The Welcoming Party had started, and we all gathered in the department hall room. Jinwoo had been glued to my side the entire day, which was beyond weird. Normally, he'd be bouncing around, talking to everyone, but today? It was like he was someone else. Everything about this timeline was off.
He sat beside me, his presence felt kind of uncomfortable. I was trying my best to move on from him already. The room buzzed with conversation, but all I could feel was Jinwoo's eyes on me. "Aera, do you think I'm annoying?"
I turned to him, completely caught off guard. "You're seriously asking me that? I told you last night, stop sticking around me. But here you are, still doing it." I tried to keep my voice calm, but it slipped into frustration. "Just be yourself, please. Go talk to people. Stop this."
His expression hardened, and his voice dropped. "I don't know what's gotten into you, but you're hurting my feelings, Aera."
I pretended to roll my eyes. "I don't want to act like this either. So, just… go."
"I'm not going."
"Well, then enjoy yourself," I said, standing abruptly. "I'll go."
Before I could walk away, Jinwoo grabbed my hand, yanking me back. Eyes from all around the room darted toward us. I could feel people whispering, watching. My heart raced with embarrassment and anger.
"What are you doing?" A sharp voice cut through this awkwardness.. I turned to see Lee Yumi approaching us, her eyes cold and focused on Jinwoo's hand gripping mine.
That's right! Lee Yumi, even though I wasn't close to her, I could remember her being the sweetheart in the campus, with people calling her the Princess of Computer Science & Engineering Department.
Jinwoo looked at her, not letting go. "Who the hell are you?"
"Lee Yumi," she replied. "Unfortunately, your classmate."
Jinwoo scoffed. "Mind your business, Lee Yumi. I'm talking to Aera."
Yumi crossed her arms, her voice like ice. "She doesn't seem like she wants to talk to you, does she? Why are you being a creep?"
Jinwoo stepped toward her, his jaw tightening. There was something wild in his eyes, something I'd never seen before. Anger. Real anger. "Get your ass out of here girl, before I make you."
I froze. Jinwoo had never been like this. He was always the sweet, talkative guy. What the hell was happening? Why, no actually, how could someone change that much!
"Jinwoo, watch your mouth!" I said, stepping forward, trying to pull him back.
But Yumi wasn't fazed. She smirked, almost daring him to try something. "You think you're tough? Someone didn't beat enough sense into you. Maybe I'll fix that. I'll rip that nasty tongue right out of your mouth so that it won't smell like trash."
Oh god, what was she doing? She was provoking him. I could see Jinwoo's face fueling with rage.
"You bitch!" he spat, moving toward her with his fists clenched.
Before he could take another step, a hand slammed against his chest, shoving him back. Sunghoon stood between them, his face cold as steel. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"
Jinwoo, blinded by rage, swung his fist toward Sunghoon, but another hand caught his arm mid-swing. Bohyun. He had slipped into the scene so quietly, his one hand gripping Jinwoo's arm, the other casually holding an Iced Americano. His eyes, hidden under his messy hair, briefly glanced at me before fixing on Jinwoo.
"Seniors are coming," Bohyun said calmly, his grip on Jinwoo still strong. "You really want to start this circus right now?"
Jinwoo ripped his arm away, cursing under his breath, but backed off, storming to the other side of the hall. The tension broke slightly, but my heart was still pounding.
Sunghoon immediately turned to Yumi, his expression softening in an instant. "You okay?"
"I'm fine," Yumi said with a slight grin. "I just wish I could've kicked him in his balls." Sunghoon let out a low cough, caught off guard by her bluntness.
Bohyun, meanwhile, glanced at me from under his dark fringe. "You sure have a way of finding trouble," he muttered, barely audible.
Before I could respond, the sound of clapping hands interrupted us. "Alright, alright! Settle down, everyone!" someone called out from the front. "The seniors are here!"
We quickly shuffled back to our seats. I found myself sitting between Yumi and Bohyun, and Sunghoon sat next to Yumi, who kept sneaking glances at her. It was obvious he liked her. The way he watched her, the way his face softened whenever he looked at her—it wasn't just concern. He was hooked.
At first, Bohyun tried to move to the corner, but before he could, Sunghoon shot him a look. One of those silent guy codes: Get your ass back here. I need to sit next to Yumi. Bohyun sighed heavily, giving up: Alright. Have your moment please, and slumped back down in the seat next to me.
My eyes flickered over to Bohyun. I glanced down at his iced Americano and smirked. "I thought you didn't like iced Americano."
His deep voice rumbled back at me, barely a whisper. "It isn't as bad as I thought."
"See? I got you hooked on a new favorite drink," I teased, nudging him lightly.
He didn't respond, just nodded, his eyes distant as usual.
. . .
SNU's Computer Science & Engineering Department was famous for being the friendliest. As soon as the seniors strolled in, the room turned into a game of musical chairs—everyone on their feet, bowing like we were in front of royalty. But among them, there was one person I couldn't look away from. Jung Gyuri, the Queen herself. There she was, perfect as always. I swear, if angels were real, they'd all look like her. She had this glow—inside, outside, whatever-side.
Freshmen started introducing themselves one by one. Then, Jinwoo stood up. He bowed, his movements stiff, every eye immediately locked on him—and not just because he was speaking. His face was a mess of bruises.
"Hello, everyone. My name is Jeon Jinwoo. I'm from Busan but grew up in Seoul. Nice to meet you all."
The whispers were immediate. I could see Senior Ahn Sungjae narrowing his eyes at the sight of him. "Have you been to the hospital yet? You don't exactly look like you're fresh off a vacation," Sungjae Sunbae quipped, his tone both sharp and concerned.
Jinwoo's jaw clenched. "I'm fine, sunbae. Just got a little treatment, that's all." Then Jinwoo's eyes flicked over to me.
My stomach sank. Oh no. What's this guy doing? Is he seriously trying to drag me into his mess right now?
Seniors' eyes followed Jinwoo's stare straight to me. Sungjae Sunbae's gaze lingered longer than I liked. And then he smirked. Great. Just great. Now they think we're something liketogether.
I dropped my gaze, pretending I found my shoes fascinating.
Next to me, Bohyun was still quietly sipping his iced americano, eyes glued to the floor like the whole thing didn't even interest him. I glanced at him, wondering for the hundredth time why he even showed up. He clearly wasn't interested in the social scene.
"I see," Sungjae finally said, dragging his eyes back to Jinwoo. "But seriously, go to the hospital. You look like crap. I'll go with you if you want."
Jinwoo nodded stiffly, sitting back down. It wasn't long before Bohyun's turn came. Before Bohyun could say a word, Kwon Jaewook, another senior, leaned forward with an eyebrow raised. "Wait, wait, wait. Did you two fight? You look worse than Jinwoo. What's your name, bruiser?"
"Park Bohyun," he replied, his voice as cold as ice.
I saw Jinwoo glance at him, his face twisted in something I couldn't tell. Bohyun didn't even bother looking back.
What's with these two?Bohyun wasn't the type to fight, and neither was Jinwoo. Why Jinwoo isn't saying anything? I'm not saying that he'd just tell people that his dad abused him but come on- make up some excuses.
Sungjae sunbae glanced between Jinwoo, Bohyun, and then—yup, back to me, smirking again like he had some grand theory about all of us.
This guy. Seriously. I could practically see the thoughts swirling behind his smirk: What kind of drama are these three wrapped up in?
"It's only been two days," Sungjae said, shrugging. "Don't go looking for trouble so soon, boys."
And then Gyuri sunbae spoke. Her voice, as soft and concerned as always, felt like a hug wrapped in sound. "You two should really get checked out. Sungjae can go with you if you need help. Bohyun, you look like you're about to pass out. If you need to leave early, it's okay."
Bohyun, finally fed up, raised his head. His eyes narrowed, but his voice stayed steady. "Thank you for your concern, sunbae, but I'm fine. I have other plans after this. Also," he shot a cold look at Jinwoo, "I don't even know this guy. Why would I fight someone I don't even know? Let's not jump to conclusions."
The silence that followed was thick enough to cut. Everyone froze, unsure whether to laugh or look concerned. Bohyun sat down like he hadn't just roasted the entire room.
"Good to know," Jaewook sunbae muttered, eyebrows still raised.
When it was finally my turn to introduce myself, nothing eventful happened. Just a quick bow, a few polite words, and back to my seat. The rest of the intros were a blur after that.