Unexpected Attention

The next morning, Yoon Ha-eun realized something was different the moment she walked through the school gates.

Students were whispering as she passed by.

Some were staring at her.

Others were pointing in her direction.

"That's her!"

"The girl who stood up to Kang Min-jun yesterday!"

"She's either incredibly brave or completely crazy."

Ha-eun let out a sigh.

She knew people would talk about what happened yesterday, but she never expected the news to spread throughout the entire school so quickly.

Ignoring everyone's attention, she entered her classroom and took her seat.

A few classmates secretly glanced at her, but none of them had the courage to start a conversation.

A few minutes later, the classroom door opened.

The atmosphere instantly changed.

Kang Min-jun walked in.

The room fell silent.

Min-jun slowly made his way toward the back of the classroom.

However, instead of sitting down, he stopped directly in front of Ha-eun's desk.

The entire class held their breath.

Ha-eun looked up from her book.

"What?"

Min-jun raised an eyebrow.

"You're not nervous at all?"

"Should I be?"

Several students gasped in shock. 😳

No one had ever spoken to Min-jun like that before.

After staring at her for a few moments, Min-jun let out a quiet laugh.

"You're definitely different."

Without saying anything else, he returned to his seat.

Immediately, whispers filled the classroom again.

Ha-eun rolled her eyes and returned to her studies.

During lunch break, Ha-eun decided to eat near the school garden. 🌸

The weather was beautiful, and she wanted a little peace and quiet.

Just as she opened her lunchbox, someone sat beside her.

She looked up and saw Lee Seo-jun.

"Can I sit here?"

Ha-eun smiled politely.

"Of course."

The two began talking.

Unlike everyone else, Seo-jun didn't treat her differently.

He casually talked about school, exams, and his dreams for the future.

"Do you have any dreams?" Seo-jun asked.

After thinking for a moment, Ha-eun replied,

"I'm not sure. I just want to live without any regrets."

Seo-jun smiled.

"That's a beautiful dream too."

For some reason, talking with him felt comfortable.

Easy.

Before either of them realized it, a lot of time had passed.

From a classroom window, Min-jun watched them.

His eyes narrowed.

Why was Seo-jun always around Ha-eun?

And why was she smiling so much when she was with him?

A strange feeling was growing inside him.

And he absolutely hated it.

"What's wrong with me?" he muttered.

After school, Ha-eun stayed behind to return a book to the library.

By the time she left, most of the students had already gone home.

As she walked toward the bus stop, she noticed three senior students blocking her path.

Their expressions didn't seem friendly at all.

"You're Yoon Ha-eun?"

"The girl who embarrassed Min-jun?"

Ha-eun remained calm.

"Move. I need to go home."

One of the boys stepped forward.

"You think you're brave?"

Just then, another voice interrupted.

"Step away from her."

Everyone turned around.

It was Lee Seo-jun.

The seniors looked annoyed.

"This doesn't concern you."

Seo-jun firmly stood in front of Ha-eun.

"It does now."

After a few tense moments, the seniors finally walked away.

Ha-eun let out a relieved breath.

"Thank you."

Seo-jun smiled warmly.

"You don't have to handle everything alone." 😊

For a brief moment, a warm feeling filled Ha-eun's heart.

However, neither of them noticed that someone was watching from across the street.

Kang Min-jun.

He had seen everything.

The way Seo-jun protected Ha-eun.

The way Ha-eun smiled at him.

The way they looked so comfortable together.

A strange pain settled inside Min-jun's chest.

He clenched his fists.

💭 "Why does this bother me so much?"

For the first time in his life, he couldn't understand his own feelings.

But one thing was certain.

He didn't want Lee Seo-jun getting any closer to Yoon Ha-eun.

As the sun slowly disappeared below the horizon, Min-jun watched the two of them walking away together.

A storm was slowly forming inside his heart.

And very soon, that storm would change all three of their lives forever. 💜✨

To Be Continued... 🌸

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