The days after the sports festival felt quieter, but Ara couldn’t tell if it was because things had returned to normal or if something between her and Jungwon had subtly shifted.

She found herself noticing him more, catching glimpses of him during class, in the hallways, and even in the cafeteria—something she never used to do before.

“Are you okay? You’ve been spacing out a lot lately.” Minji nudged her side as they sat in the library, flipping through their notes.

Ara blinked. “Huh? I’m fine.”

Minji smirked. “Right. Totally believable.”

Before Ara could protest, a familiar voice interrupted. “Ara.”

She turned to see Jungwon standing by their table, one hand in his pocket and an easygoing smile on his face. “Mind if I borrow your notes? I missed something earlier.”

Minji’s gaze flickered between them with an amused look before she busied herself with her own book.

Ara hesitated for a second before pushing her notebook toward him. “Here.”

Jungwon pulled up a chair beside her and skimmed through the pages.

For some reason, the proximity made her feel more conscious of him. She could smell the faint scent of his cologne—fresh and subtle. It was distracting.

“You have neat handwriting,” he commented after a moment.

Ara shrugged. “I just write fast.”

Jungwon chuckled. “Still, it’s impressive.”

She didn’t know how to respond, so she simply focused on her book.

But then he leaned a little closer, lowering his voice. “You never answered my question.”

Ara glanced at him warily. “What question?”

“Did you have fun at the festival?”

She hesitated, recalling the moments they spent together. The way he encouraged her, the way he made everything seem less daunting.

“…Yeah,” she admitted softly. “It was different from what I expected.”

Jungwon smiled, satisfied with her answer. “Good.”

Minji cleared her throat loudly, causing Ara to snap out of whatever strange moment she was caught in. “I’m going to pretend I’m not third-wheeling here.”

Ara flushed. “Minji—”

Jungwon just laughed, returning the notebook to Ara. “Thanks for the notes.”

And with that, he stood up and left, leaving Ara with a heart that was suddenly beating a little too fast.

As she watched him walk away, she realized something she hadn’t before.

She liked talking to him.

And that thought alone scared her more than she was willing to admit.