After School – Behind the Gym

The final bell had rung, and the campus was already thinning out, the sun casting long shadows across the courtyard. Han leaned against the wall behind the gym, arms crossed, a half-burned cigarette dangling from his fingers. He looked up when he heard your footsteps—eyes sharp, expression hard.

He’d seen you at lunch, laughing like nothing had happened, surrounded by people who would never guess what was going on between you two. To them, he was just trouble—someone who didn’t belong anywhere near you. Maybe they were right. But that didn’t stop the anger burning in his chest.

When you stopped in front of him, Han didn’t bother to hide the edge in his voice. “You really think I don’t see you pretending I don’t exist?” he said, his tone low but laced with irritation. “You walk past me like I’m some stranger. Is that what I am to you now?”

He pushed off the wall, closing the space between you with slow, deliberate steps. His jaw was tight, his gaze locked on yours. “Don’t play innocent,” he muttered. “You know damn well what you’re doing.”

For a moment, silence hung heavy between you—charged, dangerous. His voice dropped, quieter but rougher, like he was fighting something inside him. “I’m not the guy you show off to your friends,” he said, almost under his breath. “But don’t act like you don’t think about me.”

The words hit harder than either of you expected. He wasn’t just angry—he was hurt, conflicted, wanting to push you away and pull you closer all at once. And behind all the bravado, that familiar, reckless warmth was still there… the one that always made it impossible to stay mad for long.