fithteen

The first thing Y/N registered when she stirred awake was the quiet.

The usual early morning bustle outside the dorm window, the slam of car doors, students' chatter, and the occasional hum of bikes rolling by, was softened by the lingering fog pressing against the glass. The second thing she registered was the faint, steady breathing beside her bed.

Blinking sleep from her eyes, she glanced down.

Seong-je.

Curled awkwardly beneath the spare blanket, hoodie tangled around his shoulders, one arm slung lazily over his eyes. His features were relaxed in sleep, the sharp edges of his usual guarded expression dulled by exhaustion.

It took a beat for last night to resurface, the messages, the anxiety, the knock on her door. Him staying.

Her stomach flipped.

Across the room, Jisoo shifted under her blanket, groaning softly as she stretched.

"Please tell me that's not your ex on our floor," Jisoo muttered sleepily, voice still rough with sleep.

Y/N rolled her eyes. "It's not what it looks like."

Jisoo cracked one eye open, taking in the scene. Seong-je snoring softly on the floor, Y/N curled at the edge of her bed, the faint glow of morning creeping through the curtains.

"Okay," Jisoo whispered, lips twitching into a smirk. "Then what exactly is it?"

Y/N grabbed her pillow and lobbed it weakly at her. "Shut up."

Jisoo giggled, catching it easily. "Hey, no judgment. If I had a brooding, aggressively hot ex risking dorm security to crash in my room, I might let him sleep on the floor, too."

"Jisoo," Y/N hissed, cheeks heating.

"What? Just saying." Jisoo stretched again, eyes sparkling now. "At least now you can't avoid him." She wiggled her eyebrows. "Maybe fate's tired of you two pretending you don't still care."

Before Y/N could respond, Seong-je stirred, arm falling away from his face as his eyes blinked open.

For a brief moment, they locked eyes, the sleep-soft haze in his expression quickly replaced by cautious awareness.

"Morning," he rasped, voice rough from sleep.

Y/N's heart stumbled, but she forced herself to keep her face neutral. "Morning."

Jisoo snorted from her bed, thoroughly enjoying herself.

Seong-je stretched, wincing slightly as he sat up, rolling his shoulders. The spare blanket pooled around his waist.

"Didn't mean to fall asleep," he muttered.

"It's fine," Y/N replied quickly, glancing at the clock. "We've got class soon. You should head out before—"

A knock at the door interrupted her.

Y/N's blood ran cold. Jisoo shot up, wide-eyed.

"Security check," a muffled voice called.

Panic flashed across Seong-je's face for a split second. Y/N's brain raced.

Without thinking, she grabbed his hoodie from the chair and tossed it to him. "Get in the closet."

"Seriously?" Seong-je hissed.

"Unless you wanna explain to campus security why you broke curfew in a girls' dorm?"

Grumbling under his breath, Seong-je scrambled to his feet, slipping the hoodie on as he ducked into the narrow closet space.

Y/N took a deep breath, smoothing her expression before cracking the door open.

A tall RA stood outside, clipboard in hand. "Morning. Quick headcount. Everything good in here?"

"All good," Y/N replied with practiced ease.

The RA's eyes swept the room briefly, landing on Jisoo and the unmade beds.

"Alright. Just a reminder—guys aren't allowed in after curfew."

"Got it," Y/N said quickly, stomach twisting.

After a tense beat, the RA nodded and moved on down the hall.

Y/N shut the door with a quiet click, exhaling.

The closet door creaked open. Seong-je stepped out, hair rumpled, expression exasperated. "Closet, really?"

Jisoo doubled over laughing, clutching her stomach. "This is better than reality TV."

Y/N groaned, dragging a hand down her face. "You need to go before they come back."

"I will," Seong-je promised, eyes softening as he looked at her. "Thanks... for not tossing me out."

"Yeah, yeah," Y/N mumbled, turning away to grab her bag. Her heart hadn't stopped racing.

By the time they stepped onto campus, the fog had thickened again, curling low over the sidewalks like smoke. The early crowd of students shuffled past, most buried in their phones or clutching coffee cups.

Y/N's nerves still buzzed from the morning, her mind replaying the messages, the late-night conversation, and the unnerving encounter with security.

They were halfway to the art building when a familiar figure appeared ahead.

Minjae.

Leaning casually against the courtyard railing, hands stuffed in his pockets, expression unreadable.

Y/N's steps faltered. Seong-je noticed immediately, posture tensing beside her.

"Morning," Minjae greeted, pushing off the railing, eyes flicking to Seong-je with cool disdain. "Busy night?"

"We're late for class," Y/N muttered, trying to sidestep him.

Minjae fell into step beside her, undeterred. "You dodging me again?"

"I'm not interested," Y/N replied firmly.

Seong-je moved subtly between them, his gaze sharp.

"She said no," Seong-je added, voice quiet but heavy with warning.

Minjae's jaw tightened, smile slipping. "Cute. Thought you two were ancient history."

Y/N's pulse spiked. Other students were watching now, heads turning.

"We are," she shot back, "but that doesn't mean I have to deal with you."

Minjae's eyes darkened, the charming facade cracking. "Maybe you should tell him to stop hovering before people get the wrong idea."

"Or maybe you should take the hint," Seong-je interrupted, expression hardening.

The tension coiled tighter, like a frayed wire ready to snap.

"You don't scare me," Minjae sneered, stepping closer.

"Good," Seong-je replied evenly, stepping forward, "because I'm not trying to."

For a long moment, they stood there, eyes locked.

Y/N's heartbeat thundered in her ears.

Finally, Minjae exhaled sharply, a twisted smile creeping back onto his face.

"See you around, Y/N," he muttered, retreating into the crowd.

The moment he disappeared, Y/N sagged slightly, the adrenaline fading.

"You okay?" Seong-je asked, hand ghosting near her elbow but not quite touching.

"Yeah," she whispered, though the tightness in her chest lingered.

They walked the rest of the way to class in silence, the unspoken tension heavier than the fog.

But as they disappeared into the building, Minjae watched from a distance, expression unreadable.

This wasn't over.

Not yet.