Cheonwoong walked slightly behind Aria, his eyes scanning their surroundings. The others were ahead, chatting about something meaningless, but his mind was elsewhere.
Something felt off.
The way Shihoon hovered around Aria. The way she brushed off questions about him too quickly. The way she avoided eye contact when he brought it up.
It wasn't jealousy. It was instinct.
And Cheonwoong had learned a long time ago to trust his instincts.
Taking a slow breath, he finally spoke.
"Aria," he said, keeping his voice calm. "You and Shihoon. What exactly is your relationship?"
Aria blinked, momentarily caught off guard. "Huh?"
Cheonwoong didn't repeat himself. He simply waited.
Aria sighed, tilting her head. "We're just friends, obviously. Why are you asking?"
He studied her expression carefully. There was no hesitation in her voice, but that didn't mean much.
"You two seem… close," he continued. "And not in the 'normal friend' kind of way."
Aria narrowed her eyes, as if trying to figure out where this was coming from. "We just started talking more recently. That's all."
"Recently?" Cheonwoong repeated, his frown deepening. "Since when?"
She thought about it for a moment. "A few months ago. We kept running into each other, and eventually, we started talking."
Cheonwoong's jaw tightened. So it wasn't just a random connection.
"Did he approach you first?" he asked, his tone more serious now.
Aria stopped walking and turned to him, arms crossed. "Okay, what's going on with you?"
Cheonwoong exhaled slowly, debating how much to say. He wasn't sure if he was being paranoid, but something in his gut told him that Shihoon wasn't just some friendly classmate.
"I just… want to make sure you're not in trouble," he admitted.
Aria's eyes widened slightly before she let out a short laugh. "You're acting like Shihoon's some kind of villain. He's just a friend, Cheonwoong."
"Are you sure?"
Aria's expression softened, as if she finally understood what he was getting at. She stepped closer, lowering her voice.
"Look," she said. "I don't know why you're acting like this, but I promise you—there's nothing weird going on. He's just a friend. If something was wrong, you'd be the first person I'd tell."
Cheonwoong stared at her for a moment, trying to decide whether to drop it.
Finally, he nodded. "...Alright."
Aria smiled. "Good. Now stop being weird and let's catch up with the others."
Later That Day…
Cheonwoong sat alone in a café, his fingers lightly tapping against the table.
Something still didn't sit right with him.
Even if Aria wasn't lying, she might not be seeing the full picture. And if Shihoon had any ulterior motives, Aria might not even realize it until it was too late.
His thoughts were interrupted when the café door swung open.
Shihoon.
He strolled in with a few other students, laughing at something as they grabbed a table by the window.
Cheonwoong's gaze locked onto him.
If Shihoon was hiding something, Cheonwoong was going to find out.
One way or another.
The familiar chime of the restaurant's entrance bell greeted Cheonwoong as he walked into his workplace, tying his apron around his waist. The scent of grilled meat and sizzling oil filled the air, a stark contrast to the thoughts swirling in his mind.
And then, as if fate was mocking him, he saw Shihoon behind the counter.
Shihoon looked up, spotted Cheonwoong, and gave a friendly nod. "Yo. You're here early today."
Cheonwoong forced a polite smile. "Yeah."
It wasn't like he forgot they worked at the same place. He just hadn't thought about how awkward it would feel after their earlier conversation.
As he made his way to the back, he caught Shihoon chatting casually with another coworker. Laughing. Acting normal.
Maybe he was normal. Maybe Cheonwoong was just overthinking.
But then again…
Cheonwoong had learned a long time ago that not everything was as it seemed.
And until he figured out the truth, he wasn't letting his guard down.