Unspoken Bonds

The following week passed in a blur of school assignments and brief interactions. Minhyuk had started to adjust to his place at Seonghwa High, though he still felt like an outsider. He spent most of his time in the library or walking around the school grounds alone, trying to escape the buzz of activity that surrounded him.

Seoyeon and Yujin, on the other hand, seemed to glide through their days with ease. They were always surrounded by friends and acquaintances, their laughter echoing through the hallways. Despite this, Minhyuk had noticed that they sometimes glanced his way, especially when they thought he wasn’t looking.

It was on another typical afternoon when Seoyeon approached him again, this time after school had ended. Minhyuk had just finished a drawing, his pencil hovering over the page as he caught sight of her walking toward him with an unusual expression on her face.

“Minhyuk,” she greeted, her voice soft and uncertain.

Minhyuk blinked, setting his pencil down. “Seoyeon, what’s up?”

“I... I wanted to ask you something,” she began hesitantly, sitting down across from him. “I’ve noticed that you’re always alone. I was wondering... well, if you’d like to hang out sometime. Maybe get to know each other better.”

The offer caught him off guard. He had been expecting the usual polite exchanges, not something like this. He looked down at his hands, unsure of how to respond.

“I... I don’t know,” he murmured, the words feeling heavier than he expected. “I’m not really good at... making friends.”

Seoyeon studied him for a long moment, her eyes thoughtful. “You don’t have to be ‘good’ at it. I’m just saying, if you ever feel like hanging out... you can. I’m not going to force you, but I thought it might help.”

Minhyuk felt a flicker of warmth in his chest at her words. He hadn’t expected this kind of kindness, especially not from someone like Seoyeon, who had her own busy life. “Thanks,” he said quietly, though the uncertainty still lingered in his heart.

Seoyeon gave him a small, encouraging smile before standing up. “Think about it,” she said lightly. “I’ll see you around.”

---

Later that evening, Minhyuk found himself sitting at his desk, staring at his notebook. The weight of Seoyeon’s words echoed in his mind. What if he actually tried? What if, for once, he stepped out of his comfort zone and let someone in?

But the thought of it made him feel exposed, vulnerable. He was used to being invisible, to blending into the background. To risk forming connections meant exposing parts of himself he’d kept hidden for so long.

The next day, during lunch, Minhyuk sat alone at his usual spot in the cafeteria. He wasn’t exactly lonely—he had his thoughts and his drawings to keep him company—but there was always a sense of emptiness.

As he was about to take a bite of his sandwich, he heard footsteps approaching. He glanced up to see Seoyeon and Yujin walking toward his table, with Seoyeon flashing him an almost teasing smile.

“Mind if we join you?” Seoyeon asked, raising an eyebrow.

Minhyuk froze for a moment, then slowly nodded. “Sure.”

Seoyeon sat across from him, while Yujin took the seat next to her. Yujin didn’t say much, but there was a quiet, almost amused expression on her face as she observed Minhyuk.

“So, what are you drawing today?” Seoyeon asked, glancing at the sketchbook on the table.

Minhyuk hesitated before opening it, revealing the detailed sketch of a landscape he had been working on for the past few days. The sketch showed a quiet mountain scene, with towering trees and a distant river.

Seoyeon looked at it with genuine interest. “Wow, this is really good. You have a talent for this.”

Minhyuk blushed slightly, feeling a little embarrassed by the attention. “Thanks. It’s just a hobby.”

Yujin leaned in to get a better look. “I didn’t know you were into landscapes,” she said, her tone more casual than Seoyeon’s but still showing a hint of curiosity. “You should draw people, too. It would be interesting to see how you capture emotions.”

Minhyuk bit his lip, considering the suggestion. “I’ve never really tried drawing people,” he admitted, his voice almost uncertain. “I’m not sure I could do it.”

“You’d be surprised,” Seoyeon said with a smile. “You have a good eye for detail. I’m sure you could capture a person just as well as a landscape.”

Yujin nodded in agreement. “You should at least give it a shot.”

Minhyuk didn’t know why, but something in their words made him feel lighter. It wasn’t just the compliment, though that was part of it—it was the way they both made an effort to engage with him, as if he wasn’t just some distant figure. They saw him as... more.

---

That evening, Minhyuk sat in his room, his sketchbook open in front of him. He had a pencil in his hand, and for the first time in weeks, he wasn’t sure what to draw. He glanced at the window, where the fading light of sunset cast a warm glow across his desk.

After a few moments of hesitation, he picked up his pencil again and began sketching a face—a vague, simple outline of a person, the first step toward something more complex.

Maybe Seoyeon and Yujin were right. Maybe he could try to break through the walls he’d built, just a little.

---

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