The Youngest Daughter of the White Night Group
The morning was no different from usual. The alarm went off, I washed my face, slung my bag over my shoulder, and left the house. Students heading to school waited at the bus stop, and the shuttle bus was as noisy as ever. Some stared out the window with sleepy faces, while others kept their heads down with earphones in. The world carried on as if nothing had happened, making it hard to believe the accident had only been a few days ago. At least, on the surface.
When I passed through the school gates, I felt eyes on me. They weren't as blatant as before. There were almost no whispers or laughter. Instead, people glanced at me a beat too late—only after I'd already walked past. If our eyes met, they awkwardly looked away. It wasn't "ignoring" me. It was "avoiding" me. I knew the difference all too well.
As I walked down the hallway toward the classroom, I thought to myself, Still… this is better. At least no one was saying things loud enough for me to hear.
When I opened the door to the Class D Classroom, the familiar scene unfolded. Desks, the blackboard, students waiting for morning homeroom. The seat where Min Jae-hoon used to sit was empty. No one mentioned it. Some glanced at it before looking away, while others pretended not to see it at all. I didn't look either. I'd already seen enough.
I quietly took my seat. The student next to me shifted their chair slightly after confirming I'd sat down. Just that much. It was uncomfortable, but strangely, it hurt less than before.
Don't overthink it. Minimizing emotional drain was the smarter move. For now.
When the lunch bell rang, the classroom naturally grew lively. The sound of chairs scraping, bags opening, conversations drifting without direction. I stood up as usual, grabbed my tray, and headed toward the less crowded area. That was how it had always been. Unless someone specifically asked me to eat with them, I was usually alone. I liked the quiet, and the time when I didn't have to force conversation felt comfortable. So I always chose the corner seat by the window, slightly out of the main flow of people.
I set my tray down and picked up my spoon. Just then—
"Hey."
A familiar voice. This time, I wasn't surprised. I looked up to see Tae-geon standing there, tray in hand and his face already tinged with mild irritation. Eun-seo stood quietly behind him, as always, one step back.
"Eating alone again?" Tae-geon said. "You seriously eat by yourself every single day. Isn't that a bit much?"
I set my spoon down. "That's just how it is."
"That's the problem," he said, pulling out the chair across from me and sitting down. "How many times have we told you? Let's eat together. But you always slip away and eat alone. Do you hate eating with us that much? Or are we too loud?"
I hesitated for a moment before shaking my head. "It's not that."
"Then why?" Tae-geon looked genuinely curious. "You always ate alone before, but you've been doing it even more lately. You just disappear without saying anything."
At that, Eun-seo quietly took the seat beside me. She set her tray down, completely naturally.
"Do-yoon," she said. "You're… eating properly, right?"
The question lodged itself in my chest for some reason. Instead of asking if I was okay, she asked if I was eating well. I gave a small smile.
"Yeah. I skip breakfast sometimes, but I make sure to eat everything else."
Eun-seo studied my face for a moment—under my eyes, the color of my lips, my posture. Very subtly. Then she spoke quietly.
"That's a relief. Still, I think it's better if you eat lunch with us."
There was no pressure or insistence in her words. It just felt like she was stating something obvious.
Tae-geon didn't miss the opening. "See? Even Eun-seo is saying it. You think we don't notice you eating alone? It makes us worry for no reason. From tomorrow on, we're eating together no matter what. If you eat alone again, I'm punching you right in the solar plexus."
I lowered my gaze for a moment. There wasn't really a deep reason. It was just habit, and it had been comfortable. But hearing someone openly say they were concerned made me feel a little embarrassed.
"…Sorry," I said.
Tae-geon's eyes widened. "Good. Now that you know, let's do better. Got it? You only listen when someone comes and tells you directly. Your personality should've changed a bit after awakening. Why are you still the same?"
I gave a small laugh. "Got it. I'll eat with you from now on."
His expression immediately softened. "Yeah. You should listen when your hyung talks. If you're just gonna eat alone every day, why do we even exist?"
Eun-seo didn't say anything, but she nudged her chopsticks slightly toward me and slid one side dish over without a word. That small gesture felt oddly warm.
We ate like that. There wasn't much conversation, and no bursts of laughter. Just sitting at the same table, eating the same school lunch. Tae-geon kept throwing out random comments in between bites.
"Hey, but is there really any difference after awakening? Like, does your spoon move faster or something?"
"Spoon speed's the same," I answered simply. "My body does feel a bit lighter than before awakening, but the movements still feel awkward. Is it always like this?"
"Well, yeah, that's how it goes," he said, nodding for no particular reason. "But you've always been good at this stuff. You'll probably adapt quickly."
That comment strangely pleased me. It wasn't comfort or expectation. Just the words of someone who actually knew me.
As we were clearing our trays and getting up, Eun-seo spoke quietly.
"Do-yoon. If things get hard, you have to tell me. I'll help however I can. And…" She paused for a moment. "Don't ever avoid being with us."
I nodded at her words. "…Yeah. I won't forget."
I sorted through my thoughts. I'd awakened, and people's gazes had changed. But the fact that I had people to eat lunch with was still the same—and it was good. Right now, I needed time to plant my feet back in daily life rather than moving forward.
"This is enough for now."
When I returned my tray and stepped into the hallway, the usual lunchtime noise continued, though it didn't register as loudly as before. Tae-geon yawned and stretched.
"Ah— I'm full. Hey, we're really eating together from now on, right?" He hammered the point home again. "If you try to slip away, I'll find you."
I nodded. "Got it. Really."
At my answer, Tae-geon grinned in satisfaction. "Good. Then that's settled." He waved casually. "I'm gonna stop by the school store. See you later."
He disappeared down the opposite end of the hallway. In an instant, only Eun-seo and I remained. We stood near the hallway windows—a spot where people passed by but was still decent for pausing briefly. Eun-seo didn't speak for a moment. She just stood beside me. The silence wasn't uncomfortable. If anything, it felt familiar.
"Do-yoon," she called carefully.
I turned my head. "Yeah?"
"This weekend…" She started, then stopped. Her fingers lightly gripped and released her uniform sleeve. "Do you have time?"
The question was so quiet that it felt like I shouldn't miss it. I couldn't answer right away. The weekend. I hadn't made any special plans. I'd been thinking of training, and I needed time alone to sort things out. Normally, I would've brushed it off with something like "probably" or "I don't know."
Eun-seo didn't rush me. Instead, she added, "I thought it might be nice to… walk around together. Near the downtown area."
A very simple explanation. No mention of a date, no suggestion to hang out—just the word "together."
I looked at Eun-seo. Her face was the same as always. Calm, careful, not pushing. But there was a trace of worry mixed in. A very subtle look that seemed to check, Will this be okay?
I took a short breath. "…I have time."
Her eyes widened just a fraction. It was closer to relief than expectation.
"Really?"
"Yeah. I was going to train, but I can do it or skip it."
"It won't take long," she added unnecessarily, as if she didn't want to burden me.
I smiled faintly. "It's fine. Not just for a little while. We can walk around as much as we want."
Eun-seo didn't say anything to that. She simply nodded, very slightly. "Then I'll contact you this weekend."
That was all. A statement without a confirmed promise, time, or place. Yet it strangely felt like everything had already been decided.
Eun-seo turned and walked toward the classrooms. After a few steps, she paused and looked back.
"Do-yoon."
"Yeah?"
"Thanks for eating with me today."
I hesitated for a moment before answering. "Me too."
Only then did Eun-seo turn away with a slightly more relaxed expression. I stood there for a moment, watching her retreating figure. The weekend. Downtown. I couldn't quite remember the last time I'd made plans with someone. But right now, it didn't feel bad. Awakening, the accident, the heavy gazes—I could set them aside for a while and just spend time like a regular student.
"It's not over yet, but… this should be fine for now."
This much was enough. For the first time, I found myself hoping the weekend would come a little sooner.