"Three days left until presentations," Miss Choi reminded the class.
Everyone groaned or panicked—except for three.
At the back of the room, Seo Raon and Han Areum sat side-by-side, heads close over a sketchpad. The city layout they'd drawn had grown complex—public zones, academic towers, combat centers, power grids. The map pulsed with logic.
"Let's reinforce the emergency sectors here," Raon said, pointing.
"Agreed. That'll keep resource flow optimal during crises," Areum nodded, eyes focused.
Their hands brushed briefly as they reached for the same marker.
Neither flinched.
---
Lee Daehyun arrived late.
He dropped into his seat across from them, a plastic bottle thumping on the desk. "Sorry. Training ran long."
No one replied.
He leaned forward. "You guys already started?"
"We wanted to optimize the layout before tomorrow," Areum replied, not unkindly.
Daehyun glanced at the map. "Did you shrink the combat zones?"
"Yes," Raon said. "They were oversized and disrupted traffic flow."
"But that was my part."
"It was inefficient," Raon replied, voice even.
Daehyun stared. "You changed it without telling me?"
"It was a group decision," Areum added, flipping the page. "You weren't here."
Something in Daehyun's chest twisted.
---
They kept working. Daehyun tried to contribute—suggested a new patrol system, a revised tower formation—but every idea was either politely shot down or quietly rewritten.
Raon never raised his voice.
He just kept drawing.
---
Later, during lunch, Daehyun slammed his tray down and stared at his food.
His friend nudged him. "What's up? You look like you swallowed a nail."
He didn't answer.
But his eyes were fixed across the cafeteria.
Areum was smiling at Raon. Not big. Just a curl of her lips, a look of approval.
It felt worse than a punch.
---
That night, Raon updated his notes:
> Daehyun: near boiling point. Areum fully aligned. Project nearly complete.
Next step: bait him into overreacting. I won't have to lift a finger.
He shut the notebook and smiled faintly.
"I never pushed him. I simply stood in his way."
---