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Yoon-Ji made her way to the dimly lit lobby, whereupon a plaster statue of a woman was displayed. The sole spotlight adorned her figure, giving it an ethereal glow that illuminated the night scene. She was so drawn to the art that, for a moment, she almost forgot about her true objectives.
Only once she noticed a sign by the statue did she remember what she was intending to do. 'Right, I need to find Kyung-Jun and get my phone back.'
As Yoon-Ji scanned the lobby, her mind replayed the moment Kyung-Jun swiped her phone and disappeared into the crowd. Annoyance gnawed at her, baffled by his sudden decision to mess with her night.
"Just what is his deal?" she muttered under her breath, clutching her bag tightly. Was it because of their ruckus in the afternoon? Or was it something else entirely? As she's pondering, jus then, a familiar figure, Kim Jun-Hee, materialized beside her, focused on scanning a QR code on his phone.
After successfully scanning the code, he registered the presence beside him, sensing the unbridled confusion. He turned to her with a concerned expression. "What's wrong?" he inquired gently.
Yoon-Ji hesitated briefly before deciding to confide in Jun-Hee about Kyung-Jun's antics. She knew she could trust him; after all, he was known for his reliability, and active leadership. She gave him a recount of the incident where Kyung-Jun brazenly snatched her phone while she was about to message her father. She described how he did so, and all the things the male had said to try– though she doubted it would work so– contextualizing the action.
After hearing everything, Jun-Hee's lips formed a disapproving line as he glanced in the direction Kyung-Jun had disappeared with his cronies. "Don't worry, I'll handle it," he assured Yoon-Ji.
Grateful for his support, Yoon-Ji breathed a sigh of relief and told him directly she could join him to help. Jun-Hee seemed to consider it for a moment, but before she could get her answer they were joined by two other classmates, Yoon-Seo and Jung-Won, who had observed the interaction from afar.
"What's going on?" inquired Yoon-Seo, her gentle gaze shifting between Jun-Hee and Yoon-Ji, concern evident in her voice. "Yoon, We saw Kyung-Jun bothering you earlier. Is everything okay?"
Yoon-Ji affirmed the observation, earning a disgruntled remark from the normally quiet Jung-Won. "That guy is insufferable."
Yoon-Seo's frown deepened as she empathized with Yoon-Ji, whom they regarded as one of the most decent individuals in their class. Though they weren't particularly close, Yoon-Seo admired Yoon-Ji's amiable nature and wondered why she was being targeted.
However, Yoon-Seo also understood that for someone like Kyung-Jun, causing trouble might outweigh any consideration for decency.
Yoon-Seo passed her phone to Yoon-Ji, a gesture of kindness that momentarily eased the latter's racing thoughts. Grateful for the distraction, she quickly typed a message on the device, her heart fluttering with anticipation as she awaited her father's response. But as the minutes passed with only a single view, a wave of unease washed over her.
