At the very back of the classroom, Nau Rin was quietly organizing her notebooks and textbooks into her bag when a head suddenly popped up at the window.
"Come on out—let's get some lunch," Taehyun suggested, his tone easy and relaxed. Beside him, Minho was already leaning against the window frame, his fingers tapping lightly against the ledge. He looked like he'd been waiting long enough. A step behind them, Seohun watched in silence.
The moment Nau Rin stepped out of the classroom, Minho immediately complained,
"What took you so long? I'm starving to death!"
"It's only been three minutes since the break started," she replied calmly.
Minho tilted his head back dramatically toward the sky.
"Oh my God… a whole three minutes?"
Nau Rin rolled her eyes, then looked at them.
"You guys don't have to come all the way to my classroom. You could've just waited at the cafeteria."
"And who's supposed to grab the seats then?" Minho shot back as if the answer were obvious.
Taehyun cut in quietly, looking at Nau Rin with concern.
"Did someone say something?" he asked, his voice softening.
"Who said anything," Nau Rin said with a small shrug. "There are three of you anyway. You'd manage just fine without me."
Minho shook his head.
"Think about it. One of us has to stay behind to save seats. Then how are two people supposed to carry two trays each?"
Nau Rin said nothing. Then she exhaled slowly, letting out a soft sigh.
"Fine, I get it. No need to keep going."
"Good. Glad you understand," Minho said with a satisfied grin.
Grinding her teeth, Nau Rin muttered,
"You little—"
"What was that?" Minho asked, clearly provoking her.
"Hedgehog."
"Well, you're a frog in a well."
Taehyun quickly stepped in between them, rubbing his temples.
"Can you two stop already? You're giving me a headache."
Minho and Nau Rin glanced at each other at the same time.
"Hmph."
They both turned their heads away in opposite directions.
Taehyun shook his head in disbelief.
"Why do you two never stop fighting? At this rate, you'll be arguing for the rest of your lives."
Both of them snapped in unison, pointing accusing fingers at each other as they exchanged a sharp glare.
"Tell that to him/her!!"
—
They had barely settled at the table before the quiet clatter of trays and utensils filled the space between them.
As they began eating, Minho's gaze drifted—then stopped.
He pointed at Nau Rin's plate with his spoon.
"You're not going to eat your dumplings?"
"I am," Nau Rin replied shortly, not even looking up.
Minho,
"No, you're not."
Before she could react, he reached over and scooped one up with his spoon.
Nau Rin's hand tightened around her spoon, her knuckles turning pale. She closed her eyes for a brief moment, as if holding something back.
"…Looks like someone wants their altar set up," she muttered under her breath, her voice low and cold.
Minho didn't even flinch.
"Relax. I only took one."
Her eyes snapped open,
"You didn't just take one. You touched all of them with that filthy, saliva-covered spoon. How am I supposed to eat that now?"
A slow grin spread across Minho's face.
"Well, if that's the case... I'll just have them all," he said happily. Without hesitation, he dragged his spoon across the remaining dumplings, scooping them up in one go and stuffing them into his mouth. He chewed with a look of pure joy, clearly enjoying every bite.
Sitting beside him, Taehyun watched them, trying to calm her down.
"Hey—hey, calm down," he said quickly, raising a hand toward Nau Rin. "Just… let it go this once. Close your eyes and pretend it didn't happen."
Nau Rin didn't respond.
Her grip on the spoon tightened further, her hand trembling ever so slightly. When she looked up, her gaze was deadly—fixed entirely on Minho.
Taehyun lowered his voice, almost cautiously now.
"Even if you did kill him, what would that change? It'd just be a waste of your time."
From the side, Minho nudged Taehyun with his elbow, frowning.
"What are you even saying? How is killing me a waste of time? If anything, it'd be a big help!"
Taehyun shaking his head before glancing back at Nau Rin.
"See? You don't even need to bother."
Minho jabbed him again, more insistently this time.
"Stop overanalyzing the wording! You know what I meant."
And through it all, Seohun remained silent. Sitting beside them, he continued eating as if none of this concerned him at all.
—
By the school entrance, there was no one else—only Minho and Nau Rin. The afternoon was quiet around them as they stood by the shoe lockers.
"Are you not staying for after-school classes?" Nau Rin asked, glancing at him.
Minho shrugged lightly, as if it were nothing worth thinking about.
"No. It's more comfortable studying at home."
Nau Rin narrowed her eyes slightly.
"Then how did you even get excused from them?"
A faint smile tugged at the corner of his lips— too practiced.
"I have my own ways."
They began walking home together, their steps unhurried. After a moment, something caught Nau Rin's attention.
"Your bag's open," she said, reaching over to pull the zipper.
As she did, something slipped into view—a book with a completely blank, stark white cover. No title. No markings.
Her curiosity stirred instantly.
She pulled it out, turning it over in her hands.
"What is this?"
Just as she was about to open it—
Minho lunged forward and snatched it from her grasp, clutching it tightly against his chest.
Nau Rin blinked in surprise at the suddenness of it.
"None of your business!" he said, his voice slightly breathless as he hurried to shove it back into his bag.
Her eyes narrowed, suspicion blooming.
"What's with you? Why are you hiding it like that? Let me see."
She grabbed the edge of the book before he could put it away.
"It's not something you should be looking at—Why are you being like this?" Minho said
For a brief moment, they struggled—neither willing to let go.
Then suddenly, as if acting on impulse, Minho yanked the book free with all his strength—
—and flung it over the red brick wall beside them.
Both of their eyes followed the book as it disappeared over the wall. He rushed to the base, jumping and reaching, trying to pull himself up—but he couldn't get over.
Each attempt ended in failure.
From behind him, Nau Rin watched, arms loosely folded.
"How are we going to get it back now?"
Minho clicked his tongue in frustration, turning around.
"Stop nagging and just come here. Help me out and get on all fours."
Nau Rin didn't even blink as she looked at him.
"…Are you trying to break my back?" she said. "Why don't you get on all fours, and I'll climb instead?"
Minho turned around abruptly.
"No way! Just stay back. Don't move, and don't even think about coming closer. Got it?"
Under his quiet insistence, Nau Rin retreated to the shade of a tree across the road, where the world's frantic pace seemed to fade. Boredom soon settled over her. She nudged a stone with her toe, then turned her gaze to the fragile flowers pushing through the cracked cement.
She didn't pluck them. Instead, she leaned in, captivated by their resilience, and began to count—each petal, each bloom—until the numbers blurred into a still, patient sense of wonder.
On the other side, Minho stood pressed against the wall, his back flat against the rough surface, hesitation rooting him in place. His eyes flickered upward, then away again, as if the height alone were enough to defeat him.
Nau Rin walked over, a faint impatience in her step.
"At this rate, you're never getting over this wall. Watch me," she said.
She reached out, placing her hands against the edge. "Like this… then jump and catch the top. After that, push up with your feet and pull yourself over."
Before he could respond, she added, "Now!"—and in one swift motion, she hoisted herself up, her movements quick and sure.
"Hey! You're not supposed to go up there!" Minho's voice rang out behind her, sharp with surprise and a hint of panic.
While Minho was still struggling to climb over to the other side, he heard Nau Rin let out a painful groan. He finally scrambled over and landed hard on all fours, a sharp cry escaping his lips.
"Aah!"
The skin of his palms burned like fire. He quickly glanced down at his scraped hands before turning toward her. Nau Rin was leaning against the wall, her face contorted in pain as she stood perfectly still.
Minho looked at her, his concern immediate.
"Are you okay?" he asked.
"This whole fence is covered in nettles!" Nau Rin said with a wince.
"What?" Minho echoed, startled.
"Just grab the book. Let's get out of here," she said. She pushed herself up with a struggle, and once Minho had climbed back over the fence, she followed him out.
They made their way back and settled onto the bench beneath the same tree. Nau Rin pulled off her sock, examining her foot with a slight frown, while Minho blew softly over his stinging palms, as if his breath alone might cool the burning.
Nau Rin glanced at him, then said, far too casually,
"They say if you get stung by nettles, it helps if you… pee on it. Why don't you try?"
"Why don't you try it yourself?" he shot back.
She utterly unconcerned.
"How am I supposed to do that to my foot? If I were you, I'd just do it."
There was something so matter-of-fact in her tone that it left no room for argument.
A short while later, Minho quietly slipped away toward the restroom.
When he returned, his hands were tucked stiffly behind his back. Nau Rin looked up at him, narrowing her eyes.
"You…?" she began, half in disbelief.
Minho hesitated, then gave a slow nod.
"…Yeah. It actually works," he admitted, his voice low with reluctant honesty. As he bent down to pick up his bag, his gaze flickered to her foot.
"Is yours okay?" he asked again, more gently this time.
Nau Rin gave a small,
"Yeah. I picked up some ointment from the pharmacy. and it feels a lot better now."
Minho froze for a moment, the words barely sinking in.
"What? You never said there was an actual way!"
Nau Rin shrugged, completely unfazed.
"I didn't think you'd actually do it."
Minho's face flushed a deep, furious red as he began to chase her. They fell into a clumsy scuffle, and in the chaos, he accidentally pressed both of his hands against his own face.
The realization hit instantly.
Seeing this, Nau Rin bolted toward her home at full speed. Minho shouted in outrage, chasing after her with everything he had, but she was faster. She made it inside just in time, slamming the door shut and locking it from within.