It was late.
The hotel was quiet ,the kind of quiet that only comes after a long, exhausting day.
The teachers thought everyone was asleep.
They couldn't have been more wrong.
Inside our room, laughter echoed.
Seo-yeon and the girls were rolling on the bed, playing Truth or Dare.
It was chaotic, loud, and honestly ,fun.
When it was my turn, I smiled and said, "I'll go get some fresh air before my dare, okay?"
They booed jokingly, and Seo-yeon pointed at me. "Don't run away, Ha-rin!"
"I won't," I laughed, slipping out quietly.
The Hallway
The hallway was dim, golden lights flickering softly.
The sound of waves reached faintly through the open windows.
Down by the vending machines, I saw the one thing I always crave ,banana milk.
I smiled and pressed the button, reaching for my wallet.
Before I could tap my card, another hand slid in front of mine.
Beep.
I turned quickly ,and there he was.
"Min-jae?"
He gave me that lazy grin.
"Hey. Late-night snack?"
"I was about to pay," I said.
"I know," he replied, holding up his card. "But I'm faster."
"What? Why would you pay for me?"
"Because I want to," he said, and then added with a smirk, "and a little bored."
I tried to hand him the money back. "You really don't have to"
He pushed my hand gently away.
"It's fine. I wanted to."
For some reason, the way he said it calm and soft ,made me stop arguing.
The Beach
"I'm going outside for a bit," I said, holding the drink.
"Where?"
"The beach. I need some quiet."
"I'll come," he said simply.
We walked together down the small path behind the hotel, the moonlight guiding us.
The beach at night looked completely different ,calm, endless, and cold in a beautiful way.
The air smelled of salt and sand.
For a few moments, we just walked without saying anything.
Then I heard footsteps behind us.
"Ha-rin!"
I turned. It was Joon-ho, still in his hoodie, hair slightly messy, a few of our classmates behind him.
He jogged up to us, eyes flicking from me to Min-jae.
"Who's this?" he asked, his voice even but tight.
I hesitated for a second. "Oh…this is Min-jae. He is with us at school."
Min-jae gave a polite nod. "Hey."
"Hey," said Joon-ho, crossing his arms.
They looked at each other ,not angrily, but like two people silently sizing each other up.
The air between them felt heavier than before.
I sighed. "Don't start glaring contests, please."
Min-jae chuckled. "Relax, I'm just here for the sea breeze."
Joon-ho's tone softened a little. "You shouldn't be out here too late."
I smiled faintly. "You sound like a teacher."
He gave a small smirk. "Someone has to be responsible."
He stayed for another moment ,like he wanted to say more ,then turned away.
"I'll see you tomorrow, Ha-rin."
"Goodnight," I said quietly.
After He Left
When he was gone, Min-jae let out a low whistle.
"So… that's Joon-ho, huh?"
"Yeah," I said. "He's my classmate."
"He seems… protective," he said.
"Maybe," I answered. "He's like that with everyone."
Min-jae didn't reply right away. He just looked at the waves and then at me.
"I don't think it's 'everyone'," he murmured.
I blinked. "What do you mean?"
He shrugged. "Forget it."
We sat on the sand for a while, the wind brushing through our hair.
The moonlight reflected in his blond hair, and for some reason, it felt… peaceful.
He looked at me, smiling softly. "You know, you're different when you're quiet."
"How so?"
"You look… calmer. Like the world stops for a second."
I didn't know what to say. I just sipped my banana milk and looked at the sea.
"I like quiet moments," I said finally.
"Then I'm glad I joined you," he replied.
The sound of the waves filled the silence between us ,
gentle, endless, and strange.
For a while, we just sat there.
No noise. No games. Just two people and the ocean.
And in that small slice of night,
I didn't know what I felt
only that something had quietly begun to change.
To be continued