It was late in lunch period.
Some students who finished eating their lunch loitered around the halls sparsely, while a few stayed in classrooms to kill time, and others chose to review in the study hall.
The surrounding corridors remained still and solitary, a stark contrast to the first few minutes of the lunch break rush.
A few whispers and distant chatters kept the place a slight breath of life, yet the quiet atmosphere was prominent.
Standing in front of the lockers, a young female student with dark blue hair and olive green eyes quietly studied the locker numbers.
She rubbed her chin as she traced the numbering on the plaques, looking for something specific.
Locker 2154.
Her fingers stopped right exactly at the destination. A smile formed across her cheeks, beaming up.
There it is!
She quietly exclaimed in her thoughts.
Excitedly, she opened her bag, fishing through a bunch of stuff inside: notebooks, pens, lip gloss, mirrors, and other stationery products. All cluttered inside, jumbling in every churn from her fingers.
Finally, she pulled out a thin, crisped parchment envelope with a heart sticker attached in the middle to seal the flap.
Her thumbs held onto it, trembling slightly while caressing the edges.
She glanced once more at the locker door, inhaling deeply.
A wave of hesitation could be felt in her body as she reached out towards the locker, stopping midway to ponder once more.
Is this enough to convince him?
Will he ever read this at all?
Kim Hyeon-ju's mind was plagued with questions and doubts.
It's just simple.
Slip it in and leave.
No matter how hard she tried to convince herself.
Hesitation.
Nervousness.
Unable to move. Frozen on the spot.
She had rewritten the same letter countless times....
Hundreds of crumpled letters. Discarded for a better version.
Pen inks wasted from revisions.
Now, this is the best one she could cough up from all of the hardships.
This could be the perfect opportunity for her to deliver this, but why couldn't she?
"Ahem." A voice cleared its throat right behind her.
She quickly spun around to check, only to be left in shock from what awaited her.
The figure behind her was so gorgeous, like a heavenly being descended from the skies with white locks bouncing from a slight movement. His lips pursed in a small smile while his golden eyes gleamed with wonder.
It was no other than Harian Beckett.
"Hi, you okay?" Harian beamed with a smile as the softness of his features sent Hyeon-ju's heart fluttering.
He is too beautiful.
A thought continued to linger in her mind while staring at him.
"Ah-no. I-I am fine," she blushed like a red tomato. Her chest pounded like crazy this time. Swiftly, she hid the letter behind her back while looking away from his direction.
Did he see me trying to put something in this locker?
Her fingers twiddled behind her back nervously.
Afraid of being confronted...
Afraid of getting embarrassed.
Harian just tilted his head, wondering.
What is she doing in front of Raphael's locker?
After carefully observing her....
In a click, he caught a glimpse of the letter in her hand.
A smile formed across his soft lips upon concluding.
Seems like someone's got a crush.
Just in time when she was about to drop it in, he caught her unintentionally. From her demeanor, she looked tense, embarrassed, and uncomfortable. He didn't want to trouble her further, but if only he could cheer her up for support.
"Oh, that's Raphael's locker, right?" he casually pointed out with a wink, hinting.
Kim Hyeon-ju's cheeks flared up red once again.
"W-wha-?!" she flustered. Too embarrassed to speak.
Words got caught in her throat after hearing that name. Her mind switched off in a blank state.
She was speechless.
Did she hear it right, though?
"W-who?" she finally dared to speak, wanting to confirm what she had just heard a few moments ago.
Harian chuckled slightly at the back of his hand.
"Raphael Kiersten. My roommate," he introduced again. "Pretty much a decent guy, like a quiet one, but nice."
The warmth in his voice and the glint in his soft eyes did their best to appear genuine.
Hope beamed up from Hyeon-ju's eyes, sparkling in realization.
She heard it.
Raphael....
Raphael Kiersten.
It repeated in her mind like a broken recorder.
Every time she thought of it, her cheeks flushed red.
Finally, she knew his name.
"T-thank you.." she mumbled in a soft voice, almost cracking from excitement or embarrassment, before shyly lowering her hips for a humble bow.
Harian just waved his hand dismissively.
"Ah, it's nothing. You don't have to-"
He was cut off from his words as the girl immediately bolted down the hall, disappearing into the distance.
Kim Hyeon-ju couldn't believe what just happened.
Whether it was pure coincidence...
Or a sign delivered from the heavens.
He couldn't thank him enough, but it was a blessing regardless.
Her fingers still clutched tightly onto the piece of envelope, crumpling its edges.
She could no longer contain her excitement.
A soft squeal escaped from her lips as she quickly headed back to her classroom, skipping on her tracks.
One more time....
She could rewrite her letter.
But this time, he is no longer called 'Mr. Crush'.
It's Raphael Kiersten.
Harian was left alone by the lockers.
But his face was etched with satisfaction and amusement.
Today, he became someone's Cupid.
After that interaction, Harian returned to his locker, packing his bag with the necessary books for the afternoon session.
While trying to arrange his stuff, from the corner of his vision....
He caught a glimpse.
Around the corner of the hallway,
A figure lurking in shadows.
Instinctively, he glanced in that direction, hoping to catch the person's identity.
His heart pounded in his chest. Every thump echoed inside him as the silence in the halls became unbearably deafening.
No one was around.
Nobody was nearby.
Unfortunately, the figure disappeared without a trace. Vanishing too quickly like a ghost.
It could've been any other students loitering.
However, something else bothered him.
That familiar gaze....
It was not just an ordinary stare....
But a predatory one.
Quietly, observing and watching.