At the same time, in the hallway, Seojin was walking hand in hand with Seolhyo, watching Park Dong and Irina's usual drama.
Irina was pinching Park Dong's nose, while he grabbed a fistful of her hair.
"YOU CALL THAT A LETTER?! REALLY?! HURRY UP AND REWRITE IT PROPERLY!!" Irina snapped.
"I mean, you told me to write it… and it's called minimalism!" Park Dong argued.
"Oh, yeah? Then this is called pain!" Irina shot back, twisting his nose harder.
Seolhyo glanced at Seojin. "Is this how lovers usually quarrel…?"
Seojin tilted his head. "No… I think that's just how they express their feelings."
Their bickering drew a few stares, but neither of them seemed to care.
Behind them, Mijin stretched her arms over her head, forming a heart shape.
"Well then, I'm off to find my boyfriend~"
Seolhyo looked over her shoulder. "Good luck with that~"
Seojin glanced at her. "Hope they don't get scared off by you."
Mijin scoffed and flicked him her middle finger.
They soon reached the art classroom, while Park Dong and Irina were still going at it.
"Ow, come on! Take it easy!"
"Nope!!"
As Seojin and Seolhyo slowed their steps and glanced inside, they spotted Suwon chatting with a girl wearing glasses.
Seojin couldn't help but smirk knowingly.
Meanwhile, downstairs, Mijin was halfway down the stairs, her bag slung over her shoulder, when a sharp voice echoed from the top behind.
"Park Mijin! Where do you think you're going?!"
She froze mid-step, eyes widening.
That voice… the teacher?!
Slowly, she turned her head, forcing the stiffest smile imaginable.
"…The bathroom?"
Back with the others
"Chestnut! Let's go eat dinner!" Seojin called out.
Park Dong, who had finally let go now with a visible bump on his head stood in the doorway. "Let's go eat! All the side dishes will be gone in seconds."
"Oh, okay!" Suwon replied.
He turned to Won Suji and smiled slightly. "See you next class."
"Y-Yeah! G-Goodbye~" she stammered, waving awkwardly.
As they walked down the hallway, Park Dong rested his hand on Irina's head like she was a kid, letting out a chuckle. "Calm down, you brat. HAHA."
Irina kept her glared at him but didn't push his hand away.
"What's for dinner, Park Dong?" Seolhyo asked.
"Mini pork cutlets, radish kimchi, rolled omelet, kimchi stew," he answered instantly.
"You've really memorized the whole cafeteria menu," Suwon said.
Park Dong smirked smugly. "Isn't that just common sense, you idiot?"
Seojin glanced at Suwon with a teasing grin. "Isn't that the girl with the same name as you?"
"Yeah. What a coincidence we're even in the same class," Suwon replied.
"Same name, same class… maybe same hobbies. What a coincidence indeed…"
Suwon raised a brow. "What are you implying?"
"Nothing~"
Park Dong turned to Suwon. "So that's the one seojin said with the same name as you? Those glasses look like they came from another era."
"Yeah I have no idea that we're in the same club art. We just got close today. It was our first time actually talking, so I don't really know her well."
Park Dong grinned. "So, do art club kids just talk about manhwas and stuff?"
"Hey, that's a stereotype!" Suwon protested. "…Although, yeah, kind of true this time."
Seolhyo laughed. "Wow, even our chestnut here has a friend beside us."
"Of course I do! And don't call me chestnut!"
Back in the classroom, Won Suji walked over to her friends' desks and sat in front of them.
They immediately bombarded her with questions, giggling.
"So what did he say?! What happened?!"
"You two looked like you were getting along~"
"What were you guys talking about??"
Suji sat down, resting both elbows on the desk, hands on her head as she lowered it.
"Uh… we just talked about comics and stuff… I don't even know what I said…"
"KYAAAH HAHAHAHA!"
"Aaa… I think I was mumbling too much…"
"Still, it's a historic moment!"
"You finally talked to him!"
Suji peeked up, cheeks pink. "Yeah… and he knew me, too."
That made both girls freeze.
"H-He knew you?!" one stammered.
"Wait, does that mean he likes you?!"
"N-No! It's not like that!" Suji waved her hands frantically, her face turning even redder. "It's just.. uh... Yoon Seojin mentioned me to him once. Because my name's, you know… the exact opposite of Ji Suwon."
Her friends blinked.
"Y-Y-Yoon Seojin?!"
"So even he knows you?!"
Another girl clasped her hands to her chest. "I'd die happy if Yoon Seojin even knew my name…"
"Same! He's like untouchable… Seol Hyorim is so lucky…"
Suji sighed, sitting back and resting her cheek against her palm, her gaze drifting.
One of her friends suddenly perked up. "Maybe Ji Suwon secretly likes you too! That's why he talked to you. You never know with quiet types!"
"Yeah! Back in the day, guys confessed to me like that they never showed it, but it was love at first sight. They just acted angry instead."
"…When did you ever get confessed to?"
"…Second grade."
Suji fidgeted, crossing her arms on the desk and lowering her head again. "No, that's not it… we just had a normal conversation about comics…"
Her friends said at the same time
""That's how it all starts.""
"If things go well, you two will probably hold hands and go to comic cons together!"
"And do cosplay too!"
"I'm jealous that's my dream!"
Suji blinked, then rested her chin on the back of her hand with a faint smile.
"…So that's your dream…"
Suji's mind drifted back to the first time she saw him.
"What did the homeroom teacher say about the manhwa club?"
"They're probably going to approve it. Figures… they said to bring it up again next semester."
"Oh it's Yadong! Hi!"
Suji turned toward the voice and saw Ji Suwon with Park Dong.
Suwon said while glancing around. "G-Girls are listening… shh!!"
she muttered to herself as she stared at him being called Yadong.
"He must've watched tons of that stuff…"
In art class, the teacher stood at the front, arms crossed.
"Since you all chose art as your special activity… I'll assume everyone can draw at least a little. Today, just draw freely any theme you want."
Beside Suji, the two girls she'd befriended leaned over her sketchbook.
"Wow, your style looks exactly the same!"
"That's Suji for you!"
"If you become a manhwa artist, let me be your assistant!"
"Hey! I'm first in line!"
Suji laughed awkwardly. "I just copied it, that's all… haha…"
"Hm."
She glanced up.
The teacher was now standing beside Suwon's desk, looking down at his sketchbook.
"…Hmm. Hmm. You definitely have talent."
Suwon stiffened, sweat forming as he felt the attention on him.
"Have you ever taken formal lessons?" the teacher asked.
"N-No…"
Back at Suji's side
"Huh? The teacher's interested. Looks like he's good too."
"Oh… him…" Suji murmured.
…The one who watches a lot of that stuff…
Curious, she stood up slightly to take a peek at his sketchbook.
What she saw
Clean, defined, expressive characters.
Her eyes lingered on him as he sketched, completely absorbed.
…Wow…
so cool…
Back in the present
"I'm just.."
Won Suji leaned back in her chair, blushing, her palm resting against her cheek.
"…I'm just happy we talked. That's enough for me…"
Her two friends leaned in, looming over her.
"Are you kidding me?! You've gotta push more now!!"
"Yeah, yeah! You need to get closer, quick!"
They said in unison
"Where you are now won't cut it~!!"
"You need to approach him more boldly!"
Suji leaned back, startled, her eyes wide.