The next morning, Ji-eun woke up feeling… strange.  

She wasn’t sure what it was, only that something was different. A weight in her chest that wasn’t quite anxiety, but wasn’t entirely relief either. A lingering warmth from Min-jae’s words the night before.  

"Don’t push me away, Ji-eun. Not when I want to be here."

She had replayed them over and over in her mind, dissecting their meaning, questioning why they made her feel so restless. Min-jae wasn’t someone who gave up easily, she had learned that much. But this was different.  

This wasn’t just playful teasing or casual interest anymore.  

This was real.  

And Ji-eun had no idea how to deal with it.  

When she arrived at school, the usual morning chaos greeted her: students chatting, laughter echoing, lockers slamming shut. She made her way down the hallway, her thoughts still tangled with Min-jae’s words.  

Then, as if her thoughts had summoned him, she spotted him.  

Min-jae stood near his locker, talking to a group of classmates. His usual relaxed demeanor was there: the easygoing smile, the confident posture, but the second his gaze landed on her, something in his expression shifted.  

Ji-eun hesitated, debating whether to keep walking, to pretend she hadn’t noticed him. But before she could make a decision, Min-jae moved.  

He stepped away from his friends, closing the distance between them in just a few strides.  

Ji-eun’s pulse quickened.  

“Morning,” he said, his voice carrying that familiar warmth.  

She swallowed. “Morning.”  

For a second, they just stood there. Min-jae wasn’t grinning like usual, wasn’t throwing out a teasing remark or pestering her like he normally did. Instead, his eyes studied her.  

Ji-eun shifted on her feet.  

“What?” she asked. 

Min-jae let out a small chuckle, shaking his head. “Nothing. Just… it’s good to see you.”  

Ji-eun didn’t know how to respond to that. She glanced away, her fingers tightening around the strap of her bag. “We see each other every day,” she mumbled.  

Min-jae hummed, clearly amused. “Yeah, but that doesn’t mean I can’t be glad about it.”  

Ji-eun’s heart stuttered.  

She wasn’t used to this the way he made her feel seen, like she was *important* in a way she hadn’t realized she could be. It was terrifying.  

And yet… she didn’t hate it.  

Before she could come up with something to say, the warning bell rang.  

Min-jae grinned. “I’ll see you later, Ji-eun.”  

Then, without waiting for a response, he turned and disappeared down the hallway.  

Ji-eun exhaled a breath.  

What was she supposed to do with someone like Min-jae?  

The morning passed in a blur, but Ji-eun found herself hyper-aware of Min-jae’s presence.  

It wasn’t like he was constantly hovering around her. He still sat with his usual crowd, still joked and laughed as he always did. But there was something different in the way he interacted with her something subtle yet impossible to ignore.  

The teasing had returned, but it was gentler. His glances lingered a little longer. And every time their paths crossed, he made sure to acknowledge her.  

It made Ji-eun restless.  

She wasn’t used to someone choosing her, over and over again.  

By the time lunch rolled around, she was exhausted from pretending not to notice.  

She sat at her usual table with Mira, who had been observing her all morning with barely concealed amusement.  

“So,” Mira drawled, stabbing her chopsticks into her rice. “Are you and Min-jae good now, or are you still pretending you don’t like him?”  

Ji-eun nearly choked on her food. “I—I don’t—what?”  

Mira smirked. “Oh, come on. Everyone saw what happened yesterday. And today, you’ve been sneaking glances at him *way* more than usual.”  

Ji-eun groaned. “I do *not* sneak glances at him.”  

Mira raised an eyebrow. “Really? So you didn’t just look at him five minutes ago when he walked into the cafeteria?”  

Ji-eun froze.  

Mira grinned in victory. “Gotcha.”  

Ji-eun scowled. “That doesn’t mean anything.”  

Mira hummed thoughtfully. “Maybe not. But you are thinking about him a lot, aren’t you?”  

Ji-eun opened her mouth to argue only to realize she didn’t have a good comeback.  

Because Mira was right.  

And Ji-eun hated that she was right.  

Before she could form a response, a familiar voice interrupted.  

“Mind if I sit here?”  

Both Ji-eun and Mira looked up to see Min-jae standing there, tray in hand.  

Ji-eun froze.  

Mira, however, grinned knowingly. “Sure, go ahead.”  

Min-jae slid into the seat next to Ji-eun, setting his tray down.  

Ji-eun felt her entire body tense. Min-jae never asked to sit with them he always just plopped down like he belonged there. But today, he had asked.  

He was giving her a choice.  

She gripped her chopsticks tighter.  

Then, without looking at him, she shifted slightly in her seat just enough to make space.  

Min-jae grinned like that small action meant the world.  

Ji-eun felt her face heat up.  

Mira, meanwhile, was thoroughly enjoying the situation. She took a sip of her drink before casually saying, “So, Min-jae, I heard you and Ji-eun had a moment yesterday.”  

Ji-eun shot her a glare. Mira, I swear—

Min-jae, however, just smirked. “Oh? And what exactly did you hear?”  

Mira’s eyes twinkled with mischief. “Just that there was some intense eye contact, an emotional heart-to-heart… maybe even some longing stares.”  

Ji-eun wanted the ground to swallow her whole.  

Min-jae chuckled, clearly enjoying her embarrassment. “Well, I wouldn’t say *longing* stares… but the rest? Yeah, that sounds about right.”  

Ji-eun turned to him, mortified. “Min-jae—”  

He leaned in slightly, lowering his voice so only she could hear. “What? It’s true.”  

Ji-eun’s heart did an embarrassing little flip.  

She quickly looked away, focusing on her food as if it were the most interesting thing in the world.  

Mira laughed. “You two are so obvious.”  

Min-jae grinned. Ji-eun just sighed.  

This was going to be a long lunch.  

That evening, as Ji-eun lay in bed, she found herself staring at the ceiling, Min-jae’s words playing over and over in her mind.  

"It’s good to see you."

"I’ll see you later, Ji-eun."

"It’s true."

She didn’t know what was happening between them.  

All she knew was that Min-jae wasn’t going anywhere.