The leaves were beginning to change, tinged with gold at their edges. Crescent High shimmered in the soft light of autumn, but beneath that beauty, something was shifting—subtle as wind through paper banners.
Su Rina smiled as she handed out festival flyers at the school entrance. Her lips curved gracefully, her voice sweet, but her eyes followed Lia Chen from across the courtyard like a shadow.
She noticed the way Kai Yoon lingered nearby. How he slowed when he walked past Lia. How his eyes softened—even when he said nothing at all.
It was small.
But it was enough.
Su Rina tightened her grip on the flyers.
—
Meanwhile, inside the art room, Lia and Rina Ann sat shoulder to shoulder at a long table, their sketchbooks open and half-finished festival designs scattered around them.
"You added shading here," Rina Ann pointed, tapping Lia's latest design. "It makes the stage pop. It's really good."
Lia smiled. "Thanks. I've been watching how the light hits the school at sunset… I wanted to copy that softness."
Rina Ann looked at her thoughtfully, then leaned back in her chair. "You've changed since you came here, you know."
Lia blinked. "I have?"
"You used to be like a cloud. Quiet. Always drifting. Now… you're more like a stream. Still soft, but moving."
Lia laughed quietly. "That's poetic."
"I'm a romantic," Rina said proudly, flipping her long bangs. "Anyway, wanna get something sweet after school today? There's this strawberry café I've been dying to drag you to."
Lia nodded. "Please drag me."
They both giggled, and for a while, everything felt light again.
—
After school, they walked arm in arm through the city streets, paper bags swinging beside them and strawberry milk foam still lingering on their lips. The café had pink walls and flower-shaped cookies. The kind of place that made you forget your troubles.
Lia stirred her drink slowly.
"Can I ask you something?" she said.
"Always," Rina replied, mouth full of cake.
"It's about Su Rina… and Kai."
Rina paused.
Lia noticed.
"She told me they used to date," Lia said slowly. "But I don't really understand… what happened?"
Rina leaned back, wiping her mouth with a napkin. Her playful expression faded a little.
"They were Crescent's golden couple last year," she said. "Everyone admired them. Rina was always elegant. Kai was Kai. Distant but… magnetic. People assumed they'd last forever."
"But they didn't."
"No," Rina said, eyes dimming. "Kai changed. Became colder. Rina didn't take it well. When they broke up, she smiled like she didn't care, but everyone could feel the crack. Now, she's… not over it."
Lia looked down.
"Do you think she still likes him?"
"I think she likes winning," Rina said. "And to her, Kai is something she lost."
Lia went quiet.
Rina gently touched her hand. "Are you worried?"
"I'm just… trying to understand why Kai warned me."
"Because Kai doesn't speak much, but when he does, it's usually for a reason."
—
Meanwhile, in a quiet dining room lit by golden lamps, Kai Yoon sat across from his parents.
His father flipped the newspaper. "Still no sign of Jace Min?"
Kai blinked. "What?"
"Your friend. The one who traveled overseas. Hasn't he been gone for quite some time?"
Kai nodded. "We haven't talked much lately."
His mother sipped her tea, voice soft but sharp. "You two were close. It's strange he didn't return this semester."
Kai looked down. "We… argued. Before he left."
There was silence.
"You should fix it," his father said. "Friendships that last through youth are rare."
Kai didn't reply. He thought about Jace Min's silence, the unanswered texts, the distance that had opened between them like a crack in winter glass.
And he thought about Lia.
How different she was.
How safe she made things feel.
"I'll try," he said finally.
His mother gave a small, approving nod.
—
The next morning, Lia arrived early to the school gates, waiting for Rina Ann. As she walked through the corridor, she saw Su Rina standing by the art board, her fingers brushing over Lia's sketches.
"Good morning," Su Rina said sweetly.
"Hi," Lia replied, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.
"These are beautiful," Su Rina said, gesturing to the display. "Kai always liked your kind of art. Soft. Simple.
Lia's fingers curled at her side. "Thanks."
Su Rina's smile didn't waver. "You know… people will talk, Lia. They always do."
"About what?"
"About new girls who get close to boys with history."
Lia held her ground. "I'm not looking for attention."
"I know," Su Rina said, stepping closer. "But attention finds people like you. Quiet. Kind. The ones no one expects to shine until they do."
Lia met her gaze. "And what's wrong with shining?"
Su Rina tilted her head. "Nothing. Just don't burn too close to someone else's flame."
And with that, she turned and walked away.
A soft chill lingered in the hallway long after she left.
—
Later that night, Rina Ann texted Lia:
> "Let's go somewhere quiet tomorrow. I found a bookstore that sells matcha cake. You'll love it."
And in that moment, Lia realized—Rina wasn't just a friend.
She was a shield.
And maybe… she'd need one soon.