#sarang

That's exactly why I've decided to write this guide.

A complete, thoroughly researched, definitely foolproof manual on how to get your crush to like you back.

Now, before we begin, I'd like to clarify something.

No, I am not an expert.

No, I have never dated anyone.

Yes, the person this guide is based on still doesn't know about all of this.

And yes, maybe I'm just writing this for fun and shouldn't take myself seriously.

HOWEVER!

Based on my extensive knowledge of romance mangas and anime, I'll make sure this guide works to whoever I hand this notebook to next!

Hopefully.

-

Ryu Sarang scribbled the last few words with an exaggerated flourish before clicking her pen back up.

Satisfied with her masterpiece, she leaned back in her chair and admired the page.

Across the top, written in large block letters, was the title.

Crush Course into Love!

The corners of the notebook were already worn despite only existing for three weeks. Half the pages were filled with notes from other classes, but this half was reserved for observations, crossed-out plans, ideas that made sense only to her, and enough side notes to resemble an engineer's blueprint.

Her headphones quietly played music into her ears while the classroom buzzed with the usual morning chatter.

Desks scraped against the floor.

Someone complained about the math quiz as they walked past.

A group near the windows argued over yesterday's basketball game.

None of it held her attention for very long.

Her gaze drifted upward, settling a few rows ahead.

There he was.

Hwang (YN)

He sat near the windows, lazily spinning a mechanical pencil between his fingers while reading over a worksheet. Every now and then, one of his friends would say something, earning an amused chuckle before he shook his head and replied.

For reasons she couldn't quite explain, Sarang liked that laugh.

It wasn't loud enough to dominate the classroom, nor was it the kind that made everybody turn their head at him.

It was simply genuine.

The corners of his eyes narrowed ever so slightly whenever his smiled, and somehow that alone was enough to make her forget whatever she'd been writing.

Realizing she'd been staring again, Sarang immediately ducked her head and looked back at her notebook before anyone could notice.

Her pen hurriedly scribbled another note beneath the page.

-

Step 1: Get noticed!

That's easier said than done and maybe I should've titled it any other way.

Hm.

Maybe I should rename it to ‘make sure they know you!’

But oh well.

Anyways, that is the ideal first step. 

If they don't know who you are, then it's the perfect time to leave a good impression!

Or if they already do know you, you just have to make sure to have them think positively of you.

How could you do this?

It's simple, really.

And that is to become someone they'd naturally want to talk to.

Now, before your brain starts making up ridiculous ideas, let me stop you.

You do not need to dramatically save them from an incoming truck in the middle of traffic.

You do not need to transfer into their class halfway through the semester while cherry blossoms float dramatically through the air.

And unless your school is somehow set in an anime, you shouldn't jump the fence when you're late for class and land on them.

Life is disappointingly stubborn like that.

The goal isn't to become the main character, it's to become familiar with each other.

Become someone whose face they recognize.

Someone they think, "I've seen him around before. Maybe I should talk to them.”

Now I could come up with…alright ways to try and do this.

Method 1: Sitting next to them

This is the most simple and effective and doesn't need speaking, at first at least.

Most of your interactions could start like this and it'll land you more plus points if you're next to them during a lab subject.

Though there is one glaring flaw in this.

Teachers, most of the time, depend on seating arrangements whether it be based on your last name or the teacher's mood.

But if the stars have somehow aligned and you're sitting next to them, then that's the perfect time to strike up a conversation which now leads me to the next method if they haven't.

Method 2: Ask to borrow things from them.

If you’re not really sure how to start a conversation with them, then this is the way to go!

You could ask for anything.

Maybe try asking for a sharpener before a quiz, a pen for writing down notes, correction tape, anything that people usually forget at home.

But just make sure to return it to them right after.

You really don’t want to be known as the person who steals pens.

The plus side to this is that you could possibly have another conversation with them right after.

“Oh, here’s your pen by the way.” 

“Thanks,”

Once they take it, that’s your chance to strike.

“The test was really hard wasn’t it? Could barely solve the last few equations in time.”

From there, just let the conversation happen naturally.

Maybe they'll agree, or maybe they'll complain about a different question, maybe they'll even ask how you answered one of the problems.

Whatever happens, don't lose your nerve and don’t treat it like you're interviewing them.

Remember! 

A conversation is supposed to bounce back and forth.

It shouldn’t be an awkward mix of ‘um’s, oh’s and yeah’s’ before one of you stares at the floor and walks away.

Another important thing.

Please listen to what they're saying.

Don't spend the entire conversation thinking about what your next sentence should be and actually pay attention.

People generally appreciate being listened to.

Maybe I should drill that into my head too.

-

Sarang looked up from her notebook again for a brief moment to steal another glance.

It was only supposed to be a second, just enough to see what he was doing before she went back to writing but the same thing happened whenever she did, she found herself watching.

(YN) had long since abandoned the worksheet in front of him. One of their classmates had wandered over to his desk, asking something that prompted him to sit up in his chair. He listened without interrupting, nodding every so often before pointing at a question on the paper.

This has been her life for the past two years of high school.

It almost became a skill how her eyes would instinctively search for him the moment he stepped into the room, how she noticed which seat he preferred when the teachers let them pick, how she noticed he was left-handed because she looked over often as he wrote and finally, how she could recognize his laugh from anywhere in the room without even looking.

It wasn't always like this.

Sarang hadn't simply walked into high school, scanned the classroom, and randomly decided that one particular boy would occupy far too much space in her thoughts for the next two years.

There had to be a beginning, some sort of catalyst.

Something small enough to be forgettable for everyone else yet memorable enough to quietly change everything for her.

And that beginning dated back to their first year of high school.

-

Sarang had just transferred into the school after moving from Busan to the capital.

Back then, she didn't know the people she called her friends today, and every person she passed in the hallway was a stranger whose name she hadn't yet learned.

Everything felt unfamiliar.

The classrooms were bigger than the ones at her old school, the hallways were much louder and bustled more with life, heck even the bell sounded different.

She'd expected the move to be difficult with it being in the middle of the year but she didn’t account for the feeling of being so…out of place.

On her first days, she went around the school with seemingly new people after every period. Some pointed to where each room was, where the bathrooms were as well as the offices if she needed it.

Then when PE eventually came, everybody seemed to be in their own bubble.

Sarang stood near the edge of the gym, clutching the borrowed P.E. uniform she'd changed into moments earlier. 

She didn't know where to stand or rather, she didn't know who to stand with.

Around her, everyone naturally drifted toward the friends they'd known for months while she stayed where she was.

Thankfully enough, the teacher only ordered them to do basic exercises for the time being so she didn’t mind standing near the back despite her height.

When everything was said and done, they were then instructed to return to the storage room by the end of the gym.

Sarang decided to help as she gathered the last few orange cones into her arms, stacking them carefully until they reached just below her chin.

A few other students carried basketballs and jump ropes toward the equipment room while the rest of the class wandered back onto the court, already talking about what they were getting for lunch which was after their next period.

The storage room’s heavy metal door was propped open, revealing rows of shelves packed with volleyballs, badminton rackets, folded mats, and enough sports equipment to outfit several classes at once if need be.

Sarang stepped inside.

It was surprisingly cooler than the gym, much cooler than she expected.

She crouched beside one of the shelves and neatly placed the cones where she had seen the teacher take them from earlier.

As she straightened up, she heard the metal door behind her creak.

Then—

Bang!

The sound echoed louder than it should have, startling the girl as her shoulders jolted up.

Sarang looked at the door and blinked as she slowly realized what happened.

The door was closed.

She walked over and reached for the handle but it stayed shut even when she twisted and pushed the door.

Her lips frowned, thinking it was just stuck.

She used more force yet it still yielded with nothing.

"That's...not funny." she said, a tiny and confused laugh escaping her.

"Hello?" She tried calling out but her voice could barely carry itself through the thick door.

She knocked once, then twice, then a little harder for the third time as the sound of the chain rattled out.

The only answer was the muffled echo of whistles and sneakers squeaking against the gym floor outside until she heard the sound of the gym doors opening then closing right after.

Sarang's expression slowly stiffened. 

She hurriedly knocked again, this time with both hands. 

"Hello!"

The thick steel swallowed her voice before it could travel very far.

She then pressed an ear against the door only to be met by silence.

Outside, the students filed out one by one to get back and change in the next building beside the gym when one of them paused.

(YN) turned to one of their classmates walking beside him.

“Hey, have you seen the new transfer student?” 

His eyes looked through the others walking in front of them.

“Huh? I haven’t seen her since we started doing warm-ups.”

“I thought she was one of the few ones that left the gym first.” Another said from his side.

“What? No, I saw her putting the cones away.” The other boy replied.

“Putting the cones away?” (YN)'s brows drew together. 

The three boys instinctively slowed to a stop.

One of them shrugged. "Yeah. She carried the last stack into the storage room." 

For a second, nobody said anything then he looked back toward the now empty gymnasium.

He looked back outside as the teacher walked away with the keys dangling from his hand.

“Mister Kim, wait!”

The P.E. teacher stopped halfway across the courtyard and turned around.

"Hm?"

"Mister Kim... did the new transfer student ever come back out of the storage room?" (YN) jogged over, slightly out of breath from hurrying after him.

"The transfer student?" The teacher asked.

"The girl from Busan. She’s about this tall, had a ponytail earlier, and pretty wide eyes." You tried explaining with your hands the best they could.

"I...don't think I saw her." He turned his head for a brief moment, furrowing his brows.

"She was the one putting the cones away." One of the boys behind (YN) pointed back to the gym as the one next to him nodded along.

"Could I borrow the storage room keys for a moment?"

The teacher looked down at the keyring in his hand before looking back at the students.

"...Why?"

"I just want to check."

"You think she's still in there?"

(YN) hesitated.

"I don't know." (YN) hesitated.

It sounded ridiculous when said out loud.

Who accidentally got locked inside the equipment room?

Yet something about it bothered him.

If someone had seen her carrying the cones, and nobody had seen her come back out, where else could she be.

"Just in case," he said.

"Come on." The teacher studied his expression for another second before letting out a small sigh. "If she's actually inside, that's on me." He gestured for them to follow instead of handing over the keys.

The small group quickly followed their steps toward the gym.

The building felt strangely empty now that every class had already left. Their footsteps echoed across the polished wooden floor as they crossed the basketball court.

The equipment room waited at the far end exactly as they'd left it with the heavy steel door remained shut.

The teacher walked up first and held the lock that wrapped around the door knob from the outside. 

After unwrapping the chain and opening the door, (YN) stepped in first.

Then he found her.

Sarang was sitting on one of the folded gym mats with her knees drawn up, more out of boredom than fear by now. The moment light poured into the room, she looked up so quickly that she almost stood too fast.

Her eyes widened as they landed on him.

“There!” Shouted one of the boys.

“She’s actually there,” The other said.

For a brief second, everyone simply stared at each other.

"You..." Her voice came out softer than she intended. "...opened it."

"Oh my goodness." The teacher sighed out loudly while he hurried inside, his face immediately filling with guilt. "I'm so sorry. I know I shouldn’t have let the others lock the door." 

“Thankfully she wasn’t stuck her for a long time,”

“Yeah, we got her out in time.”

The realization came to her at the strangest possible moment.

The teacher was apologizing.

The boys were laughing in relief with one of them already joking about how worried they were.

Yet beneath all of those overlapping voices...

Not a single one of them had called her by name. None of them actually knew her, maybe it was just by pure luck that they turned back to find her.

"I'm really sorry," the teacher said. "You must've been frightened."

Sarang gave a small shake of her head.

"I was just... confused."

"I'll make sure this never happens again." He bowed his head solemnly.

"Thank you." She returned it politely.

The teacher let out another guilty sigh before turning toward the students behind him.

"Alright, everyone. Let's head back."

The group began filing out of the storage room.

Sarang lingered for half a second before following.

As she stepped outside, sunlight washed over her again after being surrounded by the dim gym and hardwood floor.

She blinked against the brightness once she stepped outside.

"You okay, Sarang?"

The voice came from beside her.

She turned and found (YN).

He'd slowed down enough that they ended up walking side by side while everyone else was a few steps ahead.

"I'm fine." she gave a tiny nod.

"You weren't in there for too long, were you?"

"I don't think so."

"Good.”

Sarang folded her arms in front of her only to turn her head back as she realized.

“You just said my name.” 

"Yeah?" He raised a brow.

"You..." Sarang looked at him with an expression somewhere between disbelief and confusion. "...you know my name?"

“Of course I do.” He tilted his head slightly, as if the question itself had caught him off guard. "You're Ryu Sarang.” He scratched the back of his neck, looking almost embarrassed.

When he said her name again, there was no hesitation, no pause to remember as if he simply knew. 

“I—” she struggled to say the words in her head. “We’ve never talked before.” 

“Yeah, not really.”

"So... how?"

He looked at her for a moment before smiling, the kind of small, casual smile that suggested he genuinely hadn't realized this was unusual.

"Ms. Lee introduced you on your first day.”

Sarang looked back at him.

“She said you transferred from Busan and let you sit beside the windows on your first few days.”

She could feel the warmth rushing across her cheeks.

“You never really raise your voice when attendance is called out.”

“I—” She managed out.

“Ah, you're a part of our class so…” he said with an awkward chuckle. “I figured I should at least remember your name.” 

-

Sarang could still remember the small smile he had up to this day.

For her first few weeks, she had convinced herself that she was invisible.

She had believed she was just another unfamiliar face drifting through a classroom that had already decided where everyone belonged.

Until someone proved her wrong, not with some grand gesture, not by dramatically pulling her away from danger or declaring himself her first friend.

He had simply remembered her.

That tiny act somehow slipped through her carefully built walls around herself.

For the rest of that afternoon and in each day after, she found herself replaying the same conversation while she pretended to listen in class.

His words still echoed in her head with irritating resilience.

How embarrassing.

She'd spent days worrying that people didn't even know she existed while the boy she'd never spoken to before had known her name from the very beginning.

And that was what made him special to her.

Since then, she started noticing him a lot more.

She noticed when he stayed behind to stack chairs after class.

Noticed when he greeted the cafeteria workers before taking his lunch.

Noticed how teachers trusted him enough to hand him attendance sheets without asking twice.

And noticed that he laughed harder when someone else made a joke than when he made one himself.

She looked back down at the open page.

-

It's safe to say that I'm past this step.

But you can do it too, imaginary person i’m giving this to!

Actually…maybe don't use me as a perfect example for this.

I'm writing this as I've spent my first year being in step one. 

Then I spent the next year being in step two.

Which leads me to—

Step 2: Become Friends!

Congratulations, they know you exist!

Now here's where things get difficult.

The good news is that you don't have to become best friends overnight.

The bad news is that friendship doesn't also form after one quick conversation so I'm telling you right now that you're going to have to talk to them.

A lot.

Fortunately for you, school gets you through this in many ways.

Method 1: Group Projects

Again, this happens by chance but you should take your chance when it does happen because whoever came up with these also came up with the greatest wingman for romance in education.

Think about it.

Teachers force people together and nobody questions anything because you're going to suffer altogether the same.

But just don't spend the whole time just staring at them without contributing anything to the project at least.

Believe it or not, freeloading isn't very romantic.

Now for an example…

-

Their first group project with him was during their biology class during the second semester of our second year.

It took a while but they were finally grouped together.

Now it was four of them in the group, Sarang, (YN) and two of their other classmates and somehow, in some odd way the first ten minutes started off as if all of them forgot how to talk.

They all glanced at each other, waiting for one of them to finally take initiative.

Sarang kept her eyes fixed on the assignment sheet.

‘Maybe I should ask what everyone's names are.’

She shook her head.

No, she already knew who everyone was.

‘Maybe I should ask what part they want to do.’

She nodded weakly.

Right, that sounded like a better idea.

When she was about to speak, she heard him clear his throat beside her.

“Should we get started?” he asked, looking around their desks that formed a small circle.

The other two classmates nodded in agreement before nudging closer.

Sarang gasped in a breath when he suddenly leaned in to look at the sheet where the questions were.

“Why don't we divide the questions so we can finish faster?” he asked again.

Sarang looked up briefly as he glanced at her.

She froze for exactly half a second before remembering that he'd asked everyone a question.

"...I think that's a good idea," she answered, perhaps a little too quickly.

He smiled and gave a small nod.

"Alright."

He picked up the worksheet, his eyes scanning over the page again.

"There are twelve questions." he lightly tapped the paper with the back of his pen. “You two can work on the first half.”

He looked at their two classmates before his eyes went back to the girl sitting next to him with the same soft look he always seemed to have.

“Then Sarang and I could work on the other half.” 

-

Now, I'm not telling you to disconnect from reality like what I did but if you do, that's totally normal!

Anyways, group projects are a great method to becoming friends.

Not because they're romantic but because they're the exact opposite.

Most of the time, you're all just stressed, tired and trying your best to cram it in one sitting and that's exactly why they're so useful.

You aren't expected to talk constantly, not expected for every conversation to be interesting and most of all, you already have something to discuss.

Once you've finished talking about the assignment, you'll naturally end up talking about other things too.

Maybe you'll complain about how the teacher gave it on a Friday out of all days.

Maybe you'll both realize neither of you understands question number six and seven.

Maybe you'll discover you both have terrible handwriting.

Friendships usually don't begin with deep conversations under a sunset.

They begin with things like borrowing a glue stick or maybe something like laughing at a question both of you answered wrongly.

It's surprisingly ordinary, like most things are.

And that's okay, ordinary is just as nice.

-

Sarang smiled to herself as she looked down at the notebook.

With a satisfied nod, she placed small hearts around her writing.

She flipped the notebook into a new page before she saw a figure walk to the front of the class.

The desks screeched across the floor as students flooded in from the door, groans and sighs coming from some of them, dreading the start of yet another subject.

Sarang quickly slipped her pen into the spiral binding before looking up.

Their homeroom teacher placed a thick stack of papers onto the table in the front of the room.

"Good morning."

"Good morning," the class answered in a chorus that varied in energy.

"Before we begin today's lesson, I have an announcement."

Everything went still for a moment as the teacher spoke.

Announcement either meant two things, someone did something they totally shouldn’t have or they were about to go through more work.

"I'm sure some of you have seen or at least walked past the bulletin board in the hallway and seen the poster," the teacher continued. "The cultural festival is only three weeks away." 

A mixture of excited cheers and exhausted complaints spread across the classroom. 

"Which means," she continued, pretending not to hear the complaints, "each class will be responsible for one booth." 

Someone near the back placed their head in their hands.

"We just finished exams..."

"We're never escaping school."

"Can we sell the exam answers?"

The class almost saw a chalk eraser fly across the room.

"No." The teacher sternly replied while letting laughter spread in between the seats.

They smiled before continuing, "I'll be dividing the class into different groups for the certain aspects you will need for the booth. And despite that, I expect everyone to work together as one. Now I’ll be writing them down on the board, please wait patiently until everyone’s name is on it.”

Sarang listened with half an ear while absentmindedly closing her notebook.

She wasn't too worried, these kinda things rarely affected her since she didn’t mind ending up wherever as long as she could help.

The teacher picked up a stick of chalk and began writing across the board in neat columns.

Then one by one, names were written with each student waiting behind the teacher with quiet expectations of wherever they’ll be assigned to.

Sarang rested her cheek against her hand before looking up to find her name under the decorations group.

She nodded her head, quietly accepting her duty. It wasn’t bad at least since making banners, making flyers and turning the classroom into something unrecognizable for the day were things she didn’t mind lending a hand to.

She quietly jotted down the date of the festival in an empty page of her notebook then when she looked up to the board she froze.

Now written under her name, was his.

Sarang froze in her seat, only being able to blink for a moment as her eyes quickly re-read what was on the board.

No way.

Surely she'd read it wrong.

She subtly leaned forward in her chair, narrowing her eyes at the chalkboard as though the extra ten centimeters would somehow improve her eyesight.

Decorations

Ryu Sarang Hwang (YN)

As she was taking into terms that they were going to be working together, her heart gave her one loud and heavy thump against her chest.

Calm down.

It's just a committee.

There are probably other people.

As if answering her thoughts, the teacher continued writing the third name then the fourth then fifth under theirs.

By the time they finished, there were eight students assigned to Decorations.

Sarang quietly exhaled in relief.

Why would it ever just be us?

She mentally scolded herself for even entertaining the possibility.

The teacher dusted the chalk from her hands before turning back toward the class.

"Everyone, please use our time tomorrow to discuss and brainstorm ideas for the booth. The sooner everything gets decided on, the better.”

A chorus of reluctant answers followed immediately right after.

The lesson would soon begin right after.

-

RING!

Sarang carefully followed the sea of students walking to the school doors. As she got closer, she noticed that the people in front of her had huddled over the entrance.

She wondered what was going until she heard it, the soft taps of rain against the ground.

She slowed to a stop beside the doorway.

Outside, the sky had darkened without anyone really noticing.

Rain fell steadily, soaking the school courtyard. Puddles had already begun gathering along the sidewalks while students crowded beneath the covered entrance, some groaning, others laughing as they debated whether the rain was light enough to simply run through.

Sarang’s shoulders dropped slightly.

“Really? Out of all the days I forget my umbrella.” She mumbled.

She carefully reached out her arm, feeling the cold water tap against her hand.

“You're not thinking of running through the rain, are you?” she suddenly turned to the voice behind her.

She quickly pulled her hand back.

Standing a step behind her was (YN), one hand resting on the strap of his backpack while the other held a neatly folded black umbrella.

"No," Sarang replied. "I was just checking how hard it was raining."

"It's pouring hard." he glanced outwardly toward the courtyard.

"It is."

A few students suddenly bolted from the entrance, yelling as they sprinted across the open path.

Within seconds, they were completely drenched.

One of them nearly slipped on the wet pavement before another caught him by the sleeve.

The two of them laughed anyway.

(YN) watched them disappear through the school gate before shaking his head with an amused smile.

Sarang stood, looking at the courtyard and not hearing the soft pop of an umbrella opening before it bloomed over her.

She looked over to him standing next to her, holding up the umbrella between them. Her shoulder jolted, making it brush over his ever so slightly.

Instinctively, she took half a step back.

"...S-Sorry."

"It's okay," he replied still with a smile, adjusting his grip on the handle. "I was just making sure you didn't get rained on."

"Thank you." she managed out.

"No problem."

For a few seconds, they simply stood there watching the rain.

Students continued pouring out of the building around them, some squeezing under shared umbrellas while others accepted the circumstances and dashed into the pouring rain. 

The school gradually grew quieter as the crowd thinned.

"Do you think it'll stop soon?" He asked, glancing toward the road beyond the gate.

"I don't think so." Sarang mumbled while she followed his gaze.

He hummed as another comfortable silence settled between them before he spoke again.

"You walk home, don't you?"

Sarang replied with a small nod.

"Which way do you go? If you don’t mind me asking."

She pointed toward the intersection at the right side of the front gate.

"Past the bridge then turn left into the neighborhoods up the hill then I take the steps rather than the road."

"Really?" his eyebrows lifted.

"You know where that is?"

"I do." he pointed toward the same direction. "I pass the bridge too."

“You do?"

"Yeah." he looked back toward the rain. "I only keep going straight after that instead of turning left."

"I didn't know that," she admitted quietly.

He chuckled.

"I guess we usually leave at different times." he chuckled. 

That part was mostly true.

Wait no, scratch that. It’s very much true.

Every other day, she’d often stay behind for a short while to organise her notes or wait for the hallways to become less crowded whenever classes ended.

Sometimes she waited for her friends before leaving with them, not really paying attention to who walked with whom.

(YN) glanced at the rain once more before looking back at her.

“If you’re fine with it…” he lifted the umbrella a little, “...maybe we could walk together until we pass the bridge.”

Sarang’s head snapped back almost immediately, making sure if what she heard was right.

Walk together?

As in...actually walk together?

Outside school?

Side by Side?

For more than thirty seconds?

Her heart immediately decided this was an emergency.

Act normal.

You've talked before.

This is what normal classmates do.

“I—I’d like that.” she replied, hoping her voice wasn’t loud enough to show how he had caught her off guard.

“Great.” 

She watched as his smile returned naturally.

He took a single step forward before stopping again and looking back at her.

"Ladies first."

It was such a simple gesture that it somehow made everything worse.

"R—Right." Sarang stepped beneath the umbrella first, carefully making sure she wasn't standing too close.

He followed beside her. His hand adjusted the umbrella ever so slightly that it covered both of them even after they reached past the school gate.

Up to this point, neither of them spoke, letting the soft taps of rain against the umbrella and the street beside fill the noise as cars drove over wet roads.

“Have you thought of anything we could do?” 

Sarang turned her head to the question.

“For the festival,” he continued.

She almost forgot they were assigned to the same group.

“I haven't thought of anything yet.” Sarang answered. “It seems like everyone wants to do different things.”

He nodded in understanding.

"Yeah. I heard someone wanted to turn the classroom into a haunted house."

"In the middle of the afternoon?" Sarang let out a quiet laugh.

"I asked the same thing."

"They'd have to somehow make the room dark."

"And somehow convince people cardboard ghosts are scary."

A tiny smile found its way onto her face.

"I don't think that'll work."

"I don't either."

The conversation slowed again, though this time it didn't feel awkward.

It simply drifted along with the rain.

Their shoes splashed through shallow puddles as they walked beneath rows of trees lining the sidewalk. Water gathered at the edges of the leaves before dropping in steady little plinks onto the pavement.

After another few moments, she decided to ask.

"What about you?” 

He thought about it for a good second.

"I don't really mind what we end up making."

"You don't?" Sarang tilted her head up slightly.

"Yeah, as long as everyone enjoys working on it."

"That's all?"

"Pretty much."

"You don't have something you've always wanted to do for a festival?"

"I've always been the type who goes along with the flow of things.” He laughed softly. “So as long as everybody's happy with it then I don't have a problem.”

Sarang nodded slowly.

"That sounds like you." she said afterwards, not thinking of what it could have possibly meant.

"Does it?” he glanced at her then with a brow raised with slight curiosity.

She immediately realized what she'd admitted.

"I—I mean..."

She looked away as she searched desperately for a way to make it sound less obvious.

"...You always seem to help whenever people ask."

"I guess." he smiled faintly.

"And the teachers trust you too."

"They've just asked me to do things for them enough times that I stopped saying no."

"And..." She hesitated for a fraction of a second. "...you don't really complain."

"Oh I complain."

"You do?"

"Just not very loudly."

That earned another quiet laugh from her.

"There.” he looked over with a grin as they stopped at a red crossing.

“Huh?” 

“You smiled.” (YN) said, pointing at her lips.

Sarang immediately pushed the smile down.

“No—I mean. I wasn’t sure if you had dimples.” he muttered.

Her eyes widened as her hands instinctively flew to the sides of her cheeks, trying to cover them.

“I do.”

“I didn’t know they were so noticeable.” he continued, trying to not make the conversation take a much more awkward turn.

“They're…they're only there when I smile.” she kept both hands pressed against her cheeks as if they could hide the fact that they exist.

"So I was right." 

She stared at him while he did the same back at her. Realizing what he'd accidentally implied, he let out an embarrassed laugh.

"I mean, I guessed right."

The crossing light finally changed as the color reflected off the puddle next to them.

The two of them stepped onto the street together.

Sarang was suddenly very interested in watching the white stripes beneath her shoes while wondering why out of all the things they could have talked about, that was the thing he had to point out.

She wasn’t entirely sure whether to feel embarrassed or strangely happy.

“My sister has them too,” (YN) said after stepping onto the sidewalk, once again scratching the back of his neck. “So I noticed.”

"...You have a sister?"

"Yeah, I do."

"Older?"

"She’s a little younger than me."

"How much younger?"

"By five years."

Sarang nodded, pressing her lips together, grateful the conversation had drifted elsewhere.

“There it is again.” (YN) followed beside her.

She immediately covered her cheeks once more. 

“Why do you keep trying to hide them?”

“I feel a little embarrassed when someone points them out.”

"I guess that's fair." he looked at her for a moment before nodding in understanding.

The bridge gradually came into view ahead of them. 

Rainwater had gradually lessened throughout their walk that felt shorter than it should have, almost unfairly short.

When they reached the end of the bridge, he slowed to a stop.

“I guess this is where we split off, right?”

“Guess so.” Sarang nodded. 

"I'll see you tomorrow then and also—” He suddenly leaned down and carefully held her wrist before lifting it slightly to hand over the umbrella.

She looked down at the umbrella now resting in her hand before looking back up at him.

"W-What are you doing?"

"You can borrow it." 

“But what about you?” she asked right after.

"I'll be fine." 

She instinctively looked past him, to the clouds that weren’t dark but were instead had changed into gray with soft sunlight peeking through them.

"What if it starts raining again later?" 

“My place isn’t that far from here so I should be fine.” he reassured her.

Sarang looked back down at the umbrella.

"I... couldn't." Sarang glanced at the umbrella then shook her head.

"You can, I don’t mind it."

"But it's yours."

"It’s fine, really." he softly pushed her hand back closer to her.

She tightened her grip around the curved handle.

"Fine, but I'll return it tomorrow."

"Perfect, It’s not like you don’t know where to find me anyways."

The answer came so smoothly that it took her a second to look up as she processed it.

"What?"

"We’re classmates, aren’t we? I wouldn’t mind if you just left it on my desk." he shrugged with a smile.

“Alright…” Sarang stared at him for a second before letting out the smallest nod.

For a brief moment, neither of them moved.

The rain had almost completely stopped now, leaving only the occasional droplet falling from the trees overhead. 

"Then I'll see you tomorrow."

Sarang nodded again, watching him take a few steps away from her.

“Careful on your way home!” he lifted a hand in a small wave before turning toward the road that continued straight ahead.

When he turned a corner, Sarang still remained where she was with the umbrella warm in her hands, not because of the weather but because of her realizing he intentionally held her hand.