“Ara,” Minji called, waving a hand in front of her face. “Are you even listening?”

She blinked. They were sitting at their usual lunch spot, but Ara had been too caught up in her thoughts to notice anything Minji had been saying.

“Sorry, what?” Ara asked, taking a sip of her juice, hoping to cover her distraction.

Minji squinted at her. “Are you okay? You’ve been zoning out a lot lately.”

“I’m fine,” she said quickly. Too quickly.

Minji didn’t look convinced. “Is this about Jungwon?”

Ara nearly choked. “What? No. Why would it be?”

Minji smirked. “Oh, I don’t know. Maybe because he’s been looking at you like you’re the only person in the room? Or because you’ve been spacing out like a lovesick idiot?”

“I have not.”

“You so have.”

Ara groaned, setting her drink down. “Minji, drop it.”

Her friend raised her hands in surrender. “Fine, fine. But you should really figure out whatever’s going on between you two. You’re both acting weird.”

Ara wanted to argue, but deep down, she knew Minji wasn’t wrong.

-

Later that day, during their last period, Ara found herself stealing glances at Jungwon.

He was focused on his notes, tapping his pen against his desk in a steady rhythm. He must have felt her stare because, without looking up, he smirked.

“Like what you see?”

Ara rolled her eyes. “You wish.”

He finally turned to her, amusement dancing in his gaze. “You sure about that?”

She huffed, shaking her head, but her heart betrayed her by racing just a little bit faster.

As the bell rang, signaling the end of the day, Jungwon slung his bag over his shoulder and glanced at her. “Walk with me?”

It wasn’t really a question.

Ara hesitated for a second before nodding.

And as they stepped out of the classroom together, she couldn’t shake the feeling that whatever this was—whatever was shifting between them.