Secret in the Library

A bright morning, accompanied by the cheerful laughter of students and the screeching of chairs being dragged across the floor. Everyone was busy with their own activities—some gathered to discuss interesting topics, while others focused on fixing their makeup.

Meanwhile, my routine never strayed far from books. I was still in the process of improving my grades. Many people said they envied my achievements, but I had no choice but to maintain them. I was a scholarship student—if I didn’t rely on my grades, I would have been kicked out of this prestigious school long ago.

"Narin, how do you solve this? Help me!" Hana looked utterly desperate. This morning, she said she would try studying to match Do Hwan academically. So, she attempted to tackle the subject she hated most—mathematics.

I had been watching her for a while, from scratching her head in frustration, pressing her pen against her forehead, to slamming the table, showing just how frustrated she was. Still, she refused to give up.

"Let me see." I pulled her scribbled notebook closer to check.

"Ah… you got this part right, but look at this! You should have negated the coefficient of X and then divided it by X² because the sum of the roots is determined by that."

After explaining, I looked up to make sure Hana understood, but she only stared blankly at her notebook, filled with scribbles.

"Hana, are you okay?" I was starting to worry. This was the first time she had forced herself to study something so seriously, and all because of a guy who had just entered her life. Sigh… It would have been so much better if this motivation came from her own desire—it would have been easier for her.

Doing something for someone else out of obligation would only make her feel pressured. If the results didn’t meet expectations, the pain would be even deeper.

"Wait! My head feels like it’s going to explode. I don’t understand why calculations like this even exist in the world. In real life, we only use addition, subtraction, and multiplication. So what’s the point of all this?" Hana continued to complain.

I held back a laugh at her expression. Not because she didn’t understand my explanation, but because of how exaggerated her reaction was.

"Why are you laughing?" she asked, catching me in the act, though I quickly hid my smile.

"Me? No, I wasn’t laughing." I hurriedly denied it.

"I saw you just now."

"I said I wasn’t."

"I could even feel the wind from your mouth." She pointed to her hand, which rested on the table.

"What do you mean? Are you saying my mouth is a hurricane?" I finally burst into laughter. That phrase was just too much.

"See! You’re laughing again! Stop it!" she huffed.

"Okay, okay. I’ll stop. Get back to work." I shook my head, trying to suppress my laughter.

"Narin, the homeroom teacher is calling you to the teacher’s office," a student who had just entered the classroom announced.

Honestly, the moment I heard the words “teacher’s office,” my body tensed. Negative thoughts swirled in my head.

"Alright, thanks."

"Why? Is something wrong?" Hana asked, noticing my sudden change in expression.

"Nothing. I just need to go to the office for a bit. Get back to work, or you’ll never win over that dramatic guy." I whispered so no other students would hear, then stepped out of the classroom.

It didn’t take long before I arrived in front of the office door. After gathering my courage, I entered and glanced around. Some students were waiting for punishment, while teachers were busy answering calls or staring at their computer screens.

"Narin, come here!" my homeroom teacher called from his desk. I quickened my pace and approached.

"You called me?" I asked nervously, clasping my hands together.

"Yes. Wait a moment."

He opened his desk drawer, searching for something. Time seemed to slow down. I could hear my own heartbeat. Ever since he warned me that my scholarship could be at risk, I always felt anxious stepping into this room.

"Here it is." He pulled out a piece of paper and handed it to me. I took it, but instead of looking at it immediately, I waited for an explanation.

"That’s a list of newly arrived books. Some titles have been marked. I want you to pick them up from the library and distribute them to the class during my lesson later. Since the class president is absent today, I have to trouble you with this task instead."

I let out a sigh of relief. I glanced at the list in my hands—sure enough, it was just a book list.

"Understood, sir." I bowed slightly and was about to leave when…

"Oh, by the way, how’s your study group?"

I hesitated for a moment, recalling Do Hwan’s request for me to form a study group.

"Do Hwan has agreed to it," I answered.

"That’s good. I hope your grades return to normal. You’re in your final year—it would be a shame if your scholarship was revoked."

I didn’t respond, only nodding in understanding.

"Alright, you may go now."

"Thank you, sir."

---

As I walked through the hallway, hurried footsteps approached from behind.

"Narin!"

I turned and saw Hana jogging toward me.

"Where are you going?" she asked, still catching her breath.

"The library."

"Oh! I’m coming with you!" she said excitedly.

I frowned. "Why so suddenly?"

"I need books for studying too." She grinned, then, without waiting for my response, walked beside me.

Something was off. Hana wasn’t the type to visit the library without a strong reason, especially when there wasn’t an assignment forcing her to.

But whatever.

On the way, Hana seemed more energetic than usual. She even tugged my arm a few times, urging me to walk faster.

When we arrived, I finally realized something. The moment the doors opened, Hana’s eyes darted around, sparkling as if searching for someone.

And sure enough…

In just seconds, a wide smile spread across her face. Her gaze locked onto a spot in the corner of the room.

I followed her eyes.

Do Hwan.

Ah. So that’s her real reason?

Without hesitation, Hana dragged me toward the corner table where Do Hwan sat. I sighed. I should have seen this coming.

"Oh! Do Hwan!" Hana exclaimed, pretending to be surprised.

Do Hwan looked up from his book. "Oh? You’re here too?"

Hana giggled. "Yeah! I’m trying to study seriously since exams are coming up."

Study seriously? I nearly choked on air.

"But… I can’t find an empty seat."

Oh my god.

I glanced around—there were plenty of empty seats. But Do Hwan, who had probably noticed as well, still smiled.

"Then sit here."

"Are you sure? I’d feel bad." Hana put on a hesitant expression, though it was clearly fake.

"Why not? It’s a public space."

"Alright, if you insist."

As she was about to sit, I quickly nudged her arm and whispered, "Did you really come here just for this?"

Hana simply grinned before finally taking a seat. It was too late to stop her now. With no other choice, I sat beside her, trying to ignore the ridiculous situation.

"You seem to like math," Do Hwan commented, glancing at the book in Hana’s hands.

Hana froze. I glanced at the book—Mathematics.

Her face paled. "Uh… well…"

She had just realized she grabbed the wrong book. She looked at me, blinking rapidly, as if asking for help. I only shook my head, unwilling to get involved.

"Yes! I love math!" she finally answered, forcing an awkward laugh.

I stared at her blankly. I would have believed her more if she said she did yoga last night.

Suddenly, a phone vibrated, breaking the silence. I glanced at the table—it was Do Hwan’s phone.

"Excuse me," he said, standing up.

"Go ahead," Hana replied sweetly.

As soon as he left, Hana slumped onto the table. "Hah, that was close. Narin, I’m exhausted."

I sighed. "Exhausted from what? You didn’t even read a single page properly."

Before she could respond, I walked away, heading toward the bookshelves.

That’s when I heard it.

A cold, yet emotional voice speaking softly.

"Why did you call me? Ah, right. You must be laughing at me now. But unfortunately, you're not here. So of course, you had to call me. Isn't that right?"

I peeked slightly from behind the shelf. The person stood with their back to me, phone pressed to their ear.

"Going back to the U.S.? Why? Are you scared of being replaced? Or scared I’ll take them away from you?"

Their voice grew sharper. Then, they chuckled coldly.

"Don’t worry. They hate me. How could I possibly take your place?"

And with that, they ended the call abruptly.

***