Iced Tea and Intentions

The cafeteria buzzed with its usual midday chaos, clattering trays, overlapping conversations, and the smell of fried rice floating between tables. At their usual corner, Haerin and Nana poked at their lunches. "So listen," Nana said between bites. "If Minjun ever sits here, I swear I'll scream. Like, straight up explode." "You're already screaming," Haerin muttered, sipping her barley tea. But then, like a scene orchestrated by destiny or someone very bold, Minjun walked over. Calm. Hands tucked into his pockets. That signature half-smile blooming on his face. "Hey," he said casually. "Mind if I sit?" Neither girl responded. He pulled out the empty seat beside Haerin, flipped it, and sat down, backwards, like it was his table all along. Nana's mouth hung open. Haerin blinked twice. "Uh..." "I forgot to pack lunch," he said, peering into Nana's tray. "That looks better than anything from the line." Nana gave a strangled laugh and shoved her tray an inch closer. "Want some?" she squeaked. Across the cafeteria, Sooyeon froze mid-sip of her iced coffee. Her eyes narrowed. "How did he end up sitting with... them?" Her gaze swept the room, scanning each face. Then her voice dropped an octave. "Now where's the other twin?" Mijin barely turned her head. "He'll come here," she said confidently. "How could he not?" Sooyeon smirked. "He'd better. Some of us know his worth." But Jisoo wasn't anywhere in sight. And Haerin was still processing the fact that Minjun just stole a bite of Nana's rice roll with zero hesitation. 

 The chatter in the cafeteria wavered, then stilled, just enough for heads to swivel.  Jisoo had arrived. With his tray in hand and that signature calmness woven into every step, he cut through the noise like silence incarnate. His eyes didn't search, they selected. Steady, unreadable, unfazed by the buzz trailing behind him. Sooyeon's smile bloomed immediately. "Finally," she murmured to Mijin. "He knows where he belongs." Her fingers drummed lightly on her table, and Mijin straightened her posture, adjusting her collar. But Jisoo didn't glance at them. Didn't slow down. Instead, he passed by their table without a flicker of acknowledgment, and without hesitation, sat down at an empty table just beside the one where Haerin and Nana were eating. Close enough to hear them. Far enough not to intrude. Sooyeon's smile faded in slow motion. "He sat there?" Mijin asked, her voice barely keeping up with her disbelief. Sooyeon didn't respond. Her eyes narrowed, calculating. Haerin froze, her chopsticks halfway to her mouth. Nana stared at Jisoo like she'd just seen a character step out of her favorite webtoon. "They both sat near us," she whispered. "Is this a prank? Are we being pranked?" But Jisoo didn't speak. He simply ate, deliberate, silent, not missing a thing. And Haerin... couldn't look away.

  Minjun leaned his elbows on the table, rice roll still halfway to his mouth, and looked at the two girls in front of him with an easy smile. "So," he said, "I know I crashed your lunch, but I don't even know your names." Nana nearly choked on her tea. "I... I'm Nana!" she blurted, sitting up so straight it looked like her spine had gone rigid. "Like... banana, but without the 'ba.' Wait, no, that sounds weird... uh... just Nana!" She slapped a hand over her face. Haerin blinked, flustered. "Haerin," she said quickly, then gave a small wave. "Just... Haerin." Minjun's eyes lit up with amusement. "Nice to meet you, Nana and Just Haerin." Haerin gave a tiny groan, realizing what she'd said. Nana pointed at her friend. "Her name is Haerin! She's smarter than me, I swear. She just freezes when cute guys talk." Minjun chuckled, taking another bite of food. "Well, I feel honored. I'm Minjun. And if you freeze, no pressure... I talk enough for two people anyway." Just a few feet away, Jisoo's gaze drifted to them over his tray, quiet as ever. And at the far end of the room, Sooyeon set her straw down, eyebrows raised high. "The cool one's laughing with them," she murmured. "Actually laughing." Mijin leaned over. "Maybe they put something in his rice." Sooyeon didn't respond. But something in her eyes had shifted.

 Minjun popped another rice roll in his mouth, then gestured lazily with his chopsticks toward Jisoo's table behind them. "I'm free and fun to be with," he said with a cheeky grin. "But Jisoo?", he angled his face toward his twin, brows lifted, "He's the opposite of me in every possible way. Quiet. Mysterious. A bit terrifying before lunch." Nana let out a nervous giggle, clutching her water bottle like it was emotional support. Minjun leaned in slightly, teasing. "Still, if you want to shoot your shot and be friends with him... he'll consider." Haerin and Nana turned to glance at Jisoo, who was eating like he hadn't heard a single word, and yet, somehow, they knew he had. Then, together, they plastered on the same exact smile: slightly strained, eyes a little wide, trying to look chill but clearly panicking. It was the "Yeah... no, but thank you" smile. Or better yet, call it the "Terrified Approval". Minjun chuckled. "That's the look. Classic."

The cafeteria hum dimmed just slightly as Sooyeon rose from her table, iced tea cradled in her perfectly manicured hands. Her heels clicked softly against the tiled floor, drawing the eye without effort. She walked with the poise of someone born to dominate attention, and she knew it. Her route was deliberate. Past the rows of students, eyes trailing her like shadows. Past the boys who paused mid-bite to watch her glide through. And finally, she reached the edge of Haerin and Nana's table. There was no stumble. No jostle. Just a sudden spill, cool tea splashed across Haerin's arm and lap, darkening her uniform blouse like an ink stain across innocence. "Ohh... my goodness, I'm sorry, Haerin," Sooyeon said with practiced shock, voice silky sweet. Nana gasped. "Are you... ?!" Haerin froze, the chill making her flinch. She looked up to find Sooyeon's smile just a fraction too rehearsed, her apology landing somewhere between sarcasm and spotlight. Sooyeon dabbed lightly with a napkin, more for show than cleanup. "I should really be more careful," she added with a small laugh, her eyes flickering, not with regret, but with victory. At the next table, Jisoo paused mid-chew, gaze snapping to the scene. And across from Haerin, Minjun's smile faded, replaced with something far less playful.

 Minjun said from his seat, voice clear and steady: "Maybe next time you should be more careful." The words cut through the hum of conversation around them. Not shouted. Not angry. Just sharp enough to make heads turn. Sooyeon froze. Her lips parted slightly, and something flickered in her eyes, not surprise, not guilt. Something quieter. A crack in the mask. A pinch of pain. She hadn't expected to be called out, especially not by him, the new guy. She glanced down at the damp napkin in her hand, then back at Minjun. Her composure began to fracture. "...Sorry," she said one final time, quieter than before. Then she turned and strode out of the cafeteria, her steps quicker than her usual glide. Not poised. Not calculated. Just... gone. At the table, Haerin exhaled slowly, eyes fixed on the spill soaking through her blouse. Nana blinked. "Well. That escalated."

 The sound of tea dripping off the edge of Haerin's sleeve felt louder than any voice in the cafeteria. Nana's eyes darted from Haerin's stained blouse to Sooyeon's retreating silhouette. "Haerin," she whispered, leaning in, "Are you okay?" Before Haerin could respond, a shadow moved beside their table. A hand appeared, clean fingers holding a folded napkin, still slightly warm from wrapping meat. "Here," came the voice. Deep. Effortless. Jisoo. He

wasn't looking for attention. He just placed the napkin in front of her with calm precision, then turned back to his tray as if he hadn't just shattered the cafeteria's atmosphere with one syllable. Haerin stared at him. Her hand trembled slightly as she accepted the napkin. Minjun, still beside her, caught it all. His smile tugged softly at one corner of his lips. That kind of smile that held amusement, a pinch of surprise, and maybe just a flicker of brotherly rivalry. Nana, still dumbfounded, raised her eyebrows at Haerin and motioned dramatically, mouth open, hands mid-air, a universal gesture for "Girl. What just happened??"

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