Colors in the Classroom

Hana tried to shake off the moment in the garden, walking quickly up the stairs. Gaeun was still walking beside her, but she must have noticed Hana's pauses.

"Are you really okay?" Gaeun asked, raising her eyebrows slightly and looking at her.

Hana shook her head. "Yeah, just... a little tired."

Gaeun gave her a skeptical look but didn't press further. "Alright. Anyway, we're late for class, let's go."

When they entered the classroom, they headed to the back row. Hana sat in her usual spot, and Gaeun took a seat a few rows ahead. That's when she noticed—Eunbi was already seated, fiddling with her phone.

"Eunbi, Hana's desk mate. With her lively energy and sharp observations, she was always aware of everything going on around her. She never missed the small details, so they often got the news from her. Her yellow-brown hair was always neatly tied, and although she appeared to follow the school rules strictly, her interest in gossip gave her a different aura."

As Hana settled into her seat, Eunbi looked up and grinned at her. "Why are you so distracted today?"

Hana shrugged. "I'm tired."

Eunbi gave her a skeptical look. "Is it... about what happened in the garden this morning?"

Hana paused for a moment. Eunbi's eyes were sparkling—she had definitely seen something.

"What happened in the garden?" Hana asked, pretending to brush it off.

Eunbi giggled. "Forget about it. Sera will be here soon and give you a detailed report."

Sighing, Hana took out her notebook. She was back in her old spot, sitting next to Eunbi, and could only talk to Gaeun during breaks. It wasn't so bad—Eunbi was fun, but sometimes she was too into gossip.

Just then, the door opened, and Sera walked in. She had her phone in hand and an impatient expression on her face.

"Sera, she was always the news source of the group. She was incredibly fast on social media and was always the first to hear about any little event. Energetic, talkative, and a little nosy—but that made her even more fun. Her long, wavy hair was usually carelessly tied up, and she always seemed ready to tell something."

"Girls, I have some interesting news this morning," she said, sitting down beside them.

Eunbi excitedly turned to her. "Who talked to who?"

Hana sighed. Here we go again.

As Sera sat down, Hana tilted her head slightly. "What's so important?" she asked, trying to sound uninterested.

Just then, Eunwoo walked in. He had a coffee in hand and, with his usual laid-back attitude, sat in the empty seat in front of Hana.

"Eunwoo, it was impossible to ignore him. Not just with his voice, but with his energy, he always brightened up the atmosphere. He loved talking loudly, and a conversation with him was never boring. Enthusiastic, dramatic, and living everything as if it were a TV show. When telling a story, he would always make hand gestures, change his facial expressions, and sometimes exaggerate a bit too much. But that was exactly why he would often make the people around him laugh."

"What are you talking about?" he asked, taking a sip from his cup.

Eunbi jumped in immediately. "Sera's bringing the morning gossip, you should listen."

Eunwoo raised his eyebrows slightly but didn't seem too surprised. "I can't always trust Sera's news sources, but okay."

Sera placed her phone on the desk and leaned forward. "Aerin and Hyejin. I saw them holding hands."

Eunwoo raised an eyebrow, while Hana quickly looked away and focused on her notebook. Sera noticed this and gave a sly grin.

"Hana, did you already know?"

Hana shrugged slightly. "I just guessed."

Eunwoo glanced at her for a moment, then took another sip of his coffee. "It won't last long," he muttered.

Eunbi furrowed her brows. "Why do you say that?"

Eunwoo smiled slightly and glanced at Hana. "Aerin doesn't have much patience, and Hyejin's interest fades quickly."

Hana took a deep breath inside. She felt uneasy whenever the topic was Aerin, but she couldn't help asking Eunwoo's opinion. "Are you so sure?"

Eunwoo shrugged slightly. "You'll see."

Sera rolled her eyes and picked up her phone. "Anyway, I'll let you know when something more interesting comes up."

Hana returned to her notebook, hoping the topic would end, but the strange feeling inside her wouldn't go away.

Eunbi furrowed her brows slightly. "You guys don't know Aerin very well," she said, looking at Sera. "She's not like that."

Sera shrugged and opened her phone. "Maybe you're not being objective because you know her too well."

Eunwoo chuckled lightly. "Aerin can defend herself. No need to get worked up."

Eunbi seemed like she was about to say something, but then she changed her mind and crossed her arms. Hana carefully studied her expression. Eunbi and Aerin were really close, but Hana could see that something was weighing on Eunbi.

Not wanting to prolong the topic, Hana smiled faintly. "Who knows, maybe this time it will last?"

Eunwoo narrowed his eyes at her but didn't say anything. Sera sighed and said, "Well, I'll let you know if I find something more interesting."

Hana took a deep breath. Somehow, she felt that this relationship would be talked about more in the coming days.

As the conversations in the classroom continued full speed ahead, the door suddenly opened, and everyone went silent. The teacher walked in.

"What's all this noise this early?" he grumbled, dropping his bag on the desk.

Hana quickly sat in her seat, and Eunwoo and Eunbi went back to theirs. Sera slid her phone under the desk, and Aerin leaned back, calmly watching the teacher.