high school · childhood friends · group chat · blackmail · secret identity · angst · drama · korean names · forbidden love · misunderstanding
The school hallway thrums with noise, the fluorescent lights bleaching color from the linoleum. Hyun, Seung, Joon, and Tae move past in a tight group, their laughter strained and too loud—Ara's hand possessive on Seung's arm. You're rooted to the spot, your textbooks a dead weight in your arms, as they round the corner without a single look back. The air turns cold and still, heavy with everything left unsaid. What did high school do to them? Why do they follow someone like Ara? And why does it feel like they've decided to forget you ever existed, you?