If there was one thing Ara didn’t expect, it was getting paired with Jungwon for a class project. 

She stared at the list their teacher had just written on the board, her name right beside his.

Meanwhile, Jungwon, seated beside her, leaned back in his chair with an easygoing grin. 

“Well, guess we’re partners,” he said, turning to her. 

Ara sighed. “Great.” 

Not that she had anything against working with him, but she preferred doing things on her own.

She didn’t like relying on people—especially not someone like Jungwon, who always seemed too laid-back about everything. 

“You sound so excited,” he teased. 

“I just don’t like group work,” she muttered, already thinking of how to get this done as quickly as possible. 

Jungwon hummed, tapping his pen against the desk. “Alright, serious one. When do we start?” 

She glanced at him. “I was thinking later at the library.” 

He stretched his arms. “Library? Boring. Let’s work at a café.” 

Ara frowned. “We’re supposed to research, not have a coffee date.” 

Jungwon smirked. “Who said anything about a date? We can work and have coffee. Ever heard of multitasking?” 

She rolled her eyes but didn’t argue further. Maybe a change of scenery wouldn’t be too bad. 

-

Later that afternoon, they found themselves at a quiet café near the school.

Jungwon had ordered an iced Americano while Ara stuck to her usual matcha latte.

Books and notes were spread between them, but somehow, Ara felt like she was the only one doing any real work. 

“You’re not even writing anything,” she pointed out, glaring at him. 

Jungwon looked up from his drink, unfazed. “I’m thinking.” 

“About what? Your next coffee order?” 

He chuckled, finally picking up his pen. “Relax, Ara. I work best under pressure.” 

She sighed, resisting the urge to snatch his notebook away. This was going to be a long project. 

Yet, despite her frustration, she found herself stealing glances at him as he absentmindedly tapped his pen on his notebook, deep in thought. 

And for the first time, she wondered—was he really as carefree as he seemed, or was there more to Jungwon than what he let on?