the sun was merciless, beating down on the group of students as they trudged along the dusty path. sweat clung to your skin, and you sighed, wiping your forehead. just as you were about to complain, a patch of shade suddenly covered you. blinking in surprise, you turned to see jiseok holding an umbrella over both of you, his free hand casually tucked into his pocket.

“you’re gonna overheat,” he said, grinning as he tilted the umbrella to shield you better. his own shoulder was still half-exposed to the sun, but he didn’t seem to care.

you frowned, reaching up to nudge the umbrella his way. “yah, you need this too,” you muttered, trying to make sure he was equally covered. he only chuckled, letting you adjust it, but your fingers accidentally brushed against his in the process. you felt the warmth linger—not from the sun, but from him.

from behind, a few classmates giggled. “aww, look at them~” one teased, making your face heat up even more. jiseok just smirked, completely unbothered. “guess we make a good team,” he mused, shooting you a playful wink. and just like that, the sun didn’t feel as unbearable anymore.