Luisa collapsed onto her desk, her exhaustion palpable as the last students left her classroom. It had been over a month since Seokjin's disappearance, and she was running on fumes. His repeated promises to return had given her a glimmer of hope, but each passing day had extinguished that flame.

She thought she'd been clear when she told him that the next time they had any type of sex would be when he returned home. He'd not asked her for a repeat of their phone sex, or video sex, or whatever it was called, again. Of course, she immediately wondered why he hadn't continued to insist. Did that mean something? Had he found another outlet for his insatiable sex drive? She shook her head to break up those thoughts and sighed.

As she gazed blankly at the empty chairs, a sense of foreboding settled over her like a shroud. The weight of uncertainty was crushing her, making it hard to catch her breath. She felt like she was drowning in a sea of anxiety.

Her hand hovered over her phone as she composed a message to Seokjin for what felt like the hundredth time. She paused before sending it, hesitating as her thumb hovered over the "Send" button. Her eyes locked onto the screen as she stared at the words, her mind racing with worst-case scenarios.

Luisa's mind was consumed by the same questions that had been plaguing her for weeks: Why had Seokjin failed to return? Was he truly okay, or was he hiding something from her? The switch from phone calls to texts had only added to her unease, making her feel like she was losing him bit by bit.

As she sat at her desk, lost in thought, Jimin poked his head into the room, his usual cheerful demeanor a stark contrast to her gloom. "Hey, Miss Cruz! Why the long face? It's the weekend, for crying out loud!"

Luisa forced a weak smile, but Jimin's expression faltered as he entered the room. "Luisa, are you okay?" he asked, his voice laced with concern.

Just as she was about to respond, Elena Garcia burst into the room, her bubbly personality a sudden splash of color in the otherwise dull atmosphere. "Luisa, Luisa, Luisa! Let's go out for a drink! You, too, Jimin! It's a glorious Thursday before a four-day weekend. You both look like you could use some liquid therapy." She paused, eyeing Luisa critically. "Don't you?"

Jimin shrugged, then nodded in agreement. Luisa remained seated, trying to resist being pulled into their social whirlwind.

"I don't need any cheering up," she said flatly, trying to sound convincing. "I'm just tired."

Elena's eyebrows shot up in amusement. "Tired at 26? Come on, Luisa, what's going on? Has your little Seokjin finally come crawling back to your doorstep and kept you up all night?" She winked, her tone dripping with innuendo. But her gaze faltered as Jimin's eyes narrowed, his expression disapproving.

The sudden silence was oppressive, and Jimin cleared his throat to break the tension. "Hey, Luisa, why don't we grab dinner instead? We can do drinks later, but I think you could use a good meal. I know you love pasta. How about we all go out for a carb fest?"

Luisa's lips trembled as she fought to hold back tears. The concern in her friends' voices was a bittersweet reminder of what she was missing. "Yeah... sure," she replied, her voice shaking. "I just need to drop off some papers at the front office, and then I'll meet you at the parking lot."

She took a deep breath, trying to compose herself as she gathered her belongings. Forcing a smile, she slung her purse over her shoulder and walked out of the room, leaving her friends to exchange worried glances behind her.

"What's going on?" Elena asked Jimin, her voice laced with concern. "Isn't he coming back?"

Jimin shook his head, his expression troubled. "I'm not sure. The last time Luisa mentioned Seokjin, she said he was still in Korea, dealing with something that had held him back. No return yet."

Elena's eyes widened. "Poor girl. She's been absolutely obsessed with him for months now. Jin this and Jin that... it was almost sickeningly sweet. But now that you mention it, she hasn't said his name much lately. Do you think maybe they've broken up?"

Jimin shrugged again, his brow furrowed in worry. "I don't know. All I know is that Luisa hasn't been herself for a while now, and it's got me worried. Let's see if she opens up at dinner and tells us what's going on."

Elena nodded sympathetically. "I hope that guy hasn't broken her heart. She doesn't deserve that."

"Yeah," Jimin agreed. "Only a real bastard would hurt someone like Luisa."

As they walked out of the room, Elena shot Jimin a knowing glance and threw her arm around him. "You know, you're a pretty good friend to her. Do you ever think of being something more?"

Jimin laughed nervously, adjusting his glasses. "Oh, no, nothing like that! We're just friends. Luisa's in love with Seokjin."

Elena smiled knowingly and removed her arm. "Of course. But still, you two would make a lovely couple."

Jimin's eyes darted away, his face growing even more serious.

Elena changed the subject quickly. "Hey, let's get going before Luisa decides to skip out on us."

As they walked away, Jimin noticed Elena's gaze lingering on him before she spoke up again.

"By the way, Luisa isn't wearing her ring," she said casually.

"What?" Jimin asked, his eyes snapping back to hers.

Elena leaned in slightly. "The diamond ring Seokjin gave her before he left? Remember how she used to stare at it all the time?" She gave him another deep stare. "She's not wearing it."

Jimin's eyes locked onto hers, both of them wondering what this might mean.