questions

⋆ 𐙚 ̊.CHAPTER 18✶⋆.˚

🇽​​🇴​, ​🇪​​🇻​​🇪​​🇱​​🇾​​🇳

When Evelyn and Minho returned from the rare books section, the library was still buzzing with students who had taken full advantage of Madison's leadership.

But Yuri and Kitty? They were nowhere to be seen.

Evelyn didn't think too hard about it. She couldn't. Not when her thoughts were already tangled up with the way Minho had looked at her minutes ago—the way his words had unsettled her more than she cared to admit.

So, instead of going back to her usual seat, Evelyn dropped down next to Q and Dae.

Minho didn't follow. Good.

She needed distance.

Unfortunately, distance didn't mean much when her mind refused to cooperate.

"It wouldn't be her."

The words echoed, looping over and over again.

Stop thinking about it.

Evelyn forced herself to focus on the conversation in front of her, but it wasn't long before Professor Lee returned and clapped his hands.

"Lunch break," he announced, holding up a notepad. "Write down what you want, and I'll send the list to the cafeteria. Make it quick."

Dae took the sheet first, scribbling down his meal along with Kitty's—probably out of habit.

Then, just as he passed it along—

Minho dragged a chair beside Evelyn.

Her entire body tensed.

Without a word, Minho grabbed the pen, lazily spinning it between his fingers before bending down to write his order.

And then—without hesitation—

He wrote Evelyn's too.

The table fell silent.

Q blinked. "Wait." He looked between Minho and Evelyn. "Since when do you know so much about Evie?"

Minho leaned back in his chair, smirking.

"I have ears, Q. She orders the same thing every time."

Evelyn narrowed her eyes. "I do not."

Minho tilted his head. "You literally do. Spicy tteokbokki with extra sauce and a side of fries. And if they have bubble tea, brown sugar with extra tapioca."

Evelyn's jaw dropped.

Q let out a slow whistle, turning to her. "Well, damn. He got that spot on."

Even Dae looked impressed. "That's actually kinda scary."

Minho shrugged, looking entirely too smug.

"What can I say? I'm observant."

Evelyn clenched her jaw, reaching for the notepad. "Give me that."

Minho lifted it out of her reach. "Relax, Raven. Just admit I was right, and you can have it back."

Evelyn glared. "I'd rather starve."

Q grinned, enjoying the show. "If this is you two flirting, I'm both entertained and concerned."

Evelyn and Minho turned to him at the exact same time.

"We are NOT flirting!"

Q raised his hands in surrender. "Sure. Whatever helps you sleep at night."

Minho rolled his eyes and finally handed the notepad over. Evelyn snatched it, checking what he wrote—

And of course, it was 100% accurate.

She hated that.

She hated it even more when she felt the ghost of a smile creeping onto her lips.

She buried it behind a scowl.

Minho just smirked in victory.

By the time Kitty and Yuri finally returned, detention was almost over.

Madison, ever the opportunist, stepped in before they could get caught.

"Professor Lee?" she said sweetly, raising her hand. "Sorry, but I have... woman stuff. It's kind of urgent. Can I step out for a moment?"

Lee's face froze in panic.

"Right. Yes. Of course. Go."

In his flustered state, he turned completely away from Kitty and Yuri—giving them just enough time to slide into their seats unnoticed.

Madison winked at them before strolling back to her own seat, mission accomplished.

And just like that, the detention dragged on until finally—

"You're dismissed."

Professor Lee handed back their phones, and Evelyn was the first to leave.

She didn't wait for Kitty.

She didn't wait for anyone.

She just wanted to be alone.

The walk back to the dorm felt longer than usual.

Kitty had told her she was staying behind to look for something with Yuri, which left Evelyn by herself again. She shouldn't have been so affected.

But she was.

Back home in the U.S., her parents were never around. Here, Kitty was always chasing something—some new adventure, some new mystery.

And Evelyn?

She just felt... left behind.

She sighed, pushing open the dorm door and plopping onto the couch.

The room was quiet.

Too quiet.

She grabbed the remote, flipping through Netflix until she landed on a random movie. Something with a complicated plot and way too much dialogue.

She barely got fifteen minutes in before her eyelids grew heavy.

The voices from the screen became muffled background noise, and before she knew it—

She was asleep.

About half an hour later, the dorm's electronic lock clicked open.

Someone had entered the passcode.

The door swung open, and Minho stepped inside.

He had been expecting an empty dorm—maybe Kitty, maybe Q.

But not this.

His gaze landed on Evelyn, curled up on the couch, fast asleep.

A slow smirk tugged at his lips.

"Wow. Even Netflix couldn't tolerate you, huh?" he muttered, waiting for a reaction.

But there was none.

Not a single grumble or eye roll.

That's when it hit him—

She was in deep sleep.

Minho hesitated for a second.

Then, instead of leaving, he grabbed a chair, dragged it in front of her, and sat down.

His arms folded as he leaned forward, watching her.

She looked peaceful.

So different from the Evelyn he usually saw—always snapping back at him, always pretending she didn't care what he said.

And yet... he knew better.

Minho tilted his head, studying her quiet form.

There was something about Evelyn that had changed.

She had come back to Korea out of nowhere.

Why?

What had happened back in the U.S.?

Was everything alright?

The questions swirled in his mind, but he didn't ask.

He couldn't.

Why?

Even he didn't know.

So instead, he just sat there in silence, watching her sleep—until eventually, he sighed, leaned back in his chair, and muttered under his breath:

"You're such a pain, Raven."

ruka:

im so sorry yall. I've been so tired the past few days, I didn't have the energy to write. i didn't get enough sleep. my finals are two weeks away and I have my birthday this Sunday. my schedule couldn't have been more messed up. this chapter is very short and boring but I had to post this. bec if I keep postponing, ill never bring myself to upload one :')