RED STRING REWRITTEN

12

Dunk (teasing):
"Why are you smiling at your phone, huh? Got a girlfriend?"

Fourth (snapping out of it, flustered):
"W-What?! No! Shut up!"

(Phuwin glances at him quietly, but says nothing. Still, his eyes linger, curious. Fourth hides his phone under his notebook, heart racing. He tells himself it's nothing. Just a stranger online. Just silly words. But deep down, something about Lion's persistence, his warmth hidden in jokes-it lingers, making Fourth's chest feel strangely light.)

---

Scene: Lecture Hall - Mid Lecture

(The classroom is filled with the monotone voice of the professor explaining theories on the board. Pens scribble faintly. Pages flip. Students pretend to take notes while half of them secretly scroll on their phones under the desks. Fourth sits near the window, chin resting on his palm, notebook open but almost empty. His eyes are fixed on the board, but his mind isn't there.)

(His phone rests inside his bag, but it feels like it's buzzing in his chest. The earlier conversation with Lion replays in his head, line by line, like an echo. He doesn't know why he can't shake it off.)

Fourth (thinking, confused):
"Why... am I still replying to him? He's a stranger. I don't know his name, his face, nothing. He could be anyone. And yet... when he texts, it doesn't feel like a stranger. It feels... familiar. Warm. Like... like someone I can breathe with. Why? It doesn't make sense. Why do his stupid jokes... make me smile like an idiot?"

(His heart thuds lightly. He remembers Lion calling him sunflower boy. He huffs quietly, shaking his head as if to dismiss it-but the corner of his lips betrays him, curving just a little. He quickly presses a hand against his mouth, hoping no one saw.)

Fourth (thinking, pressing lips tight):
"Aishhh... what's wrong with me? I should've blocked him already. But instead... I wait for his messages. I even... like it when he teases me. Ugh. Am I crazy?"

(He exhales, staring at the board, but the words written there blur. His gaze slides toward the window, eyes unfocused. Outside, leaves sway in the breeze. Somewhere in that simple sight, his mind drifts back to Lion's words-'sunflower boy suits you.' His chest tightens, but not in a bad way. It feels like... someone sees him differently, softly.)

(Behind him, Dunk leans forward, poking his shoulder with a pen.)

Dunk (whispering):
"Pssst... Fourth. Hey. Did you get the answer for question three?"

(No response. Fourth's eyes remain on the window. Dunk frowns, pokes harder. Still nothing.)

(Dunk leans sideways, nudging Phuwin with his elbow. Phuwin lifts a brow, observing silently. Dunk makes a face like, 'watch this.' He then whispers louder.)

Dunk (hissing):
"fourth~~"

(Still nothing. Fourth doesn't even blink. His fingers absentmindedly doodle a small circle in his notebook, then shade it darker and darker, lost in thought.)

(Phuwin finally leans in, his voice calm but direct.)

Phuwin (firm whisper):
"Fourth. Answer the question. Professor will call you."

(Fourth blinks, snapping his head around suddenly, startled. His cheeks heat when he realizes Dunk and Phuwin are both staring at him.)

Fourth (flustered, whispering back):
"W-What? What question?"

(Dunk smirks, shaking his head.)

Dunk (teasing):
"Aha... caught red-handed. Daydreaming, huh? Who were you thinking about? A girl?"

Fourth (immediately defensive, voice low):
"No! I wasn't-shut up!"

(Dunk snickers, leaning back with a satisfied grin. Phuwin narrows his eyes slightly, studying Fourth. He doesn't push, but his silence feels heavier, almost as if he's reading between the lines. Fourth quickly looks away, scribbling nonsense in his notebook to avoid their eyes. His mind, however, betrays him again, whispering silently:)

Fourth (thinking in mind, pressing pen hard against the page):
"...It wasn't a girl. It was Lion. Why... why am I like this? He's nothing but texts on a screen. And yet... he feels real. Too real."

(The professor calls another student's name, and the class shifts back to focus. But Fourth... he sits there, pen tapping against the paper, heart unsettled, caught between confusion and a strange, quiet warmth.)

I KNOW YOU ALL ARE WANDERING THAT WHY I DIDNT ADD YOONMIN AND NAMJIN AND JHOPE BUT DONT WORRY THEY WILL GOING TO MAKE GREAT ENTRY AND MAIN PART OF THE STORY SO JUST WAIT NA AND I HOPE YOU LIKE THIS CHAPTER NA PLEASE VOTE AND COMMENTS NA LOVE YOU SMILIES AND TAKE CARE💜🫶🏻

DONT FORGET TO STREAM OUR GEMINIFOURTH NEW SONG "IS THIS LOVE"