Ara wasn’t used to having someone wait for her after school. Yet there was Jungwon, casually leaning against the classroom door, as if he had all the time in the world. 

“Are you ready, study buddy?” he asked with a teasing grin. 

She sighed, stuffing her books into her bag. “Why do you sound so excited? It’s just studying.” 

“Because I’m spending time with my favorite seatmate,” he said, walking beside her as they left the classroom. 

She rolled her eyes. “I’m your only seatmate.” 

“Exactly.” 

They made their way to the library, finding a quiet corner near the window. As Ara pulled out her notes, Jungwon leaned back in his chair, watching her. 

“You know, I never asked—what’s your favorite subject?” he asked. 

Ara glanced at him, slightly surprised by the question. “Literature, I guess.” 

Jungwon nodded. “Makes sense. You always look focused in that class.” 

“What about you?” she asked. 

“P.E.,” he said without hesitation. 

She snorted. “Of course.” 

“But if we’re talking about academic subjects,” he continued, “maybe history. I like hearing about the past.” 

Ara tilted her head. “Huh. I didn’t expect that.” 

Jungwon smirked. “There’s a lot you don’t know about me, seatmate.” 

They fell into a comfortable silence, the only sound being the flipping of pages and the occasional scribbling of notes.

Every now and then, Ara would catch Jungwon glancing at her, but he never said anything about it. 

After an hour, Jungwon stretched, letting out a sigh. “Alright, I think my brain’s reached its limit.” 

Ara checked her watch. “It’s only been an hour.” 

“Exactly,” he said dramatically. “We need a break.” 

She shook her head but smiled slightly. “Fine. Five minutes.” 

Jungwon grinned. “So strict. But alright.” 

As they sat there, watching the afternoon sun filter through the windows, Ara realized something. 

She didn’t mind this. The studying, the teasing, the quiet moments in between—it was… nice. 

“Hey, Ara,” Jungwon suddenly said. 

She looked at him. “Yeah?” 

He hesitated for a second before smiling. “Nothing. Just wanted to say your strict study sessions aren’t so bad.” 

She raised an eyebrow. “That’s your way of thanking me?” 

“Yup.” 

She rolled her eyes, but there was a small smile on her lips as she went back to her notes. 

Having Jungwon around wasn’t so bad after all.