Chapter 3

*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

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