Serin and Evelyn dashed through the festival grounds, weaving between crowds as colors and lights blurred around them. Rows of vibrant stalls lined the pathway. The crazy sounds of the other band's performance echoed in the distance. Cotton-candy carts spinning pastel clouds, game booths ringing with excited cheers, students in ridiculous costumes posing dramatically, a haunted-house café draped in glowing lanterns, even a tiny photo corner where couples posed under heart-shaped fairy lights.
Serin's eyes darted everywhere as they ran, her breath coming out in soft gasps. The warm breeze carried the smells of grilled skewers and sweet pastries, and for a moment, she wanted to slow down and take all of it in… but couldn't. Not when a pack of fangirls was practically hunting her down.
A shame, really. Both she and Evelyn had early curfews. So they couldn't stay any longer.
When they finally slipped past the school gates, they both turned around.
The enormous gate, normally dull and metallic, was wrapped in delicate strings of lights—soft gold, red, deep blue, and little stars that blinked like they were breathing. It looked less like a school entrance and more like the doorway to another world.
"Your school sure takes festivals seriously," Serin said, breathless, mockingly dragging out her words as she let out a small pff laugh.
"Oh, come on. I thought that too when I first saw it," Evelyn said, lifting her hair off her neck as she scanned the ground a little too seriously. "But now it's just normal. You shouldn't be that impressed, lol."
Serin frowned. "What are you even looking for?"
Evelyn froze. Then her eyes widened. "Oh my god—Seriu! I think I dropped my bag while we were running! What do I do?? Wait—don't move. I'll go grab it."
She pointed at Serin with her hand that wasn't panicking. "And you stay here. If those girls see you again, we're both dead. So. Stay."
She didn't wait for an answer. With a quick wave, Evelyn spun around and sprinted back through the gate, blending into the lights and noise once more.
Left alone, Serin turned around.
Just beyond the path, in front of the school, was a lake. Calm, wide, silver like a mirror. The moon hung directly above it, its reflection so clear it almost looked like a second moon was sleeping beneath the surface. The gentle ripples turned the light into broken diamonds, shimmering quietly.
A soft breeze brushed past her hair, carrying the faint scent of damp leaves and distant festival food.
She inhaled deeply. The air was crisp, almost sweet. From far behind, she could still hear echoes of music, laughter, the muffled roar of the crowd—but here… it was peaceful. A little pocket of silence carved out beside chaos.
Serin stepped closer to the lake, her fingers grazing the bench beside her.
Serin heard a familiar laugh behind her. Light, warm, unmistakably his. She turned, and there they were—Carson and a couple of his friends walking out through the school gate. Carson looked over his shoulder at the sound of her movement, and the moment his eyes landed on her, he lifted a hand in an easy wave.
"Oh—hi! We meet again," he said, his voice as bright as ever. " I saw you running out of the school like someone was chasing you."
"Sure, it is a long day." Serin replied, stepping forward a bit. Carson walked toward her too, breaking away from his group.
Up close, he looked even more put-together than earlier. His soft brown hair fell slightly over his forehead. His eyes—warm, honey-brown—caught the moonlight and softened even more, like they were glowing. He was wearing a brown denim jacket layered over a white shirt, and Serin wouldn't be surprised if brown was his favorite color. Everything he wore seemed to orbit around that shade, and honestly, it suited him. With his fair, clean skin and easy smile, he looked like brown was invented just for him.
"Sorry," Carson said, rubbing the back of his neck with a nervous laugh, "I don't have your umbrella with me. I thought you wouldn't come to a crowded place like this."
"Sure I wouldn't have…" Serin muttered under her breath, "…if Evelyn didn't act like it would be the end of her world if I didn't come."
Carson still heard her and burst out laughing.
His laugh was pure, bright and genuine, with that little breathy sound at the end that made it even better. Oh gosh… he really has a great laugh, Serin thought, momentarily entranced.
She quickly cleared her throat. "Ahm—so, are you leaving now?"
"Oh, yeah," Carson said, nodding toward the gate. "I came to watch the infamous band that got so popular in our school. And to be honest, they deserve it."
I do NOT want to hear more about that punk's band anymore, Serin screamed internally while giving him a polite smile and nod.
"Well… see you at school after the weekend, I guess. I'll return your umbrella."
"Umbrellas," Serin corrected jokingly, holding up two fingers. "You have two of mine now."
Carson laughed again, shaking his head as he backed away. "Yeah, yeah—I'll return them. Since you don't have an umbrella shop."
Serin snorted softly, watching him jog back to his friends. He waved once more before disappearing down the path.
She let out a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding and wandered back toward the lake, her hands drifting behind her back as she walked. Her steps were slow, thoughtful.
The distant festival noises faded in and out like echoes—laughs, music, clapping—blending strangely beautifully with the calmness of this spot.
Serin tilted her head back, staring at the sky for a moment before dropping her gaze to the path Evelyn had disappeared down.
"When will Eve come…" she murmured, the words floating softly into the quiet night.
A voice cut through the quiet—low, smooth, and beautiful in that infuriating way only a high-school heartthrob's voice could be. Deep enough to sound mature, yet still edged with that youthful, teasing sharpness that made it seductive.
"Serin without her 'Seriuu' guzzler? Quite rare, I would say."
Serin stiffened. She only knew one person who joked like that.
Demian stood near the school gate, leaning lazily against the metal railing. The festival's blue and red light framed him from behind. Serin's eyes widened like she saw a ghost.
She hadn't talked to him in six whole months. She clearly didn't want to run into him like this.
Not alone.
She slowly turned toward him, but she didn't speak, just stared from a safe distance, frozen in place.
Demian's gaze drifted from her, toward the path Carson had disappeared down. A soft mocking chuckle escaped him, but his smile—just for a moment—dropped. Barely noticeable.
"So this is the prince charming Evelyn was drilling into my ears, you were practically drooling while talking to him. " he said, voice dipped in sarcasm. His icy blue eyes were fixed on the empty road over his shoulder before finally sliding back to her.
He stepped away from the railing, moving toward her with the confidence of someone who knew exactly how he affected people.
Serin instantly took a tiny step back.
Then another.
And another.
Demian had always been expressive in a way that felt unfair—every emotion amplified, every look hitting harder than it should. He made a face now, lips turning downward in that familiar annoyed "mug face," his eyebrows knitting together just slightly, almost playful but clearly irritated.
"Honestly, I was kinda hurt," he said, tilting his head. "I literally said hi to you mid performance and you looked at me like I was a gross bug. I even came to the edge of the stage to make it obvious, but you just kept talking with Evelyn."
By the time he finished, he was too close.
Serin could smell his cologne now. Something cool and clean with a hint of spice beneath, mixed faintly with sweat. He definitely hadn't waited even a second after the show. His hair was still tousled from dancing and the lights, strands falling into his eyes in the most annoyingly pretty way.
He lowered himself just slightly, leaning in until their faces were level.
His metal earrings chimed softly with the movement, revealing his ear piercings glinting under the moonlight. Two layered metallic necklaces rested against a dark gray Nirvana baggy T-shirt that somehow managed to fit him perfectly—not sloppy, not tight, just right.
A loose black denim jacket hung over his shoulders, the kind with a structured, slightly oversized fit that made everything he wore look effortlessly stylish. The hoodie strings from the inner layer fell neatly down his chest, hanging in that perfect photogenic way as if he'd thrown everything on carelessly and still ended up looking like a model. He was wearing black punk cargo pants with rock stuffs written on them. They weren't fancy but perfect for a festival show.
His veiny hands were exposed as he slid one casually into his pocket, metallic rings catching the soft glow of the lake lights. His forearm muscles flexed. He had that lean, sleeper-build—slim but abs and muscles visible and strong enough to show he worked out without trying.
Serin snapped back, "W–what??"
"Don't call Eve a guzzler! WHAT DID SHE SAY? Did she seriously call him my prince charming? And… and that 'hi' wasn't my imagination?!"
Everything spilled out of her at once.
Demian blinked with a puzzled but still emotionless face, "Finally speaking, huh…"
He straightened, looking away as a breeze brushed across his face. He let out a dramatic sigh.
"Too tired to answer. Blehh."
He made a weak, dying expression—like a dehydrated cactus giving up on life.
"Tch." Serin shot him a glare and marched over to the bench near the lake and sat down. Demian's eyes followed her, and after a moment, he walked over and sat beside her—close enough that their shoulders nearly brushed.
Serin pretended to be calm. She was absolutely not calm.
Her foot began tapping rapidly on the ground—nerves eating her alive.
Demian's eyes drifted down, noticing the trembling. His jaw tightened just a bit. He gulped.
"…You still do that," he muttered under his breath, his voice strangely low.
He lifted a hand to the back of his neck, rubbing it awkwardly as he looked in the opposite direction, pretending to admire the night sky. The tension between them thickened, almost suffocating.
Both of them nervous. Both pretending they weren't.
Serin swallowed.
Please, Evelyn… where are you…?
Her thoughts were practically begging now. Serin shifted, adjusting how she sat. A loose strand of hair slipped down the side of her face, brushing her cheek.
Demian's head turned— slightly.
She reached up and tucked it gently behind her ear.
A small, simple movement.
But Demian froze. His gaze caught the movement like a camera.
Her gray eyes sparked under her bangs, catching the moonlight just right. Her shoulder-length black straight hair swayed softly as the night breeze slipped past them, brushing along her jawline.
Serin had those Japanese-dolly sharp eyes. Clear, precise, beautifully contoured. Her gray irises stood out even more in the pale glow, giving her a soft yet piercing kind of beauty.
The wind pushed another strand across her cheek. She blinked slowly, tucking that one away too while looking down on the lake water.
Serin didn't need dramatic expressions. Her eyes alone said everything.
Some people at school even joked she looked like a certain Japanese actress named nana komatsu, because of how soft yet sharp her features were. But Serin never probably noticed that.
Her skin was a beautiful shade of pale, smooth and cool-toned, the kind that makes her glow under the moonlight. On the curve of her left ear was a tiny mole—small, but set perfectly, almost like a piercing jewel.
She was wearing a cream-white mini cottagecore dress patterned with tiny baby-pink and baby-blue flowers. She probably changed before coming because her school ended early. The short hem fluttered around her thighs whenever the breeze passed. The short puffed sleeves rested delicately on her shoulders, making her look like a glowing flower. Her fit wasn't anything fancy—no heavy accessories, just a simple necklace with a small moon locket resting quietly against her collarbone.
Demian's shoulders tensed. And he had to look away for some reason.
He dragged a hand through his hair, making it even messier than before—already tousled from performing and still damp with lingering sweat. Then he lowered that hand to his knee, fingers tapping distractedly. He tried to appear unfazed, expression bored.
Finally, he broke the silence with a teasing tone and his slightly smug smile. One hand rested on the back of the bench, the other on his knee as he leaned slightly toward her.
"Still short as ever, huh?"
It wasn't Serin's fault that he had hit puberty a bit too hard and shot up like a tree. Now, she barely reached his shoulder.
"Spare us short people some height, you tall freak,"
Serin shot back, trying to lighten the mood. Yet, her eyes flickered toward the school gate, silently wishing she could hear Evelyn's faint voice calling her, a way out of this awkward tension.
Demian chuckled, leaning back onto the bench and tilting his head to look up at the sky. while overstretching, He tilted back his head a little too much, and his eyes caught the group waiting near the gate, framed in the festival lights.
"Why… are they… looking at you like that?"
he asked, brow furrowing slightly as he squinted.
Serin's chest tightened. "Don't tell me it's a group of three…?"
"Wow, you have good instincts, haha" Demian said, confirming her suspicion with a small laugh.
"Ughhhh! It's all because of you!"
she groaned, trying not to look at the group. "They always find ways to get close to you by using me… Because you're my friend."
Demian tilted his head, lips twitching, eyes glinting with amusement. "So… you told them they could get close to me if they stayed close to you?"
"No, freak! It's you who told one of my classmates that we went to the same middle school. Recall anything?" She grabbed his sleeve, tugging him slightly down toward her so they wouldn't be seen. Her gray eyes glared at him.
"Yeah… I might have told a few… or maybe many… sorry, sorry," Demian chuckled, shoulders shaking lightly.
"Sorry, my butt, you freak!" Serin muttered, yanking his sleeve again.
Demian leaned closer, just enough to brush against her arm as he locked eyes with her from her side. "Stop dragging me like that."
Serin shoved him away gently, more force than necessary. She huffed, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, trying to regain some dignity while simultaneously realizing how close he was.
Before either of them could continue, a faint rustle of footsteps echoed along the path. Serin stiffened, eyes darting toward the sound.
"SERIUU!"
Evelyn's voice cut through the night, sharp and relieved. She came with her bag clutched to her chest, hair bouncing wildly with every step.
"I'm sooo sorry! Someone found my bag and called me, so I had to go get it!"
Serin let out a shaky laugh, relief washing over her as she rushed forward to meet Evelyn halfway.
Demian stood a few steps back with his hands in his pockets. His icy blue eyes flicked between Serin and Evelyn with a annoyed expression. It was as if he wanted more drama to unfold.
Serin's own expression softened into pure joy as she laughed, "Ohh, Eve, you're finally back!"
Evelyn scooped her bag into one hand and gave Serin a playful shove. "Did you miss me that much lol!"
The approaching girls exchanged frustrated looks before stepping back. Serin and Evelyn watched as the trio disappeared into the festival lights, muttering under their breath.
Demian leaned lazily against the bench's back. With his arms crossed, a mock gasp on his face.
"Wow… you came just in time," he drawled, eyes following the retreating girls.
"Man… what are you doing here? Don't you have your fans lined up near the stage after the show?"
She glanced at Serin, frowning. "Did they do something?"
Serin nudged Evelyn gently in the ribs. "See? Not even a scratch, haha."
Her playful tone eased the tension, and Evelyn's shoulders relaxed.
Evelyn rolled her eyes before breaking into laughter. "Gosh, what would you do without me?" she teased, jabbing her elbow lightly into Serin's side.
"Well then, time to go do my fan meeting. goodbye." His voice was calm, detached as he passed them a bit too coldly.
Evelyn spun on her heel. "Oh, spare us your goodbyes!" she yelled after him.
Serin laughed as she watched Demian walk back to the gate.
Evelyn grinned, looping her arm through Serin's. "Alright, let's get out of here before chaos finds us again."
Demian stood near the school gate until they disappeared into the dark horizon. The quiet stretched around him, only broken by a voice calling out.
"Yo, buddy, did you agree to it then?"
He turned only his head slightly with a sigh,
"Yeah… I guess I'll give it a try."
"Ha! I knew it!"
The other voice teased. "You sure we can handle it?..I mean it's our first time."
Demian shifted his weight, turning fully now, hands buried in his pockets,
"We'll see… won't we?"
His eyes flicked toward the path where Serin and Evelyn had disappeared.
"And we might need her help."