CHAPTER SEVEN

Seo did not quite understand why she suddenly started to allow herself to converse freely with Louis Weasley.

It perplexed her. After all, it had only been a couple of weeks since the blonde Ravenclaw had inexplicably inserted himself into her life—one she had painstakingly kept undisturbed and predictable.

In the beginning, she had done what she always did when people tried to draw her into unnecessary interactions: she ignored him. Completely and utterly. She wouldn't even spare him a glance, waiting for the inevitable moment when he would take the hint and walk away like everyone else eventually did.

But Louis didn't.

Instead of leaving, he lingered. Instead of being deterred, he seemed emboldened. Every time she didn't answer his questions, he'd ask another. Every time she avoided eye contact, he'd find another way to catch her attention. It wasn't aggressive or obnoxious; it was persistent in a way that confused her.

Why didn't he give up? Most people did.

And yet, somewhere along the line, her silence began to falter. She wasn't entirely sure when it started—perhaps it was the day she caught him blinking in disbelief after seeing her smile at a student. Or maybe it was the way he seemed genuinely curious about her, not because of her looks or reputation, but because he wanted to understand her.

Whatever it was, it gnawed at the edges of her carefully constructed apathy.

Without realizing it, she had started to answer his questions—grudgingly at first, then more freely. Their exchanges, once one-sided, became conversations. Not deep or meaningful ones, but enough to shift the dynamic between them.

It unnerved her, this subtle change. Louis Weasley was a disruption she hadn't anticipated, and she wasn't sure if she liked it. But for reasons she couldn't explain, she didn't push him away either.

However, that social experiment failed, and Seo decided it was no longer worth the effort to maintain the façade of ignorance. She didn't fully dive into conversations with Louis, but she at least began to acknowledge his presence with a nod or a glance—enough to signal that she was aware of him.

What surprised her most, though, was when she started taking the initiative to approach him. It wasn't intentional at first, more a product of convenience or proximity, she reasoned. Yet, instead of second-guessing her choice, she realized it wasn't half as bad as she had expected.

Spending time with Louis slowly became a habit. At first, it was limited to brief moments in the common room or walking to class. But soon, her free time gravitated toward the Weasley, whose ever-present grin and genuine curiosity felt oddly refreshing. And that's when she noticed something she hadn't before—the look in his eyes when he thought no one was watching.

There was a depth to Louis Weasley that belied the effortless charm he exuded. While he was undoubtedly popular, she saw flashes of something else, something that tugged at her unexpectedly. She wouldn't say it out loud, but she couldn't help but feel that, despite being surrounded by people, Louis was lonely.

That thought stuck with her, following her into the quiet hours of the night. Lying awake in her dorm, Seo found her mind circling back to Louis more often than she wanted to admit. She began to see glimpses of herself in him—someone who, beneath the surface, seemed to carry the weight of solitude, albeit for entirely different reasons.

What puzzled her most, though, was the realization that Louis no longer fell into the category of "troublesome." She didn't know when or how it had happened, but somewhere along the way, he had managed to edge himself into a space she hadn't reserved for anyone.

It might have been when Seo overheard Louis's conversation with his family that things started to shift. Although she found the situation odd, she had taken it upon herself to approach Lucy and Dominique directly, sharing the information Louis had been after.

Without elaborating, Seo delivered the details and walked away, leaving the girls momentarily speechless. Yet, her actions gave Lucy and Dominique the impression that perhaps their Little Lou wasn't the only one intrigued.

Choosing not to interfere further, the girls simply passed along the information, recognizing it wasn't a secret after all. From their sidelines, they quietly rooted for the pair, opting not to meddle in whatever might develop.

"Hey, Weasel," Seo greeted Louis as she casually joined him in the corridor.

Louis chuckled softly, turning his head to glance at her as she fell into step beside him. A playful smirk tugged at his lips. "Are you ever going to just call me Louis?"

Ignoring his remark, Seo raised a hand to her chin in thought. "Listen, I want to try something. Would you indulge my curiosity for a moment?"

Louis stopped mid-step, his body tensing as her words replayed in his mind. He couldn't help but feel a wave of nervousness wash over him. This wasn't the first time Seo had uttered those exact words, and the memory of the last occasion was still fresh in his mind.

The first time, she had casually asked him to explain why a couple nearby was snogging. Not what it was, but the reasoning behind it. He had nearly choked on his pumpkin juice at the absurdity of the situation—especially since she had posed the question in the middle of the Great Hall. At that moment, he had half a mind to hex the overly affectionate couple for their display but had thought better of it, unwilling to create unnecessary drama.

"Uh... sure," he managed to reply hesitantly, bracing himself for another puzzling query.

But instead of asking anything, Seo stepped in front of him, closed the space between them, and wrapped her arms around his torso in an unexpected embrace.

Louis froze, his eyes widening in shock as he stood rigid, unsure of how to respond. The seconds stretched into what felt like an eternity before Seo finally released him and stepped back.

She tilted her head thoughtfully, studying him as though testing a hypothesis. "Hmm... I still don't get it. The book said I'd feel something here," she said, pressing a hand lightly to her chest.

"Merlin, what are you reading?!" Louis exclaimed, his face flushed as he struggled to mask his embarrassment.

"Just some light reading. Nothing to worry about," Seo replied nonchalantly before turning on her heel and walking away.

Louis remained rooted to the spot, his mind racing as he tried—and failed—to decipher the enigma that was Seo Chang.