Ara wasn’t sure when it started, but somehow, Jungwon had become a regular part of her daily routine. 

From the moment she stepped into the classroom, he was there, greeting her with some teasing remark or an easygoing smile. At first, she found it annoying. Now? She wasn’t so sure. 

“You look tired,” Jungwon said one morning as she slumped into her chair. 

Ara sighed, rubbing her temples. “Stayed up late studying.” 

Jungwon chuckled. “Again? You’re really out to destroy that quiz, huh?” 

She shot him a tired glare. “Unlike you, I don’t have natural talent. I have to work for my grades.” 

He leaned forward, resting his chin on his palm. “So do I, you know.” 

She raised an eyebrow. “Right. That’s why you spent half our study session doodling on your notebook.” 

Jungwon grinned. “Hey, that’s called creative thinking.” 

Ara shook her head, but before she could reply, the bell rang, signaling the start of their first class. 

The day passed in a blur, and soon enough, the dreaded quiz arrived.

As their teacher passed out the papers, Jungwon turned to her and whispered, “Better start practicing that slow clap, seatmate.” 

She rolled her eyes but smirked. “Just focus.” 

Thirty minutes later, she placed her pen down, relieved that the questions weren’t as difficult as she expected. She glanced at Jungwon, who was still writing, his expression surprisingly serious. 

When he finally finished, he let out a deep breath and leaned back. “That was something.” 

Ara raised an eyebrow. “Good ‘something’ or bad ‘something’?” 

Jungwon smirked. “Guess you’ll find out soon.” 

— 

Two days later, their teacher returned the quizzes. The class held their breath as the graded papers were distributed, and Ara felt a mix of nerves and excitement as hers landed on her desk. 

97.

She sighed in relief. Not bad. 

Then, she heard Jungwon’s voice beside her. 

“No way.” 

She turned her head, curious. “What?” 

Slowly, he lifted his paper for her to see. 

98.

Ara blinked. “Seriously?” 

Jungwon grinned. “Looks like I win.” 

She stared at him, then at the paper, then back at him. “This has to be a joke.” 

“Nope,” he said, looking entirely too smug. “So, where’s my slow clap?” 

Ara groaned but, begrudgingly, gave him a few lazy claps. “Congratulations, genius.” 

Jungwon laughed. “See? Studying with you paid off.” 

She shook her head, but deep down, she was… impressed. She hadn’t expected him to take it seriously. 

As they packed up their things, Jungwon suddenly spoke again. 

“Hey, Ara.” 

She looked up. “Yeah?” 

He smiled—not his usual teasing smirk, but something softer. “Let’s study together again next time.” 

For a moment, she didn’t know how to respond. But then, almost without thinking, she nodded. 

“Yeah. Okay.” 

Jungwon grinned. “Good. It’s a promise.” 

And for some reason, it didn’t feel like an empty one.