Practice started at six in the morning.
They stood in a loose row, half-awake, bodies heavy with sleep. Han swayed slightly on his feet, vision blurring at the edges. His muscles lagged behind every command his brain sent.
Chahyuk looked present only in name. Woohyun leaned most of his weight against Minho, eyes shut, breathing slow.
One person was missing.
Jisoo noticed immediately. He didn't comment. He had expected it.
"Five laps," he said instead. "Warm-up after."
He took the lead without effort. Running came naturally to him — steady, controlled, relentless. Even as the minutes passed, his pace didn't falter. If anything, he looked sharper.
Most of them managed.
Han didn't.
His chest burned. Sweat gathered too fast, breath turning shallow and uneven. He pushed himself forward, but his body refused to keep up. His steps grew clumsy.
Jisoo slowed the pace.
Every fifteen minutes, he called for a break — longer than necessary. When the others drifted away, he returned with a juice and sat beside Han, pressing it into his hands.
"Do what you can," he said quietly. "Don't force it. The first day doesn't have to be perfect."
Han nodded, still struggling for air. "Thanks, Jisoo."
Having him there eased something in his chest. Things always felt manageable when Jisoo was around — like nothing could go too wrong.
The rest of practice passed without incident. Han followed Jisoo's lead, doing only what he could. Jisoo never showed irritation. Trying was enough.
By 7:45, they were back in the classroom.
Seungmin arrived late.
He ignored everyone, went straight to his desk, dropped into his seat, and rested his head against the wood.
The sound of a hand slamming down shattered the quiet.
Everyone froze.
Han's heart jumped.
Seungmin didn't flinch.
Slowly, he lifted his head and met Jisoo's stare.
"Meet me outside."
Jisoo turned and left. Seungmin followed without hesitation.
Han leaned toward Woohyun. "Shouldn't we— what if they—"
"Let it be," Woohyun said calmly.
The unease didn't fade.
Han muttered something about the washroom and slipped out instead. He found them near the lockers.
Jisoo held out a lunchbox.
Seungmin tried to hand it back.
Jisoo pushed it into his hands.
No words. No anger. Just something heavy in the space between them.
Han stayed hidden, unsettled by how natural the exchange looked.
Back in class, Han noticed the lunchbox wasn't on Seungmin's desk.
He glanced at Seungmin's bag — once, then again. Too obvious.
Seungmin caught him staring.
Their eyes met.
What do you want?
Han looked away immediately.
Classes passed, but the thought lingered.
When lunch break came, the room emptied fast. Han stood to leave.
"Han."
He turned.
"Eat with me."
For a second, he couldn't move.
Then he sat beside Seungmin by the window. Sunlight spilled across the desk, warm against his skin, easing the usual tightness in his chest. It was the seat he'd only ever watched from a distance.
Seungmin opened the lunchbox, inspected it briefly, then slid it toward him.
"I'm not hungry."
His eyes closed. Silence followed.
Annoyance sparked.
"I thought we were eating together," Han said. "This feels like you're just giving it to me because you don't want to waste it."
Seungmin's eyes opened. He picked up his chopsticks and started eating.
Han relaxed, smiling despite himself, and joined in.
When they finished, the hunger hadn't fully settled.
"Let's go to the cafeteria," Han said.
"No. You can go."
The words hit harder than he expected.
"You asked me to eat with you," Han said quietly. "Now you're pushing me away."
A slow breath.
Seungmin stood — then paused.
"Come on," he said. "Let's go."
Han smiled instantly and followed.
At the cafeteria entrance, Chahyuk waved.
"Han! Over here!"
"You go," Seungmin said. "I'll get your food."
At the table, Chahyuk grinned. "Someone's getting close."
Han flushed. "It's not like that."
"Sure," Chahyuk said. "You're red."
Fried rice was placed in front of Han.
"Is this okay?"
Han nodded. "Yeah. How much?"
"Next time," Seungmin said. "You can treat me."
Chahyuk laughed. "Love's in the air."
Han shot him a warning look.
Seungmin sat beside Han, rested his head on the table, and closed his eyes.
Across from them, Jisoo stared at his food.
Whatever this was, he didn't like it.
He finished quickly, stood, and left without a word.
Han noticed immediately.
"What happened to him?" he asked Woohyun.
Woohyun glanced at Seungmin. "What do you think?"
Guilt crept in.
"I thought if they stayed close, maybe they'd let go of what happened," Han murmured.
Chahyuk scoffed. "You think bringing them together fixes betrayal? He trusted him. And he lost his girl because of it."
Seungmin stood abruptly.
"It's hard to sleep here," he said flatly. "That's why I don't come to the cafeteria."
Then he left.
Chahyuk grimaced. "Look at him. No regret. Nothing."
"Don't judge on assumptions," Woohyun said. "Regret doesn't always look the way you expect."
Minho spoke up. "Whatever their issue is, it's breaking the team. That's the problem."
Woohyun nodded. "We should talk to them."
Han's energy drained. He dropped his head onto the table.
"This is my fault."
Silence.
Woohyun rested a hand on his shoulder. "It's not. Don't carry what isn't yours."