Jungwon

The moment she stepped into the room, I felt it.

Like a cold shift in the air.

Everyone saw her—but no one really looked. Not like I did.

Yuri didn’t walk in the way she usually did—tired but trying. This time, she was just… empty. And her eyes—god, her eyes.

They used to hold this quiet fire. So heavenly, so beautiful. Now they looked like smoke after everything’s burned.

And the bandages—

I could barely stop myself from standing up when I saw them. Wrapped around her arms, her legs stiff as if walking was too much effort.

The bruises were obvious, no matter how much she tried to cover them up. But what hurt more than seeing them…

Was that she didn’t even glance at me.

Not once.

Not even to flinch away.

She walked past me like I wasn’t there. Like I’d never been.

And maybe I deserved that.

After what I did—after I shut her out, let Rin talk, let Sunghoon chase after her while I stood frozen—I don’t blame her.

But I also can’t let it go.

Because something about her… still pulls at me. Always has. Since the beginning.

Even now, when she looks like she’s barely holding it together, I can feel it—that string between us, stretched so thin it could snap. But it hasn’t. Not yet.

She sat down, carefully. Right beside Sunghoon.

I watched her, even if it felt wrong. I watched the way her hands stayed still in her lap. The way her shoulders curled slightly inward, like she wanted to disappear. Her lips didn’t move, her head never turned. It was like she wasn’t even in the room.

And Sunghoon—he was tense. Still. But not like her. His eyes kept flicking her way, lips pressed into a hard line.

He noticed too.

Of course he did.

The whole room felt off. But no one said anything. Because that’s how people are—they only ask when it’s already too late.

The class dragged. I barely heard a word the teacher said. All I could focus on was her breathing—slow, quiet, uneven. She wasn’t okay.

And I couldn’t stop wondering what happened.

She told me once, vaguely, that things at home weren’t good. But I never pushed. I let it slide. Was it that? Could someone have hurt her?

Or was she alone when it happened?

Did she cry?

Did she think of me?

That thought made something sharp twist in my chest. I hate how much I wanted the answer to be yes.

And when the bell finally rang, I stood up without thinking. Maybe I’d say something. Maybe this was my chance to fix it.

But just as I took a step forward, Sunghoon beat me to it.

He grabbed her wrist gently but firmly and made her sit back down.

“Don’t leave the room,” he said, voice low. “Let’s talk. Now.”

I froze.

The way her body tensed—not in fear, but hesitation—it told me more than words ever could. She didn’t want to stay. But she wasn’t going to run either.

I didn’t move. I watched from behind my desk, jaw tight, fingers curling around my pen until it nearly snapped.

I didn’t know what I was feeling.

Jealousy?
Guilt?
Anger?

All of it.

Maya approached me quietly, like she didn’t want to startle me. She followed my gaze to the two of them.

“Jungwon…”

I didn’t turn.

“She’s not okay,” she said.

“I know.”

She hesitated, then said something I wasn’t prepared for.

“You should’ve talked to her sooner.”

My shoulders stiffened. “I know that too.”

Maya left me alone after that. But her words lingered.

I stared at Yuri’s back, trying to burn a hole through it, trying to will her to just… turn around. Look at me. Even once.

I wish I could say it was out of guilt.

But it wasn’t.

It was something else entirely.

Because even now, I still wanted to be the one she looked for. The one she trusted. The one she ran to.

But I wasn’t. Not anymore.

Maybe I never was.

Still… I knew something for sure.

That wasn’t just worry I felt.

It was something heavier. Something dangerous. Something I couldn’t explain.

I didn’t just want to help her.

I wanted to protect her.

I hated how I didn’t know what to do—how I couldn’t just walk over there and ask, “Are you okay?” like a normal person.

But for the first time, I didn’t care about what I was supposed to do or say. I didn’t care if she hated me. If she never wanted to talk to me again.

All I wanted… was to be there.

Even if she never noticed.

Even if I had to wait quietly, from the sidelines.

I just hoped…

She'd let me in before it was too late.

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Word count : 823
SOTD : Demons (cover) by Enhypen (originally by Imagine Dragons)
QOTD : What would u wanna do on your first date?

-I wanna try either museum or picnic or just a stroll in the park and eat after 🫶😔😭