“Some people notice what everyone else walks past.”
Monday morning arrived faster than anyone wanted.
The amusement park already felt like a dream.
As soon as Jeheon entered the classroom…
Heosok groaned dramatically.
“…Weekends should be longer.”
Jisoo dropped her bag onto her desk.
“You say that every Monday.”
“Because every Monday proves me right.”
Jiwoo laughed.
“I vote we replace school with amusement parks.”
“Our grades would become a disaster.”
Yongi replied.
“Our grades?”
Heosok looked offended.
“Speak for yourself.”
“I’ve already accepted my fate.”
The classroom slowly filled with students.
For a while…
Everything felt normal.
Almost.
During English class…
The teacher asked everyone to pair up.
Without thinking…
Jiwoo turned toward Jisoo.
Before she could say anything—
Zaizai quietly stood up.
“I’ll work with you.”
Jiwoo blinked.
“…Oh.”
“Sure.”
No one thought much of it.
Except…
Jeheon.
He looked at them for a moment.
Then quietly returned to his notebook.
Lunch break arrived.
The six friends sat together beneath the same tree.
Heosok proudly opened his lunchbox.
“I made this myself.”
Jisoo looked inside.
“…You burned rice.”
“It’s called extra flavor.”
“It’s called smoke.”
Jiwoo laughed so hard she almost dropped her drink.
Zaizai smiled into her lunchbox.
Yongi calmly continued eating.
“This conversation is strangely familiar.”
“It happens every day.”
Jeheon replied.
Everyone looked at him.
“…You noticed.”
He nodded.
“I’ve been observing.”
Heosok proudly pointed at him.
“See?”
“He’s becoming one of us.”
Jeheon smiled.
“…Maybe.”
After school…
The group walked home together.
As always…They walked together in silence.
Nobody knew what to say.
Heosok suddenly stopped.
…
Heosok looked at Yongi.
“Do you ever stop reading?”
Yongi thought about it.
“…Yes.”
“When?”
“When I’m sleeping.”
Heosok stared at him.
“That’s not enough.”
Yongi calmly opened his book again.
“…Then stop asking.”
Heosok looked at Jeheon.
“See what I deal with?”
Jeheon nodded.
“…Every day.”
Yongi looked up.
“You’ve known me for years.”
“And somehow…”
Jeheon paused.
“…I still wasn’t prepared.”
Everyone laughed.
Heosok walked ahead.
“I didn’t wanted to talk with you.”
Everyone replied immediately.
Very immediately.
“So don’t talk with us.”
Heosok placed a hand on his heart.
“I didn’t except from you to say that.”
“But you have to except that.”
“Sorry guys I didn’t talk to you anymore.”
He said that very dramatically.
And after few seconds.
Heosok looked to their friends.
“Have you ever wondered why am I your friend.”
“We didint wanted to thinked that.”
Jisoo give him a side eye.
“You said to us that you weren’t talking to us now.”
“Yes I said but….
“Ok so don’t talk to us.”
later….
They forget about what they say.
And…..Again They were them.
Jisoo and heosok started arguing about something completely unimportant.
Jiwoo laughed at both of them.
Yongi quietly read while walking.
Zaizai gently pulled the book down just enough for him to avoid walking into a lamp post.
“…Again?”
Yongi looked up.
“…Ok I am not reading Thank you.”
She smiled.
“…You’re welcome.”
Jeheon watched the scene.
For some reason…
It made him smile.
When they reached the crossroads…
Everyone waved goodbye.
Except…
Jiwoo.
She stood there quietly.
Looking at the school building behind them.
Just for a second.
Then she smiled again.
“…See you tomorrow!”
She ran after Zaizai.
Jeheon watched them leave.
Something…
Felt different.
Not wrong.
Just…
Different.
The next morning…
Jiwoo wasn’t at school.
Heosok looked around.
“She’s late?”
Jisoo looked toward the classroom door.
“…Maybe.”
A minute later…
The door opened.
Jiwoo walked in.
She smiled.
“Sorry.”
“I overslept.”
Heosok laughed.
“Impossible.”
“You wake up before everyone.”
“I wanted to try something new.”
The class laughed.
The lesson began.
Everyone moved on.
Everyone…
Except Jeheon.
As the teacher wrote on the board…
He quietly glanced toward Jiwoo.
Then…
Toward Zaizai.
Neither of them noticed.
But something in his mind refused to settle.
He couldn’t explain why.
Not yet.
Only one thought stayed with him.
“…Something doesn’t feel right.”