The morning sun painted the lot gold.
Students from grade 12 were already gathering, luggage stacked beside them, excited chatter filling the air.
Junghan walked up… calm, almost invisible, but his presence immediately froze a few hearts.
Daeho and Dejin stood behind him, mouths wide open.
Daeho whispered:
"Bro… is that… are you actually here?"
Dejin blinked several times.
"I… I thought you weren't coming!"
Junghan raised an eyebrow, neutral.
"Seems like you were wrong."
Dejin gasped dramatically.
"I—cannot—believe—this. Junghan Kim. Attending the trip? My heart, I can't—"
Daeho laughed quietly.
"I told you he'd come… but wow. Look at him… he's glowing."
Junghan rolled his eyes but couldn't hide the slight smile tugging at his lips.
Sera had already noticed him.
She strutted down the aisle, her heels clicking on the bus floor.
"Junghan!" she said, bright, flirty.
"Mind if I… sit here?"
Junghan gave a polite, icy glance.
"This seat's reserved," he said casually, pointing at Daeho and Dejin.
Sera blinked.
"Oh… I see. Friends first, I get it."
But she plopped down a few seats behind him, plotting.
Junghan leaned back, arms crossed.
Daeho and Dejin squeezed into the seat beside him, teasing like little children.
"Lucky day!" Dejin whispered.
"You're stuck with us."
Junghan sighed.
"Lucky you," he muttered.
Meanwhile, Haeyoung, Hana, and Ji-eun boarded their separate bus for grade 11.
Haeyoung immediately pressed her face to the window, scanning the 12th-grade bus.
She spotted Junghan — calm, quiet, perfect in the way he always seemed to be.
Haeyoung waved dramatically, putting her hands on the glass.
"Hi! Junghan! Hi Daeho! Hi Dejin!"
Her voice echoed just enough to make the grade 12 students look over.
Hana whispered harshly:
"Haeyoung! Stop it! You're making everyone laugh!"
Ji-eun giggled.
"It's cute. Let her be."
Haeyoung, ignoring them, made a funny face at Junghan — tongue out, eyes rolling, waving frantically.
Junghan caught it, nearly choking on his breath, and laughed softly.
Daeho elbowed him.
"Bro… your face… priceless. She's crazy."
Junghan just shook his head but didn't stop smiling.
On the other side, Jisoo leaned lazily against the window, glancing at the neighboring bus.
His eyes landed on Haeyoung — waving, silly, completely unbothered by the classroom hierarchy.
Jisoo smirked.
"She's… interesting," he muttered, heart thumping faster than usual.
Deeper inside, he felt a pang of something he couldn't name — irritation? Admiration? Maybe both.
That's mine, he thought subtly, before rolling his eyes at himself.
Both buses started moving.
Junghan leaned back in his seat, quiet, staring out the window at the passing trees.
Daeho leaned forward.
"Bro… tell me why you're here. You know you're about to deal with Sera's plots for three days straight, right?"
Junghan smirked faintly.
"I can handle her. Unlike some people."
Dejin grinned.
"Some people? You mean Haeyoung?"
Junghan froze for a fraction of a second — just enough to notice.
Daeho chuckled.
"Bro… you're blushing."
Junghan glanced away.
"I'm not."
But inside… he was burning.
Meanwhile, Haeyoung was busy in grade 11 bus.
She leaned toward the aisle window, trying to peek at Junghan's bus, waving with both hands.
She made a silly heart with her fingers.
Ji-eun groaned.
"Haeyoung, stop embarrassing yourself."
Hana laughed.
"I think he saw you. Look at him! He's laughing!"
Haeyoung beamed.
"See? I knew he would!"
Her heart raced — she had a whole day to enjoy the view of his calm, perfect expression… and maybe… tease him just a little.
Sera leaned back, observing Junghan.
Her notebook open, doodling hearts around his name.
She whispered to herself:
"One… two… three days. I'll make him notice me… I'll… I'll get closer on this trip."
Dejin noticed her whispering.
"Plotting something?"
Sera shot him a sharp look.
"None of your business."
Dejin shrugged, smirking.
"You try too hard."
Junghan noticed her staring, not letting him leave.
He gave a soft, warning glance.
Sera pouted dramatically, turning away but still keeping an eye on him.
Junghan, Daeho, and Dejin started passing snacks around.
Daeho offered chips.
Dejin poured juice into cups.
Junghan, quiet, picked up a sandwich Haeyoung had packed for him earlier that morning — smiling faintly.
Daeho whispered:
"Bro, did Haeyoung pack this? Or did you steal it from her?"
Junghan smirked.
"You think she'd let me starve?"
Dejin snorted.
"You're lucky, man. She worries about you more than anyone."
Junghan's eyes softened — only a tiny bit.
Haeyoung leaned out of the bus window again, trying to wave her notebook — the one with doodles for Junghan.
Junghan caught sight of it, laughing quietly.
Jisoo noticed her antics, smirking.
"She's cute when she's mischievous," he thought.
"And… jealous of nothing? Or someone?"
Sera noticed this from her bus too.
Hmm… interesting, she thought.
She's got someone else noticing her. That's trouble for me.
Junghan didn't know the drama unfolding on either side — he was laughing, talking, joking — but every glance at Haeyoung made his chest tighten.
Sera tried to slide closer to Junghan again.
"Junghan… can I sit here?" she asked sweetly.
Junghan shook his head.
"You have to sit there," he said, pointing toward Daeho and Dejin.
Sera huffed.
"Fine. I'll sit here," she said, planting herself two seats away, still keeping him in her peripheral vision.
Daeho elbowed Junghan.
"Bro… she's not giving up."
Junghan whispered, smirking:
"Neither am I."
Dejin laughed softly.
"You two are going to fight for the next three days, huh?"
Junghan didn't answer — just stared out the window, thinking of Haeyoung.
Back on the grade 11 bus, Haeyoung leaned over Ji-eun.
"Watch this," she whispered.
She mimicked Junghan's serious face, poking at Hana.
Hana gasped.
"Stop! You're making everyone laugh!"
But Haeyoung didn't stop.
She waved at Junghan's bus again.
Junghan, sitting quietly, caught the gesture — and for the first time, a genuine smile spread across his face.
Daeho nudged him.
"She's… relentless."
Junghan shook his head.
"Yes… but I can't help liking it."
Dejin blinked.
"Bro… you literally just admitted that?"
Junghan just laughed softly, looking at the horizon.
Jisoo leaned back in his seat, watching Haeyoung being her usual, silly self.
She's mine, he thought, a strange feeling tightening in his chest.
But then he noticed Junghan laughing — genuine, soft laughter.
His jaw tightened.
So that's the effect he has on her, he muttered.
The three hearts — Haeyoung, Junghan, and Jisoo — danced silently across the buses, unaware of the chaos they were about to bring.
The bus drove off, wind brushing through the hair of every teenager.
Junghan sat quietly, Daeho and Dejin chatting beside him.
Haeyoung leaned over her window again, waving wildly.
Junghan laughed softly, watching her antics.
Sera sat quietly, plotting, notebook open.
Jisoo leaned back, watching Haeyoung, fists slightly clenched.
The road stretched long before them.
And the trip… had officially begun.
GRADE 11 BUS —
Haeyoung leaned over the aisle, eyes sparkling with mischief.
"Watch this!" she whispered to Hana.
She pulled a fake lizard from her bag — the one she had sneaked in from home earlier — and tossed it onto Hana's lap.
Hana screamed, almost throwing it across the aisle.
"Haeyoung!! Are you crazy?!" Hana yelled, holding the fake lizard as if it were venomous.
Haeyoung giggled uncontrollably.
"Not crazy… just keeping you on your toes!"
Hana, still jumping and squealing, saw Ji-eun on the next seat.
"Here! You catch this, Ji-eun!"
The fake lizard flew across the aisle and landed neatly in Ji-eun's lap.
Ji-eun's eyes widened, and she shrieked:
"Haeyoung!! You're going to get us kicked off the bus!"
Haeyoung laughed, clapping her hands.
"Ohh come on! It's funnnn!"
The whole 11th-grade bus erupted into giggles, with students leaning over seats to watch the chaos.
Hana glared at Haeyoung but couldn't help laughing.
"This is your fault! You're trouble, Haeyoung Hong!"
Haeyoung winked mischievously.
"Trouble? Me? Never. I'm just… fun!"
Ji-eun rolled her eyes, still holding the lizard.
"You're impossible."
Haeyoung leaned back against the window, satisfied, while secretly stealing glances at Junghan's bus in the distance.
GRADE 12 BUS —
Meanwhile, Sera had had enough.
She had been trying for ten minutes to slide closer to Junghan. Every time, he subtly moved or gestured, keeping Daeho and Dejin beside him.
Her face turned red with frustration.
"Why won't he let me sit closer?? Does he have a girlfriend??"
Daeho and Dejin were smirking, quietly enjoying the drama.
Junghan noticed her huffing and turned to her, calm but firm.
"That's none of your business," he said, voice steady.
"Can't you understand I'm already sitting with my friends? And about a girlfriend — even if I have one, who are you to ask that? Just a classmate. So stay away from me."
Sera froze, stunned.
"You… you—what??"
Junghan didn't say another word, looking out the window as the bus moved along.
Sera huffed and stomped back toward her seat, face fiery red.
Her friends whispered:
"Wow… he actually scolded you!"
She crossed her arms, glaring, muttering:
"Humph! He'll regret this. I'll… I'll make him notice me on this trip."
Meanwhile, Daeho and Dejin were quietly losing it.
Dejin whispered to Daeho:
"Bro… did you see that? He literally just put her in her place."
Daeho chuckled softly, shaking his head.
"Yeah… but we shouldn't laugh too loud. Only we know… he's like that only with Haeyoung."
Dejin grinned.
"Exactly. Only us. Everyone else thinks he's… mysterious, untouchable."
Junghan didn't notice, quietly enjoying the little chaos around him, though his thoughts occasionally drifted to Haeyoung — always, as usual.
The two buses slowly began drifting apart on the highway, the grade 12 bus taking the left lane while the 11th-grade bus veered slightly right.
Haeyoung pressed her face to the window, waving dramatically.
"Junghan!! Look!! I'm waving! See meee??"
Junghan noticed, smiling faintly and waving back subtly, trying not to draw attention.
Jisoo, sitting across in the 12th-grade bus, noticed the same scene.
She's waving at him… but… why does my heart feel weird seeing him smile like that? he thought.
His chest tightened.
"She's… good. Really good. And… he likes her. That's impossible. I have to… figure this out," he muttered under his breath.
Meanwhile, Daeho and Dejin were laughing quietly in the back.
"You know what? That was hilarious," Dejin whispered.
"Junghan actually scolded Sera. And she looks… crushed."
Daeho nodded.
"Yeah… but at the same time… he's serious. And we shouldn't laugh too loud. Only we know… he's like that because of Haeyoung. No one else."
Dejin smirked.
"Bro… Haeyoung really has him wrapped around her finger… but he doesn't even know it."
Junghan, pretending not to listen, quietly smiled to himself.
The buses climbed the winding road toward their mountain resort.
The air outside was crisp, carrying the scent of pine trees.
Junghan leaned back in his seat, looking out at the trees rushing past.
The thought of Haeyoung's silly antics and her waving from the 11th-grade bus made him smile faintly, heart fluttering.
Daeho nudged him.
"Bro… do you even realize how happy she's making you right now?"
Junghan shook his head.
"Shh… not loud."
Dejin elbowed him.
"Relax. She's cute. You're cute. The bus is cute. Everything's cute."
Junghan rolled his eyes, but a tiny chuckle escaped him.
Jisoo leaned back in his seat, his gaze flicking to Haeyoung again.
"She's… she's always like this around him. Always."
He frowned.
Does she even notice me? Or is this… just her being playful with Junghan?
A flicker of jealousy sparked, but he pushed it down, pretending calm.
I can't let her think I'm just another guy… he thought.
Finally, the buses arrived at the destination.
The students from both grades scrambled off, dragging their luggage down the steps.
Junghan stepped off first, Daeho and Dejin by his side.
Haeyoung hopped off her bus, immediately running to the edge of the road, waving and calling:
"Junghan! Junghan!! Over here!!"
Junghan looked at her, a mixture of amusement, warmth, and that faint flutter in his chest.
Daeho nudged him.
"Bro… look at her. She's unstoppable."
Dejin added:
"Yeah… don't tell me you don't like it."
Junghan didn't answer. He simply walked toward Haeyoung, smiling faintly, letting her run a few steps before reaching him, still waving wildly.
Sera watched from her bus, lips pressed together in frustration.
Why does he laugh at her, but not me? she thought, jaw tight.
This isn't over… I'll make him notice me on this trip, no matter what.
She pulled out her notebook again, plotting in silence.
As students began unloading luggage and checking their rooms, the trip energy fully kicked in.
Haeyoung tugged Junghan along.
"Come on! Let's explore first! See the lake! The mountains! Everything!"
Junghan shook his head slightly, smiling faintly.
"Slow down… we just got here."
Hana and Ji-eun giggled, following them.
Daeho and Dejin were already laughing, throwing jokes about how Junghan would slowly melt under Haeyoung's "persistent mischief."
Sera, meanwhile, glared from the hallway, muttering:
This is going to be harder than I thought…
ENDING SCENE
Junghan stood by the window of the resort, watching Haeyoung dart around the grounds, laughing with Hana and Ji-eun.
He couldn't help the tiny smile that tugged at his lips.
She's… impossible. And I… can't stop thinking about her.
The trip had begun.
And nothing would ever be the same.