The days following the fight had been a blur. School was quieter now, but Seojoon could feel the ripple of his actions. Whispers followed him through the halls, and while some students were too afraid to look him in the eye, others admired his courage. The once-overlooked kid was now something of a legend.
But there was something different about today. As he walked into class, he found himself glancing around for one person in particular. Azalea. She had been quiet since the alleyway incident, but her soft smiles whenever their paths crossed hinted at a deeper connection.
"Seojoon, hey!" Minjun's voice broke him from his thoughts.
He turned to see Minjun waving from a few desks away, a grin on his face. Hana was beside him, though she didn't meet Seojoon's gaze. Her smile was tight, more out of politeness than warmth.
"Hey, Minjun," Seojoon said, sitting down next to them. "What's up?"
"Not much," Minjun replied casually, then leaned in a little closer. "You know, I saw Azalea after class yesterday. She said thank you again. I think she really appreciated what you did."
Seojoon felt a warmth rise in his chest at the mention of her. "It's no problem. She was in trouble. Anyone would've helped."
Minjun chuckled. "Yeah, but not everyone would've fought two guys in an alley. You've got some serious guts, man."
Seojoon shrugged, but his thoughts kept drifting back to Azalea.
The bell rang, and as the teacher began the lesson, Seojoon found his gaze wandering to the back of the room. There, sitting by the window, was Azalea. She was staring out, her expression distant. It was hard not to notice the way she seemed to light up when their eyes met.
Later, as lunch came around, Seojoon found himself standing by the gates of the school, waiting for Azalea. His palms were slightly sweaty, but he pushed the feeling aside. He had no reason to be nervous. They were just talking.
As Azalea approached, her presence seemed to pull the air around them into focus.
"Hey," she greeted, her voice soft but warm.
"Hey," Seojoon replied, feeling a strange flutter in his chest. "Want to grab lunch?"
She smiled, her eyes lighting up in a way that made Seojoon's heart race. "Yeah, I'd like that."
They walked together to the nearby café, a quiet spot a few blocks away from school where they could sit and talk without the noise of the campus.
"So," Seojoon began as they sat down at a small corner table, "how've you been? After… everything?"
Azalea shrugged, but Seojoon noticed the tension in her shoulders, the way her fingers fidgeted with the edge of her sleeve. "I've been alright. You know, just trying to get through the usual stuff. School's been… stressful lately."
Seojoon raised an eyebrow. "School's stressful for everyone."
She smiled faintly. "Yeah, but it's different when you're trying to keep everything together and not show the cracks."
Seojoon nodded, understanding more than she knew. He'd spent years hiding the hurt of being bullied, the pain of feeling weak. But here, with Azalea, he didn't feel the need to hide.
"What about you?" Azalea asked, her eyes searching his. "How's life treating you?"
A small smile tugged at Seojoon's lips. "It's… better. I've been trying to keep my head down, stay out of trouble."
"You've been doing well at that," she teased gently. "The whole school's talking about you."
Seojoon snorted. "Great. Just what I need."
Azalea laughed, the sound light and carefree. It was the first time in a long while that Seojoon felt at ease with someone.
But as they continued to talk, he couldn't help but notice the quiet presence of someone else. Hana had walked into the café with Minjun, her eyes landing on him instantly. She didn't approach, but Seojoon could feel her gaze, the tension in the air as she glanced between him and Azalea.
"Everything alright?" Azalea asked, her voice pulling Seojoon's attention back to her.
"Yeah," he replied, forcing a smile. "Just… I think Hana's in here, too."
Azalea's eyes flickered toward Hana, then back to Seojoon. She smiled faintly, as though understanding something unspoken. "You two have a history, huh?"
Seojoon hesitated. "Something like that."
Azalea's gaze softened, a hint of empathy in her eyes. "It's complicated, huh?"
Seojoon chuckled, though there was no humor in it. "Yeah, you could say that."
They continued their lunch in relative silence, but the atmosphere had shifted. Seojoon couldn't help but feel a pull toward Azalea. It was strange—he had always been the one hiding, keeping his distance. But with her, he felt like he could be more than just the kid who was bullied.
When they finished eating and stood to leave, Seojoon was surprised by how quickly the time had passed.
Azalea stopped at the door, turning to him with a shy smile. "Thanks again, Seojoon. For everything."
"No need to thank me," he replied, his heart pounding. "I'm just glad you're okay."
She smiled, then turned to leave, her figure disappearing into the bustling street.
Seojoon lingered for a moment, staring after her. Something inside him was stirring—a feeling he couldn't quite name yet.
As he walked back to school, his thoughts were scattered, but one thing was clear: no matter how much he tried to fight it, things were changing.
And maybe that was exactly what he needed.