The hallways smelled of chalk dust, sweat and cheap perfume.
I moved through them like I always did, unnoticed but present, shadow among shadows.
Min-Soo didn't leave my side.
Not like a friend.
Not yet.
Just... close enough to be irritating.
Close enough to make me feel something I wasn't used to.
"Hey" he said softly, leaning slightly toward me as we passed a group of laughing girls. "You always walk like the world's gonna bite you, huh?"
I kept my eyes forward.
Didn't answer.
He chuckled, just a little, like he knew I wasn't going to.
"Fine, fine" he muttered. "Suit yourself."
Then he did something I didn't expect.
He reached for my arm.
I tensed immediately.
"Relax," he said, like it was nothing, but his grip lingered just a second too long.
"I'm not going anywhere."
I didn't move.
Didn't flinch.
Didn't pull away.
I could feel his eyes on me.
Waiting.
Measuring.
Testing.
Figures.
Most people would have turned and walked away. Most would have let me ignore them.
Not Min-Soo.
He grinned. "You're tense. Always tense. Makes me wonder what you're hiding."
"Nothing," I said flatly, still walking, letting the crowd carry us forward.
He hummed, not believing me. Not for a second.
"You're too good at pretending," he said, stepping closer, matching my pace. "Think I won't notice? Think I don't see what you try to hide from people?"
I didn't respond.
Some part of me wanted to tell him to leave. Another part... I didn't want him to go. Not yet.
"By the way," he said casually,
"you've got a look people don't forget. You know that, right? One glare and half the school knows not to mess with you."
I didn't want his praise.
I didn't want him noticing me at all.
But he did anyway.
"Don't look so serious," he teased, nudging my shoulder lightly. "You ever just… lighten up?"
I ignored him.
"Figures" he muttered, stepping back slightly. Then louder: "You know, you could at least pretend to like me following you around."
I finally glanced at him, corner of my eye.
Still smirking. Still too close. Still testing me.
"You won't get me to like you" I said, quietly, but firmly.
"Maybe I don't want you to" he replied, voice low, almost a whisper.
"Maybe I just want to see how far I can push you."
That earned a slow, deliberate scowl from me.
He grinned wider. "Ah, there it is. The famous Jae-Hyun scowl. Guess some things never change either."
I tightened my fists in my pockets, feeling the familiar ache of old bruises, the old instincts that told me to protect myself.
"Stop testing me" I muttered under my breath.
He tilted his head, pretending to consider it. "Stop testing you? Nah. That'd be boring."
The rest of the day passed like that.
He was beside me, slightly ahead, slightly behind, always close enough to be annoying, always calm enough to make me feel... seen.
Seen in a way nobody had for years.
I didn't trust it.
I didn't trust him.
But for some reason, I couldn't push him away either.
And somewhere deep down, part of me wondered, just briefly, if maybe... it wouldn't be so bad to let someone in.