ANGEL IN DISGUISE || KIM SUNOO

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Seo Jiun's POV

The lunch period was a welcome break from the hustle and bustle of the day, a chance to unwind and share a meal with friends. Yet, as I sat among my companions, a sense of unease gnawed at the edges of my mind, the memory of the boy who had helped me lingering like a shadow.

"Hey, you alright?" Leeju's voice cut through the haze of my thoughts, pulling me back to the present moment. I mustered a nod in response, but the concern in his eyes was unmistakable. Il-su, ever observant, chimed in with his own observation. "You seem so out of your mind," he remarked, his tone laced with curiosity.

Summoning all my courage, I set my chopsticks down and took a deep breath, steeling myself for what I was about to say. "Can you guys help me?" The words tumbled out in a rush, my voice betraying the urgency of my request.

"Of course," Il-su replied without hesitation, while Leeju nodded in agreement. I felt a surge of gratitude towards my friends, grateful for their willingness to lend a helping hand.

"I am looking for someone who helped me last week," I began, my words tumbling out in a rush. "I've been searching for him everywhere, but I can't seem to find him. Without him, I wouldn't have even made it to my first class at the Art Department Building. He also gave me a snack bar."

Leeju's eyebrows shot up in surprise, while Il-su's expression remained neutral. "Oh, interesting," Leeju commented, his tone tinged with curiosity.

"Can you guys listen first?" I interjected, feeling a pang of frustration at their apparent lack of interest. Leeju teased me by miming zipping his lips shut, but I pressed on, determined to make them understand.

"As I was saying," I continued, "I wanted to treat him to lunch as a way of thanking him for his kindness. But there's a problem—I don't know his name."

A heavy silence settled over the table as my friends processed my words. I took a deep breath and reached into my bag, pulling out my sketchbook and flipping to the page where I had sketched the boy's face. Placing it on the table before them, I watched as their expressions shifted from amusement to something else entirely.

Their sudden silence was deafening, and I couldn't help but feel a sense of unease creeping in. "Wait, do you guys know him?" I asked, my voice tinged with urgency.

Instead of answering, they exchanged a meaningful glance before returning their attention to their food. My heart sank as they continued to eat, seemingly unfazed by my revelation.

"Why are you guys doing that? Please, don't ignore me," I pleaded, the frustration bubbling up inside me.

"I think my next class is starting in a minute, i have to go"

Leeju rose from his seat, excusing himself with a hurried explanation about his next class. "Wait, tell me at least—" I began, but he was already gone, leaving me feeling more alone than ever.

Turning to Il-su, I sought some semblance of understanding in his eyes. "Il-su, please—" I started, but he cut me off with a quick excuse about a favor for his homeroom teacher before patting my shoulder and making his exit.

Left alone at the table, I sighed and buried my face in my hands, the weight of my unanswered questions pressing down on me like a heavy burden. It seemed that even my closest friends were keeping secrets from me, leaving me to navigate this mystery on my own.

Who is he and why does my friends look so bothered?