╔. ■ .══════════════════════════════════════╗

╚══════════════════════════════════════. ■ .╝

JOLTED AWAKE BY A SHARP SMACK TO HER BACK, Y/N's world lurched into chaos. Her heart pounded as adrenaline surged, her instincts acting faster than her thoughts. She gripped the offending hand on reflex, twisting it hard. A loud thud followed as its owner hit the ground. The dull murmurs of the library were immediately replaced by gasps and whispers. Heads turned, the fluorescent lights above casting cold, sharp shadows on Kwon's shocked expression as he sprawled on the floor, cradling his arm.

"What the hell, y/n?" he groaned, wincing.

She blinked, her vision adjusting as reality came rushing back. The smell of aged books and musty upholstery swirled around her, grounding her in the present. "Oh my god—Kwon?! What the hell are you doing?" she hissed, crouching beside him but making no move to help him up.

"Waking you up!" he snapped, sitting up and rubbing his wrist. "But thanks for nearly dislocating my shoulder, Captain America."

"You don't smack someone awake, dumbass!" she whispered sharply, cheeks flushing with embarrassment as she realized the entire library was still watching.

"Maybe don't pass out drooling on the table next time," he retorted, his smirk widening as she hurriedly wiped at her chin. 

Her eyes narrowed, "I wasn't drooling, you idiot. And maybe I wouldn't have passed out if someone had the decency to show up on time for once."

"Sure. You definitely weren't snoring either," he quipped, brushing invisible dust off his jacket, earning a deathly glare from the girl.

"Sorry," he said, not looking sorry at all as he got to his feet. "Didn't realize you'd be so cranky after your beauty sleep."

"I'm not—"

"Miss l/n! Mr. Kwon!" The sharp voice of the librarian sliced through their bickering. Her stern face loomed over the desk, eyes narrowing like a hawk that had spotted its prey. "This is a library, not a wrestling ring! OUT. NOW."

Kwon shot y/n a look of mock innocence. "Told you not to make a scene," he whispered, grabbing his bag as he sauntered toward the exit.

"Oh, I'm the one who made a scene?" she hissed, storming after him, grabbing her bag and kicking at his shoes from behind. "This is all your fault," she muttered under her breath.

"You're welcome for saving you from embarrassing yourself further," Kwon replied nonchalantly, following her out. "Pretty sure they were this close to filming you for one of those sleep meme compilations."

"Who even watches those?!"

The air outside the library was crisp, carrying the faint scent of rain on the horizon. y/n trudged down the path, trying to shake the sleepiness that clung to her like a fog. Kwon, as usual, sauntered behind her, hands in his pockets and an insufferable smirk plastered on his face.

"You've been avoiding me all week," she snapped suddenly, her voice sharper than she intended. She stopped in her tracks and turned to face him. "What's your deal?"

He shrugged, meeting her glare with his usual nonchalance. "Didn't realize we were attached at the hip."

"Don't give me that crap," she shot back. "You ditched practice, ignored my texts, and now you just show up like nothing happened? Must've been too busy hanging out with Yoo-mi, huh?"

"Yoo-mi?" His smirk faltered for a split second, but he quickly recovered. "Jealous much?"

Her face heated instantly, and she crossed her arms defensively. "Jealous? Of her? Yeah, right."

"You sure?" he teased, leaning closer. "Because you sound pretty worked up over nothing."

"Worked up?!" Her voice pitched higher. She took a step back, fuming. "Over that bitch?"

The boy just chuckled, clearly enjoying the chaos he was causing. "You're right- you're right.. Yoo Mi's got nothing on you," he said casually, stuffing his hands in his pockets. The comment was so flippant she wasn't sure if it was a genuine compliment or just another way to mess with her.

"Whatever," she muttered, "You're impossible."

"And yet you're still here," he said smoothly.

"Not for long," she scoffed, turning away, but he grabbed her arm gently, his playful tone shifting. "Come on. I owe you a coffee."

She blinked at him, confused. "What?"

"Coffee. My treat. You clearly need caffeine before you bite someone's head off," he said, already steering her toward the small café down the street.

She narrowed her eyes, suspicious. "Why are you being nice all of a sudden?"

He grinned. "Who said I'm nice? I just don't want you passing out during tonight's big event."

The café was warm and cozy, the soft hum of conversation mixing with the rich aroma of coffee and freshly baked pastries. y/n slumped into a chair, letting the ambiance settle her nerves. Kwon returned from the counter with two steaming cups. "Here," he said, sliding one toward her before plopping down across from her.

"What's tonight?" she asked, cradling the cup in her hands.

"The Sekai Taikai selections. Sensei Kreese moved them up to today," he replied, taking a sip of his own drink.

Her mouth fell open. "What? No, they're supposed to be tomorrow! And results were supposed to be on Sunday!"

"Well, Sensei changed his mind," Kwon said with a shrug, taking a casual sip of his coffee.

"Why?" she pressed, but he only shrugged again.

He shrugged. "I'm not going to be able to be around tomorrow." He answered honestly.

Weird... he never misses the weekend practices. She thought about pressing further but decided against it. Kwon always had a way of closing himself off from the world, and prying wouldn't get her anywhere. "So... what's the plan?"

"Stay sharp," he said simply. "You're with me."

"Teaming up? Since when?"

"Since I decided you're the only one who can keep up with me," he replied with a smirk, leaning back in his chair.

She rolled her eyes. "God, you're so full of yourself."

"And yet you can't get enough of me."

She muttered something under her breath, but her annoyance was quickly replaced by curiosity as she noticed something missing. "What, no gamtae cream cheese buns for Halmoni?" she asked, gesturing to the counter.

He froze for a moment, his expression unreadable. He seemed a bit shocked she still recalled his grandmother's favorite, yet there was a bit of warmth that filled his chest. Clearing his throat, he recomposed himself. "She... can't eat that right now."

The casual tone of his response didn't quite mask the tension in his voice. y/n frowned, the warmth of the cafe momentarily forgotten as she studied him. His expression was as guarded as ever, but something about the way his fingers tapped against the edge of his mug betrayed a restless energy. She opened her mouth to ask more, but he was quicker.

"So, what's with you lately?" he asked, his sharp eyes narrowing in on hers. "You look like you haven't slept in weeks."

The girl hesitated, her grip tightening on the mug. "Maybe because I haven't," she admitted, voice soft but tinged with irritation.

Kwon leaned forward slightly, his usual smirk replaced with something resembling concern. "And why's that?"

"What's it to you?" she shot back defensively, but her voice lacked its usual bite.

"Nothing," he said quickly, leaning back in his chair. "It's just... if you're going to keep dragging your feet and looking like death warmed over, it's going to start messing with me. So, spill."

She sighed, letting her gaze wander out the window. The dim light from the streetlamps made the bustling streets look oddly serene. "It's just... stuff. You know?" 

"Stuff," he echoed skeptically. "That's vague."

She scoffed, taking a sip of her coffee. "Well, maybe I don't feel like explaining every detail of my personal life to someone who thinks ghosting is a personality trait," she snapped.

"Fair enough," he said with a grin. "But for the record, I don't ghost. I just... become selectively unavailable."

"That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard," she muttered, rolling her eyes, secretly thinking: I should get that on a t-shirt...

"Yet somehow, you're smiling," he said, pointing at her with his mug.

Her lips twitched despite herself, and she shook her head. "You're insufferable."

"Better than being boring," he shot back.

The conversation fell into a more comfortable rhythm after that, and for a brief moment, the weight on y/n's shoulders felt a little lighter. But as they finished their coffee and prepared to leave, a lingering unease settled in her chest. Something about Kwon's earlier response nagged at her, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it.

And Kwon, despite his best efforts to brush it off, couldn't stop replaying the tiredness in her eyes, or the weariness in her voice. It hit closer to home than he wanted to admit. But he pushed it aside, telling himself he had more important things to worry about.

As she was about to get up, Kwon quickly stopped her, leaning forward. "To whatever that's uh, bothering you..." His voice dropping to a rare, genuine tone. "Here's a tip: stop trying to carry everything at once. You'll drop it all."

She blinked, caught off guard by his sincerity. "Wow. Kwon actually capable of being nice? Who would've thought?"

"Don't get used to it," he said, his smirk returning as he stood. "Come on, partner. Time to suit up."

The walk back to school was quieter, the weight of the upcoming event looming over them. y/n glanced at Kwon, her earlier annoyance replaced by curiosity. "You sure you're not setting me up for something?"

"Wouldn't dream of it," he replied, his tone as cryptic as ever. "Just be on your A-game tonight."

"I always am," she said confidently.

"Good," he said, his voice low. "I'm counting on you."

As they walked to their respective locker rooms to get dressed into their gis, the y/h/c-haired girl couldn't shake the feeling that tonight was going to be more than just another competition. Despite the chaos swirling around her, for the first time all week, she felt like she could breathe.

Tonight would be a challenge—but at least she wouldn't face it alone.

1.6k words