chapter seventeen

the next day, aeri lay on her bed, staring at the little frog keychain on her nightstand.

she kept replaying the day in her head—the games, the way he laughed under his breath, the way his voice went quiet when he talked about his mom. he let her in, even just a little, and now her chest felt tight in a way she didn't know how to explain.

her phone buzzed.

yejin: coffee later? i'm bored.

aeri: fine. 20 minutes.

the café was half-empty, sunlight spilling through the big windows and painting lazy shapes on the table. yejin sat with an iced vanilla latte, straw between her teeth, legs crossed casually like she didn't have a care in the world.

aeri stirred her drink slowly. "i hung out with wonwoo yesterday."

yejin blinked. "like, on purpose?"

"yes."

"just you and him?"

aeri nodded.

"wow." yejin leaned in. "okay, spill. what happened?"

"we went to the arcade. got corn dogs after. we walked. he... talked to me about his mom."

yejin's face froze for a second, like she wasn't expecting something that real. "his mom?"

"she passed away," aeri said, quietly. "a while ago."

"oh."

a moment passed. then yejin leaned back in her chair, sipping her drink again.

"okay, well. that's heavy," she said. "but also... it's still a dare, right?"

aeri didn't answer right away.

"aeri," yejin said again, this time more pointed.

"i know," she muttered. "but it's different now."

"how?"

"i don't know. he's not like how we thought. he's actually... sweet. kind. quiet, yeah, but not in a weird way. he listens. he notices things."

yejin rolled her eyes. "you're starting to sound like a drama heroine."

"i'm serious," aeri said. "i thought it was just a game, but he's—he's been through things. he let me see parts of him no one else has. it doesn't feel like just a bet anymore."

yejin crossed her arms. "aeri. the whole point was to prove we could get even the most closed-off guy in school to fall for you. and now you're what—catching feelings?"

aeri looked down at her cup.

"look," yejin continued, voice softer. "i get it. he's mysterious. and yeah, maybe there's something there. but this is wonwoo. he's not... us."

"what does that mean?" aeri asked, frowning.

"he doesn't fit. he's not part of our world. you know how this ends—either he gets hurt, or you do."

aeri's chest tightened.

"we never thought you'd actually like him," yejin added.

"neither did i," she whispered.

they sat in silence for a few seconds, the sound of milk frothing and the occasional coffee grinder filling the air around them.

"so what now?" yejin asked.

aeri didn't answer.

because she didn't know.

all she knew was that she couldn't stop thinking about him—his quiet smile, the way his fingers brushed hers without flinching, how he looked at her like she wasn't just another loud voice in a crowded room.

and all of that... started from a dare.

her stomach twisted.

she didn't know where this was going.

but she was already too far in.