Unseen Connections

The days blurred together for Minhyuk Lee as he navigated through his new school life. Each morning, he would sit quietly in the back of Class 2-A, his eyes glued to the textbooks in front of him, only glancing up when necessary. He didn’t make any attempt to stand out, and the other students didn’t seem eager to draw him in. The atmosphere in the classroom felt cold, indifferent, and the thought of trying to make friends seemed daunting.

The only interaction that stood out was with Seoyeon. She greeted him with a friendly smile in the hallway, but her words were always casual, never lingering. He wasn’t sure if she was just being polite, or if she genuinely saw something in him. Yujin, on the other hand, didn’t acknowledge him much, her attention always elsewhere. As a popular idol, it made sense that she had a life outside school that didn’t leave much room for people like him.

At lunch on Monday, Seoyeon waved him over to sit with her again, and although he hesitated, he eventually walked to her table. The group of students around her were all talking, but Minhyuk felt like an outsider. The conversation flowed easily between them, and he tried his best to participate, but his answers were brief and measured. Seoyeon seemed to take it in stride, but he could tell Yujin wasn’t all that interested in him.

“So, Minhyuk, where are you from?” one of Seoyeon’s friends asked.

Minhyuk shifted uncomfortably in his seat. “I’m from Seoul,” he replied. “But we moved here for... personal reasons.”

A slight pause followed his answer, but the chatter continued, and he was soon forgotten in the whirlwind of casual conversation. Seoyeon seemed to notice, glancing at him occasionally, but she never pushed him to open up.

After a while, Minhyuk excused himself from the table, feeling the weight of his own awkwardness. He didn’t want to feel like a burden on anyone, especially not someone like Seoyeon, who was always surrounded by people and attention. As he left the cafeteria, he noticed Yujin standing by the vending machine, scrolling through her phone. She looked up for a brief second, catching his gaze before turning away.

It was the same look he’d gotten the past few days. It was as if he wasn’t there at all, but the distance between them made it clear she wasn’t just ignoring him—she was dismissing him altogether.

---

The next day, after school, Minhyuk found himself walking the streets of the neighborhood, aimlessly wandering with no real purpose. The sun was setting, casting long shadows across the pavement as he passed by Seoyeon’s house. It had been a few days since their last conversation, and he hadn’t seen much of her since. Maybe she was busy with her acting career.

As he walked past her house, he saw her bike leaning against the porch. She was out there, chatting with her manager, a middle-aged man in a suit. He was gesturing passionately, talking about some upcoming project. Seoyeon was nodding, her attention divided between him and something on her phone.

Minhyuk stopped for a moment, wondering if he should say hello. But as quickly as the thought came, it vanished. He didn’t belong in that world—he didn’t even belong in this one. His feet felt heavy, and he turned to leave, but not before Seoyeon caught a glimpse of him from the corner of her eye.

“Minhyuk, hey!” she called out, her voice slicing through the silence.

He froze in his tracks, turning to face her. “Oh, hi, Seoyeon.”

Her smile was warm, and for a brief second, he felt like he wasn’t invisible. “You’re always walking around by yourself, huh? What do you do when you get home?”

Minhyuk hesitated, unsure of how to respond. “I... I study. And sometimes, I work on some art stuff. I like drawing.”

Seoyeon raised an eyebrow. “Really? You never told me that.” She glanced at her manager. “Maybe you could show me sometime.”

Minhyuk’s face flushed with sudden embarrassment. “It’s nothing special,” he muttered, looking down.

“No need to be modest,” she said with a teasing smile. “I’m sure you’re good. Just... don’t hide it, okay?”

Minhyuk gave a soft nod, feeling both elated and self-conscious at the same time. For a moment, he had a sense of connection, but just as quickly, it felt fleeting, like something that could slip away at any second.

---

The next day, in class, Minhyuk found himself in a similar situation. The class was busy with chatter, the students talking about an upcoming school festival. Seoyeon was laughing with her friends, and Yujin was lost in her phone, her attention clearly elsewhere. Minhyuk didn’t know why he kept trying to connect with them. They were worlds apart, and he was just a shadow in their lives.

It wasn’t until the end of the school day that something unusual happened.

“Minhyuk,” Yujin called out, her voice cutting through his thoughts.

He turned, surprised to hear her speak directly to him. Yujin was standing near the classroom door, her hand resting on the frame. She had her headphones around her neck, and a soft smile tugged at the corners of her lips.

“Are you heading home?” she asked, her tone surprisingly friendly.

“Uh... yeah,” Minhyuk replied, still caught off guard. “I’m just going to walk around, I guess.”

Yujin nodded. “Walk with me for a bit. I could use some fresh air.”

Minhyuk blinked, his mind racing. Yujin Kang, the idol, wanted to walk with him?

“Sure,” he said, unsure of what to expect but not wanting to turn her down.

The two of them walked side by side in silence for a few moments before Yujin spoke up again. “You know, you’re a lot quieter than I thought you’d be. It’s kind of... refreshing.”

Minhyuk chuckled softly, though he was unsure how to take the compliment. “I just... don’t really know what to say.”

Yujin gave him a side glance. “That’s okay. I’m not exactly the best at starting conversations either.” She paused, then added, “I know it’s not easy. People like us, you know, we have our own struggles.”

Minhyuk didn’t know how to respond to that, but something about her words felt real. For the first time, he realized that Yujin, despite her fame, was more like him than he’d ever imagined. And maybe—just maybe—the walls between them weren’t as insurmountable as he thought.

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