Hyunjin stood in the university hallway, leaning casually against the cold white wall, the sleeves of his black hoodie pushed up to his elbows. His voice was low, smooth, as he laughed at something Chan said. Leeknow had just tossed in a sarcastic remark, and even Changbin cracked a grin. It was easy, familiar — the kind of peace that only existed between people who had survived too many storms together.

“Man, I needed this,” Hyunjin said, rubbing the back of his neck. “This week’s been hell.”

Chan was mid-sentence when he stopped talking.

His eyes shifted. Stiffened.

The energy changed like a switch. Leeknow noticed it first, then Changbin.

“What is it?” Hyunjin asked, frowning.

Chan didn’t answer. He just tilted his head subtly toward the end of the hallway.

Hyunjin turned.

And then he saw her.

Yeji.

Her fingers were laced with someone else’s. Not loosely, not casually — but tight, like she wanted to be seen. The boy she held hands with leaned in, whispering something into her ear. She smiled. That familiar smile. The one she used to give Hyunjin when she thought no one else was watching.

For a second, Hyunjin couldn’t move. It wasn’t rage, not yet. It was disbelief — cold, sharp, coiled in his stomach like a fist.

Leeknow cursed under his breath. “That’s not just flirting.”

Hyunjin’s jaw clenched. “No. It’s not.”