Han Seorin bent down slightly, picking up the basketballs rolling across the gym floor one by one. The sound of bouncing balls and loud cheers echoed through the room, making a dull ache pulse at her temples.
At the center of the court, Kang Ara scored again.
Ara jumped lightly before the ball slipped perfectly through the hoop. Cheers immediately erupted around her as several students rushed to crowd around her.
Seorin clicked her tongue under her breath.
"Show-off," she muttered quietly.
She shoved the last basketball into the large cart. The cheers for Ara were still ringing through the gym even as Seorin pulled the cart away from the court. A male student helped push it from behind.
The metal door creaked open.
Cold air mixed with the scent of rubber and dust greeted her instantly.
Seorin pulled the cart with all her strength.
She had just let out a breath when suddenly, an arm wrapped around her waist from behind.
Her body stiffened.
"What the—"
The words died in her throat the moment she turned around.
Kang Ara stood far too close to her. Her gaze was calm, almost lazy, as if this were the most natural thing in the world.
And before Seorin could react—
A brief kiss landed on her cheek.
Seorin immediately shoved Ara's shoulder hard. "We're at school."
Ara barely budged.
"Someone could see us."
"In that case…"
Ara released her for a moment, walked toward the storage room door, then turned the knob until a soft click echoed through the room.
The silence suddenly felt heavier.
Ara glanced back, leaning against the door.
"Now nobody knows we're here."
Seorin's chest tightened instantly.
She looked away, irritated that her body reacted so quickly to such a simple sentence.
Ara walked closer without rushing. Her gaze remained calm—too confident, as though she already knew Seorin could never truly refuse her.
And as always, Ara was right.
Seorin's waist was pulled close again until there was barely any space left between them.
"You were jealous earlier."
Seorin shook her head quickly.
Ara raised an eyebrow slightly. "You were obviously jealous."
Seorin kept shaking her head, even as her gaze drifted to the side.
The next second, Ara's lips brushed against hers briefly—far too light to be called a kiss.
Seorin's breathing instantly fell apart.
Ara pulled back just enough to look directly into her eyes.
"You were jealous."
This time, Seorin gave a small nod.
And that was a terrible mistake.
Because this time, Ara didn't pull away right after. The kiss grew longer, deeper, until Seorin's breathing gradually turned uneven.
Her back hit the cold metal shelf while her fingers unconsciously clutched the edge of Ara's uniform tightly.
Her heartbeat pounded against her ribs. The faint vanilla scent lingering on Ara mixed with the cold air of the storage room, slowly emptying her mind.
Ara was always like this.
Calm. Never in a hurry.
And somehow, that was exactly what shattered Seorin's defenses the most.
When Ara finally pulled away, Seorin realized she had been holding her breath for far too long.
Then—
The sound of something falling made them instantly separate.
They stared at each other for a second before soft laughter escaped them almost at the same time.
Seorin's breathing was still uneven when her gaze drifted back to Ara's face from that dangerously close distance. Ara's expression faltered for the briefest moment before her usual easy smile returned.
Seorin lifted a hand and touched her cheek lightly.
"I still don't understand why so many people like you."
Ara laughed softly, as though she didn't believe her at all.
"You're the one who confessed to me first."
Seorin frowned immediately.
"But you liked me first."
"That's not important." Ara narrowed her eyes teasingly. "What matters is who said it first."
"Kang Ara, you—"
Her sentence was cut off again when Ara kissed her once more. Once. Then again. And again, just to annoy her.
Seorin held back a laugh while lightly pushing against Ara's chest.
"That's enough. We could seriously get in trouble."
Ara only laughed harder.
And damn it, Seorin liked Ara's face far too much when she laughed like that.
Ara's eyes curved softly whenever she laughed, her smile never fading.
They were close enough for Seorin to see her own reflection faintly mirrored in Ara's eyes.
It was hard to believe.
Out of all the people constantly surrounding Ara, the one she chose was still Seorin.
Slowly, Seorin rested her head against Ara's chest, listening to her heartbeat pounding just as fast as her own.
"I still can't believe… we actually made it this far."
Seorin closed her eyes, allowing herself to stay in Ara's embrace a little longer.
Back then, Seorin couldn't even stand being near Ara for more than five minutes.
The summer before—
"Grades can predict someone's future."
This time, Seorin's voice was sharper than usual.
The debate club room fell silent. There were no cheers, no excitement—only pressure hanging heavily in the air. Seorin stood straight, eyes fixed firmly on the person across from her.
"Popularity doesn't always equal quality."
She never mentioned anyone by name.
She didn't need to.
Several people in the room were already exchanging glances.
Seorin continued, her tone steady, though something colder lingered underneath it.
"The ones who last aren't the ones constantly in the spotlight. They're the ones who stay consistent."
Her opponent fell silent.
Applause followed, but Seorin barely heard it. She only exhaled quietly, trying to calm the irritation that had been bothering her all this time.
"Han Seorin, try being a little gentler," Park Dongchul said calmly, as usual.
Seorin turned toward him.
For a split second, her expression softened—almost imperceptibly.
"If they can't handle it now, they won't survive later," she replied. Softer this time. More controlled.
"She's seriously amazing," Han Gyol said, showing them a livestream from the school's social media account. The basketball match between Woonsung High and Hanbaek High was currently underway.
Seorin and Dongchul had no choice but to look at the screen displaying player number seven—Kang Ara—moving across the court while loud cheers erupted around her.
The squeaking of sneakers echoed faintly through Han Gyol's phone speaker.
Fast footsteps. Sharp movements. Repeating over and over beneath the roaring crowd. Ara moved quickly, precisely, always appearing at the exact moment that mattered most.
And as always—
Cheers followed.
Another win.
"YEAHHHH!" Han Gyol shouted loudly enough to startle Seorin.
Something unpleasant twisted in Seorin's stomach as her classmates praised Kang Ara—too excessively, too easily.
The livestream shifted to Ara's interview segment.
Seorin looked away.
But one of the interviewer's questions caught her attention.
"Kang Ara, you've achieved so much in basketball, and we heard your training schedule for this game was intense. Doesn't it interfere with your studies? How are your grades?"
Ara paused for a moment, pretending to think.
"Who's the top student at school again?" she asked confidently.
Everyone already knew the answer.
Kang Ara had won Woonsung High's Outstanding Student award three years in a row.
Seorin narrowed her eyes.
She wanted to curse.
But held herself back.
Ara's smile—
Too effortless.
As if everything had always belonged to her naturally.
Seorin clicked her tongue softly.
***
Seorin quickly organized the books she had borrowed from the library.
"Don't carry too many. They're heavy," Dongchul said, immediately taking several books from her arms and stacking them with his own.
Simple.
Yet enough to send warmth fluttering through Seorin's chest.
Seorin tried matching her pace with Dongchul's as they walked through the hallway.
Dongchul's calm, gentle presence had always drawn her in.
Until—
A sudden impact.
A basketball slammed into Dongchul's back, sending the books crashing onto the floor.
"Sorry. Didn't mean to."
Seorin turned around.
Kang Ara was walking toward them, still wearing her dark blue basketball jersey, her hair damp with sweat. Behind her stood the rest of the basketball team—tall, loud, impossible to ignore in the narrow hallway.
The height difference between them was obvious.
Seorin straightened immediately, shoulders tense.
"So because you're athletes, you think you can play anywhere you want?" Her voice remained flat, but sharp. "Or do you just need attention that badly?"
She didn't raise her voice.
She didn't have to.
Ara didn't answer immediately.
She simply looked at Seorin for a moment—long enough to feel like judgment, yet too brief to be certain.
Then—
"Not everything needs to become a debate. Looking for research material?"
Seorin's shoulders stiffened.
"And besides…"
Ara stepped closer—far too close to Seorin's ear.
"You don't have to deny it. Everyone already knows."
Kang Ara lifted her medal slightly.
Her tone stayed light.
Too light.
Ara picked up the basketball near Seorin's feet. Her movements were relaxed, almost lazy.
Soft laughter rose from behind her.
Something tightened painfully in Seorin's chest.
Not because of the laughter—
But because Ara remained calm through all of it.
"Don't you think this could've been dangerous?" Seorin asked again, sharper this time.
Ara frowned slightly.
"I already apologized."
A brief silence followed.
"It wasn't intentional."
The same answer.
Unchanged.
Seorin stared at her, searching for something—annoyance, irritation, at least a trace of guilt.
Nothing.
Only that same calm expression.
And somehow, that was more infuriating than anything else.
Dongchul stepped between them.
"That's enough. This'll just turn into a bigger problem. There's no point arguing with them."
Seorin looked away, jaw tightening.
She took half a step back.
Not because she lost.
She just didn't want to continue something that would lead nowhere.
Then—
"What's going on?"
The voice slipped in smoothly, instantly changing the atmosphere.
Seorin closed her eyes briefly.
Kim Minji.
The crowd automatically parted for her. Seorin watched Minji walk closer—light-footed, confident, as though everyone's attention naturally belonged to her.
And, as always—
She stopped beside Kang Ara.
Seorin had never really cared about Minji—
Until moments like this, when Minji stood beside Ara.
Too close.
Everyone knew it.
If Kang Ara was there, Kim Minji was never far behind. Nobody actually knew what their relationship was.
Seorin looked away.
Too late.
She had already seen it.
Two people who fit together perfectly.
Too perfectly.
Enough to bother her.
"Dongchul," Minji said sweetly, though something sharp lingered beneath her tone, "you shouldn't just train your brain. Muscles matter too."
Heat rushed to Seorin's face.
She was used to them.
Just not when Dongchul got dragged into it.
She opened her mouth—
"There's no point arguing with them," Dongchul cut in casually. "Poor things. Their brains are tiny."
Seorin held her breath.
Waiting.
Waiting for a reaction.
But Ara only smiled. Minji even laughed softly.
As if it were all just a game.
Nobody seemed genuinely offended.
Nobody seemed truly hurt.
Seorin slowly exhaled.
This didn't feel like an argument.
And she hated that.
"My brain might be tiny," Minji suddenly said, cupping her cheeks with both hands, "but I have this."
Seorin stared at her.
That beauty.
Anyone could see it without needing it explained.
But the way Minji used it so effortlessly made Seorin uncomfortable.
Clearly, she didn't like her.
Maybe because it worked.
Or because Ara never seemed bothered by it at all.
Seorin shifted her gaze toward Ara.
Ara stood there, tall and relaxed, basketball in hand—
Even after all that attention, her expression remained completely calm.
As though nothing could truly get under her skin.
And somehow, that felt like a challenge.
Ara and Minji turned around and walked away without a care in the world.
Seorin stayed still.
Her eyes followed them.
Their steps were light.
Too light.
As if the world had never weighed on them the way it weighed on her.
Seorin slowly clenched her fists.
"I'm going to beat them this year," she muttered.
This time, it wasn't just a goal anymore.
She needed that victory.
Her eyes lingered on Ara's back—
Just a little too long.