The Ride Back
The bus hummed quietly as it rolled along the coastal road.
The golden light of sunset streamed through the windows, flickering across sleepy faces.
Ha-rin sat by the window, her chin resting on her hand.
Outside, the sea shimmered , calm and endless.
But her thoughts weren't calm at all.
"You don't get to talk about her like that."
Joon-ho's words echoed in her head.
She could still see the way he'd looked at Ji-sung , cold, sharp, unshakable.
She tried not to think about it, but her face grew warm anyway.
"Why my heart beat faster when I remembered that?" She thought.
She shook her head quickly and looked out the window again.
"Stop it. Don't think about it."she thought.
By the time the bus pulled into the hotel parking lot, she was quiet, lost in thought
not realizing Joon-ho, a few seats back, was staring at the same sunset in silence.
Early Evening
Back at the hotel, the girls were getting ready for dinner.
The sound of hairdryers, quiet chatter, and laughter filled the room.
Ha-rin stood by the small mirror, brushing her hair slowly,
her reflection calm
though her thoughts weren't.
She set the brush down and reached for her phone.
A new message flashed across the screen.
Min-Jae:
"Hey, are you free after dinner? Thought maybe we could talk for a bit."
Ha-rin hesitated.
Then, after a few seconds, she typed back:
Ha-rin:
"Yeah… sure. After dinner."
Her heart beat a little faster
not that she understood why.
Just then, Seo-yeon came out of the bathroom, drying her hair with a towel.
"Who u texting ?"
"No one," Ha-rin said too fast.
Seo-yeon smirked. "Ohh, no one who makes you smile at your screen like that?"
Ha-rin sighed, shoving the phone into her pocket.
"Let's just go eat."
At the cafeteria
The dining hall buzzed with sound
trays clattering, students laughing, teachers talking.
Min-Jae sat at one of the middle tables with his friends, poking absently at his food.
He looked tired, but his thoughts were sharper than ever.
He checked his phone once ,
no reply yet, just that one last message.
He smiled faintly to himself,
wondering if Ha-rin was getting ready right now.
At a nearby table, a group of boys laughed loudly.
Among them sat Ji-sung, his smirk familiar and bitter.
The conversation drifted, turning careless
until someone mentioned Ha-rin's name.
"Man, she's quiet but weirdly popular lately," one boy said.
Ji-sung scoffed. "Popular? Please. People just don't know her like I do."
His tone was sharp , mocking.
He leaned back in his chair.
"She acts all calm and sweet, but she's not some angel. Trust me."
Min-Jae froze mid-bite.
He didn't look up ,not yet .
but his hand tightened on the fork.
Another guy laughed. "You're still talking about her? Dude, move on."
Ji-sung smirked. "Just saying, some people fall for the act fast. Wouldn't surprise me if someone's already trying to 'save' her."
"That was enough."
Min-Jae stood slowly, pushing his chair back with a sharp scrape.
The sound cut through the noise of the cafeteria.
He walked toward their table calm, but his expression unreadable.
Ji-sung looked up, still smirking.
"Oh, look who it is. What, you gonna defend your crush now?"
Min-Jae's voice was low but steady.
"Watch your mouth."
"Why?" Ji-sung grinned. "You think she's gonna thank you for it? I told you, she's not"
The next words never left his mouth.
Min-Jae's fist connected with his jaw before he could finish.
The sound was loud shocking.
Chairs scraped, trays clattered, gasps filled the hall.
Ji-sung stumbled backward, clutching his face,
eyes burning with humiliation more than pain.
"What the hell's wrong with you?!" he yelled.
Min-Jae's breath came hard, his voice cold.
"You don't talk about her like that. Ever again."
Entrance – Seconds Later
The doors of the dining hall swung open.
Ha-rin and Seo-yeon stepped inside, laughing quietly about something ,
until they froze.
The entire room had gone silent.
Students stood half-up from their seats,
teachers rushing toward the middle of the hall.
And in the center ,
Min-Jae and Ji-sung.
Ha-rin's eyes widened, her breath catching in her throat.
She didn't even need to ask what happened.
The bruise on Ji-sung's face and the look in Min-Jae's eyes said enough.
"Ha-rin…" Seo-yeon whispered beside her. "Oh my god."
One of the teachers stepped between the boys, pulling Min-Jae back.
"Enough! Both of you .
outside. Now!"
Min-Jae didn't resist.
He just turned his head slightly
and for a split second, his eyes met
Ha-rin's.
He looked sorry.
Tired.
But not regretful.
Then he walked out, the door closing behind him.
Ha-rin stood still,
heart pounding,
not sure what hurt more
the fact that he fought because of her,
or that she hadn't been there to stop it.