
"Yes."
Silence.
My brain tried to restart.
Failed.
"...me?"
"Yes, Min-Jun."
That was it.
Simple.
Direct.
Like it was nothing.
Like she didn't just break my entire social system in one sentence.
My mouth opened slightly.
Closed.
Then—
"…okay," I said quickly. Too quickly. "I'll come."
Her eyes flickered with something like satisfaction.
"Good."
Then—
she stepped closer.
Way too close.
And suddenly—
her fingers reached up and lightly pulled my cheek.
Not hard.
Just enough to make me realize I was real.
"Don't disappear on me," she said softly.
Then tapped my cheek once.
Like a signal.
"See you."
And she walked away.
Just like that.
I stood there.
Still.
Processing.
My locker was forgotten.
My brain was gone.
"...she just touched my face," I whispered.
Behind me—
"She likes you."
I jolted.
Turned fast.
"JEA-HYUN?!"
He was suddenly there.
Leaning against the hallway wall like he spawned in mid-conversation.
Brown curly hair falling slightly into his eyes—messier than usual. Different from his normal neat style.
He looked… annoyingly relaxed.
I pointed at him.
"Why are you like that?"
He smiled.
"You noticed."
"...fix your hair."
"So you do care."
"I don't."
"You do."
"I don't."
He chuckled.
Then his eyes flicked toward where Lalita left.
"I saw that."
My stomach dropped slightly.
"...saw what."
"She touched your face."
"It was nothing."
"Mm."
He pushed off the wall slowly.
"You sure you want to go?"
"...to the party?"
He nodded.
"Lalita's Halloween party isn't exactly normal."
I hesitated.
"...it's just a party."
He raised a brow.
"You faint when a classroom projector flickers."
"I do NOT faint."
He stared.
"...you almost fainted last week when the lights went off."
"That was unexpected darkness."
"That's called evening."
"Same thing."
He laughed under his breath.
Then—
from nowhere—
"…he does."
I froze again.
Slowly turned my head.
Niran.
Leaning casually beside me like he had always been there.
Of course.
I flinched slightly.
"STOP DOING THAT."
Jea-Hyun blinked.
"...doing what?"
"Nothing."
Niran tilted his head.
Smirking.
"You're going to the party."
"It's not decided yet—"
"You said yes."
"I panicked."
"You agreed."
I groaned.
Jea-Hyun crossed his arms.
"So… you're really going?"
I hesitated.
"...yeah."
Niran nodded once.
"Good."
Jea-Hyun squinted.
"Why are you suddenly approving things?"
Niran didn't even look at him.
"This is his chance."
I blinked.
"...chance?"
"What chance?"
Niran leaned closer slightly, voice dropping just enough to be annoying.
"To stop being blind."
Jea-Hyun frowned.
"...what are you talking about?"
Niran didn't answer him.
Instead—
he reached out and lightly put two fingers near his lips.
Like he was mimicking a kiss.
Jea-Hyun blinked.
Slowly.
"...what is he doing?"
I immediately shoved Niran's face away.
"STOP."
He laughed softly.
"Relax."
Jea-Hyun pointed between us.
"...is he always like this?"
"Unfortunately."
Niran straightened again.
"She already confessed."
Silence.
I blinked.
"...what?"
Jea-Hyun turned sharply.
"Wait—what?"
Niran shrugged.
"Not officially. But she did."
Jea-Hyun looked at me.
Then back at him.
Then back at me.
"Dude… do you like her?"
I hesitated.
That was the first real pause.
Then—
"...yeah."
Quiet.
Honest.
"...I think I do."
Jea-Hyun blinked.
Then smiled.
Slow.
Warm.
"Then what are you waiting for?"
Niran clapped once.
"Exactly."
I groaned.
"Why are you cheering like this is a competition?"
Before anyone could answer—
thud.
Something hit the floor.
All three of us turned.
A book.
Dropped.
Right behind us.
Seo-Yeon stood there.
Frozen.
Hands hovering slightly in the air like she hadn't decided what to do with them yet.
She looked… pale.
Then—
she stepped forward.
Fast.
Too fast.
"Why would you do that?"
I blinked.
"...do what?"
She grabbed my arm.
Hard.
"Why her?"
Jea-Hyun immediately stepped forward.
"Whoa—back up. You don't talk to him like that."
Niran shifted slightly.
Silent.
Watching.
Seo-Yeon ignored him completely.
Her grip tightened.
"Are you serious?" she asked. "Lalita? Why her?"
I frowned.
"...it's just a party."
"It's not just a party," she snapped.
Her voice cracked slightly at the edge.
"You don't understand what she—"
"Hey."
Jea-Hyun stepped between us now.
"Let go of him."
Seo-Yeon didn't move.
Then—
Niran reached out.
Invisible to her.
But not to the air around her.
The space shifted.
Subtle pressure.
She suddenly stumbled back slightly—like something pushed her away from me.
Her shoulder hit the lockers.
She froze.
Eyes widening.
"...what…?"
She looked around.
Confused.
Like she felt something but couldn't see it.
Her gaze landed somewhere near me.
Unfocused.
Unsteady.
"...you're not alone," she whispered.
I stiffened slightly.
Jea-Hyun frowned.
"What is wrong with you?"
Seo-Yeon blinked.
Then slowly stepped back.
Hands shaking slightly now.
"I…"
She looked at me again.
Then turned.
And walked away.
Fast.
Almost like she was escaping something.
Silence dropped.
Jea-Hyun exhaled.
"...okay that was weird."
I didn't answer.
Because I was still looking at the empty space she had stared at.
Niran stood beside me again.
Quiet now.
Jea-Hyun glanced between us.
"...anyway," he said slowly, trying to reset the mood, "you're still going to the party, right?"
I hesitated.
Then nodded.
"...yeah."
Niran hummed.
"Good."
Jea-Hyun sighed.
"Man… I hope I survive this friend group."
I muttered.
"...same."
Niran smirked faintly.
"None of you are surviving it."
And for once—
none of us had a comeback.