Giryang stared at Seojin and Seolhyo walking ahead of them, their arms linked.
Then he shifted his gaze to Daegyu and Suwon. "I'm curious… how long have they been dating?"
Daegyu and Suwon, clearly uncomfortable with his presence, exchanged a brief look.
Daegyu answered after a short pause. "…It's been months."
Giryang blinked slowly. "Months? That long, huh…"
Suwon nodded stiffly. "Yeah. That long."
Giryang smiled again, his eyes flicking back to Seojin and Seolhyo's linked arms.
Soon, they reached the study room.
Just as Seojin was about to step inside, Giryang stopped walking and spoke, still wearing the same pleasant smile.
"Well, it was nice seeing you again, Seol Hyorim. You too, guys. Good luck on your exams."
Seojin merely glanced at him without expression and stepped inside the building.
Seolhyo also gave Giryang a brief look before following Seojin.
Seojin murmured quietly while opening the door for her, "Let's go."
she nodded, tightened her arm around his, and they walked upstairs together.
Suwon and Daegyu followed behind, the sound of their shoes echoing against the stairwell walls.
Once inside, Suwon stared at the two figures ahead of them climbing the stairs. He leaned closer to Daegyu and whispered, "Seojin's mood just dropped."
Daegyu exhaled quietly, glancing at them as well. "Yeah… I think that fake eye guy has a talent for killing vibes."
Outside, Giryang lingered for a moment, watching as they disappeared and the door shut.
His smile slowly faded, replaced with a condescending hint of annoyance.
He let out a quiet sigh.
"…Ha. This is annoying, Hyorim…"
A low chuckle escaped him.
Then he turned his back on the building and walked away into the street.
Out on the street, Giryang was about to cross when he spotted a familiar face across the road Hong Aera, laughing with a friend.
Her friend nudged her excitedly, whispering,
"He's looking this way. Oh my god, he's seriously hot. Does he know Seol Hyorim's group? He was with them earlier!"
Hong Aera just stared at him, momentarily stunned.
She was about to call out his name-
But he suddenly turned around and walked away.
Her hand, which had slightly lifted, slowly dropped back to her side.
Giryang let out another quiet, irritated sigh.
Tch… this is exactly why I wanted to leave quickly.
His smile returned as he continued walking, as if nothing had happened, deliberately pretending not to notice Hong Aera and blatantly ignoring her presence.
-
Back at the study room, on the staircase leading up to it, Seolhyo glanced at Seojin.
She gently shook his arm and called to him softly, her voice slightly hesitant.
"…Hey, Seojin."
He didn't respond.
His eyes stayed fixed ahead, and the sound of their footsteps echoing on the stairs felt louder than her voice.
Seolhyo lowered her gaze, biting the inside of her lip.
Her grip on his arm slowly loosened.
…Of all times, why did he have to show up?
Her jaw clenched as frustration bubbled up inside her.
And he even had to bring that up too…
then finally slipped away.
The absence of her warmth made the air feel strangely colder.
But Seojin kept walking, not even glancing back at her.
Inside the study room, everyone was already back at their carrels.
The atmosphere around them felt oddly suffocating.
Jinkyung glanced between Irina and Seolhyo.
Irina had a stunned, confused look on her face, still trying to process everything, while Seolhyo looked visibly nervous and worried, her eyes repeatedly drifting toward Seojin.
Beside her, Seojin simply dropped his head onto his folded arms on the desk, silent and withdrawn.
Jinkyung blinked, her brows knitting slightly.
What's with this mood…?
We came to the study room for nothing…?
-
Night came.
In his room, Park Dong sat on the floor, leaning his back against the door, phone pressed to his ear as he spoke to Daegyu.
"Hey, why didn't you reply? You just left and went home like that?"
Park Dong rubbed the back of his neck tiredly. "I didn't even realize I did…"
Daegyu sighed on the other end. "Anyway, the study room today was seriously uncomfortable. Only Jinkyung, Suwon, and I were just awkwardly caught in the middle."
"Really…?" Park Dong muttered.
Daegyu continued, "Why did you leave anyway? Did you fight with Rina?"
Park Dong let out a quiet sigh, eyes drifting to the letter beside him. "Yeah… something like that. I'll tell you at school."
There was a brief pause on the other end before Daegyu said,
"Anyway, get your bag from Suwon on Monday."
"…Yeah. Okay."
Park Dong replied quietly before ending the call.
Silence filled the room.
Park Dong stared at the letter for a moment before picking it up.
He unfolded it slowly, then took out the white paper inside and opened it.
To. Rina.
"How are you? It's me, Kwangwoon."
Park Dong scratched his head, frowning slightly. "Why am I even reading this…"
Still, his eyes continued down the page.
"I know this is shameless… It bothered me that I couldn't say goodbye properly, so I'm writing this letter when you texted me to never contact you again. Honestly, I had a feeling something had happened. No matter who told you or what it was, what you heard is probably true."
Park Dong's lips curled faintly.
He still thinks I'm the one who told her, huh.
"I'm total trash. I don't deserve any excuses. Even if I get beaten to death, I'd have nothing to say. I read the letters you wrote me, and I really regretted everything, thinking about how you must have felt writing each one… it still breaks me inside."
Park Dong smirked slightly.
He's full of shit. Lol.
"Since that day, there hasn't been a single day I didn't think about you. When I saw you recently… I was so shocked I ran away. But stupidly enough, deep down, I wanted to see you more. Did I let go of someone truly important because of a moment's temptation…?"
Park Dong's expression turned a bit grim.
…He writes well. Maybe it's because he goes to a good school.
"If you would allow it… could I see you one last time?"
Park Dong blinked, surprised, gripping the paper with both hands as his expression grew serious.
"No hidden motives, no excuses. I just want to say goodbye properly."
He stared at that line.
"…Look at this guy. That's not what he told me."
His thoughts grew more uneasy.
He said this wasn't about reconciling.
Fuck… isn't this just him asking for another chance!?
He continued reading.
"If you think this is ridiculous, just throw this away. But if you're okay with it… just send me one text."
Park Dong's face darkened.
In one swift motion, he ripped the letter apart and threw the pieces into the trash can.
He stood there, staring at the torn paper inside for a long second.
Then he turned on his heel.
"Not a chance. Fuck off, grasshopper."
-
After leaving the study room, the girls didn't go home. Instead, they stopped by a convenience store, bought some food and drinks, and sat at the outdoor seats.
Jinkyung and Seolhyo both stared at Irina with shocked, disbelieving expressions after hearing what she said.
At the same time, they blurted out, "Pa-pa-Park Dong wrote a letter!?"
Irina, holding a pair of chopsticks, peeled open the lid of her already heated cup ramen.
"That's what I'm saying. A guy who probably can't even spell his name in English… wrote me a letter!? I'm honestly speechless."
She paused, frowning slightly as she stirred the noodles.
"I mean, it's weird to say it myself, but… judging by that guy's reaction, it 100% felt like a confession."
Seolhyo's eyes widened in immense surprise.
Irina lifted a strand of noodles with her chopsticks, then glanced up at the two of them.
"You guys didn't know, right? That he felt that way about me?"
Seolhyo jolted. "Huh!? O-of course we didn't!!"
In her mind, she imagined Park Dong sitting seriously, writing a letter with intense focus.
Was he more serious than I thought…?
I can't believe Park Dong had that kind of side…
Jinkyung slumped slightly in her seat, her appetite completely gone.
"I haven't even eaten yet, but I feel like throwing up…"
Seolhyo let out a weak sigh, still looking dazed. "Same here…"