Saturday mornings in Seoul felt different.
Quieter. Slower. Like the city finally exhaled after a week of constant noise.
Ariel stood in front of her closet longer than necessary, staring at two outfits like the decision mattered more than it should.
It didn't. It was just the park. Just Ha-Joon. Just… hanging out.
She grabbed the first option and pulled it on anyway.
"Why are you overthinking this?" she muttered to herself, tying her hair back, then immediately letting it fall again.
Her phone buzzed.
Ha-Joon:"You're late. I'm starting to think this is intentional."
Ariel smirked, grabbing her bag.
"Maybe it is."
He was already there. Of course he was.
Leaning against the same tree from the other night, hands in his pockets, looking like he hadn't moved since she last saw him. Like he just… existed there. Waiting.
Ariel slowed her steps without meaning to.
"You know," she said as she got closer, "normal people say hello first."
Ha-Joon glanced up, a quiet smile forming. "You're late. That comes first."
"By five minutes."
"Seven."
She rolled her eyes. "You counted?"
"I notice things." There it was again—that tone. Casual. Simple. But it always landed.
Ariel shook her head, trying not to smile. "That's a little concerning."
"Only if you're doing something worth noticing." She stopped walking.
"That sounded like a threat."
"It wasn't," he said easily. "More like… curiosity."
Ariel held his gaze for a second longer than she meant to.
Then looked away first.
"Whatever," she muttered, walking past him. "What's the plan?"
The "plan," apparently, was wandering.
No destination. No schedule.
Just walking through side streets Ariel had never noticed before, cutting through alleys filled with tiny shops, street vendors, and hidden cafés tucked between buildings.
"This place is good," Ha-Joon said, stopping in front of a small convenience store.
"That's your big recommendation?" Ariel asked.
"Trust me." She didn't. But she followed him inside anyway.
Ten minutes later, they were sitting on the curb outside with instant ramen, drinks balanced beside them like it was completely normal.
Ariel glanced down at the cup in her hands, then at him. "You brought me all the way out here for convenience store ramen."
"It's good ramen."
"It better be."
He watched her take a bite. Ariel paused. Then blinked. "…Okay, this is actually good."
Ha-Joon smiled slightly. "I told you."
"Don't get used to being right."
"Too late." She laughed—an actual, unfiltered laugh—and shook her head.
It felt… easy. Too easy. They stayed there longer than they should've.
Talking about nothing. And everything.
School. Teachers. Mina's chaotic energy. The ridiculous rumors already starting to spread about Ariel.
"You know people are talking about you, right?" Ha-Joon said casually.
Ariel groaned. "Of course they are. What is it now?"
"Depends which version you heard."
"I haven't heard any."
"Good. Don't."
She narrowed her eyes. "That makes me want to know more."
He leaned back slightly, watching her. "You're 'interesting.' That's the main one."
"Wow. How specific."
"It's not a bad thing."
Ariel looked down at her ramen, stirring it absently. "It usually is."
There was a pause. Not awkward. Just… quieter.
Ha-Joon studied her for a second before speaking again.
"You don't try too hard," he said. "People notice that."
Ariel blinked, caught off guard.
"I try," she said lightly. "Just not at the things they care about."
"Exactly." She glanced up at him. And for a second, it didn't feel like teasing. It felt real.
By the time they made their way back toward the main streets, the sun had started to dip.
The city shifted again—lights flickering on, people filling the sidewalks, the quiet of morning replaced by the energy of night.
Ariel checked her phone. Five missed messages.
All from Mina.
"WHERE ARE YOU""You disappeared???""Don't tell me you're still with him""Actually wait tell me EVERYTHING""I'm coming over later"
Ariel laughed under her breath.
"She's intense," Ha-Joon said, glancing at her screen.
"She's exhausting."
"You like her."
"…Yeah," Ariel admitted. He nodded like he already knew that.
They stopped at a crosswalk, waiting for the light.
Cars rushed past, headlights blurring together.
Ariel shifted slightly, adjusting her bag on her shoulder.
"You're different here," Ha-Joon said suddenly.
She looked at him. "What does that mean?"
"At school, you're… careful," he said. "Here, you're not."
Ariel frowned slightly. "I don't think I'm careful."
"You are," he said simply. She opened her mouth to argue. Then stopped.
Because he wasn't wrong. "…Maybe," she admitted.
The light changed. They didn't move right away.
"Jun-Seo doesn't like this," Ha-Joon added, almost as an afterthought.
Ariel let out a small laugh. "Jun-Seo doesn't like anything I do."
"That's not true." She raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"
"He just doesn't like not being in control of it."
Ariel shook her head. "That sounds like his problem."
"It is." They finally started walking again. Side by side.
Close, but not quite touching.
Across the city, Jun-Seo sat in his room, staring at his phone.
A message thread open. Ariel's name at the top. No new messages.
He tapped the screen once. Then locked it. Then unlocked it again.
It was ridiculous. He knew where she was. Or at least, he could guess.
Ha-Joon. Of course. His jaw tightened. He told her to stay away.
Told them both. And they ignored him. Like it didn't matter.
Like he didn't matter. Jun-Seo leaned back in his chair, running a hand through his hair.
"Fine," he muttered. If she wanted to ignore him— He'd let her.
Ariel reached her apartment building later than she expected.
She stopped at the entrance, turning slightly.
"Well," she said. "That was… surprisingly not terrible."
Ha-Joon looked at her. "High praise."
"Don't let it go to your head."
"Too late." She smiled despite herself. There was a pause. Not uncomfortable.
Just… lingering. "Same time tomorrow?" he asked.
Ariel hesitated. Just for a second. Then— "Yeah," she said. "Maybe."
He nodded once, like that was enough. "Text me when you get upstairs."
"Why?"
"So I know you didn't disappear."
She rolled her eyes. "I live here."
"Still." Ariel shook her head, turning toward the entrance.
"Goodnight, Ha-Joon."
"Goodnight, Ariel."
She made it upstairs. Dropped her bag. Kicked off her shoes.
And immediately reached for her phone. She stared at it for a second.
Then typed:
"I didn't disappear."
The reply came almost instantly.
"Good. I'd notice."
Ariel stared at the screen.
Heart doing something… unfamiliar.
Then she set the phone down, falling back onto her bed.
Staring at the ceiling. Smiling. This wasn't part of the plan.
None of it was. Not the school. Not the people. Not him.
But for the first time since coming back to Seoul—
Ariel wasn't thinking about leaving.