The morning was crisp, the sun barely peeking through the clouds as Seulgi made her way down the stairs of her apartment building.
The routine was familiar, heading off to university, the same way she always did.
But as she reached the ground floor and pushed the door open, her eyes caught something unexpected.
There, standing casually by a sleek, black car, was none other than Jaeyi.
The taller girl smirked, leaning against the car as if she owned the whole street.
Seulgi froze for a moment, unsure if she was seeing things.
"What are you doing here?" she asked, her voice a mixture of confusion and curiosity.
Jaeyi didn't respond right away, instead motioning to the car with a tilt of her head. "Come on, get in. I'm giving you a ride."
Seulgi raised an eyebrow. "A ride? To where?"
Jaeyi grinned wider. "To university, where else? You're not seriously going to walk, are you?"
Seulgi looked at her skeptically, but there was something in Jaeyi's tone that made it impossible to refuse.
She could tell the girl wasn't giving her much of a choice.
With a resigned sigh, Seulgi grabbed her backpack and walked over to the car.
She opened the door and slipped inside, still not entirely sure why Jaeyi was being so, well, nice.
Jaeyi slid into the driver's seat, her fingers tapping lightly on the steering wheel as she turned the key in the ignition.
"Just relax," she said, her voice teasing but somehow soft. "You don't have to act so confused."
Seulgi gave her a sideways glance, her mind still running on autopilot as Jaeyi pulled out into the street. "I'm not confused. Just... surprised."
Jaeyi chuckled, eyes flickering to Seulgi for just a moment before turning back to the road. "I figured it'd be nice to spend some time with you before you disappear into your books all day."
Seulgi gave a half hearted smile, glancing out of the window as the city began to pass by.
She hugged her backpack a little tighter in her lap, still trying to figure out what had led Jaeyi to show up at her door like this.
The silence in the car was comfortable, despite the oddity of the situation.
Seulgi couldn't help but notice how Jaeyi seemed to steal glances at her every now and then, quick, fleeting moments where her eyes would drift to Seulgi's profile.
It made Seulgi feel strangely self conscious, but also... oddly warmed.
"What?" Seulgi finally asked, turning her head to face Jaeyi when she felt the weight of her gaze for the third time.
Jaeyi looked at her for a beat, then smiled that mischievous grin Seulgi was beginning to recognize all too well.
"Nothing," she said casually. "Just enjoying the view."
Seulgi rolled her eyes, though she could feel her heart skip a beat.
Jaeyi snorted, clearly entertained. "What? You're the one who's still unsure what to make of me."
Seulgi didn't have an immediate response, instead looking back out the window as the cityscape blurred by.
She couldn't deny that she liked this, this little slice of normal.
