The next morning, Seo-yoon left earlier than usual.
She didn't plan it.
It just happened.
She woke up before her alarm, got ready without thinking too much, and stepped out of the house while the sky was still pale and quiet. The streets felt emptier than usual, the air cooler against her skin.
When she reached the corner, no one was there.
She stopped.
For a moment, she just stood there, her eyes drifting to the lamppost where Ji-hoon usually waited. It felt strange to see it empty, like something was missing from a picture she had seen too many times.
She could have waited.
She didn't.
After a few seconds, she adjusted her bag and kept walking.
Each step felt slightly unfamiliar, even though the road hadn't changed.
She reached school earlier than most students. The hallways were quieter, voices softer, everything moving at a slower pace.
For once, she was the one arriving first.
She went to the classroom and sat down by the window.
Alone.
She placed her bag down, took out her notebook, and opened it, even though there was nothing to write yet. Her eyes drifted toward the empty seat beside her.
She looked away.
A few minutes later, footsteps approached.
"You're early."
Seo-yoon looked up.
Hyun-woo stood beside her desk, his expression slightly surprised.
"So are you," she replied.
He smiled faintly. "I didn't expect to see you here before everyone else."
"I didn't expect it either."
He glanced at the seat next to her. "Can I sit?"
Seo-yoon hesitated for a fraction of a second.
Then she nodded. "For now."
Hyun-woo pulled the chair back and sat down easily, setting his bag on the floor.
The space felt different immediately.
Not uncomfortable.
Just unfamiliar.
"You finished your part of the project?" he asked.
"Yes."
"That was fast."
"We didn't have much left."
Hyun-woo nodded. "Still. You work quickly."
Seo-yoon didn't respond, her fingers lightly tracing the edge of her notebook.
There was a pause.
Not the same kind she had with Ji-hoon.
This one felt more… expected.
Like something should be said to fill it.
"So," Hyun-woo continued, "do you always come this early?"
"No."
"Then why today?"
Seo-yoon glanced at him briefly, then looked away. "I woke up early."
"That's it?"
"That's it."
He studied her for a moment, like he knew there was more she wasn't saying, but didn't push.
"Fair enough," he said.
The classroom slowly began to fill.
Students entered in small groups, conversations growing louder, the usual morning energy returning. Seo-yoon kept her eyes on her notebook, even though she wasn't really reading anything.
At some point, she became aware of a presence at the door.
She didn't look up immediately.
But she felt it.
When she finally did, Ji-hoon was standing there.
He had just walked in.
His gaze moved across the room once, briefly, before stopping.
On her.
Or more specifically
On the seat beside her.
Hyun-woo's seat.
For a second, everything felt still.
Seo-yoon held his gaze without meaning to.
Ji-hoon's expression didn't change.
Not even slightly.
Then, without saying anything, he looked away and walked to his seat.
A different one.
Two rows behind.
Seo-yoon blinked.
Her chest tightened, something sharp and unfamiliar settling there.
Hyun-woo followed her gaze. "You know him?"
Seo-yoon nodded slowly. "Yes."
"You seem close."
She hesitated.
"We're friends," she said.
Hyun-woo didn't respond right away.
Instead, he leaned back slightly in his chair, glancing once more toward Ji-hoon before looking back at her.
"He doesn't look like he likes me very much."
Seo-yoon frowned. "He doesn't know you."
"Still."
"He's just like that."
Hyun-woo smiled faintly. "If you say so."
The bell rang.
Class began.
Seo-yoon tried to focus.
But it was harder than usual.
She could feel it.
Ji-hoon's presence.
Not beside her.
Behind her.
It changed everything.
Every time she shifted slightly, every time she adjusted her notebook, she became aware of the space where he used to sit.
Empty.
Not empty, exactly.
Just not his.
At one point, Hyun-woo leaned slightly closer to explain something, pointing at her notebook.
"See this part?" he said. "You wrote it correctly, but you skipped a step here."
Seo-yoon nodded, trying to follow along.
But her attention slipped again.
She didn't need to turn around to know.
She just knew.
Ji-hoon had noticed.
Or maybe she only thought he had.
That was worse.
When class ended, Seo-yoon didn't move immediately.
Hyun-woo stood up, stretching slightly. "That wasn't too bad."
"No," she said.
"You're easy to work with."
"Am I?"
"Yeah."
She gave a small nod.
Behind her, chairs shifted as students stood up and started leaving.
She didn't turn around.
She didn't want to.
"Seo-yoon," Hyun-woo said, slinging his bag over his shoulder, "want to grab something from the vending machine?"
She hesitated.
It was such a normal question.
A simple one.
"Yes," she said.
They walked out together.
As they stepped into the hallway, Seo-yoon felt something she couldn't quite explain.
Like she was leaving something behind.
Not physically.
But still.
She didn't look back.
Not even once.
And inside the classroom, Kang Ji-hoon remained where he was for a moment longer.
Watching the empty seat by the window.
The one that used to be his.
Before he finally stood up and walked out...