Hyunwoo slid into his usual seat by the window, backpack still half-dragging behind him.
Hyunwoo (thinking):Morning. School. Friends.Perfect. Wait… no, I'm at school. Scratch that. Awful.
Minjae plopped into the seat next to him.Minjae:"You look like someone just told you your favorite drama got canceled."
Hyunwoo:"…I'm fine. Totally fine. Also… my favorite drama did get canceled."
Minjae:"Which one?"
Hyunwoo:"The one from five years ago. My heart hurts to remember."
Taemin raised an eyebrow from across the table.Taemin:"Right. You were looking out the window like someone cursed your entire family tree."
Hyunwoo (thinking):He's not wrong. But actually, he is wrong—the only ones who could curse my family tree is… me.
Jisoo leaned back in his chair, arms crossed.Jisoo:"Stop pretending to be mysterious. You're just overthinking everything."
Sora didn't look up from his notebook.Sora:"He's not overthinking. He's narrating. This is peak mental instability."
Hyunwoo (thinking):…They really get me. Wait—peak mental instability? Yeah, no. Never mind. I'm all alone out here in this world.
He paused. Out the window.
Mina walked past the classroom door, books clutched awkwardly to her chest. Hair slightly messy, expression calm. She didn't trip. She didn't bump into anyone. She just… existed.
Hyunwoo (thinking):Ah. The perfect balance of grace and chaos.…This genuinely makes me feel like a stalker.
Minjae leaned closer, elbowing him.Minjae:"You're staring again. Ya creep."
Hyunwoo:"Observation. Purely professional."
Taemin snorted."You're always professional when you're creeping. I bet you could become a pro stalker one day."
Hyunwoo:"…And you could be a professional homeless. Profession is a state of mind."
Jisoo:"Professional my ass. You all are amateurs. Witness the true master."
Sora raised an eyebrow, scribbling furiously.Sora:"You enjoy this way too much."
Hyunwoo (thinking):And he's right… to the right. Hmmm… he is paying way too much attention to me.
The teacher walked in, clearly exhausted. Minjae immediately started whispering, loud enough for everyone to hear.Minjae:"Five bucks 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 myself. Since nothing is better than me, of course."
Lunch came as a blessed distraction.
Hyunwoo's tray landed on the table with a thud. He scanned the cafeteria, looking for patterns, signals, and—yes—Mina.
There she was, carrying her tray like she didn't have a care in the world. She glanced at the group for a brief second.
Hyunwoo's brain:Did she notice me? Probably not.But I will file this under: Moment of Subtle Acknowledgment.
Minjae leaned over again.Minjae:"She smiled at you! You saw, right? This poor little baby finally got acknowledged."
Hyunwoo:"Hmmm… nope. She just blinked aggressively."
Taemin groaned."You're actually crazy. What do you mean she blinked aggressively?"
Jisoo smirked."Life with these fools makes my intelligence go down."
Sora muttered quietly."Why do we always let him comment on everything? We should rebel against him. Fight this tyranny."
Hyunwoo:"Because someone has to be the voice of reason. The only one that can do it is someone who is amazingly awesome… like me."
By the time the lunch bell rang, Hyunwoo's notes were already full of doodles, arrows, and tiny hearts next to Mina's "movements."
Minjae looked over."Bro… you're actually insane. Did you eat something wrong today?"
Hyunwoo (thinking):…Insane, yes. I might need medication, but still… a hero in the making.