*Title: After School in 2‑E*

*Genre*: School GL, soft slow‑burn, first‑love feels

*Your role*: You – 2nd year, class *2‑E*, library committee, secretly writes short stories on your phone

*Love interest*: Min Jaehee – 3rd year, student council vice‑president, basketball team, known for being cool and untouchable

---

*Chapter 1 – The Library Duty Swap*

You hate Tuesdays because Tuesdays mean library duty. Check books, reshelve, shush first‑years.

Except today, when you push the library door open at 3:40 PM, Min Jaehee is already at the counter.

She’s not supposed to be here. She’s student council. She’s supposed to be in meetings or practice.

“Yerin‑sunbae from *2‑E* asked me to cover,” Jaehee says before you can ask. She doesn’t look up from the return cart. “She has cram school.”

You set your bag down. “Oh. Thanks.”

Jaehee just nods. Her hair is shorter than it was last semester. It suits her. You noticed. You’ve been noticing since the sports festival when she scored the winning shot and smiled for half a second.

For 20 minutes you work in silence. You reshelve. She scans. The only sound is the barcode beep and rain against the windows.

“You missed a spot,” Jaehee says suddenly.

You turn. She’s holding up a book – _The Little Prince_. Your favorite. You left it on the romance shelf by accident last week.

“Right. Sorry.” You take it. Your fingers brush.

“You like this one?” she asks.

You nod. “The fox part. ‘You become responsible forever for what you’ve tamed.’”

Jaehee tilts her head. “That’s sad.”

“It’s not,” you say, braver than usual. “It means if someone lets you in, you should stay.”

She doesn’t answer. Just goes back to scanning. But her ears are red.

At 4:30, the last student leaves. It’s just you, Jaehee, and the rain.

“You write during duty,” she says. Not a question.

Your stomach drops. “How–”

“I saw your notes app open last time. Dialogue.” She finally looks at you. “It was good.”

You’re burning. “It’s dumb. Just stuff I–”

“Can I read it?”

“_What?_ No! It’s–”

Jaehee holds up your phone that you left on the counter. Lock screen shows your story doc. “You forgot this yesterday. I was going to give it to the lost and found but… I opened it. Sorry.”

You want to die. “Jaehee‑sunbae, please delete–”

“I liked the part where the girl gives the other girl her umbrella,” she says fast. “Even though she gets soaked. Because she’d rather be cold than let the other person be cold.”

You stop breathing.

Outside, thunder cracks. The lights flicker.

Jaehee sets your phone down. From her bag, she pulls out a folded black umbrella. “It’s raining harder now. You don’t have one, right?”

“You… you remembered?”

“You always run to the bus stop when it rains,” she mumbles, looking away. “I see you from the 3rd floor. From *2‑E*’s windows.”

She pushes the umbrella into your hands. “Don’t get sick. Yerin‑sunbae says *2‑E* would fall apart if you got a cold. You’re the only one who reshelves correctly.”

Then she walks to the door.

“Jaehee‑sunbae!” you call.

She stops.

“…The girl in my story,” you say, heart pounding. “She doesn’t have a name yet. Can I… can I use yours?”

Jaehee doesn’t turn around. But you see her hand tighten on the door frame.

“Only if I get to read the ending,” she says.

The door clicks shut behind her.

You stand in the empty library, holding her umbrella, and open your notes app.

After School in 2‑E_ 💫

---

*Chapter 1 – The Library Duty Swap (continued)*

You stare at the closed library door for a full ten seconds. Your heart is doing that stupid thumping thing it learned to do whenever Jaehee‑sunbae is within five meters.

The umbrella in your hands is heavier than it should be. Black, no pattern, slightly worn at the edges. Like she’s actually used it. A lot.

Your phone buzzes on the counter.

*Yerin‑sunbae [2‑E]*: _omg did Jaehee show up?? I owe you boba. She’s terrifying but she won’t let the books get messy_

*Yerin‑sunbae [2‑E]*: _wait did she talk to you?? what did she say??_

You lock your phone without answering. If you type now, you’ll just spam keyboard smashes.

Rain hits the windows harder. 4:37 PM. Library duty technically ends at 5:00, but everyone else is gone. It’s just you, the smell of old paper, and the echo of “Only if I get to read the ending.”

You sit at the counter and open your notes app with shaky fingers.

_Chapter 1: The girl with the umbrella._

_She didn’t know her name yet. But she knew the way her hair fell when she looked down at the barcode scanner. She knew the exact shade of red her ears turned when she lied about ‘just passing by’. She knew that her hands were cold, even in summer._

You delete the last line. Too obvious.

The library door creaks. You slam your phone face‑down like you’ve been caught doing something illegal.

It’s just Mr. Park, the librarian, peeking in with his wet raincoat. “Oh! You’re still here, 2‑E?”

“Y-yes, sir. Just finishing up.”

He squints at the umbrella in your lap. “That’s not school property.”

“Jaehee‑sunbae from student council left it. For the rain.” The lie comes out smooth. Scary smooth.

Mr. Park nods. “Ah, Min. Good kid. Cold, but good.” He shuffles to his office. “Lock up at five, yeah? Don’t stay too late. Storm’s getting bad.”

The door shuts again. You breathe.

5:00 PM hits. You do your final sweep – chairs pushed in, returns cart empty, _The Little Prince_ now correctly on the F‑fiction shelf where it belongs.

You’re zipping your bag when you see it. On the counter, tucked under the scanner where your phone was.

A sticky note. Pale yellow.

_You forgot this too._

_– MJ_

Under the note is a hairpin. Small, silver, shaped like a star. You’ve seen it before. Jaehee wore it during the sports festival. It was in her hair when she made that winning shot.

You pick it up. It’s warm from being in her pocket, probably.

Your phone buzzes again. Unknown number.

*Unknown*: _Is the umbrella big enough for two? It’s supposed to rain tomorrow too._

You don’t save the number. You don’t need to. You already know whose it is.

Your thumbs hover over the keyboard for a whole minute. Then you type:

*You*: _I think I need to test it. For science._

*You*: _Library. Tomorrow. 3:40 PM. Bring the ending._

Three dots appear immediately. Then disappear. Then appear again.

*Jaehee*: _I’m not good at endings._

*Jaehee*: _But I’ll be there._

You press the star hairpin into your palm until it leaves a mark. Outside, the rain hasn’t stopped.

But for the first time, you don’t mind walking home in it.

You have her umbrella. And tomorrow, you might have her.

_End of Chapter 1._🌟

*After School in 2‑E*

*Chapter 2 – The Boy at the Court*

Wednesday, 3:38 PM. You’re early to library duty on purpose.

The umbrella is in your bag. The star hairpin is clipped behind your ear where your hair covers it. Just in case.

At 3:40 exactly, the door opens. But it’s not Jaehee.

“Hey, you’re 2‑E, right?”

A boy leans in the doorway. Tall. Basketball jersey, number 7, jacket tied around his waist. Hair still damp, like he just came from practice. You’ve seen him around – Lee Hyunwoo, 3rd year, transfer student from Seoul. The one all the first‑years giggle about.

“Yeah,” you say, confused. “Library duty?”

“Nah.” He grins, and it’s the unfair kind of grin that makes people trip on stairs. “Jaehee said she’s stuck in a student council meeting. Sent me to tell you so you don’t wait.”

Your stomach drops. “Oh.”

“But,” Hyunwoo walks in and drops his bag on a chair like he owns the place, “she also said you can’t reshelve by yourself because you’ll ‘organize by color instead of author again.’ Her words.”

You flush. That happened _once_. In first year.

“I don’t–”

“I’m Hyunwoo. I sit behind Jaehee in calc.” He pulls a chair out and spins it backwards, straddling it. “She made me swear to help. Apparently you’re ‘2‑E’s most important asset.’”

You’re not sure if you want to hide or scream. “She did not say that.”

“She did. Then she threatened me with laps if I let you carry the heavy art books alone.” He looks around. “So. Where do we start, 2‑E?”

You should say no. You should say you can handle it.

But Hyunwoo’s already grabbing the return cart, and the rain is starting against the windows again, and Jaehee isn’t here.

“…F‑fiction first,” you mumble.

For the next 20 minutes, Hyunwoo talks. About Seoul, about how the basketball team here runs suicides differently, about how the bread at the school store is ‘criminally dry.’ He’s easy. Loud. The opposite of Jaehee’s quiet.

He holds up _The Little Prince_. “This one’s good. You read it?”

Your hand freezes on the shelf. “Yeah.”

“Fox part’s the best.” He smirks. “‘You become responsible for what you’ve tamed.’ Super cheesy. I like it.”

You stare. That’s… that’s what you said to Jaehee yesterday.

Before you can ask, the library door bangs open.

Jaehee stands there, student council blazer damp on the shoulders, hair sticking to her forehead. She’s breathing like she ran.

Her eyes go from you, to Hyunwoo holding your favorite book, to the two‑person space between you at the shelf.

“Meeting ended early,” she says. Voice flat.

Hyunwoo doesn’t notice. “Yo, captain! I was just telling 2‑E here about the–”

“You can go,” Jaehee cuts in. “I’ll take it from here.”

There’s a beat of silence. Hyunwoo looks between you two, eyebrows up, then grins slow like he just figured out a puzzle.

“Right.” He tosses _The Little Prince_ to Jaehee. She catches it one‑handed. “I’ll see you at practice, captain. 2‑E, try not to reorganize by vibes while I’m gone.”

He’s out the door with a wave, leaving the smell of laundry detergent and rain.

It’s just you and Jaehee again. The library is too quiet.

“He talks a lot,” Jaehee says finally, setting the book down. Hard.

“He was helping,” you say.

“I asked him to tell you I was late. Not to–” She stops, jaw tight. “Did he say anything weird?”

You think about ‘responsible for what you’ve tamed.’ About the way Hyunwoo looked at you like he _knew_.

“No,” you lie. “Just about the book.”

Jaehee exhales and runs a hand through her damp hair. The star hairpin isn’t in it today. It’s in yours.

“You’re wearing it,” she says, eyes dropping to your hair.

Your hand flies up. “I – I found it –”

“Keep it.” She walks to the counter and pulls the black umbrella from your bag before you can stop her. “It’s still raining. And the forecast says tomorrow too.”

She opens it, even though you’re inside. Holds it out, right between you two.

“Is it big enough for two?” she asks, echoing her text.

You look at the umbrella. Then at her. Her blazer is soaked. She ran here. In the rain. For library duty. For you.

You step under it. There’s barely room, and your shoulder presses into her arm.

“Yeah,” you whisper. “For science.”

Jaehee doesn’t smile. But her ear goes red. Again.

Outside the window, Hyunwoo jogs past the courtyard with his basketball under his arm. He looks up, sees you two under one umbrella _inside_ the library, and just shakes his head, laughing.

*After School in 2‑E*

*Chapter 3 – The Empty Seat in 3‑A*

Thursday morning, homeroom.

You’re passing the 3rd year hallway to drop off attendance sheets, and you see it:

Lee Hyunwoo, leaning on the doorframe of class 3‑A, laughing. And Jaehee, standing two steps away, holding a clipboard, looking like she wants to be anywhere else.

He says something. She answers, short. He laughs again and lightly taps her clipboard with his knuckles.

Jaehee doesn’t move away. But she doesn’t smile either.

You walk faster.

---

*Lunch, rooftop.*

Your 2‑E friends drag you up there because “the cherry blossoms are still kinda alive.” You’re picking at your kimbap when the stairwell door opens.

Hyunwoo. With two sodas.

“Yo, 2‑E!” He spots you and heads over, ignoring the way your friends start whispering. He hands you a peach one. “You left library duty early yesterday. Figured you’d be hungry.”

“I didn’t–”

“Captain said you forget to eat when you’re writing.” He sits down next to you, not across. Close. “What are you working on? Another fox metaphor?”

Your chopsticks freeze. How does he _know_ that?

Before you can answer, a shadow falls over both of you.

Jaehee. No lunch. No clipboard. Just her.

“Hyunwoo,” she says. No sunbae, no captain. Just his name. Flat. “Coach wants you. Now. Footwork drills.”

Hyunwoo blinks. “Lunch just started–”

“_Now_.”

He studies her face for a second, then stands, stretching. “Alright, alright. Scary when you do the vice‑president voice.” He looks at you. “Keep the soda, 2‑E. Talk later?”

He jogs off.

Jaehee doesn’t sit. She just stands there, looking at the peach soda in your hand like it personally offended her.

“You don’t even like peach,” she says.

It’s not a question. And she’s right. You don’t. But you didn’t say that to Hyunwoo.

“He didn’t know,” you mumble.

“He should ask before assuming.” She finally sits, but it’s on the railing, not next to you. Facing away. “He assumes a lot.”

The wind blows. Your hair moves, and the star hairpin catches the light.

Jaehee sees it. Her shoulders drop 1 cm.

“Do you…” you start. “Do you not want him talking to me?”

Jaehee goes still. Then: “He’s loud. He’ll distract you from your writing.”

That’s not it. You both know it’s not it.

“My writing’s fine,” you say. Braver than you feel. “You said you’d read the ending, remember?”

Jaehee turns then. Really looks at you. “I meant it.”

“Then why are you mad?”

“I’m not mad.” She looks away again. “I’m… student council is busy. I can’t always cover library duty. If he’s there, then you’re not alone. That’s good.”

Liar. Her fingers are white on the railing.

You stand up and move to the railing too. Not touching, but close. Like under the umbrella.

“I don’t want him there,” you say to the sky. “He’s nice. But he doesn’t know I organize by author first, color second. He doesn’t know I hate peach. He doesn’t know why the fox matters.”

From the corner of your eye, you see Jaehee’s head turn.

“He doesn’t know,” you repeat, quieter. “You do.”

Silence. Then a soft _click_.

Jaehee’s pulled something from her blazer pocket. Another hairpin. Same star, but smaller. She holds it out, not looking at you.

“For when you wash your hair,” she says, voice rough. “So you don’t lose the other one.”

You take it. Your fingers brush. They’re cold, like always.

“Jaehee‑sunbae,” you whisper.

“Just Jaehee,” she corrects. “When it’s us.”

Down in the courtyard, Hyunwoo’s doing drills. He looks up at the roof, spots you two standing close, and stops for half a second. Then he just shakes his head and gets back to running.

Jaehee sees it too. She doesn’t say anything. But she doesn’t move away either.

_End of Chapter 3