Hyunwoo trudged into the classroom, dragging his bag behind him like it owed him money.
Minjae was already there, sprawled across two chairs, loudly recounting some "epic" story from the morning.Minjae:"…and then, the pigeon—yes, the pigeon—attacked me. I swear it had personal vendetta energy! I barely survived!"
Hyunwoo (thinking):And somehow, he survives every day without major injuries. Miraculous. Simply amazing.
Taemin adjusted his sleeves like a royal guard preparing for a parade no one cared about.
Jisoo leaned back, arms crossed, smirking.
Sora quietly scribbled, presumably making a diagram of Minjae's pigeon encounter.
Hyunwoo's attention shifted to the window. A girl from another class walked by — Mina.Hyunwoo (thinking):Ah. The perfect balance of chaos and grace.She didn't trip this time. Impressive.Also… adorable.
Minjae noticed his gaze.Minjae:"You're staring again."
Hyunwoo:"Observation. Purely professional."
Taemin:"You're always professional when you're creeping."
Hyunwoo:"…Semantics. Professional is a state of mind."
Jisoo:"Professional creeper, more like."
Sora raised an eyebrow, not looking up from his notebook.Sora:"You enjoy this way too much."
Hyunwoo (thinking):And he's right. But someone has to document grace in motion.
The teacher entered, barely making it to the podium before Minjae started whispering loud enough for everyone to hear:Minjae:"Five bucks says she's thinking about lunch already."
Hyunwoo:"You're going to get detention for excessive speculation."
Minjae:"Worth it!"
Taemin:"Do you ever just… focus on class?"
Hyunwoo:"Focus on class? That's for boring people. I focus on humanity."
Lunch break rolled around. The boys crowded the cafeteria table, and chaos resumed.Hyunwoo (thinking):Ah, the sacred hour of snack devouring and chaotic commentary.
Mina passed by again, carrying her tray. She glanced at the boys, then at Hyunwoo for a fleeting second.Hyunwoo's brain:Did she look? Yes. Did she notice me? Probably not. But I'll file this under: 'moment of subtle acknowledgment.'
Minjae leaned over, oblivious to the subtleties.Minjae:"She smiled at you! You saw it, right?"
Hyunwoo:"Professional observation: she didn't. She just blinked."
Taemin:"You're impossible."
Jisoo:"And yet, somehow, entertaining."
Sora (mutters quietly):"Why do we always let him comment on everything?"
Hyunwoo:"Because someone has to be the voice of reason… the sarcastic, judgmental kind."
Evening came, and the boys walked home.
Minjae carried an extra snack he "borrowed" from the convenience store.Hyunwoo (thinking):And there it is. The definition of irresponsible joy.
Taemin flexed casually while walking.
Jisoo teased quietly.
Sora stayed silent, but his slight grin betrayed amusement.
Hyunwoo looked ahead and noticed Mina disappearing into a nearby street, backpack swinging lightly.
Hyunwoo (thinking): She's… not as clumsy as yesterday. Also… she's still human. Slightly intimidating, slightly… interesting.
Hyunwoo didn't say anything. He didn't need to. Some observations are better left in the mind.