MISSING EXAM

I stood still behind the bookshelf, holding my breath as I heard Do Hwan’s voice, which sounded slightly angry. His voice was quiet, but clear enough for me to hear from where I was standing, not far from him.

“Don’t worry. They hate me so much. How could I possibly replace you?”

His tone was cold, almost as if he was hiding a deep pain.

I didn’t dare to move. I could see Do Hwan’s silhouette standing in the corner of the library, his back slightly tense. Then, with a heavy sigh, Do Hwan ended the call and walked away, unaware of my presence. As his footsteps disappeared into the library corridor, I stepped out from my hiding spot. My eyes caught something on the floor—a simple black bracelet.

The bracelet looked old but was still in good condition. There were small engravings on the inside, but they were too faint to read in the dim library lighting.

“This bracelet… is it Do Hwan’s?” I muttered, picking it up.

After finding the book I was looking for, I returned to the study table and placed the books in a neat pile. Glancing at Do Hwan, who had just come back, I gathered the courage to ask, “Do Hwan, is this yours?”

Do Hwan turned to me, and as soon as his eyes landed on the bracelet in my hand, his expression changed instantly. For a moment, his usual calm gaze was replaced by shock. He immediately grabbed the bracelet from my hand in a hurried manner, as if afraid something might happen if it stayed in someone else’s hands for too long.

“Yes… Thank you,” he said softly, his voice slightly different from usual.

I watched as he clenched the bracelet tightly, as if it were something extremely precious to him. His eyes held an emotion that was hard to describe—a mix of longing and sorrow.

I swallowed. “It looks really important to you.”

Do Hwan glanced at me briefly before giving a faint smile, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “Yes… very important.”

For a moment, he seemed hesitant before finally putting the bracelet back on his wrist. As soon as it was back in place, he looked a little relieved.

Before I could ask more, Hana, who had been watching us, finally spoke.

“This is the first time I’ve seen you so unsettled over a bracelet,” Hana said, studying Do Hwan closely. “You usually don’t care about anything around you. But this bracelet… it seems like it has its own story.”

Do Hwan let out a soft sigh. “Maybe.”

Hana crossed her arms, clearly not satisfied with his short response. “Don’t tell me this bracelet belongs to someone important to you?”

Do Hwan remained silent. For a moment, it looked like he wanted to say something, but in the end, he just gave a faint smile. “It’s none of your business.”

Hana glanced at me before looking at Do Hwan with a guilty expression. “Do Hwan, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have asked too much.”

Do Hwan smiled kindly, his face returning to its usual friendly demeanor. “It’s fine.”

I glanced at the clock on the library wall. The break time was almost over—I had to distribute these books to the class.

“Well then, I’ll go first. I need to take these books to class,” I said while organizing the stack of books.

“Do you need help?” Hana offered.

I shook my head. “No need. I can carry them myself.” I knew this was a chance for her to spend time alone with Do Hwan. Besides, the books weren’t too thick, so even though there were many, I could still manage.

“Oh, about the study group…”

Damn, why did she bring that up now?! My heart dropped. I hadn’t told Hana about this yet. I was afraid she would misunderstand if she heard it from someone else. Quickly, I changed the subject. “Hana, I’m heading to class.”

Do Hwan frowned slightly in confusion, but when he saw my sharp glance, he chose to stay silent and didn’t ask further.

---

After leaving the library, I carried the stack of books requested by the homeroom teacher. These books were getting heavier, but I carefully made my way to the classroom. When I arrived, I immediately began distributing the books to my classmates.

As I was busy, a familiar voice suddenly rang out.

“Wow, Narin… not only are you smart, but you’re also very diligent,” a girl said, her tone carrying a hint of sarcasm.

I turned to see Hye Mi standing at the classroom door. She walked in casually, a faint smile on her lips. Everyone’s attention immediately turned to her—Hye Mi was quite popular, especially because she was known to like Do Hwan. Even though everyone knew about it, they never dared to openly approach Do Hwan.

“But I’m curious…” she continued, her voice deliberately relaxed, but her eyes held a deeper meaning. “You seem very close to Do Hwan lately. As far as I know, he’s not someone who gets close to others easily.”

Some of my classmates began glancing at me with curious looks. Whispering started among them.

“Seriously? Narin and Do Hwan? No way.”

“I think I saw them together at the bus stop yesterday…”

I gripped the edges of the book in my hands. I didn’t expect Hye Mi to bring this up in front of so many people.

But before things could escalate, footsteps were heard approaching.

“Hey, it’s Do Hwan and Hana!”

All eyes turned toward the classroom door. Do Hwan entered first, followed by Hana walking behind him. They both looked slightly surprised by the sudden silence in the room.

Hana, noticing my confused expression, immediately asked, “What’s going on here?”

Hye Mi simply smirked before replying, “Oh, nothing. I was just wondering… could it be that Narin and Do Hwan have a special relationship we don’t know about?”

Hana’s gaze instantly sharpened. She stepped forward and looked at Hye Mi with confidence. “Don’t be ridiculous. Narin has nothing to do with Do Hwan.”

“Are you sure?” Hye Mi asked with a sly smile.

“Of course! Because Do Hwan is close to me, not Narin,” Hana answered firmly.

Some students looked surprised. Not because they didn’t believe it, but because it meant they really had no chance anymore—especially since the one saying it was Kim Hana.

The students started doubting Hye Mi’s words. They exchanged glances, searching for confirmation from Do Hwan’s expression. However, Do Hwan remained silent, showing no interest in the argument.

Hye Mi, realizing that people were starting to dismiss her words, still tried to stir the situation. “Okay. But don’t cry later if the friend you trust ends up betraying you from behind.”

Before anyone could react, the school bell rang.

Some students returned to their seats, and the tense atmosphere gradually eased. Hye Mi just sighed quietly and gave me a brief glance before turning away.

I let out a relieved breath, but deep down, I knew this wasn’t over. Hye Mi clearly wouldn’t stop so easily.

***