"Stop pacing," Leo said, his voice cutting through my frantic mumbling. "You are wasting your energy. We need to analyze this like a professional case study. Pros and cons, San."
"Pros and cons?" I looked at him, clutching the gold-leaf Pepero bag. "Leo, I'm about to go to the roof to meet a girl who looks like she was sculpted by the gods. There is no logic here!"
"There is always logic," Leo insisted.
He stepped toward the heavy velvet curtains at the back of the practice room—the ones that usually hid spare mic stands. With a dramatic whoosh, he yanked them back. Behind the curtain sat a full-sized, rolling green blackboard that definitely wasn't there ten minutes ago.
"Wait," I blinked, my brain stalling. "Where did you get a blackboard? Did you just manifest a classroom tool out of thin air?"
"I have my ways," Leo said, tapping a piece of chalk against the board. "Focus. Let's look at the data."
He began scribbling with lightning speed, creating a table that looked far too official for a dating crisis.
PROS: Incredible Visuals (Face/Body/Assets) / Good Character/Kind Personality /The "Shield" Effect
CONS: Fandom War (Her fans will kill you) / Rumor Mill (Even more eyes on you) / She might get hate from your fans
"The 'Shield' effect?" I asked, pointing at the board.
"Exactly," Jun-seo chimed in, leaning against his guitar amp. "Look at your desk, San. It's a mountain of chocolate. If you're dating a legendary third-year like Sora, the younger girls will finally back off. You'll be off-market. It's the perfect deterrent."
Myung-dae let out a dry chuckle.
"And let's be honest, look at the first 'Pro.' She's got a great personality, a killer body, and she's a top-tier trainee. You'd be an idiot to say no just because you're scared."
"But what about the rumors?" I argued. "What if people find out about... other things?"
"Like what?" Myung-dae shook his head. "Like until you do something stupid?"
Jun-seo nodded.
"Think about it, San. You're an exchange student. You're here for ten more months, then you go back to Ukraine and never look back. Whatever happens here is temporary. It's a low-risk, high-reward situation."
I paused.
I thought about my room back home, the cold winds, and the gym. The idea of returning to Ukraine didn't feel like a bad thing to me. If this went south, I'd be six thousand miles away by next summer.
"You're right," I whispered. "I'm a temporary resident. Why not live a little?"
"That's the spirit," Myung-dae grinned. "Now go to the roof before she thinks you stood her up."
I stopped by the second-floor restroom first.
I splashed ice-cold water on my face, letting the droplets wake up my sluggish brain. I stared at the "Comma" hair in the mirror. It was still holding, thank god. I straightened my blazer, adjusted my shirt, and took a deep breath.
"You are San," I told my reflection. "Make it count."
I headed for the roof garden.
The air was crisp, carrying the scent of late-autumn flowers. In the center of the garden, Lee Sora was standing by the stone railing. She looked smaller out here, away from the third-year hallways. Her hands were clasped tightly in front of her, and she was shifting her weight from side to side. She was actually nervous.
"Sora-sunbae," I said.
She jumped slightly and spun around, a faint blush coloring her cheeks. "San. You... you came."
"I did." I walked toward her, the sound of my shoes echoing on the tiles. "I'll be honest, I didn't know how to react to the gift. It was... a lot."
Chuckle.
I froze. It was a faint, sharp sound. I scanned the bushes, then the water tank. Nothing. Must be the birds, I thought, though my gut felt a strange prickle.
I looked back at Sora. I remembered Leo's blackboard.
She was beautiful, she was kind, and I was only here for a year.
"Sora," I said, stepping into her personal space. I reached out and took her hand. It was soft and trembling. "I've thought about it. And if you're serious..."
I took a breath, the "why not" logic of the guys pushing me forward.
"Would you like to be my girlfriend?"
Sora's eyes widened, shimmering with a mix of shock and pure joy. A bright, genuine smile broke across her face—not the polished idol smile, but something real.
"Yes!" she whispered.
Before I could say anything else, she lunged forward and threw her arms around my neck, burying her face in my shoulder. The hug was tight, smelling of vanilla and something sweet.
As I stood there, hugging the legendary Lee Sora on a rooftop in Seoul, I felt like I had finally cracked the code of this school.