Complexity

Our Code

Xinyu POV

"Someone coming," Sullin said in her usual broken Korean. Her voice was small, almost hesitant, like she wasn't sure if we would understand. I glanced at her, confused.

"Who? Do you know them?" I asked, my brows furrowed.

Sullin shook her head.

"No. But... she looks familiar." She? So it's a woman? Nien looked at me, mirroring my confusion.

"Is she one of us?"

Sullin paused for a beat before shaking her head again, her tone more certain this time.

"No. She is old." Old?

That word gave me nothing. A teacher? A school staff member? A parent? Or... someone else? I scanned the crowd ahead of us, but nothing stood out—at least not yet. Still, something about Sullin's reaction made me uneasy. Her hands fidgeted at the hem of her sleeve, and then she tugged mine—tugged, not held. It was sharp, anxious.

"Sohyun eonnie," she whispered in a rush, her voice tinged with something I hadn't heard from her before.

Panic?

She suddenly began to walk away, almost like she didn't want to be in the area anymore. I reached for her but paused. My eyes turned back toward the crowd, but the sea of people blurred into each other—students in uniforms, teachers, parents, friends from other schools. Nothing suspicious. Nothing obvious. But now my gut twisted.

Sohyun? That stranger is... connected to her?

"What do you think she meant?" I asked Nien, who was still scanning the area like me.

Nien shook her head slowly.

"No clue. But... the way she said it? It wasn't casual."

Exactly. Sullin wasn't the type to overreact. If anything, she was always calm, even awkwardly so. For her to suddenly look so shaken?

That wasn't normal.

I crossed my arms, chewing the inside of my cheek.

"Is this important? Should we be worried?"

"Probably." Nien exhaled.

"She said female, old, familiar, and somehow related to Sohyun."

Related.

The word echoed in my head for a moment too long. And suddenly, an absurd thought slipped past my lips before I could catch it.

"Probably Sohyun's girlfriend."

Nien turned to me, blinking, then grinned like a child caught sneaking candy.

"What in the world, Zhou Xinyu?"

"I mean," I mumbled quickly, flustered,

"I didn't mean it seriously"

"No, but honestly, she could date anyone. Male, female, younger, older, same age. Have you seen her? Sohyun is gorgeous. People fall for her all the time."

I opened my mouth to argue, but... she wasn't wrong. Not that it mattered right now.

"Nien. Focus. That's not the point."

"I know, I know. Just trying to lighten the mood," she shrugged.

"Let's go find the others. If something's off, we should all be together."

"Right." I nodded, feeling the worry settle heavier in my chest. My feet started moving again, but my thoughts still wandered back to Sohyun.

I miss her.

The words slipped from my lips without a second thought.

"I miss my Sohyun anyway."

And then it happened.

An older woman—maybe in her fifties—turned her head sharply toward me. Not like a casual glance, but something sharper. Like she heard me. Like my words struck a nerve.

Her eyes locked with mine for a second. Cold. Calculating. But she said nothing and kept walking.

"Did you see that?" I whispered quickly to Nien.

"Absolutely."

We exchanged looks. Unspoken understanding crackled between us.

That wasn't just anyone.

Something was wrong. And whether Sohyun wanted us involved or not—whatever this was, it was coming for her.

And I wasn't going to let it hurt her.

After several minutes of walking and weaving through the crowd, I finally caught sight of her.

Sohyun.

She stood with a small group—Soomin, Hayeon, and the others, talking, laughing, holding a cup of soda in one hand and gesturing with the other like she was reenacting some dramatic moment. Her head tilted back slightly as she laughed, her smile so wide it made the corner of her eyes crinkle. And just like that, something tightened in my chest.

I've seen her smile countless times before, especially after school when we spent time together alone. But here, in this chaotic, bright, noisy festival, with wind rustling the paper lanterns and voices layered over voices, her smile stood out. It wasn't rare, not to others. But to me, it felt precious. Expensive. The kind of smile you couldn't buy, only earn.

And for the briefest moment, she turned her head.

Her gaze passed by me, then stopped after double glance. Her eyes met mine. And she smiled.

Not the kind of polite smile you throw at classmates. Not the cold one I feared she might give after I said too much, after I got scared and distanced myself. No. This one... it was hers. The same smile that calmed me on my worst days. The one that said, "You're still safe here."

She held that gaze, just a second longer than necessary, and stretched her hand out a little subtle, like a quiet offer.

My legs moved on their own. Toward her. Toward that tiny gesture I knew so well.

I reached out and took her hand. The girls glanced at us, Hayeon gave the most obvious teasing smile. But I didn't care. My focus was only on her. On Sohyun. On the way her fingers wrapped around mine like she never let go in the first place.

She tugged me forward, just enough for me to stumble half a step closer. Our hands disappeared under the table she stood near. Hidden, but held tightly. Sometimes, she gave a small squeeze. I felt warmth rush up my arm and settle into my chest like it always did with her.

I turned slightly to glance at her face, only to hear a dramatic scoff. Hyerin, of course.

God. They're all watching. But honestly, let them. Let them joke, let them tease. Right now, I just want to tell her the truth.

"I'm sorry," I whispered, barely loud enough for her to hear. My voice trembled, and I hated that. I never liked sounding weak in front of others, but with Sohyun, vulnerability never felt like a flaw.

She didn't answer with words. Instead, she gently tapped the palm of my hand twice.

Tap. Tap.

My breath hitched. That rhythm.

It was ours.

Back when we used to sleep side by side, when nightmares woke me up sweating and gasping, Sohyun would reach for my hand in the dark. Two taps, Soft and steady. No words, just that familiar rhythm telling me "You're safe. I'm here."

And now, even in this noisy school festival, surrounded by friends, music, and cotton candy stalls... she did it again.

She remembered.

I blinked fast to keep the warmth from spilling out of my eyes. Instead, I smiled. A quiet one. The kind she always gave me.

We didn't need words. Not tonight.

She was still here.

And I was finally back by her side.