Chapter 5 Shades of Green

It was a Tuesday afternoon, the halls buzzing with the usual end-of-class rush as students poured out of classrooms, eager for a break. Seongwoo was winding through the crowd, scanning for a familiar face. He and Jihoon hadn't agreed to meet up today, but Seongwoo had found himself instinctively looking for him, as if Jihoon's presence had become something he unconsciously sought out.

Just as he reached the corridor near the study hall, he spotted Jihoon standing near a row of lockers, talking with another classmate-Dohyun, a popular guy in their year, known for his laid-back charm. Seongwoo slowed his steps, watching as Dohyun leaned in, his expression animated as he spoke to Jihoon. To Seongwoo's surprise, Jihoon was actually responding, a faint smile playing on his usually guarded face.

A strange sensation twisted in Seongwoo's chest, a feeling he hadn't experienced before-sharp, unexpected, and difficult to ignore. He watched as Dohyun laughed at something Jihoon said, and without meaning to, Seongwoo found himself frowning, his jaw tightening.

'What's so funny?' he wondered, the question laced with irritation that surprised him. He tried to brush it off, reminding himself that Jihoon was just talking to a classmate. There was no reason to feel this odd prickling of jealousy, this strange possessiveness he didn't even realize he'd harbored until now.

Seongwoo turned away, taking a deep breath to steady himself. But as he tried to walk past, his gaze drifted back to them, unable to resist the pull. Dohyun was still leaning close to Jihoon, his expression one of easy confidence, and something about the scene made Seongwoo's patience wear thin.

'Why is he standing so close?' Seongwoo thought, his hand unconsciously clenching into a fist. A voice in the back of his mind reminded him that he was being ridiculous, but the words did little to ease the strange knot forming in his chest.

Finally, Jihoon looked up, catching sight of Seongwoo from across the hallway. His expression shifted, eyes narrowing slightly as he noticed Seongwoo standing there, a subtle question in his gaze. Jihoon gave Dohyun a short nod, signaling the end of their conversation, and walked over to Seongwoo, his demeanor calm as ever.

"Were you waiting for me?" Jihoon asked, his tone as neutral as always.

Seongwoo forced a smile, trying to shake off the lingering tension in his chest. "I was just... looking around," he replied, his voice steady but betraying a faint edge.

Jihoon raised an eyebrow, seemingly unaware of the subtle tightness in Seongwoo's voice. "Looking around? At what?" he asked, his tone laced with genuine curiosity.

Seongwoo hesitated, his gaze flickering back to Dohyun, who had now walked off, oblivious to the entire interaction. He wanted to shrug it off, to pretend it didn't matter, but the words slipped out before he could stop them.

"Just noticed you were talking to Dohyun," he said, his tone carefully casual, though a hint of irritation seeped through.

Jihoon blinked, looking mildly surprised. "We were just discussing our physics assignment," he replied simply, as if the explanation were perfectly obvious. "Why?"

"Just... curious," Seongwoo replied, forcing another smile, though he could feel his frustration bubbling beneath the surface. He wanted to tell Jihoon exactly what he thought of Dohyun's casual friendliness, but he held his tongue, knowing how out of character it would seem.

Jihoon regarded him for a moment, his gaze calm and unreadable. "Are you okay? You look tense," he observed, his tone laced with a rare touch of concern.

Seongwoo blinked, caught off guard. "I'm fine," he replied quickly, a bit too quickly. "Just... had a long day."

Jihoon gave him a brief nod, seemingly satisfied with the answer, though he continued to study Seongwoo with a faint hint of curiosity. Seongwoo resisted the urge to look away, forcing himself to meet Jihoon's gaze. For a brief moment, he wondered if Jihoon could sense the unspoken feelings simmering beneath the surface-the jealousy, the possessiveness, the strange protectiveness he couldn't quite explain.

But if Jihoon noticed anything unusual, he didn't show it. Instead, he simply turned and began walking down the hallway, motioning for Seongwoo to follow. "Come on. We still have to finish the outline for next week's assignment," he said, his tone as calm as ever.

Seongwoo let out a quiet sigh, following him down the hallway, though the lingering irritation remained. As they walked, he couldn't help but glance over at Jihoon, who seemed completely unaffected by the whole interaction, as if it were nothing more than an ordinary conversation.

'How can he be so calm?' Seongwoo wondered, his frustration building. But as they reached the quiet study hall, he took a deep breath, forcing himself to focus. There was no point in letting his emotions get the better of him, especially over something so trivial. Jihoon had simply been talking to a classmate, nothing more.

They settled into their usual seats, with Jihoon pulling out his notebook and flipping to the page with their assignment notes. Seongwoo tried to focus, but the memory of Dohyun's easy smile and Jihoon's faint smile kept replaying in his mind, fueling a quiet resentment he struggled to push aside.

After a few minutes of silence, Jihoon glanced up, noticing Seongwoo's distracted expression. "Are you sure you're alright?" he asked, a faint hint of concern in his voice.

Seongwoo hesitated, his grip tightening on his pencil. "Yeah, I'm fine," he replied, a bit too quickly. But as he looked into Jihoon's calm, untroubled gaze, the frustration softened, replaced by an odd sense of warmth.

He didn't know when it had happened, but somewhere along the way, Jihoon's presence had become something he craved, a quiet comfort that he couldn't quite explain. And as much as he wanted to deny it, the truth was becoming harder to ignore-he didn't just want to be near Jihoon; he wanted Jihoon to need him in return.

But Jihoon's calm, unaffected demeanor served as a constant reminder of the distance between them. And as much as Seongwoo longed to close that distance, he knew it would take more than a few fleeting moments of jealousy to truly bridge the gap between them.

For now, all he could do was wait, hoping that, in time, Jihoon would begin to see him as more than just a study partner-a hope that, though faint, had taken root deep within him.