fourteen

The rain had eased by nightfall, but the fog refused to lift, curling low around the dorm buildings like smoke that wouldn't clear.

Y/N sat on her bed, knees drawn to her chest, her phone resting face down on the blanket beside her.

She hadn't replied to the messages.

But the words burned in her head anyway.

You looked good today.Coffee soon?Or I'll come find you.

Jisoo was asleep on the other side of the room, her quiet breathing the only sound filling the small dorm space.

Y/N's eyes stayed fixed on the window, watching faint silhouettes pass under the dim courtyard lights. Her heart wouldn't stop racing, a steady, anxious thrum beneath her ribs.

The knock at the door nearly made her jump.

Quiet. Steady. Two short taps.

Cautiously, she slipped off the bed and crossed the room on quiet feet.

"Who is it?" she whispered.

"Me."

Her breath hitched.

Cracking the door open, she found Seong-je standing there, hood pulled low, hands buried in his jacket pockets, his hair damp from the lingering mist outside.

"Can we talk?" he asked, voice low.

Y/N glanced back at Jisoo's sleeping form, then at the clock glowing faintly on the wall.

Five minutes to curfew.

"Shouldn't you be heading back?" she asked softly.

Seong-je shrugged. "Didn't make it in time. Security's already doing rounds. Guess I'm stuck here for a bit."

Y/N hesitated, then opened the door wider, stepping aside.

"Just... be quiet."

He slipped inside, careful not to make a sound as the door clicked shut behind him.

The room was small, the space between their beds narrower than she liked with him here. He stood awkwardly near the wall, his hands still tucked in his pockets.

"Didn't really plan this part," he admitted under his breath.

Y/N folded her arms, keeping her voice low. "You really just 'missed' curfew?"

"Maybe," Seong-je said, a hint of a smirk threatening to surface. "Or maybe I figured you'd be easier to talk to when you couldn't run away."

Y/N rolled her eyes but didn't deny it.

For a moment, neither of them spoke. The soft hum of Jisoo's breathing filled the space.

"Your phone," Seong-je said quietly, nodding toward where it sat on the desk. "I saw the messages."

Y/N's stomach twisted. "And?"

"And... I don't like it." His jaw tensed. "Minjae isn't just some lovesick guy. Something's off."

Y/N exhaled shakily, leaning back against her bedframe. "I know."

"You shouldn't be dealing with him alone."

"You can't protect me from everything, Seong-je."

His gaze softened, but his voice stayed steady. "I can try."

The old, familiar ache settled deep in her chest. Part of her wanted to tell him to leave, to shut him out like she had for months.

The other part... the part that still remembered late-night walks, whispered promises in empty hallways, the way his hand had always fit perfectly in hers... that part stayed quiet.

Seong-je lingered by the door, eyes flicking between the sleeping Jisoo and the empty floor beside Y/N's bed.

"Relax," she muttered, catching his gaze. "You're not climbing into my bed."

A faint, amused snort escaped him. "Didn't plan on it."

After a moment, he grabbed the spare blanket off the desk chair and sank to the floor, his back against the wall, legs stretched out.

It wasn't comfortable. It wasn't ideal.

But somehow, it felt familiar.

The quiet stretched between them, heavy but not suffocating.

"You really didn't plan this?" Y/N asked softly after a while.

Seong-je's head tipped back against the wall, eyes closing for a moment. "I just... couldn't walk away tonight."

Y/N watched him, her walls cracking just slightly under the weight of exhaustion and everything unsaid.

"Get some sleep," she mumbled eventually, pulling her blanket up around her shoulders.

Seong-je didn't argue. He just settled deeper against the wall, his voice barely audible in the dark.

"Night, Y/N."

She didn't answer.

But for the first time in days, she didn't feel entirely alone.