Morning sunlight filtered through the tall windows of the school corridor.
Jiwon entered the classroom without knowing what had been planned about her the night before.
The atmosphere felt normal.
Too normal.
She walked to her seat and placed her bag down calmly, unaware of the invisible lines being drawn around her.
After sitting down, she leaned back slightly.
A shadow stopped beside her desk.
"Can we talk?" Sora asked.
Jiwon turned her face toward her.
"Yeah."
Sora pulled the chair in front of her desk and sat down without hesitation
.
"You play so well," Sora said. "Too well."
Jiwon tilted her head slightly. "Not too well. I just observe."
"Yeah…" Sora studied her expression carefully.
Jiwon raised an eyebrow. "Is that all you wanted to talk about?"
Sora leaned back casually. "You wanted to know why I voted for you in the popularity competition, right?"
Jiwon's eyes sharpened just a little.
"If you tell me," she said calmly, "it would be interesting."
Sora smiled faintly.
"I voted for you because I think you're smarter than Harin."
Silence.
"Harin is annoying," Sora continued. "Crying just because she lost? It's pathetic."
Jiwon watched her carefully.
"So you betrayed her because she's annoying?"
Sora's smile thinned.
"Worse. I don't want her in power. She's literally just a pet of Eunbyeol."
That name hung in the air.
Jiwon's gaze didn't move.
"You're acting weird," she said.
Sora blinked. "What?"
Jiwon gave a small shrug.
"Nothing."
But her eyes didn't trust a single word.
Sora stood up.
"Okay… I'm going back to my desk."
"Okay," Jiwon replied casually.
The classes began.
The morning passed normally.
Almost too normally.
By lunchtime, the cafeteria buzzed with noise.
Jinwoo approached Jiwon with his usual relaxed posture.
They talked casually—about class, about nothing important.
But halfway through the conversation…
Jiwon felt it.
That strange feeling.
Like someone was watching.
Not curious.
Intentional.
Her eyes subtly shifted around the room.
Nothing obvious.
Still…
The feeling didn't leave.
She ended the conversation shortly after.
"I'll be back," she told Jinwoo.
And without explaining further, she walked toward the corridor where the feeling was strongest.
She moved quickly.
Footsteps ahead.
She followed.
Turned the corner.
Faster.
Finally—
She reached forward and grabbed the person's wrist.
"Stop."
The figure turned.
Lee Sungwon.
Jiwon immediately released his wrist.
"Who are you?"
Sungwon looked at her calmly.
"You're even more beautiful from up close."
Her expression didn't change.
"That's not my answer."
He chuckled softly.
"I'm Lee Sungwon. Head of Spades. Nice to meet you, Jiwon."
"Spades…" she repeated.
"Yes. Spades." Sungwon confirmed.
She narrowed her eyes slightly.
"Then why were you watching me like a ghost?"
Sungwon smiled lazily.
"Because you're beautiful. That explains everything."
"No," Jiwon said flatly. "It doesn't."
He laughed lightly.
"You're funny."
"More like dangerous," she corrected.
Before Sungwon could respond—
Footsteps approached.
Jinwoo.
He stopped the moment he saw them.
Standing close.
Facing each other.
His expression shifted.
Shock.
Confusion.
Something else.
"Jiwon…" he said, his voice slightly unsteady. "I was looking for you."
Jiwon turned calmly.
"Okay."
Jinwoo's eyes moved from Jiwon… to Sungwon… then back to Jiwon.
Sungwon stepped back slightly, hands in his pockets, looking amused.
"Well," he said lightly, "I'll see you around."
And just like that, he walked away.
The hallway suddenly felt too quiet.
Jinwoo didn't look at Jiwon immediately.
"You know him?" he asked, voice controlled.
"No," Jiwon replied simply. "He was watching me."
Jinwoo's jaw tightened slightly.
"And you followed him?"
"Yes." jiwon answered.
Silence.
A few students passed by them, unaware of the invisible shift in the air.
Jinwoo forced a small nod.
"I see."
But he didn't.
Not really.
Jiwon studied his face.
"You look weird."
"I'm fine."
His tone was calm.
Too calm.
She didn't push further.
"Let's go," she said.
He walked beside her.
But not as close as before.
Not touching.
Not leaning slightly toward her like he usually did.
And somewhere down the corridor…
Sora stood by the staircase railing.
Watching.
Quiet.
The council room was quiet again.
Evening light slipped through the tall windows, painting long shadows across the floor.
Eunbyeol stood near the table, flipping through a file without really reading it.
The door opened softly.
Sora entered.
"You called?" she asked.
Eunbyeol didn't look up.
"No. You came."
Sora walked further inside.
"It's started."
Now Eunbyeol looked at her.
"Explain."
Sora leaned lightly against the table.
"Sungwon approached her at lunch."
A faint pause.
"And?"
"Jinwoo saw them."
Silence.
Then—
A slow smile formed on Eunbyeol's lips.
"How did he react?"
"He didn't say anything." Sora replied.
"That's better."
Sora's eyes narrowed slightly. "You planned that?"
Eunbyeol closed the file.
"Jinwoo hates feeling replaced."
She walked toward the window.
"If he thinks she's getting close to someone else… especially Sungwon…"
She let the sentence hang.
Sora watched her carefully.
"You're not attacking Jiwon directly," Sora said quietly.
"No," Eunbyeol replied.
"I'm letting emotions do it for me."
A soft knock interrupted the silence.
Harin stepped inside, looking impatient
.
"What now?"
Eunbyeol's expression hardened slightly.
"Now," she said calmly, "we wait."
She turned back toward Sora.
"Stay close to her."
Sora nodded once.
"And Sungwon?" Sora asked.
Eunbyeol's smile returned — sharper this time.
"He knows exactly what he's doing."
The room fell silent again.
Somewhere in the school corridor…
Jinwoo walked alone.
And for the first time—
He wasn't sure what he was feeling.