| n i n e t e e n |

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Saturday|| end of the trip.
6:20 pm

Seunghee stretched out her arms as she got out of the bus after finally arriving at their school. She took a moment to wake herself up and looked over at the side of the bus where their luggages were kept.

Exhausted, she dragged her own feet through the small crowd of students and collected her luggage, letting out a yawn after. "Alright students, I know you're very tired right now, so please call your parents and go home as soon as possible. It's cold as well."

Mrs. Jeong adjusted her bag before continuing. "I hope you had a fun trip. We'll see you after the winter break. Make sure to do your winter break assignment okay?"
"Yess...!" The students would respond, some soulless due to the tiredness and some cheerful due to the happiness.

"Keep in touch at our class group chat as well. Rest well this winter break cause, exams are next." She gave a small smirk as the students whined.
"Ahh don't remind me that." One complained.
"Man I'm doomed already." The other sighs.

The teacher chuckled and shook her head. "No pressure, think about it when you come back to school. Enjoy your break, but don't forget your assignment. I'll get going, call your parents and go home!"

Half of the students bowed and bid her good-bye. "Thank you for the trip! Go home safely." They said politely as she smiled and bowed back, leaving the school gates.

With all that information in Seunghee's mind, she looked over at Hyunjin with a smile. "Giant! I'm going! Goodnight." She quickly moved on to walk towards the gate, dragging her luggage along with the thought of her own bed and sleep.

The warmness of her room surrounding her gently and the thought of jumping into her bed, to sink into the soft and fluffy comforters of hers. She imagined herself becoming one with the blanket, eventually turning into a burrito herself as she falls into dreamland.

But Hyunjin grabbed her sleeves, pulling her backwards. This made her thoughts about resting fade away and instead wonder why she was suddenly going backwards.

The girl knit her eyebrows in confusion, her eyes constantly blinked as she looked at the boy whose hands were still gripping onto her sleeve.

"Why?-."
"Where are you going?"
"Home."
"Let me walk you home."

Seunghee hummed for a second then smiled. "No thanks, I'm good."
"I didn't ask." Hyunjin let go of her sleeves then took his own luggage and started to walk ahead of her.

She sighed while looking at the figure of the boy going ahead. "Well? Come along then." He looks back at her.

Seunghee was too tired to even argue so she just shrugged it off and followed him anyways. "Which side is the way to your house?"
"Right."

"Giant-."
"Hm?"
"Don't you know that I usually walk at night later than this time-."

He shrugged. "I don't wanna go home yet plus you're sleepy enough so might as well watch over you." He said as the girl yawns softly. "Well suit yourself then."

They continued walking as the silence surrounds them, both of them were too tired to even start a conversation. Or- maybe it was just Seunghee who was tired as the boy was usually quiet just like this.

Once again she yawned. "Ahh I can't wait to go to sleep." She mumbles as the boy next to her snickered. "Are you that tired?"
She just nods in response.

Silence continued to flow around the atmosphere as the gentleman, Hyunjin, understood her current state. The bus didn't let her sleep, she was too anxious the whole trip back to Seoul and he did all he could do was distract her.

That just made her even more tired, but still, she was glad to have someone to distract her along the way. Usually it was like this for her, she has such panic attacks whenever she rides a vehicle. That's why she always preferred to walk.

Hyunjin didn't know the reason, but helped anyways.

After a few minutes, the girl finally stopped her tracks, allowing the boy to stop as well.

"Well- we're here. That's my apartment." Seunghee nodded her head towards the building as Hyunjin exhaled, looking up at the building. "Are your parents home?"
"No-."

She took a deep breathe and let out a shaky one then repeated the same answer. "No."
"Well- alright." Hyunjin slid his two hands into his jacket's pocket, not wanting to stress her out.

"Anyways- thank you." He continued. "For telling me to come to the trip. It was fun." He smiles a bit as the girl chuckles a bit. "I told you so."

Seunghee then reached her hand out to pat the taller boy's hair, gently. "Thank you as well, giant."
"For?"
"Walking me home." She snickered as his smile grew. A smile that was bright formed as his eyes perfectly turned into crescents, completely paring the beautiful smile. Never in her life did she remember seeing him smile like this again and it made her own heart stop beating.

As a reflex, she started to withdraw her own hand and gulped slightly. "No- cause- I mean- so- uh- well- I'll get going then." Seunghee malfunctioned, but 'managed' to cool it off as the boy nods in understanding, just thinking that she was tired and all.

"Ah right, sure. Thank you again. Rest well." He took his hand away from his pockets to wave at her.

"You too. Go home safely." Seunghee waved back awkwardly, turning away to head into her apartment. "Ah I must've been crazy." She mumbled once she closed the main door of the building.

Seunghee shook her head as she kept remembering his smile, fluttering her heart more than ever. "Stop it stop it, ah this is crazy. I can't like him again." She mumbled to her own self while going into the elevator.

The smile he gave as she stroke her hand on his hair kept replaying over and over in her head. Seunghee released an exhale. "I'm crazy." She gently muttered over and over.

"Excuse me... miss..?" A boy said out of nowhere as the girl was too busy rewinding the 'small' moment. "H-Huh? Yeah?" Her head shot up, being greeted by a cute boy, who seemed to be younger than her.

The boy giggled quietly and shyly before pointing over at the elevator's buttons. "Uhm. Which floor are you going to?"

"O-oh uh, eight- the eighth floor please." She scratched her head awkwardly as the boy then nodded, pressing on that floor. The boy then leaned back at the side, humming softly.

Seunghee then suddenly wondered, looking at the boy. "Hey- are- are you- new?" She tilted her head then shook it afterwards, continuing, "Ah sorry I just- I never saw you here before."

"Oh- yeah- I am actually. My family and I moved here just last week."
"Ah alrig-."

Ding.

"Oh sorry that's my floor." The younger one bowed politely. "See you again." He flashes a heartwarming smile before leaving at the sixth floor.

Seunghee was then left behind smiling to herself like an idiot. "Haha... double kill." She mumbled to herself as the elevator's door closed.

'How many smiles do I need to see? Does the universe want my heart to actually explode?'

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