Enemies Already

~Lee Yul~

I followed Na Ri out of the classroom, her demeanor shifting entirely. The confident girl who had just been chatting animatedly with Chae Soo now seemed uncharacteristically shy.

She stopped and turned to face me, her cheeks tinted with an embarrassed flush. For a moment, her gaze flickered, uncertain yet holding a certain weight, as though she were carefully considering her next words. And then it hit me—this was her moment of realization.

I wondered if she was replaying the strange, awkward interaction from this morning in her mind. The fleeting silence between us became heavy, stretching far longer than it needed to. Finally, I decided to save us both.

"If this is about what happened earlier," I began, keeping my tone light but playful, "don't sweat it. I'm not holding it against you—unless, of course, you tell me why you did it." I injected the last bit with mock seriousness, but inside, I was anything but calm. What if she did remember me? Worse, what if her reason wasn't the harmless misunderstanding I had hoped for?

Her voice, soft but steady, broke the tension. "I don't even know why I did that," she admitted, her tone almost unsure of itself. 

She hesitated, then, as if emboldened by some fleeting thought, added bluntly, "Maybe it's because I saw someone this handsome for the first time."

I blinked, stunned. Did she really just—? My laughter erupted before I could stop it, the sheer unexpectedness of her words unraveling me. 

Her expression, somewhere between flustered and sincere, only fueled the hilarity of it all.

"You can't just say something like that," I managed through my laughter, though there was no real reproach in my tone. And yet, beneath my amusement, I felt a strange mix of relief and curiosity. She didn't remember me—at least, not in the way I feared.

She fidgeted slightly, her earlier boldness retreating into shyness. "Now you know why I did it," she murmured, biting her lip. "Are you mad? I mean, I get it if you are. I know it was weird, and I probably shouldn't have done that, but I… I don't know. I was just shocked, I guess. Or surprised."

Her honesty hit me in a way I wasn't expecting. There was no pretense, no attempt to mask her emotions. It was raw, disarming. "Let's just forget about it," I said with a small smile, trying to ease her worry. "Why don't we start that school tour instead?"

Her face brightened instantly, the tension in the air dissolving as if it had never existed. "Oh! Right, the tour!" she exclaimed, snapping into an exaggerated salute. "I'll be your guide, sir! Let's get started!"

Her sudden burst of energy was almost comical, and I couldn't help but laugh again. She was a paradox—so unpredictable yet so genuine that it was hard not to be drawn in. But even as I let myself enjoy the moment, a nagging guilt stirred within me.

How had someone so unguarded, so effortlessly pure, ended up, crossing paths with someone like me?

The only way to redeem myself, I decided, was to protect her, to treat her with kindness. Maybe then, I could start forgiving myself for what I'd done.

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The sun hung low in the sky, casting golden rays over the school as Na Ri guided me from one place to the next. She was thorough—almost like she had rehearsed the tour a hundred times before.

Her voice was soft but steady, and she had this knack for making mundane things seem special. The classroom, the music room, the lab—they all carried a sense of care and pride. 

Now, as she led me to the school's football turf, I could hear the distant shouts of students, cleats striking the ball with precision and passion.

"And here we are," Na Ri said, gesturing grandly to the sprawling green turf ahead of us. "This is the school's football field. You can already see the students playing. If you're interested in joining, let me know, or you can talk to Ms. In Na—she'll make sure the coach hears about it." Her smile was genuine, her tone laced with a gentle invitation.

The field was massive, neatly trimmed, and maintained to perfection. It was more than just a place for sports; it seemed like a stage where moments were made, and stories unfolded. My eyes wandered across the players, noting their skill and enthusiasm. But then, a strange feeling prickled the back of my neck. Someone was watching us.

Turning slightly, my gaze landed on Chae Soo. He wasn't playing—he stood on the sidelines, arms crossed, his dark eyes fixed on us. There was something calculating in the way he looked, as though he was studying every move, every word. I don't know why, but I felt the need to stir things up a bit, just to test the waters.

I leaned closer to Na Ri, shortening the distance between us. Her eyes widened slightly, and I smirked, keeping my voice low but teasing. "So earlier, you were saying you've never seen a handsome guy like me before. Was that true?"

A soft flush bloomed on her cheeks, and for a second, she seemed caught off guard. The way her lips parted, the slight shuffle of her feet—yeah, she was blushing.

But just as she opened her mouth to reply, something sharp caught the corner of my vision. The football, spinning fast, was headed straight for her.

"Watch out!" I called instinctively, surging forward to shield her. My hands reached out, catching the ball mid-flight. The impact was nothing compared to the adrenaline rushing through me. I turned to her, concern etched on my face.

"Are you okay, Na Ri?" My voice softened as I searched her expression for any signs of fear. She nodded, still processing the suddenness of it all, but her gaze shifted to the field, locking onto Chae Soo.

Her entire demeanor changed in an instant. The warmth in her expression was replaced by a cool, sharp edge.

"Sorry, didn't see you there," Chae Soo called out lazily, his voice dripping with fake remorse.

Na Ri stepped forward, her voice steady but laced with anger. "I can't believe you, Chae Soo. You did that on purpose, didn't you?" There was a note of betrayal in her words that made me pause.

Deliberately? He threw the ball deliberately? The thought unsettled me. I'd barely known the guy, but the idea of intentionally hurting someone like that—it didn't sit right.

"You're going to regret this," Na Ri said, her voice low but resolute, before turning sharply and walking off the field. I watched her retreating figure, curiosity mixing with unease. What did she mean by that?

"Done staring?" Chae Soo's voice broke through my thoughts. He was standing beside me now, his casual demeanor as infuriating as his smirk. "If you're finished, hand me the ball."

His audacity was astounding. Offering his hand, he said, "I'm Chae Soo, by the way. Nice to meet you."

I stared at him, his outstretched hand mocking more than greeting. "Sorry," I replied coldly, ignoring his hand. "I don't think I'm interested in knowing you." With a sharp kick, I sent the ball back to the field and walked away, a satisfied smirk curling on my lips.

As I left, one thought lingered in my mind: Chae Soo and I—yeah, we were enemies already.