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THE SCHOOL DAY DRAGGED ON ENDLESSLY FOR Y/N. Despite her best efforts to focus, her eyes kept flicking to her phone, hoping for a response from a certain raven-haired boy. It remained silent, the lack of notifications gnawing at her nerves. She'd sent him a few messages, asking if everything was okay after he skipped school, but there was no reply and she couldn't stop the pit of worry from deepening.

Her thoughts spiraled. What if something had happened? His grandmother was sick, and it made sense he might need to be with her, but why wouldn't he let her know? Her chest tightened as a more insidious thought crept in. Was it because of Chiri-san?

She chewed on her lip, recalling the night they'd spent together. They hadn't talked about the kiss directly, but things had felt normal—or at least she thought so—when he'd given her his jacket. A small smile tugged at her lips remembering his soft, almost shy tone as he told her it looked better on her. That had to mean something, right?

But then, why was he ghosting her now?!

Her fingers hovered over her phone, debating whether to send another text. She hated feeling clingy or overbearing, but the silence was unbearable. Her mind raced with possibilities: Did he regret it? Was he avoiding her? Was it something she said or did? She shook her head, trying to dispel the doubts.

"Focus," she whispered to herself, staring at the blank notebook in front of her. But no matter how much she tried, the unease wouldn't leave.

Finally, as the school day ended, the girl decided to push the thoughts aside. If he's not talking, I'll just wait until training to bring it up, she resolved. She stuffed her books into her bag, the motions mechanical, her head still buzzing with questions.

As she swung her bag over her shoulder, a familiar voice broke her train of thought.

"Y/n!"

She turned to see her friends hurrying toward her, their faces alight with excitement. "You're coming to the rave party this weekend, right?" Sae-mi asked, practically bouncing on her toes.

"Oh, the Halloween thing?" The girl asked, her brows lifting in mild interest. She'd heard whispers about the rave for weeks now, an extravagant event where students planned to dress in elaborate costumes and party until dawn.

"Yeah! Everyone's going—it's gonna be insane!" Eun-ji chimed in.

Y/n tried to smile, but her heart wasn't entirely in it. Her mind was still tethered to Kwon and the lingering uncertainty. Still, she nodded, figuring a distraction might do her some good.

"What are you going as?" Mary asked, leaning in conspiratorially.

"I... haven't really thought about it," y/n admitted, glancing away.

"Well, you better figure it out fast," her friend teased. "You don't want to show up in something lame and get overshadowed."

The girl forced a laugh, their chatter washing over her as they walked toward the school gates. The tension in her chest hadn't eased, but for now, she let herself get swept up in the conversation. 

As she trailed behind her friends all of them chattering excitedly about costumes and party playlists, her heart wasn't in it. The idea of attending the Halloween rave left a sour taste in her mouth. Memories of past parties loomed large, each tied to a mix of anxiety and regret.

The worst had been the party before her life took a sharp, irreversible turn. 

She shuddered, remembering the bitter tang of a spiked drink and the wave of dizziness that overtook her before everything blurred. If it weren't for a certain blonde who had stepped in, she didn't even want to think about what might've happened. 

The other parties she'd attended hadn't been much better. Yoo-mi and her clique made sure she felt out of place, their taunts subtle but razor-sharp.

Her fingers tightened around the strap of her bag. Do I really want to put myself through that again?

"Yo y/n/n, you good?" Ri-na asked, her voice snapping the y/h/c-haired girl out of her thoughts.

"Yeah," she said quickly, plastering on a small smile. "I just don't think I'll go. We're leaving for Barcelona in less than a week, and I want to stay focused."

Eun-ji gasped. "Wait, the Sekai Taikai? Already? That's huge!"

"It is," y/n nodded. "We're leaving on the first of November, so I need to be rested. Can't risk getting drunk or doing something stupid."

Ri-na waved a dismissive hand. "Come on, dude. You've been working so hard. You deserve one night to let loose and have fun. Plus, once you're gone, who knows when we'll see you again?"

"That's true," Mary chimed in. "We have to make memories before you leave! You're going to come back as a world champion. You can't just ghost us now."

Y/n hesitated. She hated disappointing her friends, but the thought of reliving those old fears—or worse, risking something before the Sekai Taikai—made her stomach churn.

"I don't know," she said slowly. "It just doesn't feel like the right time."

Ri-na shot her a look. "You've been saying that for months. y/n, you need to stop overthinking and just enjoy life. And before you say it's because of training, remember this: one night of fun won't undo all the hard work you've put in."

Eun-ji's smile faltered slightly. "You're going to crush it at the Sekai Taikai, right? But..." Her voice dropped. "Is it true that it's really dangerous? Like, I heard people have... you know..."

"Died?" Ri-na finished bluntly, raising an eyebrow.

Y/n froze. She'd heard whispers about the brutal nature of the competition but had chalked it up to exaggeration. Now, though, with her friends staring at her with wide eyes, her unease deepened.

"It's not that bad, right?" the girl asked, her voice a little shaky.

Sae-mi shrugged. "Depends. It's not a picnic, that's for sure. I heard Do-jin's the only one with any actual experiences with tournaments from your dojo, but even he says he doesn't know what to expect from this one."

Y/n nodded, pretending she totally had the rulebook memorized, even though the All Valley and Sekai Taikai were about as similar as a school talent show and the Olympics. 

Her last All Valley run had ended in a "minor misunderstanding" during her match with Keene—minor as in disqualification-level chaos. This time, she couldn't afford another oops moment unless she wanted her legacy to be a blooper reel in the world's toughest karate tournament.

"But you're going to be fine." Mary quickly assured. "You've been training like crazy, and you've got that whole hottie baddie vibe going."

"Still..." Eun-ji said nervously. "What if something happens?"

Before the mood could dip further, Ri-na grinned mischievously. "Don't worry, y/n. If it gets too rough, I'm sure a certain trouble magnet will step in to save the day."

Y/n's cheeks flamed. "Ri-na, stop!"

"What? It's true!" Ri-na teased. "He's already given you his jacket. That's like, step one of the romance handbook."

Eun-ji giggled. "Step two is him dramatically pulling you out of danger. Maybe while the two of you are staring deeply into each other's eyes..."

Y/n groaned, burying her face in her hands. "You guys are the worst."

Ri-na slung an arm around her shoulder. "And you love us for it. Now, let's talk costumes. You can't show up looking basic."

Y/n sighed, letting herself be dragged into their banter. For now, she decided, she'd focus on the moment. Everything else—Kwon, the Sekai Taikai, her worries—could wait.

As they continued walking, her mirth died down when her friends waved their goodbyes and dispersed in different directions. She tucked her phone into her pocket, mentally preparing to continue their costume debate on the Zoom call later that evening. But just as she turned toward the main gate, her steps faltered.

There he was—Kwon.

Dressed in a black hoodie and sweatpants, his dark hair slightly damp, he strode toward her with his usual confident gait. A bag slung over his shoulder completed the look, though there was a tiredness in his eyes that she couldn't quite place.

"Running away already?" he teased, his voice warm but with a subdued edge.

Y/n blinked, momentarily stunned. "Kwon? What are you doing here?"

He smirked, nodding toward her bag. "Tutoring. Remember? Don't be late—you're the one who said it."

Her brows furrowed. "Wait, you came for tutoring? I thought you wouldn't show since you weren't at school today. And you didn't answer my texts."

He glanced at her, looking amused. "Relax, princess. My phone's dead—fried from all the rain back in Chiri-san. Guess it didn't like the storm any more than you did."

Though his tone was light, y/n noticed the slight hesitation in his words. There was more to the story, she could feel it, but for now, she decided not to push.

"I seriously thought you were ghosting me again," she admitted as they began walking toward the library.

"Ghosting you?" he echoed, mock-offended. "Come on, I'd never do that."

"Sure," she replied, rolling her eyes.

"You wound me," Kwon said, clutching his chest in mock despair. "What would I do without our thrilling chemistry sessions?"

She laughed despite herself. "Oh, I don't know, maybe pass your exams?"

They fell into an easy rhythm, their banter light, though she couldn't ignore the slight lack of sting in his usual snark. He seemed distracted, almost distant, even as he cracked jokes.

The truth was, Kwon wasn't as composed as he seemed. His injured hand throbbed with every step, the hastily wrapped bandages doing little to dull the ache. Last night had been... rough, to say the least. After everything—Yoo-mi's manipulation, his father's drunken fit, halmoni's fragile health, and the looming pressure of the Sekai Taikai—he'd reached a breaking point.

He'd stood in front of the mirror in his bathroom, staring at his own reflection until the weight of it all became unbearable. Before he knew it, his fist had collided with the glass, shattering it into jagged shards.

Today, he hadn't gone to school, partly to avoid Yoo-mi and her smirking jabs, but mostly to see his grandmother. She'd been asleep for most of his visit, her frail body barely stirring beneath the hospital blankets. Still, she had woken long enough for him to feed her lunch.

"Your kimchi is terrible," she'd muttered, her voice raspier than he remembered. "Needs more spice. Let it sit longer next time."

He'd chuckled softly, grateful for even her criticisms. Moments like that reminded him why he needed to win the Sekai Taikai—not just for himself, but for her. The prize money could cover her treatments, give her the care she deserved.

Now, walking beside y/n, he pushed those thoughts aside, forcing himself to focus. She didn't need to know about his fractured hand or the chaos swirling in his head.

As they reached the library steps, y/n shot him a sideways glance. "So, did you spend the whole day fixing your phone, or...?"

"Nah," he said, his smirk returning. "Spent it with halmoni."

Her expression softened. "How is she?"

"She told me my cooking sucks," he replied, his tone light, though a flicker of pain crossed his face. "So, you know, business as usual."

The girl smiled, though her chest tightened. She wanted to say something comforting, but before she could, he nudged her playfully.

"Don't get too emotional on me, princess," he said. "We've got chemistry to conquer before Sensei mercilessly obliterates the last of our combined brain-cells."

She rolled her eyes again but couldn't hide her smile as they entered the library together...

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