The rest of the day didn't feel real.
Seo-yoon sat through her classes, her notebook open, her pen moving when it needed to, her voice responding when she was called on.
But none of it stayed.
Nothing settled.
Everything felt distant.
Like she was there, but not really.
Like her body was in the classroom, but her thoughts were still stuck in that moment.
"It's your decision."
The words repeated.
Over and over.
Simple.
Calm.
Unbothered.
Like it didn't matter.
Seo-yoon stared at her notebook, her vision slightly unfocused.
Beside her, Hyun-woo was saying something.
She nodded.
She didn't know what he said.
At some point, the teacher asked a question.
Seo-yoon didn't answer.
"Seo-yoon?"
She blinked.
The classroom came back into focus.
"Yes?" she said.
The teacher repeated the question.
Seo-yoon looked at the board.
The words blurred.
Her chest tightened.
She opened her mouth.
Nothing came out.
A pause.
Then someone answered for her.
The teacher moved on.
Seo-yoon lowered her gaze quickly, her fingers tightening around her pen.
She had never done that before.
Not like this.
Not because she couldn't focus.
Because she couldn't think.
Because everything felt too loud inside her head.
She exhaled slowly, trying to steady herself.
It didn't work.
The rest of the class passed like that.
Fragments.
Unfinished.
Disconnected.
When the bell rang, Seo-yoon didn't move immediately.
She stayed in her seat, her hands resting on the desk, her gaze fixed on nothing in particular.
"Are you okay?" Hyun-woo asked.
She nodded. "I'm fine."
"You don't look fine."
"I'm just tired."
He hesitated, like he wanted to say more.
Then he nodded. "Get some rest."
Seo-yoon gave a small nod in return.
She packed her bag slowly.
Carefully.
Like she needed the time.
Like she wasn't ready to stand up yet.
The classroom emptied.
Voices faded.
Chairs scraped.
Footsteps disappeared.
And still
She stayed.
Until it was quiet.
Completely quiet.
Only then did she stand.
She didn't go to the hallway.
Didn't go outside.
Instead, she turned
And walked to the back of the classroom.
To his desk.
Ji-hoon wasn't there.
Of course he wasn't.
He had left earlier.
Like he always did now.
Seo-yoon looked at the empty chair.
For a moment, she just stood there.
Then slowly, she sat down.
In his seat.
The wood felt the same.
The space felt the same.
But it wasn't.
Nothing was.
She placed her hands on the desk, her fingers curling slightly against the surface.
"You could've said something," she whispered.
Her voice sounded small in the empty room.
"You could've just…"
She stopped.
Because she didn't know how to finish that sentence.
Just what?
Stopped her?
Gotten angry?
Cared?
Her throat tightened.
She looked down, her vision blurring slightly.
No.
Not now.
She blinked quickly.
Once.
Twice.
Trying to steady herself.
Trying to push it back.
It wasn't the time.
It wasn't the place.
She inhaled slowly.
Exhaled.
But it didn't go away.
That tight feeling in her chest.
That pressure building behind her eyes.
That one thought she couldn't escape.
It mattered to me.
Her grip tightened against the desk.
Her shoulders stiffened slightly.
She tilted her head down, her hair falling forward, hiding her face.
For a second
Just a second
Her eyes filled.
The tears didn't fall.
But they were there.
Close.
Too close.
Seo-yoon shut her eyes tightly.
"No," she whispered under her breath.
Not here.
Not like this.
She straightened suddenly, pulling herself back, forcing her breathing to steady.
She wiped quickly under her eyes, even though nothing had fallen yet.
She stood up.
Too fast.
The chair scraped slightly against the floor.
The sound echoed.
She grabbed her bag and turned toward the door.
She didn't look back.
Not at the desk.
Not at the seat.
Not at the space that used to feel like hers too.
She walked out of the classroom.
Into the hallway.
Into the noise.
Into everything that felt easier than staying there for even one more second.
Because if she had stayed
Even a little longer
She knew
She wouldn't have been able to stop it.
And once it started
She wasn't sure she could hide it anymore...