Paired

It was barely 7:45 AM, and the school yard was already pulsing with energy, students trickling in, last-minute homework swaps, the familiar hum of chatter before first bell.  Haerin and Nana stepped through the gates, both dressed in pressed school uniforms: navy skirts, white button-downs tucked in just right, and the signature burgundy ties fluttering faintly in the breeze. The slight shine on their shoes hinted at fresh polish, intentional, no doubt. Just as they reached the main hallway, "If it's not the fake shoppers," Sooyeon said, standing by the bulletin board like she'd been waiting.  Mijin, a step behind her, let out a short laugh. Nana's face hardened. "Why would you spy on us in the first place?" she shot back, voice steady but sharp. Sooyeon raised an eyebrow, her tone casual. "You think too highly of yourselves." Mijin added, "Yeah. No one cares that much." Haerin blinked slowly but said nothing. Her presence was quiet, observant. There was a pause. A few students nearby glanced over, sensing the tension. But nobody stepped in. The air was cool, but the stares were burning.  

 The bell hadn't rung yet, but the hallway was thick with silence, the kind that only existed when two opposing forces refused to budge. Sooyeon glanced at Nana's crossed arms and smirked. "You seemed so confident at the mall. Funny how quiet you look in a uniform." Nana scoffed. "Says the girl who had time to follow us around and talk behind our backs." Her voice was firm, not loud. Just enough to sting. Mijin spoke up, still grinning. "You act like we care that much. Trust me... we were just curious what poor taste looks like when it's on sale." Haerin shifted slightly, not speaking yet, but her gaze was fixed, steely, not shy. Her presence was felt. Sooyeon leaned in a little, almost conspiratorial. "So tell me, Nana. Did you girls actually buy anything... or just pretend like usual?" Nana blinked, lips twitching into a sarcastic smile. "You'd love that, wouldn't you? Some tragedy to cling to before class starts." A few students nearby slowed their steps, ears perked without pretending. The tension was building, quiet but obvious. The classroom door creaked open just then, and the teacher stepped into view. But no one moved. Sooyeon flicked her hair behind her shoulder. "See you inside," she said softly, brushing past with Mijin on her heels. Nana let out a long exhale. "Why does she always act like she's auditioning for a villain role?" Haerin finally spoke, almost whispering, "Because she believes she's already cast." 

 The classroom had already settled into low chatter and rustling notebooks as the teacher marked something onto the board. The room buzzed with post-weekend energy; some students sleepy, some still clinging to mall gossip. Then, the door creaked open.  Minjun and Jisoo stepped in, dressed in crisp uniforms, slightly late and entirely unbothered. The room shifted. Heads turned. Conversations stopped mid-sentence. Even the teacher paused, glancing up from her notebook. Their entrance wasn't loud, but it was the loudest thing in the room. Minjun gave a casual nod toward the teacher and moved toward his seat. Jisoo, just a step behind, locked eyes for the first time, with Sooyeon. She leaned back slightly, a slow smirk curling on her lips. Then she winked, as if she already knew what game she was playing. But Jisoo's expression didn't change. No reaction. No flicker of amusement. His eyes moved on, calmly, disinterested, like she hadn't done anything at all. Sooyeon blinked. Her smirk faltered just enough for Mijin to notice and whisper, "Did he just... ignore you?" Sooyeon didn't reply. But her silence said plenty.

 The teacher clapped once for attention. "Time to get into your assigned groups," she said. "Project details are on the board, don't waste the hour." Chairs scraped across the floor as students shifted, regrouped, and clustered around desks. Group 3-Haerin, Nana, Jisoo, Donghyuk, and Yuri, formed in the back corner. Haerin sat first, posture straight but noticeably tense. Nana dropped into the seat beside her with casual defiance, like her earlier hallway duel was still simmering. Jisoo walked over silently and took the seat across from Haerin. Not a word. Not a glance. Just quiet intensity and a spiral-bound notebook he placed neatly on the desk. Donghyuk leaned in, tapping his pen nervously. "So, uh... do we start with topic ideas?" Yuri, eager and wide-eyed, nodded. "We could do something on social perception and reputation. It's kinda... relevant right now?" Nana raised a brow, half-smirking. "Subtle, Yuri." Haerin glanced at Jisoo, just once, but his focus stayed on the board, hand already moving across the page, jotting bullet points. "Sooyeon's staring again," Nana whispered, leaning toward Haerin without looking. "I know," Haerin whispered back. "Just keep writing." Jisoo didn't react to their exchange, but his pen paused for a beat. Then continued. Across the room, Minjun's group was already laughing about something. Across the aisle, Sooyeon leaned on her palm, eyes trained on Haerin's table like it owed her an explanation. The project had begun. But no one was just thinking about the assignment. 

 The corner desk was cluttered with notebooks, pens, and a faint sense of unspoken tension. But for now, they were a group, five people, one assignment.  Donghyuk cleared his throat first. "So... we need something that stands out. The topic list is kinda boring." Yuri nodded eagerly. "Social identity maybe? Like how people act differently depending on the setting?" Haerin scribbled quietly. Her eyes flicked once to Jisoo, who was already jotting something in sharp, angular handwriting. Nana tapped her pencil. "Okay, but not something like, 'social media is bad.' We're not 2014 TED Talkers." "Agreed," Donghyuk said. "What about 'forced personas'? Like how students pretend to be something they're not just to fit into social groups?" Jisoo paused mid-line, then looked up. "That's interesting," he said quietly. The table froze for a second, his voice wasn't loud, but it carried weight.  Haerin's eyes widened slightly. It was the first time he'd spoken to the group directly. Nana leaned in. "Ooh. I like where this is going. Like... code-switching, classroom survival, cafeteria hierarchies. This could be juicy." Yuri nodded. "We could show how people change depending on who's watching." Jisoo added, still calm, "...Or who they think is watching." Nana blinked. "Okay philosopher, I see you." Haerin finally spoke. "We could use examples from different school settings. Like uniforms, cliques, even teacher-student dynamics." Everyone nodded, ideas now flowing more easily. For a moment, the drama outside their group melted away. 

 With the lingering buzz from Sooyeon's outburst still hanging like humidity in the room, Nana pushed her chair back and stood. Calm but firm. "Okay, let's focus. Since most of our earlier discussions were around social behavior and dynamics, I picked topics that tie back to that." She wrote them clearly on the board:  Social Hierarchies in School Life, Peer Pressure and Self-Identity,   Groupthink: Why People Conform  Assertiveness vs. Aggression in Leadership.   The class perked up. These weren't just textbook topics, they were reflective of what was happening right there in that room. Nana continued, assigning with a thoughtful tone:  "I will take Peer Pressure and Self-Identity."  "Donghyuk, Assertiveness vs. Aggression, I want you to look at how leadership styles impact group work."  "Yuri, explore Groupthink. It's real, even in classrooms." Then her eyes landed on Haerin and Jisoo, both quiet, sharp, and totally out of sync with Sooyeon's antics.  "Haerin, Jisoo, you're a pair. Take Social Hierarchies in School Life. Look into how popularity, personality, and confidence shape classroom dynamics." Haerin scribbled notes with silent precision. Jisoo tapped his pen rhythmically, already thinking. 

 The bell rang for the end of second period, and students began shifting, prepping for lunch like a ritual. Laughter echoed down the hallway. Paper wrappers crinkled from backpacks. But inside the classroom, the air lingered with a quiet hum. Haerin zipped her pencil case slowly, organizing her notes from the group discussion. Her thoughts still hovered around the topic they'd been assigned: Social Hierarchies in School Life. Irony wasn't lost on her, especially when she felt like an observer in her own life. Then Jisoo stood, his chair scraping gently behind him. He reached down for his notebook, but before turning to leave, his voice found her.  "Let's meet right after lunch," he said, not too soft, not too loud. "I think we have leisure time then. At the library... or wherever you prefer." For a split second, Haerin's world stopped moving. Was that... directed at her? Her. The boy who rarely spoke unless prompted, who rarely showed reactions, had just initiated a meeting. Her thoughts tumbled: Is this happening? Did Jisoo really speak to me? She nodded before her voice could even catch up. "Library's fine," she murmured, her words light enough to float. He gave the tiniest nod in return and walked off with calm precision, leaving Haerin staring at the spot he'd stood, heart tapping quietly against the walls of disbelief.

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