Chapter 2 - Unfortunate Counter - (i)

As soon as the bell rang, signaling the start of their 30-minute break, Tae Hee let out an exaggerated groan and slumped over her desk.

“I swear, Kang Deok-kyun enjoys making my life miserable,” she mumbled.

Hae Soo, still amused, leaned back in her chair. “It’s not his fault you never do your homework.”

Tae Hee shot her a betrayed look. “I thought you were supposed to be on my side.”

“I am. That’s why I’m laughing.”

Tae Hee let out a dramatic sigh before straightening up. She scanned the room—nothing had changed. Most of the students stayed in their seats, either reviewing notes, solving practice problems, or reading. It was so painfully quiet.

“We need to get out of here before this atmosphere kills me,” Tae Hee announced, stretching her arms. Hae Soo smirked.

“Where to? The cafeteria?”

Tae Hee nodded eagerly. “Obviously. I need food to recover from this emotional damage.”

Without waiting for a response, Tae Hee grabbed Hae Soo’s wrist and pulled her toward the door. No one paid them any attention. It was as if they didn’t even exist.

The two of them weren’t exactly “outsiders” in S-1, but they weren’t like the others either. While the rest of the class lived and breathed academics, they were just… normal. And right now, the only thing that mattered was getting snacks before the cafeteria got crowded. As they stepped into the hallway, Tae Hee sighed in relief.

“Ah, freedom.”

Hae Soo chuckled. “You say that like we just escaped from prison.”

Tae Hee nodded seriously. “Have you seen our class? It’s basically solitary confinement just with more textbooks.”

Hae Soo couldn’t argue with that. Also with that, the two made their way to the cafeteria, unbothered by the fact that the rest of S-1 probably didn’t even realize they had left.

“Hae Soo, go line up for food. I’ll grab drinks,” Tae Hee instructed as they entered the bustling cafeteria.

Hae Soo sighed but didn’t argue. She just gave a small nod and headed toward the food counter while Tae Hee made her way to the vending machines.

The line was already long, filled with students from different classes. S-1 students were rarely seen here, most of them probably brought their own neatly packed, nutritious lunches. Hae Soo grabbed a tray and stepped into line, staring blankly ahead. It was just another normal lunch break. Or so she thought. Because she had no idea what was happening behind her.

At the back of the line, two guys were laughing, shoving each other playfully.

“I swear, you almost tripped over nothing,” one of them snickered.

“Shut up, I lost my balance for a second!” the other huffed, pushing his friend back.

Hae Soo stood in line, waiting for her turn, completely unaware of the impending disaster behind her. It was all fun and games until one of them stumbled forward.

And suddenly, chaos.

Then—

*BAM.*

Something—or someone—slammed into her back. She barely had time to react before she was shoved forward, straight into the person in front of her.

*SPLAT.*

The tray of food the guy was holding tipped slightly, but miraculously, his clothes remained spotless.

Hae Soo? Not so lucky. It’s not her day today. Her uniform was a disaster. Rice stuck to her sleeve, soup dripped down the hem of her skirt, and—oh, great—kimchi on her white shirt.

Dead silence. She blinked. Slowly. Processing. She was still leaning against the guy she crashed into. His chest was firm. Too firm.

Oh no—

Horrified, she quickly pushed herself off him and stumbled back. Mortified.

Slowly, the guy turned around. Tall. Sharp features. *Expression colder than winter*

Hae Soo swallowed hard. *Great. Just great.*

His eyes flickered down at her ruined uniform, then back up at her face. Unreadable.

Meanwhile, behind her—

“Pfft—”

Laughter.

She spun around. The two idiots responsible for this mess were barely holding in their laughter.

“Dude, I barely pushed you, why’d you crash into her like that?” one of them snickered, nudging his friend. The other guy, the one who bumped into her, raised his hands in surrender. “Not my fault! It was an accident!”

Hae Soo took a deep breath, her eye twitching.

“You—”

She stops for a reason. She steal a glance over the guy in front of her, the one she bumped into. Let out a slow, heavy sigh. He looked mad.

His sharp features were set in an unreadable expression, but his dark eyes flickered with irritation.

Yet… there was something familiar about him. Hae Soo frowned, studying his face. Why does he look so familiar? She knew she had seen him before. Many times. In the hallways. Near the school gate. At the library. Everywhere. But… where exactly? She couldn’t remember.

Besides, it sucks to remember something that forgettable.

Before she could figure it out, a voice snapped her out of her thoughts.

“Hae Soo—what the hell happened?” Tae Hee had returned, her brows furrowed as she took in the scene. Her eyes landed on the two idiots still chuckling behind them. Instantly, her expression darkened.

“You guys—are you serious? You literally just crashed into her, and now you’re laughing?” Tae Hee snapped, crossing her arms.

One of the guys shrugged. “It was an accident.”

“Yeah, no need to be so dramatic,” the other one

added, rolling his eyes. He sounds super sarcastic at this moment that makes Tae Hee more piss off.

Tae Hee scoffed. “Dramatic? You—”Before she could go off, Hae Soo gently tugged at her sleeve.

“Tae Hee, let it go,” she said calmly. “It’s not a big deal.”

Tae Hee turned to her, looking completely betrayed. “Not a big deal? Your uniform is ruined!”

Hae Soo sighed. “I’ll just change into my PE shirt. Problem solved.”

Tae Hee hesitated, clearly not satisfied, but she let out a frustrated sigh. “Fine. But those guys still suck.”

The two guys? Unbothered. The cold guy in front of Hae Soo? Still staring at her.

Without another word, Hae Soo turned on her heel and walked toward the locker room, still wondering why his face felt so familiar.

Minutes later, after changing into her PE uniform, Hae Soo sat beside Tae Hee in the hallway, sipping on the drink Tae Hee had bought. Neither of them spoke much. They had no appetite left after that ridiculous accident.

Tae Hee was still grumbling under her breath, occasionally shooting glares at the two guys who had zero remorse.

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