On the other side of the cafeteria, Seojin walked in, his tray balanced in hand. A few girls waved eagerly, others not-so-subtly offered empty seats at their tables. He didn't even slow down. His eyes were already searching for one face.
Minho waved from across the room. Seojin strode over and sat, placing his tray down. The table filled quickly with familiar boys—Blake, James, a couple of others—already grumbling about how boring the day had been.
Still, from the corner of his eye, Seojin caught her.
The girl in black.
She sat with two others, tucked away in a corner, quietly eating. Her long dark hair in a bun, Her glowly skin caught the light faintly, giving her an untouchable, almost ethereal air.
Unlike most, she didn't laugh loudly or fill the silence with chatter. She simply listened, nodding at her friends, her gaze dipping toward her food as though the world around her was irrelevant.
A smirk ghosted his lips. So she's not only indifferent in the hallway, but even here. No loud voice, no attempt to stand out, yet people still look. He wasn't the only one watching—he noticed a few boys at nearby tables sneaking glances her way.
He leaned back in his chair, intrigued. She doesn't even realize—or maybe she doesn't care. Either way… interesting.
James's voice broke his focus.
"Guess what," James grinned, looking smug, "I met that girl from social media—the one I told you about. She's here. Same college. Same schedule, too."
The table erupted in teasing. Blake elbowed him, laughing. "Our boy James found his online crush on day one!"
Their laughter shifted toward Seojin soon after.
"And speaking of crushes," Blake added slyly, "Seojin's already Mr. Popular. First day and the girls are practically falling at his feet."
The others joined in, teasing about how many girls waved at him when he walked in. Seojin only smirked faintly, his expression unreadable. He let them joke, but his eyes—his sharp, calculating eyes—drifted once more toward the girl in black.
And for just a heartbeat, he wondered if she would ever look back.
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