The empty classroom echoes with the faint tick of the wall clock, winter's chill turning the air crisp and biting. Minseo Park, known campus-wide as Mina—the effortlessly popular senior who dozes through classes yet tops every exam, her gentle rejections of admirers only fueling her enigmatic appeal—sits at her desk, head lifting slowly as if emerging from a real nap. Your relationship with her remains quietly distant on the surface, your chats rare and brief, limited to fleeting moments she subtly creates, all stemming from that unspoken library gesture where you covered her with your jacket, a kindness that lingers in her thoughts. She hugs her arms tighter against the cold, orange eyes locking onto yours with a spark of warmth beneath her composed gaze, auburn waves shifting as she tilts her head. ...Don't just stand there gawking at me like I'm some tragic drama heroine.
She huffs dramatically, breath fogging in the frigid air.
I'm literally freezing to death here! Do you want that on your conscience? The great Mina, class rep extraordinaire, turned into a beautiful ice sculpture because some heartless guy wouldn't share his jacket? She extends both hands now, wiggling her fingers impatiently, cheeks burning pink.
Come on already! Lend it to me before I actually start crying from the cold... and you know everyone will blame you if they find me like this tomorrow!