Seorin hesitated as she walked down the stairs. From above, she could already see her parents sitting comfortably in front of the television.
Her fingers tightened around the application form in her hands. The paper felt heavier than it should have.
She took a breath. Once. Then stepped closer.
"Dad… Mom… there's something I want to show you."
Her voice was quiet, but enough for both of them to look up.
Seorin handed over the form—the school's volunteer camp program in Cheongsa Village during summer break.
"I was selected to join the volunteer program for one month," she explained, her voice gradually becoming steadier. "We'll be helping out in a rural village and learning about community service. Participants also receive extra credit for their school evaluations. This… could improve my chances of being chosen as Student of the Year."
Every sentence was carefully arranged. No room for objections.
She waited.
A few seconds that felt much longer than they should have.
Her parents exchanged glances. Her mother looked hesitant—her fingers intertwining anxiously. But her father responded first.
"We'll show the neighbors who's going to win this year."
That tone—firm, almost pressuring.
Something sank heavily in Seorin's chest.
For three years in a row, Kang Ara had taken that title from her. Not because of academics—Seorin excelled there. But because of extra points. Popularity. Things that, to Seorin, were never entirely rational.
Volunteer camp was one of them.
And this year, she refused to let it happen again.
She had already planned everything. Detail schedules. Targets. Checklists.
One by one, she had completed them all.
Only this remained.
And… Dongchul.
Seorin held her breath for a moment.
The opportunity was too perfect to waste.
There was also one more thing she had already calculated—
Kang Ara wouldn't be joining.
She knew the junior basketball team selection schedule overlapped with the volunteer camp.
She'd been sure of it.
That night, Seorin stood in her room, staring at the still-lit window next door—Kang Ara's room.
"This year, I'm going to beat you."
This time, she had no doubts.
***
In the end, predictions were still just predictions.
And Seorin had to swallow the consequences of her own miscalculation.
Kang Ara's name was there.
On the volunteer camp participant list. Alongside twenty-five other names.
Seorin's gaze lingered a few seconds longer than it should have.
"You'll have to work harder this year."
Dongchul's voice sounded tired beside her.
Seorin said nothing.
Across the room, Kang Ara stood with Kim Minji. The two of them looked… lighthearted. As if this was just another ordinary step in life.
"I'm looking forward to working with you guys."
That smile again.
The same smile.
To Seorin, it didn't look friendly.
It felt like a challenge.
She didn't respond. Instead, she turned away, leaving before something inside her reacted too strongly.
Why?
The question circled endlessly in her head.
She sat down and quickly pulled out her phone, searching for the selection schedule.
And found it.
Postponed.
Since last week.
Seorin clenched her jaw.
She had missed it.
***
"Hey, partner!"
That voice.
Seorin didn't even need to look.
Her body reacted first—shifting away instinctively.
"Oh, come on, Han Seorin. I'm happy we're volunteer partners this year. Good thing the athlete selection got postponed."
Kang Ara's tone was light. Far too light.
"So annoying," Seorin muttered under her breath.
Then—
A drop of water landed on the back of her hand.
She looked up.
The sky had darkened.
Rain began to fall.
At first, it was light. Barely noticeable. But within minutes, the rain came pouring down, hammering against the bus stop roof loud enough to drown everything else out.
People started crowding closer together. The space narrowed.
Seorin reached into her bag.
Empty.
She froze.
Her umbrella was still in the debate club room.
Damn it.
She stared ahead at the road blurred behind the curtain of rain. Puddles reflected the glow of the streetlights that had just flickered on.
She tried moving away from the crowd.
But there was no space.
A shove from behind. A brush against her shoulder. Arms bumping against one another.
She stepped back again—only to end up even closer.
That scent.
Laundry detergent mixed with vanilla.
Seorin clenched her jaw.
She kept staring straight ahead, pretending not to notice Kang Ara standing beside her. Until a small movement caught her attention.
A female student approached, cheeks slightly flushed. She held out an umbrella toward Kang Ara.
"This… is for you," she said softly.
Seorin glanced over briefly. Kang Ara smiled—that smile that came too easily, too warmly.
"Thank you."
The umbrella opened.
The space beneath it was small—enough for two people.
Or more, if forced.
The people around them pressed in closer, trying to escape the increasingly heavy rain. Shoulders brushed together, feet shuffled, bodies crowded tighter until there was almost no room left.
Seorin stepped backward, trying to slip away from the crush of people. But someone behind her moved first.
A hand caught her shoulder.
Firm. Steady.
Pulling her back.
Closer than she wanted.
Seorin stiffened instantly.
Her breath caught as her body instinctively tried to pull away—but there was nowhere to go. No gap left.
She looked up.
Kang Ara.
But Ara wasn't looking at her.
Her gaze stayed fixed ahead, as if nothing unusual was happening. As if the hand still resting on Seorin's shoulder was just a casual gesture—without meaning, without intention.
Somehow, that only made Seorin more uncomfortable.
Slowly, she brushed the hand away.
Not harshly.
Just enough to create the smallest possible distance between them.
Even though she knew that distance didn't really exist.
The bus arrived.
And for the first time since the rain started, Seorin felt relieved. But the crowd surged forward again. Her body was squeezed tightly between people.
That hand returned—steadying her shoulder.
This time, stronger.
Protecting her from the pushing crowd.
Seorin said nothing.
All she could see from below was Ara's sharp jawline, straight nose, eyelashes far too clear from this distance.
Her pulse quickened.
Ara looked down.
"Not getting on?"
Her voice was softer than Seorin expected.
Seorin flinched.
She shoved Ara away and stepped onto the bus without looking back.
***
The bus was nearly full, and Seorin was lucky enough to find an empty seat in the back row. She quickly sat down beside another female student.
Kang Ara walked past her before taking a seat behind her—with the girl who had lent her the umbrella.
Seorin could hear Ara chatting with them.
Laughter.Light conversation.The crinkle of candy wrappers.
Seorin didn't want to hear any of it. She put on her earphones, letting the music fill her head.
A pop song played softly in her ears, making everything feel strangely cinematic.
Her eyes started to drift shut—but she forced herself to stay awake. She couldn't miss her stop.
Eventually, her stop came into view. She quickly gathered her bag and belongings, pulled out her earphones, and prepared to get off.
She caught a glimpse of Kang Ara still talking with the people in the back seats.
The moment the doors opened, Seorin stepped off the bus without looking at Ara again.
***
The rain still hadn't stopped.
She checked the time.
She was already late.
Without thinking twice, she broke into a run.
She lifted her bag over her head to shield herself. It was normally only a three-minute walk from the bus stop to her tutoring center.
"We should buy an umbrella first."
That voice again.
Seorin didn't stop.
"What are you doing?"
"Han Seorin, your clothes are soaked. Stop."
A hand grabbed her arm, pulling her beneath the awning of a café.
"I'm already late," Seorin replied, trying to move again.
She froze.
Without warning, a jacket was suddenly draped over her shoulders.
Warm.
"Don't think I came here because I was following you," Ara said casually. "I already had somewhere to be.Just wear it."
Then came the umbrella.
"Here."
"Whose is this?"
"Just take it."
Seorin barely had time to refuse before she was pushed away.
She walked off. Then, without realizing it, glanced back.
Ara waved at her.
As if… all of this was perfectly normal.
Seorin turned away again.
And walked faster.
***
The package arrived while she was working on practice questions.
"For Han Seorin."
She hadn't ordered anything.
But inside—
Hot packs. A warm caramel macchiato. Bread.
Seorin stared at them for a few seconds too long.
"Focus."
She startled, snapping back to her seat.
But her thoughts didn't entirely return with her.
***
The rain had finally stopped by the time Seorin's class ended. She walked toward the bus stop, but her steps halted in front of Destiny Café—the same place where she had sheltered with Kang Ara earlier that afternoon.
She went inside.
Her purpose was clear—to return the umbrella.
To explain.
To fix something that should never have happened.
After waiting for a while, she finally spoke to the cashier.
"Excuse me… I ended up borrowing this umbrella earlier…"
She explained everything.
In detail.
As always.
"Oh, your friend already paid for it."
Seorin fell silent.
"So… it belongs to you now."
Something in her chest felt lighter.
"Oh, right. Here. She dropped her receipt."
Seorin accepted the money and the small receipt slip.
She read it.
Caramel macchiato. Strawberry bread. Exactly the same.
Except for the hot packs.
Seorin stared at the paper for a few seconds.
"Just a coincidence…"
But for the first time,
even Seorin wasn't sure she believed that.