seven

The afternoon sun streamed through the tall windows of the lecture hall as Y/N took her usual seat near the middle. She opened her laptop, pretending to focus on the upcoming group presentation, but her mind was in a storm.

Seong-je arrived a few seconds later, sliding into the empty seat beside her like it was the most natural thing in the world.

They hadn't spoken since the library.

The tension between them hung like static in the air, unspoken words weighing down every glance.

"Slide deck ready?" he asked, keeping his eyes on his screen.

"Almost," Y/N replied, fingers tapping out edits on her keyboard.

Seong-je shifted slightly, stealing a glance at her profile. She looked tired again. Tired, but determined, the same way she used to look back then, before everything between them shattered.

"You should get more sleep," he said softly, voice almost a whisper.

Y/N froze for a second, thrown by the sudden softness. "You don't get to care about that anymore."

The words cut deep, sharper than she'd intended. She didn't look at him, but she could feel him stiffen beside her.

"Right," Seong-je said under his breath. "Of course."

For a moment, neither of them spoke. The lecture droned on in the background like distant white noise, but the silence between them pulsed louder than any voice.

But then, as Y/N reached to plug in the projector cable, the cord slipped from her hand.

Without thinking, Seong-je caught it before it hit the ground. His hand brushed hers, a fleeting touch, brief but electric.

Y/N inhaled sharply.

Their eyes met for a second too long, both startled by the simplicity of the moment. The familiarity. The old gravity pulling them in, no matter how much they resisted.

"Thanks," she muttered quickly, pulling her hand back.

Seong-je's throat tightened. "Yeah."

And just like that, the moment passed.

After class, as students filed out, Seong-je lingered behind, but not for Y/N this time.

His eyes followed Minjae, who was talking to a few upperclassmen near the exit.

One of them laughed and clapped Minjae's shoulder. "Didn't know you were close with Baek Jin's old crew back in the day."

Minjae's face barely flickered. "It was a long time ago."

Seong-je froze in his spot.

Baek Jin?

The name hit him like ice water.

Minjae had connections to Baek Jin's circle? That wasn't some random coincidence.

But Seong-je forced himself to stay still. Calm. He couldn't jump to conclusions. The Union had scattered after Baek Jin's fall. Some members stayed underground, others simply disappeared. A connection didn't mean involvement.

Not yet.

Later that evening, Y/N found herself back in the art studio for her late elective class.

She welcomed the silence. The smell of turpentine, old wood, and faint paint soothed her frayed nerves as she worked on a large canvas.

The door creaked behind her.

She turned, surprised to see Seong-je leaning casually in the doorway.

"How'd you find me?" she asked.

He shrugged. "Jisoo."

Y/N narrowed her eyes. "Of course."

For a second, neither moved. The low hum of fluorescent lights buzzed above them.

"Relax," Seong-je said finally. "I'm not here to fight."

She crossed her arms. "Then why?"

He took a slow step inside, his voice low. "Because I keep messing this up. And today—" his voice faltered, "—I don't know how to stand by when something feels off."

Y/N exhaled through her nose. "You don't get to rescue me, Seong-je."

"I know," he whispered. "But I still worry."

For the briefest moment, her gaze softened. He wasn't demanding. He wasn't pushing. He was simply... there. Like before.

And for a heartbeat, it almost felt safe.

Then she shook her head, clearing it. "We're not those people anymore."

"I know that too."

But neither of them moved away.

Meanwhile, across campus, Minjae stood outside on a dark, empty balcony, phone pressed to his ear.

"They're both still too close," said the voice on the other end. "You'll need to accelerate things."

Minjae's jaw tightened. "Understood."

"You know what'll happen if you fail."

Minjae glanced back toward the campus, eyes narrowing. "I won't."

Back in his dorm, Seong-je sat on his bed, staring blankly at his laptop, replaying the overheard conversation from earlier.

Baek Jin's old crew.

His fingers hovered over the keyboard. He wanted to dig. To pull up old files. To piece together the fragments. But if he was wrong... dragging Y/N into this mess again would destroy her.

And if you're right?That thought haunted him more.