Noori pov:
Yesterday was fun. I hope today would be too. My thoughts at 3am started coming in. If you're wondering how I got up in the first place, it's all thanks to my chaotic messy group chat. Seriously tho, when are they ever not awake?
Hyunjin: WHY IS NO ONE COMPLIMENTING MY HAIR TODAY
Yeji: BRO ITS 3AM SHUT UP
Felix: i baked cookies wanna see???
Ryujin: IF U SEND ONE MORE BLURRY COOKIE PIC I'M BLOCKING YOU
Lino: why is everyone awake. go sleep.
Chaeryeong: SOMEONE (hyunjin)STARTED SCREAMING VOICE NOTES
Han: GUYS MY WALL JUST SAID "pspspsps" AGAIN
Seungmin: turn off your fan you donut.
Han: SEUNGMIN DON'T MOCK MY TRAUMA
Chan: can y'all keep it down i'm editing a track
Changbin: AT 3AM???
Chan: WHAT ELSE AM I SUPPOSED TO DO BRO
Lia: Idk maybe ACTUALLY SLEEP?
I.N: i literally have school in 5 hours if someone doesn't stop yelling i'll throw hands
Hyunjin: HELP THE BABY BREAD IS THREATENING VIOLENCE
I.N: I'LL START DANCING TO HALLUCINATIONS IF YOU DONT STFU
Felix: here's the cookie pic btw 🍪
*insert what is supposed to be a normal cookie pic*
Ryujin: LIX WHY IS IT TAKEN AT A 0.5 ANGLE AGAIN
Changbin: WHY DOES THE COOKIE LOOK 7 METERS LONG
Chan: bro that cookie is in a different dimension
Noori: CAN Y'ALL STOP I'M TRYING TO SLEEP
Hyunjin: YOU'RE AWAKE TOO ???
Lino: good morning Sleeping Beauty.
Yeji: AYO???🫢🫢😭😭
Seungmin: this is too early for romance pls shut up
Changbin: YEAH TAKE THAT SOMEWHERE ELSE WE'RE SUFFERING
Noori: HE STARTED IT!
Han: WAIT SOMEONE JUST KNOCKED WHO WAS THAT
I.N: THAT'S JUST UR MOM BRO GO TO BED
Han: NO SHE'S ASLEEP THIS IS A SPIRIT GOODBYE
Chan: GET A GRIP HAN
I smiled as I looked at the chat messages, re-reading them over and over again. This is what I call home (I actually wrote this at 2:37am rn soooooooo don't mind)
7:20 am
i boarded the bus, feeling tired. THESE PEOPLE OWE ME PEACE… AND 5 MORE HOURS OF SLEEP
The moment I stepped onto the bus, I could already feel the chaos in my soul. Not because anything bad happened—no.Because the universe hates me.
There he was.
Lee Minho. Window seat. One AirPod in.
He looked up the second he sensed movement.His eyebrow lifted, slow and dramatic—like he was judging my entire existence.
I swear he does that on purpose.
"You're late," he said.
"It's 8:06," I deadpanned. "The bus comes at 8:05."
He nodded. "Still late."
Lord give me strength.
I scanned the bus for any seat that wasn't next to him—Nope.Nada.Full.
Why is life like this? Why?
I sighed and sat next to him, trying to be subtle about keeping distance.
Our shoulders touched.
Just a little.
He didn't move.
I pretended not to notice.I definitely noticed.
Then, out of nowhere:
"You look tired," he murmured.
Bro, what?
I blinked at him. "Because SOME PEOPLE were screaming about talking walls at 3 a.m."
"And accusing everyone of being the reason he was gonna dance to hallucinations ."
I let out a laugh I didn't mean to.
This is not in my plan. Wait- I have a plan?
The bus jerked suddenly, and my hand shot out to grab something—anything—And of course my brain decided to grab the nearest thing.
His hand.
For like 0.2 seconds.Oof
He looked down at our hands, then at me, and paused like he had to reboot.
"Next time," he said casually, "warn me if you're planning to hold my hand." ( cuz all that I want is you, not your tears,*something in Korean*, I wanna make you the happiest one no fear, so baby hold my hand now)
I almost passed away.
"I— I wasn't— that was the BUS—" I whisper-yelled.
"It's fine. Happens to people who can't sit properly."
"I CAN sit—"
"Debatable."
He shrugged like he was bored.But the tiny smirk on his lips screamed otherwise.
We sat in silence for a moment.Comfortable silence.Too comfortable.Dangerously comfortable.
I shifted slightly, trying not to touch him, but the seat was unforgiving. Our legs brushed.
He didn't move this time either.
Instead, he lowered his phone and asked quietly:
"You ate anything?"
I froze.
Why does he sound like a concerned husband? AY AY AY, WHERE THE F DID THAT WORD COME FROM?
"I had… water," I admitted.
He gave me THE look.The judgmental, disappointed, I'm-about-to-lecture-you look.
"Noori."
"I KNOW, OKAY."
He sighed dramatically and slid his backpack open, pulling something out.
"What are you—"
He handed me a small pack of banana milk and a granola bar.
"I'm not letting you faint during first period," he muttered. "You're too heavy to carry."
"EXCUSE ME—"
He smirked, leaned his head back against the window, and closed his eyes like the conversation was over.
My heart?Doing gymnastics.
The rest of the ride was quiet.He didn't move away.Not once.If anything… he leaned slightly closer. Just enough for our arms to stay pressed together.
I stared at my lap, pretending my heart wasn't losing its mind.
time skip (this reveals about noori's past)
He left like that. Just like that.
I hate doors. I hate the sound of leaving.
You're not five. You're not five. You're safe.
Stop shaking. It's just a door.
my mind raced back to when my dad left me and my mom, I was so small, but I would never forget that day
"Are we not real…?"
"Mom tried so hard. Why wasn't that enough?"
"Why wasn't I enough for him to stay?"
Stop. Don't go there. Not now. Focus on school, but I can't help it. It's the thoughts… they are coming back. I'm too sensitive, I should have forgotten about them by now.
I'm lucky I have a group of friends who help me forget, even if it's just for 15 minutes
This is too nice… something's going to go wrong.
Good things don't stay.
People don't stay.
I should enjoy this. But my chest feels heavy. Maybe I'm just an ungrateful brat. I don't know anymore. I am just a burden to everyone else. Maybe I should just…("Noori? Noori? NOORI-YA!")
I suddenly woke up from my dream of thoughts, I lifted my head, only to hit jisung's head. I was sleeping, my head rested on his lap, his hand lightly on my shoulder, his face above my ear, yelling my name.
"NOORI-YA-AAAAAAAAAAWWWWWWWOOOOOO"
"Ah, sorry I didn't mean to-"
"it's okay, probably shouldn't have jump scared you like that hehe" he said, rubbing his nose.
I remember now, I was sitting on a bench in the park, during our break between classes. I got outside to get some fresh air and hanji sat beside me. I was feeling sleepy so I laid my head on his shoulder, and he moved it to his lap. Now, we are here, me, rubbing my temple and he, rubbing his red nose.
"Did I break it?" I asked while chuckling
"nah, I was just concerned cuz you looked like you had a nightmare"
I exhaled. "Don't worry about it. It was just… everything that happened in the past. Old stuff. Stupid stuff."
"It's not stupid if it still hurts," he said gently.
He always said things like that. Calm. Simple. But somehow hitting right where it mattered.
"You good?" he asked again—softer this time.
I hesitated.Then forced a smile. "For now."
He nodded, as if accepting that was the best answer I could give.
"Okay," he said quietly, brushing some dust off my sleeve in that instinctively caring way he had.
"You're too nice," I muttered.
"I'm not," he shrugged. "I just know what it's like to be stuck in your own head. So I'm not letting you stay there alone."
I looked at him.And for a moment, everything went quiet.
Then—
"YAAAAH! WHAT ARE YOU TWO DOING?!"
Felix's voice shattered the moment as he came running across the field with a juice box in his hand, eyes wide like he'd caught us committing an actual crime.
Hanji groaned.
I blinked rapidly, still half-asleep, half-concussed, and fully embarrassed. But before I could even process Hanji's stupid grin, a chorus of voices came flooding in.
"BROOOO WHAT HAPPENED? WHY ARE YOU TWO HEADBUTTING EACH OTHER LIKE GOATS?" Jeongin yelled from the seat across, leaning so far forward he nearly fell.
"YA YA YA MOVE—LET ME SEE—" Chan squeezed into the aisle even though no one asked him to. "Noori, are you conscious? Should I call someone? Should I call everyone?"
"Hyung, relax, she just woke up!" Changbin smacked Chan's arm. "Not every problem needs a squad-wide rescue mission."
Felix peeked over Han's shoulder, glitter in his eyes for absolutely no reason. "Are you okay, Noori? You bonked heads pretty hard."
"EXACTLY—" Seungmin added dryly. "We heard the impact from three rows back. I thought the plane hit turbulence."
"DID SOMEONE SAY TURBULENCE???" Lee Know popped up like a meerkat. "Because the only turbulence here is your sleeping positions. Why were you sleeping on his lap like he's a pillow from IKEA?"
My soul left my body.
"I WASN'T—IT JUST HAPPENED—HE—SOMEONE—THIS IS A FRAME JOB—"
"Guys, chill," Hanji said, obviously loving every second. "She just fell asleep. And I just happened to be here. Being an amazing human. Providing comfort."
"OH MY GODDDDD," Hyunjin squealed, slapping his hands over his mouth.
I groaned and covered my face. "Can you all go away?"
"No," the group replied instantly.
"Not until we get the full story," Chan said.
"There is no story," I said.
"There is ABSOLUTELY a story," Jeongin whispered loudly to Felix.
Han just shrugged, still rubbing his nose.
And despite the humiliation, the noise, the teasing, the dramatics…I couldn't help the tiny smile forming.
Because this chaos?Very much my chaos.
"Can y'all stop shouting like mad-man? I just wanna enjoy my break from chaos for 30minutes" yeji yelled while walking towards us, looking so done
"break from chaos? You'd have to sacrifice that in order to breath the same air as us" hyunjin replied instantly, making Han laugh. "Oh yeah, mr. Han jisung? Remember Jan 24, 2024?" Ryujin replied instantly
he stood up dramatically," ya! Was my aegyo really that bad?"
"yes, I was traumatised for a week"I.N said
"we all were" seungmin mumbled.
Chan pinched the bridge of his nose. "I had second-hand embarrassment so severe I needed a support group."
Lee Know nodded. "I nearly filed a lawsuit."
"YOU GUYS ARE SO MEAN," Hanji whined, stomping his foot like a toddler whose candy got taken away.
Felix pat his shoulder. "It's okay, your aegyo wasn't… that bad."
"Thank you, Lixie," Hanji whispered dramatically.
Felix shrugged. "I mean, it was still bad. Just… not scream-worthy."
Jeongin coughed. "I literally screamed."
"THAT WAS YOU??" Hanji turned on him.
Jeongin nodded, dead serious. "From the depths of my soul."
Hanji clutched his chest like he'd been shot.
I leaned back in my seat, watching the chaos unfold again, my break from embarrassment lasting exactly 0.4 seconds
"YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO SCREAM THAT LOUD—"
"I WAS PROTECTING MYSELF—"
"FROM WHAT?? MY CUTENESS??"
"Yes. EXACTLY."
"You little—WAIT—WHO STOLE MY SNACK?!"
Hyunjin raised his hand proudly. "Me."
"You didn't even deny it?!" Hanji screamed.
"Why would I deny it? You have good snacks." (We are talking about food here, you unholy stays)
The argument beside us was getting louder.Hyunjin was accusing Hanji of "emotional damage,"Jisung was yelling about "gummy theft terrorism,"and Ryujin was laughing, recording the whole thing
I just sighed and rubbed my forehead.
That's when someone quietly sat down beside me.
Of course.Minho.Again.
He didn't say anything at first.Just leaned back, elbows resting on the edge of the bench, watching the chaos like it was a documentary.
After a moment, he spoke—not looking at me, just… talking.
"You spaced out earlier. Bad dream?"
His tone wasn't teasing.It wasn't pitying either.Just… aware.
I blinked. "How'd you know?"
"You twitch your eyebrows when you have a nightmare," he said casually, like he'd always known that.
My breath caught a little."What, you're studying my face now?"
He finally glanced at me, deadpan.
"I sit next to you every morning. I kind of pick things up."
Oh.OH.
I looked away before I embarrassed myself.The wind blew my hair across my face, and before I could move it—
Minho reached out, gently sweeping it behind my ear.
Not dramatic.Not slow-motion.
Just… gentle.Natural.Like he'd done it a hundred times.
My heart jumped so high I swear it hit my ribs.
He didn't pull away immediately either—his fingers brushed my cheek for a split second longer than necessary.
Then he dropped his hand like nothing happened.
"You look better without your hair covering your face," he said quietly.
I froze.
He cleared his throat quickly, eyes back on the group.
"Not—like—compliment better. Just… you know. Visibility. Practical reasons."
I bit my lip to stop a smile."Right. Practical."
Hyunjin suddenly screamed,"LEE MINHO HELP ME BEFORE I THROW YOUR BEST FRIEND INTO A FOUNTAIN—"
"No," Minho replied instantly, still sitting next to me.
"Wow thanks," I said.
He shrugged. "I'm comfortable."
My cheeks warmed. "Because of the bench?"
He looked at me. Really looked.
"No," he said simply.
Something flipped in my chest.Hard.
Before I could answer, Hanji yelled,"GUYS SHE'S BLUSHING—"
I threatened to kick him in the shin.
Minho smirked—not big, just enough.
just like that, the break was over.
now, gimme a sec. I'm just looking at my schedule, alright math, psychology, trigonometry, break, ah- chemistry, oh wait AISH, CHEMISTRY!
I walk to the class, Minho already sitting near the window seat, "um, you are in my seat." I said while walking towards him. "Since when was this your seat" "since the first day, now move it" "your call, not mine" he said as he moves.
What? I called the view.
I felt peaceful as soon as I sat down, until THIS DUDE SAT SO FREAKING CLOSE TO ME
His knee bumps mine immediately.
I shift.He shifts closer.
I shift again.He shifts again.
"Can you not—" I whisper.
"Why? I like annoying you."
I open my notebook aggressively.
He leans over."Wow. So violent in the morning."
"I will hit you with this notebook."
"damn, have some pity for the notebook if not for me"
suddenly, the teacher walks in
The Class? Siiiiiiiiilent night (holy night, it's a Christmas song, don't thing it otherwise)
The teacher starts explaining
i was struggling to keep up with writing notes, as usual,but then—
Tap.
On my elbow.
Tap.Tap.
I ignore it.
Tap.
I finally whisper, "WHAT?"
Minho holds up his pen.
"It died."
"…Okay?"
"So I need yours."
"Then ask normally!"
He tilts his head, squinting dramatically."No. This is more fun."
I force my pen into his hand.
He takes it… and lets his fingers linger a little too long against mine.
I retract my hand so fast I almost dislocate something.
He raises an eyebrow."Sensitive."
"SHUT UP."
I focused on the lesson again. But just 10 minutes later, this mf is doodling in my notebook.
MY notebook.
"What are you doing??"
"Decorating."
"What if I needed that page??"
"You don't."
"How do you know—"
He flips the page and continues scribbling.
It's…A little doodle of a cat.Holding a tiny beaker.
He looks at me.
"It's you."
"…YOU'RE CALLING ME A CAT?"
"No."He smirks."I'm calling you my cat."
My soul leaves my body.Floats up.Takes the next flight to Pluto.
He's still doodling in my notebook like it's his life mission to ruin my notes.I finally whisper:
"What are you even doing? You don't even like me."
His pen pauses mid-scribble.
He looks up at me — not shocked, not offended — just… amused.Like I told the funniest joke without meaning to.
"Really?" he says softly. "That's what you think?"
"Yes?" I whisper. "Why else would you be so—"I wave my hand over the chaotic doodles,"—you?"
He leans back in his chair slightly, the tiniest smirk appearing.
"If I didn't like you," he says, voice low, "I wouldn't bother."
I blink."What does that even mean?"
"I mean," he continues casually, returning to ruining my notebook,"I don't waste time on people I don't care about."
My heart stops.Did he just—?
But then he adds, deadpan:
"You're fun to annoy, that's all. And to be honest, you are more of a hamster"
oh, right. What were you thinking Noori? You like someone else as well.
i just stared at my lap again, embarrassed by my words this time. It was quiet after that.
time skip to lunch
i stuffed food into my mouth as my cheeks got red. There were all tables of 4 so for 14 people, it ain't enough, 6 people squeeze themselves in one bench, and we drag two more tables for 4 for the remaining 8, since using 4 tables was "too many". I sat between yeji and felix so Minho can't sit to me now, hehe.
I stuffed another bite of rice into my mouth the moment I saw Minho walking over. Perfect timing, honestly — if my mouth was full, I couldn't say anything stupid. Or say anything at all.
Lunch was its usual mess: too many people, not enough tables, and everyone squeezing together like we were in some survival show. I'd secured my spot between Yeji and Felix, hoping that meant Minho would sit literally anywhere else.
But no.
He slid into the empty chair across from me without hesitation, setting down his tray like it was the most normal thing in the world.
His eyes flicked to me.I looked away instantly and shoved more food in.
"…You're doing that on purpose," Minho said quietly.
I pretended not to hear.
He leaned forward slightly. "Noori."
I took another big bite. My cheeks puffed out. Great. Now I looked like a hamster under interrogation.
Yeji bit her lip to stop herself from laughing. Felix actually turned his body away so he wouldn't make a sound.
Minho watched me for a second, brow lifting just a bit."You know," he said calmly, "you don't have to avoid talking to me."
I stared at my plate like it was the most fascinating thing I'd ever seen.
He added, softer this time, "I'm not that scary."
Another spoonful went into my mouth. My survival strategy was working. Zero words. Zero embarrassment.
Minho exhaled a tiny laugh ."Noori… you only do this with me."
I froze.
My spoon hovered mid-air.Felix stopped pretending to eat.Yeji silently mouthed: ohhhhhh.
Minho tilted his head. "Even if you aren't ok, you'd talk back like you always do."
My heart stopped.My mouth was full.I couldn't deny or confirm anything.
He leaned back, satisfied, like my silence already counted as an answer.
"Eat slowly," he said, eyes softening just a bit. "You're gonna choke."
I swallowed carefully, still red, still avoiding eye contact.
"Hamster"Minho just mumbled for only me to hear, smiled to himself and started eating like nothing happened.
"Noori? Can we talk?" Yeji whispered.
"yeah, sure" I said, getting up to go to another table
We sat down, yeji started "soooooooooooo, what was that all about?" She smirked. "Nothing?"
"oh come on girl, I wasn't born yesterday. You were blushing like crazy. Hold up-"
"it's nothing! Why do you guys always think otherwise?"
"Wait" she whispered slowly "do you like him?" She was smiling like crazy.
"I think you forgot that I still liked Cyrus"
"Ugh, that guy" she rolled her eyes.
"Noori, how many times do I, no, WE have to tell you that guy is no good"
I stayed quiet.
Yeji sighed. "he ignored you for weeks, he only texted when he needed something, and he flirted with three girls at once—don't give me that look, even Chan knew."
My chest tightened a little.
"But Minho…" she smirked again. "He actually treats you well. He pays attention. He literally checks if you've eaten. And he looks at you like he—"
"YEJI."I covered her mouth with my hand.
She giggled into my palm, then pulled it down."Fine, fine. But you're not fooling anyone."
I didn't respond.Mostly because I wasn't sure what to say.
Yeji softened. "Hey… I'm not pushing you. I just want you to choose someone who cares about you. That's all."
I nodded slowly, still staring at the table.
Yeji leaned back and smirked again. "But seriously, if your face gets any redder around Minho, we're gonna have to call the nurse."
"YEJI—"
She laughed hard. We returned to the table, cramped up now because they made themselves comfortable.
"Took ya girls long enough" seungmin said.
"You are in my seat" I stared at seungmin with the coldest death stare I know.
"You ain't scaring anyone, Noori. Your eyes are too cute-" chan responded.
"Watch it, chan" Minoh shot an even colder death stare, yeji looking at me with a smirk.
Chan blinked. "Okay, okay, she's terrifying. My bad."
Yeji choked on her water trying not to laugh.
I squeezed myself back into the tiny space between Felix and Yeji.
No one commented.
The rest of the group went right back into their usual chaos—arguing over fries, Hyunjin telling Han to chew with his mouth closed, Felix stealing Ryujin's drink.
I sighed, like I was any less dramatic than them. I was very chaotic tho. Just not 24/7. I'm a confusing person, which is probably why not a lot of people like me. Including my dad
Why did he even leave?
Was I annoying? Too loud? Too much?
Mom said it wasn't my fault but… adults lie to kids all the time
He didn't even say goodbye properly… people who love you at least say goodbye, right?
Maybe if I wasn't so clingy he would've stayed.
Or maybe I wasn't enough for him to stay.
Stop thinking about it. Stop. It's in the past. It shouldn't hurt. Why does it still hurt?
I don't even remember his voice clearly anymore…
Was he even proud of me? Probably not. Why would he be?
I was zoning out, forgetting that I even had food in front of me. My hands stayed on the table, but I froze. I only heard faint noises, even tho I knew that the whole group was arguing about stolen food and whatnot. I felt like collapsing. That's when I felt a hand hold mine, not intertwined fingers, just normally. "You okay?, you look pale" Minho's voice started, not teasing, just concerned.
I blinked ,looked at him, and he wasn't joking or smirking. He was watching me carefully, eyes sharper than usual—not in an intimidating way, but in a don't lie to me right now way.
His thumb brushed lightly against the back of my hand once. Not on purpose. Just instinct.
"I'm fine," I said automatically.
It sounded fake even to me.
Minho narrowed his eyes a little, unconvinced."Try again," he said quietly.
I let out a shaky breath, eyes dropping to the table.
"I just… zoned out."My voice was softer than I meant. "Too many thoughts."
"Bad ones?" he asked.
I didn't answer at first. My fingers twitched in his hand.
"A few," I finally whispered.
He didn't push. He didn't ask which ones or why or how long. He just kept holding my hand like he was anchoring me to the cafeteria bench.
"Tell me if it gets too much," he said.
No jokes, no weird flirting, no dramatic comments like he normally does—just a simple sentence that somehow made the tightness in my chest loosen a little.
I nodded once. "Okay."
He squeezed my hand gently, then let go before the others could notice. My cheeks went pink again. "There we go" he smirked. Just Lee know, Lee knowing.
I suddenly got a text from… Cyrus?
Cyrus: Hey! Can you help me with my project due next week? Meet me after school, you are normally good at this stuff
Hehe, he complimented me. I smiled at the text
Noori: sure! Meet you there :)
I was smiling like crazy. He complimented me. And wants to meet me. I re-read the text over again
"No phone at the table" Minoh said loud enough for the whole group to turn their heads. Yeji peeked at my phone, I quickly locked it as I rolled my eyes.
"You are acting like my grandfather during family dinners"
"Nah, chan is our grandpa" seungmin said instantly like he had been waiting the whole day just to say that
Chan nearly choked on his food."EXCUSE ME?!"
Felix was already wheezing."He's right though— you do give 'back in my day' vibes."
"WHY ARE YOU ALL ATTACKING ME?!" Chan yelled, voice cracking.
Hyunjin patted Chan's back dramatically."It's okay, haraboji. We still love you."
"STOP CALLING ME THAT—"
"ThE emOtiONs WiThiN mE WiLL bEgiN to RoUse. I gEt sAur AnGrY whEn tHinGs DoN'T gAur mY wAy." yeji quoted while I laughed like crazy. Ah, now we are back to normal.