DARK CHEMISTRY
The next day
Lizzie's stomach growled the moment the lunch bell rang.
She had rushed so much in the morning — revising chemistry formulas, packing her notebooks, panicking about accidentally "kissing" Daniel — that she completely forgot to pack her lunch.
Again.
Everyone dashed out of the classroom, chattering and laughing.
Moana waved.
"Lizzie! Come fast, cafeteria will get crowded!"
Lizzie clutched her bag nervously.
"I… I'll come later. I forgot my lunch."
Moana sighed. "Again? I'll bring you something!"
And she ran off before Lizzie could protest.
Lizzie sat down, pulling out her homework notebook to pretend she wasn't starving.
That's when she heard footsteps.
Slow, familiar, heavy.
She froze.
Daniel stopped right beside her desk, holding a neatly packed lunch tray and a paper bag.
"You didn't bring lunch again," he said calmly. No judgment. Just… observation.
Lizzie looked down. "I… forgot."
"I didn't."
He placed the food on her desk.
She blinked. "Sir— I—I mean Daniel—"
He opened the containers for her.
Warm steam drifted up — spicy red tteokbokki, perfectly cooked bibimbap, soft eggs, vegetables, rice. Everything looked homemade. Too good. Too thoughtful.
"But… this is yours," she whispered.
Daniel leaned one hand on the desk, bending slightly toward her.
His voice lowered.
"I brought extra. For you."
Lizzie's breath caught.
He sat on the desk right beside her chair — too close, knees almost brushing hers — and picked up a pair of chopsticks.
"Eat," he said gently. "Before you faint again."
Her face went red.
She swallows nervously and takes a bite.
The flavor hits her instantly — warm, spicy, comforting.
Daniel watches her.
Quietly. Intently.
A small smirk forming when she tries to avoid his eyes.
"Slowly," he murmurs, noticing her stuffing food too quickly. "No one's taking it away."
Lizzie nodded shyly.
He even wipes a small dot of sauce from the corner of her lips with his thumb.
Her heart explodes.
And right at that exact moment—
Moana reaches the door.
She was smiling, ready to call Lizzie out.
But when her eyes landed on the scene inside the classroom…
Her whole body froze.
Lizzie sitting beside Daniel.
Daniel sharing his lunch with Lizzie.
Daniel's thumb brushing Lizzie's lip.
Both of them too close. Too intimate.
Moana's jaw dropped.
"What… what the—" she whispered, unable to even process.
Lizzie didn't notice.
But Daniel did.
He turned his head slowly, locking eyes with Moana.
Not shocked.
Not embarrassed.
Just calm… and slightly amused.
He raised one eyebrow.
Moana stood paralyzed, gripping the doorframe like she might collapse.
Moana didn't even breathe.
"Uh— I… I forgot my… uh… water bottle— ok bye!!"
She slammed the classroom door so fast the windows rattled.
Lizzie looked up, confused.
"Was someone there?"
Daniel answered without looking away from her.
"No one important."
But outside the hallway, Moana sprinted like her life depended on it.
She burst into the girls' bathroom, panting like she just ran a marathon.
Two girls doing their makeup stared at her.
Moana grabbed one of them by the shoulders.
"SLAP ME."
The girl blinked. "Huh??"
Moana shook her. "RIGHT NOW. SLAP ME. I THINK I'M HALLUCINATING."
The girl hesitated.
Moana nodded intensely.
SLAP.
"OW—!" Moana held her cheek in pain. "OKAY IT'S NOT A DREAM— THIS IS REAL— OH MY GOD—"
The two girls stared as Moana paced back and forth like a broken wind-up toy.
"I just saw Lizzie— MY LIZZIE— MY NERDY ANGEL WHO GETS SCARED OF GROUP PROJECTS— sitting with THE CHEMISTRY TEACHER— Not just sitting— HE WAS FEEDING HER— WIPING HER FACE— THEY WERE LIKE TWO SECONDS AWAY FROM A K-DRAMA CONFESSION—"
She clutched her head, spinning in circles.
Another girl asked, "Wait… teacher teacher?"
Moana threw her hands up.
"Yes! DANIEL CEGIELSKI — THE HOT ONE WHO LOOKS LIKE HE ESCAPED FROM A K-DRAMA + A CRIME THRILLER— THAT ONE."
The girls gasped dramatically.
Moana pointed at her burning cheek.
"THIS HURTS. So it's real."
Then she froze.
"What… do I even do?" she whispered, sinking to the floor. "What do I tell Lizzie? Should I pretend I didn't see? Should I scream? Should I cry? Should I write a will?"
In the classroom, meanwhile—
Lizzie and Daniel continued their quiet lunch.
Completely unaware that Moana was emotionally combusting in the bathroom.