Chapter Text
The train’s whistle shrieked through the crisp morning air, a thin mist curling around the scarlet engine as it hissed and chugged to life.
Platform 9¾ buzzed with the usual chaos—owls hooted in their cages, trunks clattered onto trolleys, and students clung to last-minute goodbyes or squealed with excited reunions.
Somewhere in that flurry, Jang Wonyoung had managed to wrangle her trunk onto the Hogwarts Express—with minor help from a kind second-year Hufflepuff boy she guilted into helping by tilting her head, widening her eyes, and saying, “You’re so strong, could you maybe...?”
She now sat curled up in a window seat in one of the train compartments, her robe folded messily beside her and her shoes already kicked off. Her glossy black hair was braided loosely over one shoulder, and a pink sugar quill was sticking out of her mouth like she was chewing a lollipop.
Rei lounged dramatically across the opposite seat, her robes slightly messy, wearing a fuzzy blue headband with little bat wings. Her boots were already propped on the edge of Wonyoung’s seat like she owned the whole train.
Jiwon sat between them on the same bench as Rei, cross-legged, balancing a tiny enchanted mirror on one knee and dabbing color-changing polish on her nails with precise wand flicks.
“So how long do you think it’ll take before Choi Yeonjun starts crying about his ex again?” Rei asked, casually leaning back and adjusting the angle of her headband like it was a crown.
“Five minutes after the trolley,” Wonyoung said immediately, twirling the sugar quill between her fingers. “Or sooner, if he sees Sullyoon with her new boyfriend.”
“Oh Merlin,” Jiwon muttered, not looking up. “The Ravenclaw, right? I thought that was just a summer fling.”
“Nope,” Rei confirmed, licking a Fizzing Whizzbee wrapper from earlier like it owed her money. “I saw them in Diagon Alley. He was holding her cauldron and beaming like he’d just adopted a unicorn.”
Wonyoung made a high-pitched squeak and buried her face in her sleeve. “Not a unicorn!”
“No, seriously,” Rei added, her voice dropping into a terrible impersonation of Yeonjun. “Sullyoon, I swear, I’ll brew you amortentia myself—”
Wonyoung half-bent over in laughter, and Jiwon, now with one hand waving dry air charms over her left hand, snorted. “I give it a week before he writes a song about it. A bad one.”
“He’s already posted lyrics on his MirrorPix,” Rei said gravely. “They rhyme ‘potion’ with ‘emotion.’”
“That’s illegal,” Jiwon deadpanned.
The compartment door suddenly slid open with a squeal of worn metal.
“Knock knock, my little pumpkin pastries!” Dani burst in with a dramatic arm sweep and a Honeydukes bag dangling from her wrist. Her Hufflepuff robes were already half-off, and underneath she wore a garishly bright green T-shirt that read “HEX ME, I DARE YOU” in glittering silver script. Her curls bounced as she struck a pose like a Sugar Quill model.
“Dani!” Wonyoung squealed, already sitting up straighter. She reached her hands out like a toddler demanding candy from their favorite aunt.
“Are you bringing snacks or chaos?” Rei asked suspiciously.
“Both,” Dani replied, stepping into the compartment and kicking the door closed with her heel. “But mostly snacks today—unless Jiwon tries to duel me again.”
“That was one time,” Jiwon muttered, aiming her wand over her nails without looking up, “and you stole my pumpkin pasty.”
Dani flopped ungracefully onto the bench beside Wonyoung, nearly knocking over her legs and landing in a heap of limbs. “I got chocolate frogs, sugar mice, and—wait for it—Fizzing Whizzbees.”
Wonyoung gasped. “You legend.”
“I bribed a third-year to save my spot in line.”
“That’s illegal,” Rei repeated Jiwon’s line from earlier, solemnly. “And also brilliant. Give me a Whizzbee or I’m hexing your hair into spaghetti.”
“You wouldn’t dare,” Dani said, but she was already handing over the goods.
They each dove into the Honeydukes bag with little shrieks and wrappers tearing at once. Wonyoung squealed when she pulled a Rowena Ravenclaw chocolate frog card.
“Finally! I’ve been trying to get her since third year.”
“Trade you for Morgana,” Rei said, holding up her own card like she was offering a rare jewel.
Wonyoung squinted. “You just want a full dark witch collection.”
“Don’t judge my aesthetic.”
Dani, already chewing a sugar mouse, pointed vaguely at Jiwon. “You got Helga Hufflepuff again?”
“She keeps finding me,” Jiwon said with a sigh, staring at the card like it held secrets to the universe. “I have five. I should sell them. Or start a cult.”
“I’d join,” Rei offered.
“I know,” Jiwon said, without missing a beat.
Wonyoung leaned her head against the window as the countryside began to blur past—green fields with sheep dotting the hills like tufts of wool, tiny cottages shrinking in the distance. “I kind of missed this.”
“The train?” Dani asked, surprised.
“No, everything. The castle, our dorms, even the awful library chairs and their poky backs. The way the Great Hall ceiling looks before it rains. I even kind of missed Peeves.”
“Peeves,” Rei echoed flatly. “You missed that gremlin who once poured a whole jar of pickled toad eyes into your porridge?”
“He was being playful.”
“He was trying to poison you.”
“He said it was a love potion!”
“Even worse!”
They all burst into laughter again, and Jiwon nearly dropped her mirror trying not to smudge her freshly charmed fingernails, which were now a soft gradient from lilac to sunset pink.
“I missed you lot,” Dani said more quietly, twisting a bit of her sleeve in her hand. “Even if you’re deranged.”
“Aww,” Rei cooed. “That’s the nicest thing you’ve ever said to us.”
“I take it back,” Dani said quickly. “I hope your frogs melt.”
“You’re emotionally constipated,” Jiwon said sweetly, tossing a sugar mouse into her mouth.
“I’m going to cry,” Dani fake-sobbed, reaching dramatically for Wonyoung, who patted her head like a cat.
The train sped north, and their laughter was swallowed by the rhythm of wheels clattering on track. None of them noticed the time slipping by.
They were already home again.
Dani’s Fizzing Whizzbee began to lift her half an inch off the seat, and she quickly slammed her back down with a loud “Oof!” before she floated any further.
Wonyoung burst into laughter, nearly spilling the wrapper of her chocolate frog. “That one’s always a gamble,” she said, reaching over to push Dani gently back into place.
“Almost got carried away,” Dani said with mock seriousness. “Literally.”
Jiwon finally capped her wand with a flourish and admired her nails—now a shimmering opal white that sparkled under the flickering lights of the train. “Okay, confession time,” she said, tilting her head toward Rei and Wonyoung. “Did either of you do the summer readings for Magical Law?”
Rei scoffed. “I read the first paragraph. It said ‘ethics’ and I said, ‘no thanks.’”
Wonyoung winced. “I read them. Well… skimmed them. Okay, Rei annotated them and I copied her notes.”
Rei lifted her head with faux elegance. “You’re welcome, peasant.”
“Why is everyone acting like I wouldn’t share?” Jiwon held out her hand. “Give.”
Rei groaned and dug around in her bag, eventually yanking out a violently pink notebook covered in stickers—unicorns, cauldrons, and a particularly angsty looking Thestral. “If anyone asks, you got it from a second cousin twice removed.”
Dani snorted. “You mean like your fashion sense?”
Jiwon hissed. “Low blow.”
“Don’t talk to me about low blows,” Rei said, rubbing her shin. “You kicked me under the table five times during that Muggle Studies project.”
“I was stressed!” Jiwon protested. “And you wouldn’t stop flirting with the group leader.”
“Was she not cute?” Rei countered.
“She was trying to explain the internet!”
The compartment dissolved into overlapping voices and mock arguments. Wonyoung just laughed, leaning back and watching her friends with fond eyes. Her gaze wandered to the window again, past the rolling green fields and into the blue-gray horizon that signaled the approach of the Highlands. The sky outside was dotted with light clouds, a few tiny birds flitting alongside the train like they were racing it.
A loud rumble from the corridor startled them, a small blast of purple smoke billowed in from under the compartment door.
Wonyoung’s eyes widened. “What the—”
Before anyone could react, the door slammed open.
“EUNCHAE! HYUNSEO! YOU IDIOTS!” came a shrill voice from further down the corridor, and a tiny second later, three fourth years ran past their door at full speed, a streak of glitter and what looked like magically animated whipped cream trailing behind them.
“Was that Hyein?” Dani asked, peeking out the door.
“She had frosting on her nose,” Jiwon said blankly.
Rei blinked. “I think Hyunseo summoned a cupcake explosion again.”
Wonyoung leaned halfway into the corridor, catching a blur of Hyunseo cackling like a gremlin with Eunchae shrieking behind her, yelling something about “experimental pastry-based hexes.”
Dani pulled Wonyoung back in by the sleeve. “If that hits our compartment, I swear I will hex a child.”
Jiwon nodded solemnly. “We’ll do it together.”
Rei reached into her bag again and pulled out a tattered deck of Exploding Snap. “Should we sacrifice a few rounds to fate while we’re still clean and frosting-free?”
“I’m in,” Wonyoung said immediately, scooting to sit cross-legged with her skirt tucked neatly under her. “No cheating this time.”
“I don’t cheat,” Rei said with an overly innocent smile, dealing the cards.
“You Transfigured my cards last time!” Jiwon accused.
“They were ugly,” Rei said simply.
Dani elbowed Wonyoung. “Prefect behavior? Should we report her?”
“I’ll let it slide just this once.” Wonyoung grinned.
They dealt the cards and began to play, the game quickly escalating into chaos. Every time a card exploded, Dani screamed dramatically, Rei swore, Jiwon demanded a rematch, and Wonyoung nearly fell off the seat laughing.
The compartment filled with warmth—not from the train’s heating charms, but from the kind of comfort that came with starting a school year surrounded by people who made the world feel just a little more magical.
As Wonyoung reached for another card, the train gave a gentle lurch. The speaker crackled overhead.
“We’ll be arriving at Hogsmeade Station in ten minutes. Please make sure to leave nothing behind and change into your robes.”
“Already ahead of them,” Jiwon said smugly, tapping her perfectly pressed Hufflepuff robes.
Dani groaned. “Ugh, I have to find mine in that bottomless pit of a bag.”
Wonyoung sighed dramatically. “The fashion pain of hiding a cute outfit under a robe. Tragic.”
They all stood up with a bit of reluctance, stretching and brushing off crumbs and candy wrappers. Wonyoung reached into her trunk and pulled out her Slytherin prefect badge, clipping it onto her robes with a small, proud smile.
“Ugh, she’s official again,” Dani teased. “We’ll have to be on our best behavior.”
“Speak for yourself,” Rei said, tossing her hair. “I’ve already got two detentions pending from last year. Might as well go for a full set.”
“Like a collector’s edition?” Jiwon asked dryly.
Wonyoung laughed, but before she could respond, the train slowed as the landscape shifted into darkening forest and jagged mountain edges. Hogwarts was close.
And even if they didn’t know it yet, this year was going to change everything.
The train gave a final shudder as it pulled to a halt, steam billowing along the platform. Students poured into the corridor, pulling trunks, flinging cloaks over their shoulders, and yelling over the noise of dozens of conversations all happening at once.
Wonyoung stepped onto the platform with Rei, Dani, and Jiwon close behind her. The familiar chill of the Scottish evening nipped at her cheeks. She breathed it in—crisp, earthy, full of memories.
First years were already being gathered by a familiar towering silhouette holding a lantern high.
“Firs’ years! This way! Mind the gap, don’ fall in now!” boomed Hagrid.
“Bless him,” Dani mumbled. “I would’ve walked straight into the lake my first year without him.”
A tiny girl in a yellow scarf shrieked as a chocolate frog jumped out of her pocket and landed on a fourth year’s shoe. Chaos was everywhere, and it was perfect.
“Carriages, this way!” Rei shouted, tugging Jiwon’s sleeve.
Wonyoung scanned the crowd for green and silver—Slytherins gathering together, familiar faces clustered in tight groups.
She spotted Sunghoon talking animatedly with Taeyeon near the carriages and gave them a small wave.
One of the thestrals snorted near them. Its sleek, winged body shimmered against the fog, visible only to those who’d seen death—Wonyoung had never seen one until fifth year. She reached out and stroked its nose gently.
“Still weird how only some of us can see them,” Rei whispered as she climbed into the carriage.
“I think they’re kind of beautiful,” Wonyoung said softly, brushing her hand along the thestral’s neck one last time before stepping into the carriage after her friends.
Inside, they jostled together, knees bumping, the lantern swinging slightly above their heads.
“Can we make a pact this year?” Jiwon said suddenly. “Like… no matter what happens—exams, drama, boys, girls, House politics—we all still end up at Honeydukes together?”
“Duh,” Dani said, leaning her head back. “I’m here for the friends and the sugar.”
Rei leaned her head against Wonyoung’s shoulder dramatically. “As long as Wonyoung doesn’t ditch us for the elite Slytherin prefects.”
“Please,” Wonyoung snorted. “If I ever turn into one of those, hex me.”
Rei gave her a pointed look. “Noted.”
As they creaked along the winding path, the trees parted, and suddenly—
There it was.
Hogwarts Castle, towering and golden in the distance, lit from within like a beating heart in the night. It reflected off the lake below, serene and untouched, a glowing monument to everything they'd grown up with. Wonyoung felt her chest tighten a little. No matter how many times she saw it, that view always hit the same way.
They all went quiet for a few seconds, eyes fixed on the silhouette of the school.
“I missed it,” Dani said softly.
“Same,” Rei added.
Wonyoung didn’t say anything, but she felt it deeply too, a quiet hum beneath her ribs, like home.
The carriages rolled to a stop in the courtyard. Students spilled out in clusters, crowding into the entrance hall. Wonyoung could already hear the first years chattering nervously as they were guided toward the boats. The rest of the castle doors creaked open, and familiar candlelight spilled out.
“Wands away,” she reminded Rei with a smile, bumping her lightly with her shoulder.
They filed into the Great Hall, the ceiling above alive with stars and the soft flicker of floating candles. The Slytherin table glowed in green hues, the crest above it proudly floating midair. Wonyoung’s gaze wandered across the hall—spotting familiar faces, friends waving, upper years calling out nicknames.
But then her eyes landed on a tall figure already seated at the Gryffindor table, lit from behind like something out of a dream.
An Yujin.
Messy hair, Quidditch-toned arms crossed lazily over her chest, that signature lazy smirk as she laughed at something Jimin had just said.
Dani leaned in and whispered, “Is that your favorite Gryffindor captain already stealing your attention?”
Wonyoung blinked. “What?”
“You’re staring.”
“I am not.”
“You are.”
Rei cackled from the other side. “And so it begins.”
Wonyoung rolled her eyes and sat down at the Slytherin table, trying not to glance across the aisle again.
Trying very hard not to think about how Yujin would be seeing her in her prefect robes, sharp and proud. Or how Yujin always looked so annoyingly good in her wrinkled Gryffindor red.
The Headmistress stood. The Sorting Hat was brought out. And the ceremony began.
But Wonyoung’s thoughts were somewhere else entirely.
The Sorting ended with the hall erupting in polite applause for the final first year, who nervously made her way to the Hufflepuff table. With a flick of her wand, Professor Song cleared the Sorting Hat and podium with practiced ease.
Then she rose, regal and commanding, her robes trailing slightly as she stepped forward.
“Welcome back, students. To our returning seventh and sixth years, I expect a year of diligence, mentorship, and leadership. To the rest of you—try not to set anything on fire. Dinner is served.”
And with that, the golden platters burst into abundance.
Roast chicken, pumpkin pasties, charred corn, glazed carrots, steaming mashed potatoes, fluffy Yorkshire puddings—the Great Hall transformed into a warmth that was all food, chatter, and magic.
Wonyoung was too busy avoiding a smirk from Yuna to notice someone else’s gaze across the room.
But Yujin saw her immediately.
Even from the Gryffindor table, with Jimin rambling about how the new Beaters looked “like they’d never held a bat in their life,” Yujin was half-turned, her chin in her hand, eyes steadily watching the Slytherin side.
More specifically, the girl sitting confidently in the center.
Wonyoung’s green-lined robes looked sharp, immaculate. The new prefect badge gleamed against her chest. Her long hair was curled just enough to look effortless. She laughed at something Yuna said, tucking a strand behind her ear—and there it was again.
That flutter Yujin tried to ignore.
Yujin hadn’t meant to keep looking, but the moment their eyes met—just for a second—Wonyoung looked up across the sea of candles, her gaze lingering a little too long.
She looked away.
And Yujin was left blinking like an idiot, caught mid-bite of pumpkin bread, totally missing Jimin’s dramatic reenactment of a broom malfunction.
“That’s your face,” Jimin said suddenly, pointing her fork at Yujin. “You’re making that dumb face again.”
“What face,” Yujin said, straightening.
“The Wonyoung face.”
“I don’t have a Wonyoung face.”
“You so do,” Jimin said. “It’s the soft eyes and stupid smile and—oh my god, you’re literally doing it again right now.”
Yujin shoved a potato in her mouth to shut her up. “I’m not.”
“Okay. Sure.” Jimin snorted.
—
Tuesday morning at Hogwarts was always busy.
The hallway was alive with students rushing to and from classes, bags slung over their shoulders, and the air buzzing with conversations about the weekend’s matchups, new spells, or, as was typical for the start of the school year, complaints about the homework load.
Wonyoung was walking with Rei, their footsteps light against the stone floor. Wonyoung had her hands buried deep in the pockets of her robe, occasionally pulling at the sleeves as they chatted.
“Rei, do you think Professor Slughorn will give us another surprise quiz today? I swear, he’s got it out for us.” Wonyoung sighed, her eyes narrowing as she remembered last week’s nightmare of a quiz on obscure potion ingredients. “He’s probably just waiting for the perfect moment to ruin my life again.”
Rei snorted, shaking her head. “You’re dramatic. Slughorn’s a control freak, sure, but he’s not that bad. Besides, you’re not failing potions.” She smirked. “You know, you only start failing potions when you actually start daydreaming about your other class, which happens to be Transfiguration. But you never do that, right?”
Wonyoung rolled her eyes, nudging her with an elbow. “Hey, I know my limits. I can fail a quiz in one class but still ace a test in another.”
“Sure, sure,” Rei teased, tapping her own forehead. “That’s why you’re still a Slytherin Prefect, even with your questionable academic choices.”
Wonyoung shot her a playful glare. “If it’s such a ‘questionable’ choice, then why do you keep asking me for notes?”
Rei shrugged dramatically. “Because I’m a genius who just needs to look at your notes, clearly.”
They laughed, the sound echoing off the stone walls. Wonyoung tucked a strand of hair behind her ear as they rounded a corner and turned down another hallway. As they passed by a row of windows, Wonyoung spotted a familiar face ahead.
Yujin.
She was surrounded by her usual group of friends—Ryujin, who was snickering about something, and Jimin, who was laughing at whatever Ryujin had said. Wonyoung could hear bits of their conversation—a joke about the Quidditch team, something about how Yujin managed to score all the goals in their last practice—but then Yujin’s eyes flicked to Wonyoung’s direction.
And just like that, the world seemed to slow.
Yujin’s gaze lingered, not unkind, but... intense. It always made Wonyoung’s stomach twist. Why did Yujin look at her like that? Why did she always look at her like that? There was something about her stare—so full of quiet amusement or maybe even disdain—that Wonyoung couldn’t decipher. It felt like being pinned in place, and for a moment, she wanted to disappear.
She ducked her head quickly, her cheeks flushed with sudden heat. She hoped Yujin hadn’t noticed, but she could feel her heart racing. It wasn’t the first time this had happened. Yujin had been doing this for years—since her first year. First, it was a glance here and there, then small moments of eye contact, followed by those uncomfortable looks that seemed to scream of disapproval.
Wonyoung had tried to ignore it for the longest time. But after so many years, it was impossible to shake the feeling that Yujin... hated her. Or, at the very least, disliked her for some unknown reason.
She sighed, glancing at Rei as they continued walking toward the Potions classroom. Rei, thankfully, didn’t seem to notice her discomfort. Instead, she hummed a little tune under her breath, as though she was completely unaware of what was weighing on Wonyoung’s mind.
“Rei,” Wonyoung asked hesitantly, her voice a little quieter than usual. “What do you think Yujin’s problem with me is?”
Rei raised an eyebrow, shooting her a sideways glance. “Yujin? Like An Yujin? What do you mean?”
“Yeah, An Yujin…” Wonyoung swallowed, her fingers fiddling with the hem of her sleeve. “I don’t know. She’s been looking at me like that... for years. Since first year. Like... like she hates me or something. I don’t know what I did wrong. What did I do?”
Rei stopped walking for a second, almost causing Wonyoung to bump into her. “You didn’t do anything, Wonyoung,” Rei said firmly, her tone soft but reassuring.
“You’ve got to stop stressing about this. Maybe she just doesn’t know how to act around you. Maybe she’s shy, or something. I mean, it’s Yujin. She’s not exactly the type to go around being all bubbly and nice. Have you seen her try to talk to anyone outside her Quidditch team?” Rei shrugged, her voice lightening with a hint of amusement. “Trust me, just leave her be. People like her... they don’t really know how to be normal with others.”
“But it’s been years,” Wonyoung muttered, chewing on her lip. “She never talks to me, not even when we pass by or—” She cut herself off, feeling her frustration building up.
Rei let out an exaggerated sigh, leaning against a nearby pillar and flashing Wonyoung a playful grin. “Well, if you’re going to keep stressing over it, then you might as well take a page from my book. Don’t care about it. It’s Yujin. She’s probably got too many things on her mind to give you a second thought.”
Wonyoung nodded absently, though the gnawing feeling didn’t fade. She had to admit—she didn’t know how to handle Yujin. There was something... different about her. Mysterious. In a way that made Wonyoung feel more unsure of herself than she cared to admit.
“C’mon, let’s get to Potions before Professor Slughorn gets annoyed with us,” Rei said, turning back toward the classroom, her voice bright and casual again.
As they entered the Potions classroom, Wonyoung felt a little lighter. At least here, she didn’t have to think about Yujin—or at least, not yet.
The classroom was filled with the murmur of students already settling into their seats. Wonyoung spotted Jiwon sitting near the back with Yuna, both of them laughing about something as they opened their textbooks. Wonyoung and Rei slid into the desks next to them, Rei giving them both a grin.
“Hey, what’s the gossip today?” Rei asked, wiggling her eyebrows at Yuna and Jiwon.
Yuna rolled her eyes, trying to suppress a laugh. “It’s not gossip, it’s just—did you hear about Hanni and Minji?”
Rei leaned in, eager to hear. “What about them?”
Jiwon leaned over, whispering dramatically. “Apparently, they got caught sneaking around the castle late last night. What was that about, huh?”
“Wait, what?!” Wonyoung exclaimed, her eyes wide.
Yuna smirked. “I think they were up to something last night, that’s for sure.”
The four of them burst into giggles just as Professor Slughorn walked in, his booming voice announcing that they were starting with a complicated brew that Wonyoung could already feel would challenge even the most skilled students.
“Alright, settle down, everyone. No more gossiping for now. Time to get our hands dirty with this Draught of Living Death!”
Wonyoung sighed, knowing that despite her usual annoyance with potions class, it would at least distract her from thinking about Yujin... for now.
—
Wonyoung sat cross-legged at the library table, quill in hand, her Transfiguration notes spread out in an absolute mess across three scrolls, a half-eaten chocolate frog beside her ink pot. Jiwon was slouched dramatically in her chair, chewing on the end of her quill like it owed her money, while Rei and Yuna sat across from them, flipping through their textbooks.
"I'm telling you right now," Jiwon said, staring intensely at a diagram of a hedgehog being turned into a pincushion, "if McGonagall asks me to explain the five exceptions to Gamp’s Law during the exam, I'm just going to fake a coughing fit and run."
"She’s not even the one giving the test," Yuna said without looking up.
"Details," Jiwon waved vaguely. "She senses weakness. I know it."
"You are weakness," Rei muttered as she scribbled something down, then immediately crossed it out. "Ugh, why is partial transfiguration even a thing? Who decided it was a good idea to turn half of a mouse into a goblet?"
"That was probably an accident," Yuna said. "Some guy went to drink from a cup, and now he can’t stop squeaking."
"Honestly, same," Wonyoung mumbled. "I’m squeaking internally every time I read this paragraph."
"Are we all going to fail?" Jiwon asked.
"Absolutely," Rei replied.
"Cool," Wonyoung nodded. "Glad we're unified."
There was a pause.
Then Jiwon suddenly whispered, “Okay, but—if you could transfigure any one person into something harmless and mildly inconvenient, who would it be?”
Yuna perked up. “What kind of question—”
“I’d turn that sixth-year Hufflepuff boy, Minseo, into a doorknob. He’s always standing in front of the bookshelf I need. Always.”
"I’d transfigure Haeun into a quill," Rei muttered. "Then I’d snap her in half."
"Okay, now it’s a little violent," Wonyoung laughed.
Yuna smirked. “I’d turn Jiwon into a textbook so she’d finally know what the material is.”
“Yuna!” Jiwon gasped, scandalized.
Rei was wheezing.
A brief silence fell over them as they went back to half-studying. Then, naturally, the conversation devolved again.
“Alright,” Rei said suddenly, sitting up. “Serious question. Who’s the cutest person at Hogwarts?”
Jiwon dropped her quill dramatically. “Oh, finally, something I can answer.”
Wonyoung groaned but didn’t protest. She knew resistance was futile.
Rei started ticking off names on her fingers. “Minji in Ravenclaw. Soobin in Ravenclaw—he’s tall and has that quiet bookish charm. And uh, Seulgi from Slytherin—total heartbreaker.”
"Oooh, Seulgi. Yeah." Jiwon nodded. “Also, Sunghoon. Literally every house is obsessed with him.”
Yuna leaned in. “Don't forget Jennie. She walks into the Great Hall like it’s a runway.”
“And obviously, Yujin,” Rei added casually, eyes still on her notes.
Wonyoung's hand froze.
There was a beat of silence. Then Jiwon, Yuna, and Rei all hummed in agreement.
“Oh yeah, Yujin’s so pretty,” Jiwon said. “Like, effortlessly so. It’s almost unfair.”
Yuna nodded. “And she’s a good flier. I saw her at practice last week—she caught the quaffle backwards.”
“She could catch a quaffle with her eyes closed,” Rei said. “Also, her hair’s always perfect, even when flying. How?”
Wonyoung blinked rapidly, trying not to look as scandalized as she felt.
“Right, but she's also terrifying,” she blurted out, voice just a little higher than usual. “Let’s not forget that.”
The others turned to her with amused expressions.
Jiwon tilted her head. “You think she’s scary?”
“She’s literally always glaring at me,” Wonyoung defended, sitting up straighter. “Like—glare of death. It’s been happening since first year. Don’t act like I’m imagining it.”
“I think that’s just her face,” Yuna offered helpfully.
“Well, her face hates me then,” Wonyoung muttered.
“She looked at you last week when you tripped in the corridor,” Jiwon said. “But it didn’t look like a glare…”
“She laughed internally. I saw it,” Wonyoung insisted, stabbing her quill into the ink pot.
“Maybe she just likes watching you suffer.” Rei patted her arm.
“Not helping, Rei.”
Yuna snorted. “Okay, so we’re putting Yujin on the ‘cute but terrifying’ list.”
Wonyoung tried to return to her notes, but the way her ears were burning made it very hard to focus.
She slumped further into her seat, trying in vain to will the words "human-to-animal transfiguration" to imprint themselves onto her brain. Across the table, Rei had given up entirely and was constructing a tiny tower of sugar quills on top of her open book.
“You guys,” Jiwon whispered with faux-seriousness, “what if we just transfigure ourselves into owls and fly away? Escape our academic responsibilities.”
“That wouldn’t help,” Yuna replied dryly. “We’d still be owls with overdue assignments. And owls don’t even get paid.”
“I’d like to be a cat,” Rei said. “Sleep in sunbeams, knock things off tables on purpose. That’s the dream.”
“Or a ghost,” Jiwon added, swishing her arms dramatically. “No tests, no classes. Just eternal floating and haunting.”
“Knowing our luck, even in ghost form, McGonagall would assign us essays,” Wonyoung muttered, earning nods of agreement.
Rei suddenly leaned forward. “Okay. Forget Transfiguration. Let’s play a game.”
“Rei,” Yuna said. “We have a test in three days.”
“Exactly. I’m pre-stressed. This will relax us.”
Jiwon brightened. “I'm listening.”
“Alright,” Rei said, grinning, “what animal do you think everyone in our year would be if they were accidentally transfigured and had to live that way forever?”
“What are these questions?” Yuna murmured, but she closed her book anyway.
“Sooyoung would be a swan,” Wonyoung said immediately. “Elegant. Silent. Could kill you.”
“Facts,” Rei nodded. “Jaemin’s a golden retriever, no discussion needed.”
“Yuri is a cat who knocks potions off the table just to watch you cry,” Jiwon chimed in.
“Chaewon is a squirrel who hoards secret snacks,” Yuna added.
Before Rei could respond, a loud BANG! echoed through the library, followed by the unmistakable shriek of Madam Pince.
Everyone’s heads snapped up.
At the far end of the room, chaos was erupting around a toppled bookshelf and a group of students fleeing the scene in a whirlwind of giggles and parchment.
“Oh Merlin,” Jiwon groaned. “It’s the goblins of chaos.”
Sure enough, the infamous trio—Hyein, Hyunseo, and Eunchae—were bolting past rows of stunned students, barely holding in laughter.
“Is that a levitating teacup chasing them?” Yuna asked.
“It is,” Rei confirmed, eyes wide. “And I think it’s growling.”
“I bet they tried enchanting it to pour itself,” Wonyoung said, watching in horror and fascination as the cup smacked into a bookshelf with surprising force. “And it gained sentience.”
Madam Pince was storming after them, her wand out and fury radiating from her pores.
“I give it three seconds before one of them accidentally sets a scroll on fire,” Jiwon whispered.
“Two,” Yuna said.
A small plume of smoke rose from the Divination section.
“One,” Rei concluded.
They all turned back to their table as if this was a normal Tuesday (which, for Hogwarts, it was).
Wonyoung sighed. “At least now we’re not the most unprepared students in the room.”
“That honor belongs to Eunchae and her sentient teacup,” Rei nodded solemnly.
Jiwon looked down at her notes again and then shoved them aside. “Alright. Back to studying. But let’s make a pact—if we survive this Transfiguration test, we celebrate.”
“Deal,” Yuna said.
“Big feast in the kitchens,” Rei added. “No teachers, no books, just cake.”
“I'm holding you all to that,” Wonyoung murmured as she flipped the page in her textbook, eyebrows furrowed. “If I have to transfigure another matchstick into a needle, I’m going to cry.”
For a few minutes, they all settled into a rare silence—broken only by the occasional sigh, scratching of quills, and Rei muttering “why is this so hard” every four minutes like clockwork.
Until—
Wonyoung stiffened as her peripheral vision caught a group entering the library. Yujin. Along with Ryujin, Jimin, and Gaeul.
The four of them looked like they were supposed to be walking in slow motion—laughing about something, Ryujin elbowing Jimin who nearly dropped her book, Yujin throwing her head back with that ridiculous sunshine laugh that echoed just enough to make Wonyoung’s eye twitch.
Wonyoung kept her eyes glued to her parchment, pretending to be so invested in the different types of partial transfigurations that her quill nearly snapped from how hard she was gripping it.
Don’t look at her. Don’t look at her. Don’t—
She looked.
Yujin was glancing in their direction, brows slightly raised in amused curiosity. Her eyes met Wonyoung’s for maybe half a second—Wonyoung looked away immediately, heart lurching. She ducked her head, pulling her textbook up slightly as if it could act as a shield.
“Why is she here?” Wonyoung muttered under her breath, almost to herself. “Why is she always… here?”
“Huh?” Rei asked, not looking up.
“Yujin. She’s always around. Looking at me like that.”
“Like what?” Rei asked, still scribbling.
“Like I’ve personally committed a crime against her family,” Wonyoung whispered sharply. “Like she’s got beef with me from a past life. And I don’t even know what I did!”
“Maybe she’s just got a bad resting face,” Rei offered. “You probably didn’t do anything.”
“Not according to the look she gave me last week,” Wonyoung hissed. “I breathed and she looked like she was going to duel me in the hallway.”
Rei finally looked up and blinked. “Did you breathe too aggressively?”
“Shut up,” Wonyoung mumbled, going red as the others snickered.
“I think you’re overthinking it,” Yuna added, trying not to smile.
“I think she secretly likes you,” Jiwon said with a dramatic wiggle of her eyebrows.
“I think I’m going to throw this quill at you,” Wonyoung shot back, though the corners of her mouth twitched.
“Speaking of liking people,” Rei said, glancing past them toward another table. “Tell me I’m hallucinating, or is Jimin literally dragging her entire squad to this library just to stalk Minjeong?”
They all turned subtly to peek.
There they were. Yujin’s group settling at a table nearby. Jimin was shifting nervously in her seat, stealing glances toward the far table where Minjeong sat reading with headphones on, completely oblivious.
“Oh my god, she’s totally trying to talk to her,” Yuna said.
“Listen,” Rei whispered, “Jimin's wearing lip gloss. That means something is about to go down.”
“I heard she’s had a crush on Minjeong since her fourth year,” Jiwon said.
“She’s never even talked to her properly!” Yuna replied.
“She’s trying!” Rei said, whisper-yelling. “Look—Ryujin and Gaeul are hyping her up. Classic wingwoman behavior.”
Sure enough, Ryujin gave Jimin a thumbs up. Gaeul mimed “go!” while mouthing something that looked suspiciously like “you’re hot, be brave!”
“Minjeong’s still got her headphones in,” Wonyoung pointed out.
“That won’t stop Jimin,” Rei said sagely. “Not today. She’s got lip gloss and a plan.”
They all tried to go back to studying, but Wonyoung’s quill hovered uselessly over her notes. Her eyes kept flicking to the side—to Yujin. Who, of course, looked completely unbothered, flipping through a Quidditch magazine, chatting casually with Gaeul and Ryujin.
She looked relaxed. Unapologetically radiant. Even in this dim library lighting.
Wonyoung looked back down and scowled at her book. “I hate her,” she muttered.
“You’ve said that six times today,” Rei said. “You’re on a roll.”
“She’s distracting.”
“Mmhm.”
“I don’t even know why she hates me either. What did I ever do to her? I’ve been scared of her since first year.”
“Maybe she’s been scared of you too.”
Wonyoung snorted. “Yeah, I’m terrifying. You should hear me cry during exams.”
They all giggled again, and Jiwon leaned in with a mischievous smirk. “Okay, but be honest… if she wasn’t ‘scary,’ would you think she’s cute?”
Wonyoung didn’t even look up. “She’s scary.”
“So you’re saying yes,” Rei said.
“I’m saying she’s terrifying,” Wonyoung deadpanned.
Yuna nodded solemnly. “A very cute menace.”
Wonyoung smacked her forehead gently against her textbook.
Meanwhile, Jimin had finally gotten up from her table… and was awkwardly approaching Minjeong’s side of the library like she was walking into battle. The entire friend group stilled to watch.
“This is gonna be good,” Jiwon whispered.
Jimin approached slowly, clutching her Charms book like it was a shield. From across the room, Wonyoung and her friends watched like they were witnessing a deer wander into a dragon’s den.
“She’s doing it,” Rei whispered. “Operation confess to Minjeong is a go.”
“Godspeed,” Jiwon murmured, eyes wide with secondhand nerves.
Jimin stopped a foot away from Minjeong’s table, cleared her throat, and gave a small, awkward wave. “Hi.”
Minjeong didn’t even flinch.
Jimin blinked. Tried again. “Hi…?”
No response.
Minjeong remained laser-focused on the textbook in front of her, nodding along slightly to whatever she was listening to.
Jimin tilted her head. Then she squinted—visibly confused.
Wonyoung leaned closer to the scene and squinted too. “Is she… is she talking to her?”
“She’s trying to,” Yuna said. “But—oh.”
They all noticed at once: the thin black cord trailing from Minjeong’s ears and disappearing into her robes.
“She’s wearing headphones,” Rei whispered. “Muggle ones.”
“Oh no,” Jiwon said, covering her mouth. “Jimin’s face.”
Sure enough, Jimin was now gesturing vaguely toward her own ears, frowning in a puzzled mix of concern and curiosity, like she wasn’t sure if Minjeong was possessed or casting some strange silent charm.
Minjeong still didn’t notice her.
Jimin leaned a little closer, still not touching her, but now speaking a little louder. “Hello? Minjeong?”
Nothing.
Wonyoung and her friends were trying so hard not to laugh, they looked like they were physically in pain. Rei had buried her face in her sleeve, trembling with suppressed giggles. Jiwon’s hand was clamped over her mouth, eyes leaking tears.
“Jimin thinks she's ignoring her,” Yuna whispered.
“She thinks Minjeong's cursed,” Rei whispered back.
Jimin’s brow furrowed in increasing panic. She looked over her shoulder toward her table, where Ryujin and Gaeul were giving frantic thumbs-ups and mouthing “keep going!!”
Finally, Jimin reached out and lightly tapped Minjeong’s shoulder.
Minjeong startled so hard she almost dropped her quill.
“Oh!” she said, yanking one earbud out. “Sorry—I didn’t see you there!”
Jimin blinked, frozen. “What—what is that?”
Minjeong blinked back. “What is what?”
She pointed. “That. In your ears.”
“Oh!” Minjeong smiled and held them up. “They’re earbuds. For music.”
Jimin’s expression looked like someone had just spoken Parseltongue. “For… what? What do you mean music? Are they enchanted?”
Wonyoung was losing it. She shoved her face into her elbow and wheezed.
“They’re muggle items,” Minjeong said cheerfully. “You plug them into this little music player thingy—here, I’ll show you—”
She pulled out a small device from her robe pocket and offered it to Jimin, who leaned forward like she was examining a cursed object.
“Does it… move?” Jimin asked, voice barely above a whisper.
“Only emotionally,” Minjeong said with a grin.
Back at the girls’ table, everyone had given up on pretending not to eavesdrop.
“Jimin's so confused,” Yuna said, wiping at her eyes.
“She’s trying so hard,” Jiwon whispered, shaking.
Meanwhile, Jimin was still staring at the earbuds in her hand like they were artifacts from a lost civilization.
“So… you put these in… and it sings to you?”
“Yes,” Minjeong said, smiling.
“That’s insane.”
Minjeong tilted her head. “Want to try?”
“I—what?” Jimin blinked, startled.
Minjeong extended one earbud. Jimin hesitated like it might explode. Eventually, she took it and gingerly pressed it into one ear as Minjeong navigated the player.
“There,” Minjeong said, pressing play. “That’s Girls’ Generation.”
Jimin froze. Her eyes widened.
“…The box is singing to me,” she whispered.
Minjeong beamed. “Yup.”
And Wonyoung and her friends absolutely fell apart, collapsing into giggles as Jimin stood there, paralyzed by the mystical powers of 2nd generation k-pop, looking like she’d just seen the face of Merlin himself.
“Oh my god, Jimin’s in love,” Jiwon whispered.
Wonyoung had her head down in her notes, determined to block out the chaos unfolding nearby. Unlike her friends, who were now fully tuned in to Jimin's slow-motion romantic crash landing, Wonyoung was trying—valiantly—to stay focused.
“Okay,” she muttered to herself, “Vanishing spells. Basic principle is focusing on the object’s existence and then…” Her eyes flicked to the margin of her page where she’d doodled a sleepy frog. “...nothingness. Focus on nothingness.”
Jiwon jabbed her arm. “Wonyoungie,” she hissed. “You’re missing it.”
“I’m not missing anything,” Wonyoung grumbled. “I’m gaining points on this test.”
“Jimin’s about to combust,” Rei added, hunched like a Quidditch scout watching a rising star about to fumble the Quaffle.
Wonyoung sighed dramatically but glanced up anyway.
Jimin was standing next to Minjeong again, hands fidgeting in front of her, cheeks visibly pink. Her usually confident, mischief-filled grin was nowhere to be found—replaced by the expression of someone who just spent five minutes communing with a magical music box and came out spiritually altered.
Minjeong looked curious. “Did you like it?” she asked gently, meaning the music.
Jimin nodded once, slowly. “It was… very nice.”
“I’m glad,” Minjeong smiled, tucking one earbud behind her ear again. “Girls’ Generation is one of my favourites.”
“Right,” Jimin said, nodding too quickly. “Of course. Girls. Regeneration.”
Yuna let out a high-pitched snort, slapped a hand over her mouth, and nearly tipped backward in her chair.
Jiwon laughed, “Girls Regeneration???”
Wonyoung looked heavenward. “Please, just smite them all so I can study.”
Meanwhile, Jimin was blinking fast, gathering courage like she was about to duel a basilisk.
“U-Uhm, so… Minjeong?”
“Yeah?”
“Do you… maybe wanna hang out sometime?”
Minjeong blinked.
Jimin coughed. “Like. Just you and me. You know. Not with the others. Like. You and I.” Minjeong tilted her head, still smiling. “That sounds like a date.”
Jimin squeaked. “Yes! No—I mean—yes?”
There was a pause. For a moment, the only sound in the library was the gentle rustling of parchment, the faint buzz of magic in the air, and Rei whisper-sobbing into Yuna’s sleeve.
Minjeong grinned. “Okay. I’d like that.”
Jimin stood there frozen for a second before a slow, dazed smile took over her face. “Cool. Cool cool cool. Um. Yeah. I’ll find you later then.”
She turned, nearly bumped into a bookshelf, gave it a tiny bow, and speed-walked back toward her friends with the awkward grace of someone floating six inches off the ground.
Wonyoung didn’t even look up as she heard Jimin rejoin her table behind them.
“Did you die?” Ryujin asked.
“Inside,” Jimin said dreamily.
“Worth it?”
Jimin let out a sigh that could have powered a hot air balloon. “So worth it.”
Back at her own table, Wonyoung scribbled one last line in her notes, exhaled, and looked up. “Okay. I’m taking a break.”
Rei grinned at her. “Congrats. You missed Jimin’s romantic awakening.”
“Good,” Wonyoung said flatly. “That means I didn’t get secondhand embarrassment poisoning.”
Yuna leaned in. “She asked Minjeong out.”
“And Minjeong said yes,” Jiwon added, clapping her hands softly.
Wonyoung stared for a second. Then, reluctantly, smiled. “Huh. Good for her.”
Jiwon wiggled her eyebrows. “You’re growing, babe. That was almost supportive.”
“I am supportive,” Wonyoung defended. “Just… selectively.”
“Like when you supported me after I fell off my broom in front of, like, twenty people?” Yuna asked.
Wonyoung blinked. “I brought you chocolate afterward. That counts.”
“Yeah,” Rei added, “you handed her a bar and said, ‘Don’t die. That’s embarrassing.’”
“I stand by that,” Wonyoung said flatly. “Survival is dignity.”
—
It was the weekend now—finally—and Wonyoung was walking to Hogsmeade with her friends, bundled up in scarves and cloaks, boots crunching over gravel as a long stream of students made their way down the path from the castle.
The sky was pale and chilly, with soft clouds drifting overhead, but the atmosphere around the students was anything but calm. Laughter and chatter echoed all around them as people walked in groups, some linking arms, some skipping. Ahead, someone let out a loud cheer when they spotted the Three Broomsticks in the distance like it was some magical oasis.
“Okay, first order of business when we get there,” Yuna said, eyes sharp, “I want a butterbeer. No delays.”
“I need to go to Honeydukes,” Rei said. “If I don’t get my sugar quills, I will fail all my exams.”
“I need socks,” Jiwon announced seriously. “Warm ones. My toes are dying.”
“Very thrilling,” Wonyoung deadpanned. “I, too, came to Hogsmeade for socks.”
“Oh, please,” Rei said, elbowing her. “You just came because we dragged you.”
“I came,” Wonyoung said primly, “to experience joy and friendship. And also to make sure you don’t buy seventeen sugar quills again and pass out from a sugar crash on the common room floor.”
“That happened one time—”
“You slept on the carpet for four hours.”
“It was cozy!”
They continued walking, passing a group of third years trying to take a photo with a self-flying camera. The camera wobbled in the air, spun upside down, and crashed into someone’s forehead with a dramatic flash.
Jiwon watched it happen and muttered, “Ah. Hogwarts. Where safety is optional.”
A few feet ahead, they passed a pair of Hufflepuff boys having a very serious debate.
“No, listen, dragons would definitely win in a fight against mermaids,” one of them was saying.
“What kind of fight, though?” the other asked. “Are we talking underwater or land combat? It changes everything—”
“Land combat?” Rei echoed behind them. “What do they think mermaids do? Hop?”
“Oh my god, imagine a mermaid flopping around trying to do jiu-jitsu,” Yuna snorted.
Wonyoung shook her head. “This school is insane.”
They passed more students—some carrying shopping bags already, others pointing excitedly at Zonko’s ahead. The air smelled like roasted chestnuts and faintly like mischief.
Someone let out a loud shout behind them—“YO, WHOEVER STOLE MY CAULDRON BISCUITS, MEET ME BEHIND THE SHRIEKING SHACK. IT’S ON SIGHT.”
They all turned briefly.
“No one respects snacks anymore,” Jiwon said mournfully.
Wonyoung rubbed her temple. “We’ve been walking for ten minutes and I’ve already aged five years.”
“You’re so dramatic,” Rei said. “You’re sixteen.”
“I’m sixteen and babysitting.”
Jiwon grinned. “Well, Mom, where are we going first?”
Wonyoung sighed but smiled anyway. “Let’s just get your butterbeer before Yuna combusts.”
“I am dangerously close to combusting,” Yuna said, patting her stomach. “I haven’t had sugar in forty-five minutes. I’m basically fasting.”
“Tragic,” Rei gasped.
They stepped into the Three Broomsticks, the familiar scent of butterbeer and roasted cinnamon immediately wrapping around them like a warm hug.
The place was buzzing, every table full of students trying to defrost from the cold outside. Fire crackled merrily in the hearth, and Madam Rosmerta was zipping around like a woman on a mission.
"Table! There!" Rei pointed dramatically, spotting one tucked in a corner near the window. They all rushed over before some nearby Ravenclaws could claim it.
“Whew,” Yuna sighed, collapsing into a chair like she’d walked through a blizzard. “That was a battle.”
“I will never forgive those Ravenclaws if they had gotten here first,” Jiwon muttered as she shed her cloak. “I was ready to fight.”
“They’re like vultures,” Rei said. “In tweed.”
A moment later, Madam Rosmerta arrived, smiling brightly. “Butterbeers?”
“Four, please,” Wonyoung said politely. “And one of those treacle tarts, if you’ve got it.”
“Two treacle tarts!” Yuna added. “I’m not playing around.”
As Madam Rosmerta moved off, Rei leaned her chin on her hand. “So. We’ve survived another week. Barely. Any updates on love, drama, or secret enemies?”
Jiwon made a face. “I found out my Divination partner has been copying my notes all term. So I hexed his ink to turn everything he writes into compliments about me.”
“That’s so romantic,” Rei whispered.
“That’s revenge,” Wonyoung corrected, amused.
“Honestly though,” Yuna said between sips of butterbeer as it arrived, “can we talk about the fact that sixth year is a scam?”
“What gave it away,” Wonyoung asked dryly, “the sixteen feet of Transfiguration reading or the part where I had a dream last night about turning into a chair?”
“Definitely the chair,” Jiwon nodded. “A very specific cry for help.”
“Wait wait,” Rei sat up. “Speaking of dreams—Yuna, didn’t you say last week that you had a dream where Professor Lee was a centaur and chased you through the Forbidden Forest?”
Yuna stared at her. “I told you that in confidence.”
“And now it lives forever in my heart.”
“I have regrets.”
Wonyoung giggled into her mug. The warm butterbeer was making her feel lighter, and the way her friends bantered so effortlessly—it made her forget all the stress for a moment.
“Oh my god,” Jiwon said suddenly, eyes narrowing at another table across the room. “Do you see that?”
“What?”
“Jimin. With Minjeong.”
They all turned to look. Jimin and Minjeong were sitting at a table by the fireplace—Minjeong looking calm and unbothered as usual, headphones pushed around her neck. Jimin, on the other hand, looked like she was reciting a nervous monologue under her breath.
“She looks like she’s trying to remember a spell,” Rei whispered.
“She’s trying to remember her name,” Yuna muttered. “Girl is gone.”
Jiwon gasped. “Do you think they’re on a date?”
Wonyoung tilted her head. “I mean, Jimin did ask her. In the library. After… all the chaos.”
“Can we make a toast?” Rei held up her mug. “To Jimin. The boldest coward we know.”
They all clinked their mugs together.
“Love is in the air,” Jiwon sighed dramatically.
“I’d rather it be in my grades,” Wonyoung muttered, but she smiled anyway.
They sipped their drinks in harmony for a moment, the noise of the pub swelling around them. Laughter, music from the wireless in the corner, clinks of plates and mugs.
“Okay but seriously,” Rei said, “if we’re doing love updates—Wonyoung, have you considered that maybe Yujin doesn’t hate you and is just really bad at facial expressions?”
Wonyoung choked on her butterbeer.
“I—No! Absolutely not! She gives me scary eyes! I don’t even know what I did to her!”
Yuna leaned in, eyes sparkling. “I think she might be in love with you.”
“She’s probably plotting my downfall,” Wonyoung shot back.
“Or your first kiss,” Jiwon grinned.
Wonyoung groaned. “I hate all of you.”
Just as Wonyoung raised her mug for another sip, something—or someone—caught her eye outside the frosted window beside their table.
She froze.
There, just beyond the glass, framed perfectly like some cruel twist of fate, stood An Yujin.
Bundled in her coat, dark scarf wrapped lazily around her neck, laughing at something Ryujin had just said beside her. Snowflakes clung to the tips of her hair, melting into glistening drops, and she looked like she’d just stepped out of some dramatic wizarding magazine spread.
Wonyoung’s butterbeer stopped halfway to her mouth.
“Oh no,” she muttered, ducking slightly.
“What?” Rei asked, immediately alert.
“Yujin. Outside.” Wonyoung pointed with a slow, tragic finger like she was announcing a ghost.
All three of her friends craned to look.
Wonyoung groaned, slouching so low she was practically under the table. “Why is she literally everywhere? I swear I’m cursed.”
Rei patted her shoulder. “She’s just getting butterbeer with her little posse, not hunting you.”
“You don’t know that. Maybe she saw me through the window. Maybe she planned this.”
“I don’t think Yujin has the time or energy to craft elaborate public encounters to make you suffer,” Jiwon said.
“I don’t know,” Wonyoung grumbled. “She seems oddly committed to emotionally haunting me.”
“She’s just standing there,” Yuna deadpanned. “Menacingly.”
They all burst out laughing, Wonyoung included, though her cheeks were tinged red—and not from the butterbeer.
“She’s not even looking this way,” Rei pointed out. “Relax. It’s fine.”
Wonyoung risked a peek. Yujin was now walking toward the Three Broomsticks door, still laughing with Ryujin, Jimin, and Gaeul.
“Oh my god,” Wonyoung hissed. “Abort mission. She’s coming in.”
“Too late,” Jiwon said gleefully, already sitting up straight and fixing her hair like this was the most fun she’d had all week. “This is about to get interesting.”
Wonyoung buried her face in her scarf.
“I’m not here. I’m just a chair. A humble, cursed chair.”
Yuna patted her back. “Good luck, furniture.”
The bell above the door jingled.
Wonyoung winced.
She didn’t need to look. She didn’t need to see. She could hear it: the familiar cadence of Yujin’s laugh, deeper than most girls, warm and teasing, like she wasn’t aware it made Wonyoung’s ears buzz. Like she didn’t know it had haunted Wonyoung’s childhood, her teen years, her bloody Hogwarts experience.
Jiwon grinned, eyes darting toward the entrance. “Ooh, she’s coming in hot. Literally. The snow melted off her like a protagonist.”
“Why are you narrating this like it’s a romance novel?” Rei whispered, sipping her butterbeer.
“Because it feels like one,” Jiwon whispered back.
Yuna leaned closer to the table, eyes wide. “Okay, but are we pretending we don’t see her? Because she totally glanced over here.”
“Don’t say that,” Wonyoung hissed from under her scarf.
“I’m just saying. Her eyes definitely skimmed this table.”
“I’m a chair,” Wonyoung repeated, voice muffled. “A very beige, uninteresting chair. Maybe slightly broken.”
“Should we say hi?” Yuna asked.
“No,” Wonyoung said immediately. “No one says hi. No eye contact. We’re statues.”
“I’m going to go say hi,” Jiwon said, just to provoke her.
“Jiwon, I swear to Merlin—”
“I’m kidding,” she snorted. “You’re so easy to rile up. It’s honestly adorable.”
Wonyoung groaned again and peeked out just a little from her scarf fortress. She didn’t dare look at Yujin, but she saw a flash of that unmistakable red and gold scarf, Quidditch captain badge glinting faintly in the warm candlelight of the pub. Yujin looked so... alive. Confident. Perfect posture, perfect smile, surrounded by people who seemed to love her.
And Wonyoung wanted to scream into her butterbeer.
“I still don’t get why she’s got it out for me,” she muttered. “She’s been giving me those looks since first year. What did I do to her? I was a literal eleven-year-old. I was cute and harmless.”
“You’re still cute,” Rei said sweetly, booping her nose.
Wonyoung batted her hand away. “Not the point.”
Jiwon leaned her chin in her palm. “Maybe it’s a long con. Maybe she secretly has a dramatic, slow-burn reason for staring at you like that all these years.”
Rei gasped. “What if she’s been in love with you this whole time?”
“Absolutely not,” Wonyoung snapped. “That’s not love. That’s... haunting. Like a ghost. A really pretty, tall ghost with strong arms and an unnecessarily charming laugh.”
There was a brief silence.
Yuna smirked. “Sounds like someone’s noticed her arms.”
“I did not say that,” Wonyoung said, flustered. “You said that.”
Rei leaned over to Jiwon and whispered loudly, “She said that.”
“I heard it,” Jiwon agreed.
Wonyoung groaned again, loudly this time, and slumped face-first into the table.
“I should’ve just stayed in bed,” she mumbled into the wood. “This is my villain origin story.”
“Your origin story started the moment Yujin looked at you in first year and you decided it meant war,” Jiwon said with a giggle.
From the counter, Yujin turned slightly, and—just for a second—Wonyoung felt a familiar chill crawl up her spine.
She didn’t even need to look up to know. Somehow, Yujin was looking at her again. That unreadable expression on her face. Like she was trying to figure something out.
And Wonyoung?
She was desperately trying to figure it out too.
—
Wonyoung sat cross-legged on the stone bench of the Transfiguration Courtyard, her cloak spread beneath her like a picnic blanket. The spring breeze carried the scent of blooming lilacs, and the sun lit the courtyard in warm, flickering patches of gold through the archways. Around her were Jiwon, Yuna, and Danielle—her unofficial trio of chaos.
"Okay but hear me out—Minji and Hanni are so obviously a thing," Jiwon said, biting into a sugar quill and speaking around it. “They’re always studying together, they have matching scarves, and Minji was literally feeding her pudding in the Great Hall last week.”
“That’s just being best friends,” Yuna argued, though even she sounded unsure. “I feed you guys food all the time.”
“Yeah, but not while gazing lovingly into our eyes,” Danielle added, laughing. “Minji looks at Hanni like she hung the stars. It’s embarrassing.”
Wonyoung giggled, resting her chin in her hand. “They both keep saying they’re not together, though.”
“Denial is the first step of being painfully in love.” Jiwon rolled her eyes.
There was a brief pause, then Yuna suddenly shot upright. “Wait, did you guys hear about the Gryffindor vs. Ravenclaw match next weekend?”
“I think Ravenclaw has a chance. If Jihoon pulls it together and stops dropping the Quaffle every ten seconds—”
“Absolutely not,” Jiwon cut in. “Gryffindor’s got Yujin. That girl flies like the broom was built for her. She’s practically part-Hippogriff or something.”
At the mention of Yujin’s name, Wonyoung’s breath caught, but she kept her expression neutral. She stared out at the fountain in the middle of the courtyard like it was the most fascinating thing she’d ever seen.
“I’m betting five galleons Gryffindor wins,” Jiwon said, pulling a self-inking quill from her bag. “Who’s in?”
Yuna groaned. “You're such a Gryffindor sympathizer.”
“I’m not a sympathizer,” Jiwon said, dramatically placing a hand over her heart. “I’m just a realist. You ever see Yujin dive for the quaffle? It’s like watching someone cast Accio mid-air.”
Danielle laughed. “I swear half the school has a crush on her.”
Wonyoung stayed quiet, trying very hard not to make a face. She hoped no one noticed how stiffly she was sitting.
“I mean, you’ve got to admire her,” Yuna said. “Even when she’s sweaty and grass-stained, she still looks like she belongs in a glossy Witch Weekly cover.”
“Right? It’s unfair,” Danielle added. “Like—how is that allowed?”
Jiwon leaned toward Wonyoung, raising an eyebrow. “What about you, Wonnie? Who are you betting on?”
Wonyoung blinked and gave a weak laugh. “Uh… I dunno. May the best team win?”
“Oh my god,” Jiwon groaned, flopping backward onto the grass.
“More like she doesn’t wanna admit she’s going to cheer for Yujin,” Danielle teased, nudging Wonyoung with her foot.
“I’m not—!” Wonyoung started, but her voice cracked, which only made her friends burst out laughing.
Jiwon sat back up, grinning like a cat. “Sure, sure. You’re just excited to see a... good game. With quality brooms. And sportsmanship.”
Wonyoung let out an offended gasp, swatting Jiwon’s shoulder with her notebook. “Excuse me?”
“Oh no, we’ve hit a nerve,” Danielle said with mock seriousness, leaning forward. “Do continue, Wonyoung.”
Wonyoung huffed, flopping back dramatically onto the grass. “I literally don’t even like her. In fact, I hate her. She’s scary!”
Yuna blinked. “Scary?”
“She’s so intense! Always glaring. And walking around with her sleeves rolled up like she’s ready to fight someone.” Wonyoung waved her hand wildly in the air. “Like, I breathe wrong and she’s probably like, ‘Huh. Weak lungs.’”
Danielle burst out laughing. “She’s not glaring, that’s just her face!”
“Exactly!” Wonyoung said, sitting up again, eyes wide. “That’s terrifying!”
Jiwon leaned her head in her hands, clearly entertained. “You poor thing. Living in fear of Quidditch players.”
“And on top of that,” Wonyoung continued, “I think she hates me.”
The others stared.
“What?” Yuna said.
“She doesn’t hate you,” Danielle said slowly, like Wonyoung had just said the sun hated the sky.
“Yes she does!” Wonyoung insisted. “It feels like she's always... judging me. Probably plotting.”
Jiwon giggled. “Plotting what? Your slow emotional demise?”
“Yes!” Wonyoung said, pointing a dramatic finger at her. “Exactly!”
“Wonyoung,” Yuna said with a smile, “You’re talking about the girl who gave a first-year her scarf in the middle of a snowstorm and told them to eat more breakfast.”
Wonyoung blinked. “Yeah, exactly. She’s kind to everyone. Except me.”
“You’re so delusional.” Danielle wheezed.
Jiwon was practically vibrating with glee. “So, just to summarize... she’s scary, hates you, possibly judging your lungs... but you still can't stop thinking about her.”
Wonyoung stared at her blankly.
Then sighed. “...I need help.”
Her friends erupted into laughter again, echoing around the courtyard like bells.
“Group therapy at Honeydukes,” Yuna said through her giggles.
“Or an exorcism,” Danielle offered.
“I vote both,” Wonyoung muttered, already regretting everything she said.
As if on cue, the distant echo of laughter and voices spilled through the corridor just beyond the archway. It was light and teasing—familiar.
Wonyoung paused mid-rant, her expression freezing.
“Wait,” Danielle whispered, tilting her head.
The group turned subtly toward the source of the noise. Footsteps. They were heading toward the courtyard, but not exactly into it—more like passing through the side hall that overlooked it. Still close enough for voices to carry.
“—No, but seriously, how do you not know what a Runespoor is?” That was Ryujin’s voice—loud, incredulous, as usual.
“I thought it was a kind of broom!” Jimin protested through laughter.
“You thought a three-headed snake was a broom?” Gaeul’s voice was muffled with disbelief.
And then—
“Sounds like something Wonyoung would say,” Yujin’s voice cut in, casual and dry.
Wonyoung’s entire body tensed.
Her friends all turned to look at her in unison.
The group of girls outside continued walking, their footsteps fading and laughter trailing off as they exited past the courtyard arch.
There was a beat of stunned silence.
Then Jiwon gasped loudly and dramatically. “OH MY GOD.”
Danielle slapped a hand over her mouth to stifle her laughter. “Did she just—?”
“She really said your name like that,” Yuna said, eyes wide. “Unprovoked.”
“Pfft—” Jiwon was now doubled over, hitting the grass with her palm. “Nooooo, she does hate you.”
“She’s plotting,” Danielle whispered, mock-serious. “She’s plotting your downfall.”
Wonyoung was frozen in place, looking mildly traumatized. “Wh—what did I even do to her?!”
“You exist,” Yuna offered helpfully.
“Breathe wrong, apparently,” Jiwon said through laughter, wiping a tear from her eye. “She’s out here collecting evidence for your trial.”
Wonyoung dropped her head into her hands. “I’m being bullied by someone I’ve never even had a full conversation with.”
“She said your name like it was a curse,” Danielle said.
“I can’t believe this is my life,” Wonyoung mumbled into her palms.
“Star Quidditch player. The girl of everyone’s dreams. And your arch-nemesis,” Jiwon sighed wistfully, like it was the plot of a tragic romance.
Wonyoung didn’t respond. She was too busy trying to remember if she had ever offended Yujin in a past life.
—
The stands were a riot of color and sound—scarlet and gold clashing with deep blues under the clear Saturday sky. Banners waved wildly, floating charmed letters glittered above the stadium, and house chants echoed across the pitch.
But on the far side, standing in the mass of green and silver, Wonyoung clutched her scarf loosely and glanced up at the sky, her eyes already scanning for one figure.
The pitch buzzed with excitement as the players lined up, brooms ready for the whistle. A last-minute flicker of movement caught Wonyoung’s attention, and her eyes darted to the Ravenclaw team huddling near the goalposts. Rei was whispering something to Sunghoon with a nervous glance over her shoulder.
From the commentator's booth, Lee Hyun’s voice cut through the tension with his usual flair.
“And before we begin, I think we’ve got something special here—looks like our very own Ravenclaw Chaser, Naoi Rei, has a confession to make!”
A ripple of laughter echoed across the stands, and Wonyoung froze. She looked down at Rei, who was awkwardly shifting on her broom, her cheeks a deep shade of red.
Hyun chuckled, his voice loud and clear, “Yes, folks, you heard that right! Naoi Rei has a crush on… Kim Jiwon!” He let out a playful laugh, the audience quickly catching on. “Now, I don’t know if Jiwon knows about this, but it looks like Rei is feeling a bit shy right now!”
The crowd erupted into teasing cheers and laughter.
Her eyes shifted to Jiwon, who, despite being a Hufflepuff, was in the middle of the sea of Slytherins.
Wonyoung’s heart raced, and she looked back at Rei. The girl was practically glowing red with embarrassment, looking anywhere but at Jiwon.
Wonyoung's mind buzzed. Rei has a crush on Jiwon?
She glanced around quickly at the faces of her friends, but it was Jiwon’s reaction that held her attention the most. Her best friend was absolutely silent, still trying to process what had just happened. Wonyoung couldn’t help but chuckle nervously, but the strange feeling didn’t leave her stomach. She hadn’t seen Jiwon get flustered like this before.
Jiwon turned to her and gave a tight smile, still not meeting anyone’s gaze. “I—uh, didn’t know that.”
Wonyoung just nodded, unsure how to respond.
“Guess we’ve got some tea already,” Yuna said with a grin. “Who knew Rei had it in her?”
Wonyoung couldn’t help but steal one more glance at Jiwon, whose eyes flicked nervously to the Ravenclaw side. Wonyoung's lips pressed into a tight line, feeling an unfamiliar twist of emotions—something she couldn’t quite name.
And as the game officially kicked off with the shrill blast of the whistle, Wonyoung tried to focus on the players, but her eyes kept drifting back to Jiwon, who was still staring blankly at the pitch, her face a bit too red for comfort.
She didn’t realize she was holding her breath until the first Quaffle toss sent a flash of scarlet and gold streaking across the field.
The match had only just begun, the whistle piercing the crisp air. Brooms zoomed upward like sparks from a firework.
“AND THEY’RE OFF!” Lee Hyun from the Hufflepuff commentary team shouted from the booth. “And we have the first Quaffle toss—Rei passes to Soobin—no wait! Jimin intercepts midair!”
A roar erupted from the Gryffindor side.
“Jimin with a clean handoff to An—and An Yujin—oh, she’s speeding toward goal—”
Wonyoung’s eyes followed the streak of red and gold. Yujin leaned low on her broom, wind catching in her hair, her determined gaze fixed ahead.
“An scores 10 for Gryffindor!”
The sea of red exploded in cheers. Wonyoung stayed silent, staring.
Danielle nudged her gently. “Not cheering for Ravenclaw?”
“I’m not a Ravenclaw,” Wonyoung mumbled, adjusting her green scarf, but she didn’t meet her eyes. Her gaze flicked skyward again, back to number 3 in crimson.
On the pitch, Park Sunghoon yelled a play. “Rei, left flank! Soobin, cut through!”
“Ravenclaw in formation!” Hyun announced. “Sunghoon to Rei—back to Soobin—beautiful dodge past Ryujin’s bat—and SCORE! Ravenclaw ties it up!”
In the stands, Chaewon and Jiwon were already jumping.
“That’s my bestie!” Yuna screamed proudly, pointing at Rei.
“Ten to ten!” Hyun’s voice crackled again. “Ryujin’s on the move—ooh! Big Bludger hit—Chaeryeong knocks it back and—oof! Bangchan blocks with a swing of his own—AND IT HITS SOOBIN!”
A collective gasp echoed from the Ravenclaw stands. Soobin wobbled in the air, gripping his broom with one hand, the Quaffle spinning out of his reach.
“An recovers!” Hyun shouted. “She dives under Chaeyeon—twists past Hitomi—GOAL! Another ten to Gryffindor!”
Wonyoung winced, blinking slowly. She shouldn’t be watching her. Shouldn’t be watching her that closely. But every time she tried to turn away, her eyes found Yujin again—her confident posture, her smirk after scoring, the way her braid whipped behind her as she turned sharply.
“She’s good,” Yuna murmured beside her. “Like, actually scary good.”
“She’s—ugh,” Wonyoung said quietly. “She just thinks she’s cool.”
Yuna looked at her sidelong. “You hate her.”
“I do,” Wonyoung said, but it sounded a little too much like a question.
Down below, Ryujin deflected a Bludger aimed at Jimin, and Heeseung darted past Sakura in pursuit of the Snitch. Above it all, Yujin spun the Quaffle in her hand, already lining up another shot.
“An with another—NO!” Hyun exclaimed. “Hitomi with a beautiful block!”
Sakura zipped past Heeseung again, Snitch still unseen.
Minutes passed. Then—
“Park Sunghoon evades Taehyun and SCORES! Tie game at 30–30!”
The match tightened. Players flew faster. Bludgers rocketed across the pitch. Jimin and Rei clashed in midair. Ryujin and Chaeryeong exchanged hits like it was personal.
“AND—OH, YUJIN WITH A FEINT!” Hyun practically shouted. “PASSES TO JAY—NOPE, TAKES IT HERSELF—AND SHE SCORES! 40–30 GRYFFINDOR!”
And despite herself, despite the green around her, Wonyoung’s lips parted just a little. It wasn’t admiration. It was annoyance. Hatred. Definitely that.
“She’s not even that impressive,” she whispered.
Jiwon gave her a knowing look.
Wonyoung crossed her arms. “She’s not.”
The wind blew strands of hair across her face as her eyes tracked Yujin again—midair, laughing with Jimin, absolutely unaware of her existence.
And still, Wonyoung watched.
“Do you want a telescope or something?” Yuna asked, squinting over at her with a smirk.
Wonyoung blinked, snapping out of it. “What?”
“You’re staring at An like she’s the moon and you’re Galileo.”
Danielle snorted. “No, Galileo would’ve documented her velocity and orbit by now.”
“I’m just watching the match,” Wonyoung muttered, turning her head, eyes clearly not leaving Yujin as she coasted in a loop around the pitch, giving directions to Jay. “It’s called observation. You lot are just not serious students.”
“You’re in Slytherin,” Jiwon said. “You guys are literally known for scheming and gossiping.”
“Exactly,” Yuna added. “You’re not fooling anyone.”
Wonyoung clutched her scarf a little tighter and said nothing.
On the pitch, the pace picked up again. Jay passed to Jimin, who faked a throw before lobbing it to Yujin just above the rings. Taehyun dove, trying to intercept, but Yujin dipped beneath him with ease. She twisted, rolled, then launched the Quaffle backward over her shoulder—
“DID SHE JUST—?” Hyun gasped. “SHE DID! A BACKWARD SHOT?! AND IT LANDS! GRYFFINDOR TAKES THE LEAD 50 TO 30!”
Wonyoung’s jaw clenched.
“She’s not even trying to be humble about it,” she muttered.
“Would you be humble if you were that good at something?” Danielle said.
“I am that good at something,” Wonyoung replied flatly. “You don’t see me doing barrel rolls in Potions.”
Jiwon choked on her laughter. “Please do that next time. Just drop a vial while spinning in the air.”
“Do a backflip while brewing amortentia,” Yuna added.
Wonyoung rolled her eyes, but the corners of her mouth twitched.
Back on the field, Ravenclaw’s Soobin recovered quickly and zipped down the pitch, weaving between defenders. He passed to Rei, who went for a goal—but Taehyun blocked it with an elbow and a yell.
“Brutal save by Gryffindor’s keeper!”
Then came a sudden shout from above.
“The Seeker chase is on! Heeseung spotted something!”
Wonyoung craned her neck, eyes darting to the flash of gold and the two Seekers zooming after it—Sakura and Heesung both diving in unison. Students leaned over the railings, cheers swelling, screams mixing with wind.
The golden speck zipped low, then veered sharply upward.
Sakura and Heesung were neck and neck, cutting through the air like twin arrows loosed from the same bow. Gasps echoed across the stands as they climbed higher and higher, chasing the elusive Snitch that glinted madly in the sun.
Wonyoung held her breath, her eyes locked on the sky. The rest of the match had fallen away—there was only the glint of gold and the two Seekers slicing through the clouds after it.
Heesung tucked into a dive—Sakura followed instantly. The Snitch jerked left, then right, then looped—
Heesung twisted his body, leaning off his broom, fingers outstretched. The crowd surged forward.
“SOMEONE’S GOT IT—”
There was a loud whistle.
The stands exploded.
“HEESEUNG HAS THE SNITCH! GRYFFINDOR TAKES THE WIN—FINAL SCORE 200 TO 60!”
Red and gold erupted through the air—spark spells crackling like fireworks, confetti bursting out of enchanted cannons. The Gryffindor section was in chaos, students leaping to their feet and yelling at the top of their lungs.
Yujin, in midair, let out a whoop so loud it echoed all the way to the Slytherin stands. She zoomed down toward Heeseung, her arms thrown wide as she collided into him in a midair hug.
Wonyoung stood still in the middle of a sea of green and silver.
Everyone around her groaned, complained, cursed under their breath, muttered about “next time.” But Wonyoung didn’t say anything. She didn’t even look annoyed.
Because she was watching Yujin.
Not even intentionally.
Her eyes just followed her—Yujin with her hair wild from the wind, her cheeks flushed pink, a grin stretched across her face as her team swarmed her in a tangle of hugs and broomsticks and whooping laughter.
“She looks like she just saved the Wizarding World,” Yuna muttered, arms crossed. “It’s just Quidditch.”
“Let Yujin have her moment,” Jiwon chuckled.
Wonyoung didn’t respond.
Her eyes stayed on Yujin, even as Yujin eventually turned, laughing at something Jimin said, still glowing from the win.
“Don’t even deny it,” Danielle whispered, nudging Wonyoung’s arm. “You look like you just lost the game.”
Wonyoung finally blinked. Her mouth opened—then closed. Then opened again.
“…She’s being annoying.”
“Sure,” Danielle said. “But you’re annoyingly soft about it.”
Wonyoung didn’t reply. Instead, she sat back down and pretended to be very, very interested in adjusting her scarf.
From the pitch, Yujin glanced up toward the Slytherin stands. Just for a second.
Her eyes lingered. Searching.
But Wonyoung was no longer looking. Or, at least, she pretended not to be.
As the excitement of the Quidditch match slowly faded, the group gathered near the pitch, waiting for Rei. The sounds of the game were still ringing in their ears, the cheers and roars of the crowd still echoing in their minds.
Wonyoung, Yuna, Danielle, and Jiwon were leaning against the railing near the stadium entrance, talking amongst themselves about the wild moments of the game. Wonyoung kept glancing at Jiwon, trying not to let the playful teasing from earlier get to her, but she couldn't help the curious flicker of attention. The whole stadium had been buzzing with Rei's confession—her unexpected crush on Jiwon. It was all anyone was talking about, and Wonyoung couldn't believe what she'd heard.
"I still can't believe she said that," Yuna said, shaking her head. "I mean... she really just... admitted it like that?"
Danielle laughed, nudging her. "Honestly, Rei's always been a little chaotic, but that was something else."
Wonyoung turned toward Jiwon, giving her a sideways glance. "So, uh... that was pretty brave of Rei, huh?"
Jiwon gave a small smile, but there was something soft in her expression that made Wonyoung pause. It was almost... shy? She quickly looked away, trying to ignore the way her heart seemed to skip a beat.
Yuna noticed the shift in Wonyoung's expression. "You okay? You look like you're overthinking something."
Before Wonyoung could answer, they heard footsteps approaching. Rei's familiar voice floated through the air, and the group turned in unison to see her coming toward them. She was walking with an awkward shuffle, her eyes downcast, clearly not ready to face the crowd after her public confession.
Wonyoung watched, wide-eyed, as Rei came closer. She looked... mortified, but there was a small smile on her lips, the kind of smile that hinted at a sense of relief despite the obvious discomfort. Jiwon straightened up at the sight of her, her posture becoming a bit more self-conscious.
Rei finally reached them, standing in front of the group, her face glowing a deep shade of red. "Uh, hey," she greeted, her voice laced with nervousness.
Yuna raised an eyebrow, a teasing smile tugging at her lips. "Look who finally decided to grace us with her presence."
Rei shrugged, still looking embarrassed. "Yeah, yeah... I deserve the teasing."
Jiwon, who had been quiet up until that point, shifted slightly, looking down at her feet before looking back at Rei. "You were really brave out there... with the confession, I mean."
Rei blinked, surprised by Jiwon’s words. "You... really think so?"
Jiwon nodded, her cheeks tinged pink. "Yeah. I mean... I didn’t expect it, but I think it was good. Honest."
For a moment, it felt like time stood still. There was a brief silence, the kind that only seemed to grow more comfortable as it lingered. Wonyoung glanced at Yuna, both of them exchanging shocked looks as they took in what was happening.
"Wait," Wonyoung finally managed to say, her voice barely a whisper. "You two... like each other?"
Yuna blinked, her voice even more disbelieving. "You mean... for real? Like... actually?"
Jiwon and Rei both blushed furiously, looking at each other awkwardly. There was a hesitant, but undeniable warmth between them.
Rei chuckled nervously, scratching the back of her neck. "I, uh, yeah. Guess it's pretty obvious now..."
Jiwon, her own cheeks now flushed, nodded slightly. "I like you too, Rei."
Wonyoung's eyes widened, and Yuna gasped softly. "Well, I... I didn't see that coming."
Danielle, who had been mostly quiet, raised an eyebrow. "I think this might be the cutest thing I've seen all day."
Rei’s face softened, the blush still lingering but her smile growing wider. "I was kind of afraid it would be awkward, but... now it doesn't feel so bad."
Wonyoung watched them, a small smile tugging at her lips. It felt like the world had shifted slightly, but for some reason, she felt glad. Jiwon and Rei, two people she never expected to be in this position, had somehow both worked up the courage to admit what they'd been hiding. And now, they were here, sharing a moment of unspoken understanding.
Yuna looked at Wonyoung with a smirk. "You're not jealous, are you?"
Wonyoung rolled her eyes, crossing her arms in mock annoyance. "No, of course not. Why would I be jealous?"
But deep down, a small part of her wondered why the thought of Jiwon with someone else left her feeling... strangely empty. She shook her head quickly, trying to push the feeling away.
"Well," Rei said, breaking the moment, "I guess this is... a thing now?"
Jiwon nodded, still blushing but looking more comfortable now. "Yeah, I guess it is."
Wonyoung smiled to herself, watching the two of them stand there, awkward yet content. She'd never imagined this would happen, but here they were, standing together, sharing something real.
"Well," Yuna said, patting Wonyoung on the back, "looks like we’ve got another couple to keep an eye on."
Wonyoung just smiled softly, watching as Rei and Jiwon exchanged a quiet, affectionate glance.
—
It was later in the night, the castle’s corridors unusually quiet.
The only sound was the soft echo of Wonyoung’s footsteps as she walked the stone hallways, her prefect badge gleaming faintly in the dim light of the torches that lined the walls. Her responsibility was clear: patrol the halls, make sure no students were out of bounds, ensure the peace of the night was undisturbed. She tried not to mind the silence, but tonight, it felt heavier than usual.
Wonyoung adjusted the straps of her prefect robe, taking a deep breath. Her duties had always been a source of pride for her, but tonight, there was something different about it. Maybe it was the cool, crisp air that seemed to carry a quiet tension, or maybe it was the way her thoughts seemed to linger on one particular person.
She glanced down at her watch. Another hour of patrol, and then she’d be done for the night. Just then, she turned the corner near the Astronomy Tower and froze.
An Yujin.
Yujin stood at the end of the corridor, a faint smile tugging at her lips as she glanced around nonchalantly. Her casual posture only added to Wonyoung’s anxiety. She looked every bit as confident and carefree as usual, but to Wonyoung, it felt like a distant, unapproachable version of the Yujin she knew.
Wonyoung’s heart skipped a beat. A mix of emotions flooded her—dread, uncertainty, and, oddly enough, a trace of guilt. She could feel the weight of the situation bearing down on her. Yujin had always been so... so Yujin—radiant and bold, with a personality that could light up any room. But Wonyoung? She was still figuring herself out. And now, in this moment, with her duties as a prefect pressing down on her, she had to confront the one thing she was avoiding. Dealing with Yujin when it mattered.
The tension in her chest tightened. What if she had to take points off of Yujin for being out of bounds? It wasn’t personal—it never was—but knowing Yujin the way she did, the last thing Wonyoung wanted was to make her angry. Would Yujin hate her more if she did her job? Would it ruin everything?
Wonyoung shifted on her feet, debating internally. Yujin was just standing there, looking around as if she didn’t have a care in the world. Was she waiting for someone? Or had she just wandered off from her house?
She felt the familiar sense of duty tug at her, but then another thought crossed her mind. What if she just let it go? What if she didn’t say anything and pretended she hadn’t seen Yujin at all?
A sharp pang of guilt hit her. But it was too late now, wasn’t it? Yujin had seen her. Wonyoung had been standing there, staring like an idiot for too long.
She looked back at Yujin, who was now walking toward her, still unaware of the turmoil inside Wonyoung’s chest. The slow, confident strides. The easy way Yujin moved, making everything seem effortless.
“Oh no…” Wonyoung thought, feeling her face flush. She couldn’t be caught gawking at Yujin. This was ridiculous.
She didn’t know what to do. Her mind screamed at her to speak, to call out, to ask why Yujin was here. But she couldn't bring herself to say it. The mere idea of confronting her scared her—what if Yujin looked at her with that half-smile and dismissed her as a silly, nervous prefect, someone who couldn’t balance friendship with responsibility?
Wonyoung took a deep breath, forcing herself to appear calm, professional even. She straightened her posture and set her eyes ahead, focusing on the torch-lit path before her. The more she thought about it, the more she convinced herself that doing her job was important. Yet, that fear of ruining their fragile, unspoken connection crept in again. Her heart skipped when she felt Yujin’s presence draw nearer.
Yujin was almost close enough now for her to hear the soft rustle of her robes. And then, just as Wonyoung opened her mouth to say something—anything—she made a decision.
She turned away.
She pretended not to see Yujin.
She pretended to be absorbed in her duties as a prefect, staring intently at the empty corridor ahead of her, as if nothing were out of place. Her heart pounded loudly in her ears. The air felt too thick around her, too heavy with unspoken words.
Yujin slowed, her footsteps quieter now as she stopped a few feet behind Wonyoung. Wonyoung’s fingers tightened around the clipboard she held, the paper crinkling slightly under her grip as she tried to steady her breathing.
Wonyoung could feel Yujin’s eyes on her, but she refused to look back. She had to stay focused. She couldn’t let herself fall apart in front of Yujin. Not like this.
The silence stretched on. For a moment, Wonyoung thought she could hear Yujin's soft exhale, as if she, too, was unsure about what to do. And then, just as suddenly as the tension had built, Yujin spoke.
"Hey, this is our first time talking, right?"
The words were casual, not a hint of malice in them, nothing sharp or cruel in her voice. Just... simple. Almost like an observation. It was so different from what Wonyoung had expected, her mind bracing for something more biting, something that would make this moment unbearable. But there was none of that. Just Yujin’s easygoing tone, free of any animosity. And that caught Wonyoung off guard.
Her heart skipped a beat. Was it really the first time they were speaking? She had always seen Yujin around, knew her from afar, but this... this was the first time they were interacting like this.
Wonyoung tried to steady her breath, but the nerves inside her twisted. She didn’t know why her mouth felt so dry all of a sudden, but before she could stop herself, the words spilled out.
“Are you... mad at me still?” Wonyoung asked, her voice wavering between serious and joking, though her stomach twisted with uncertainty. Was Yujin still upset with her? Did she even know what had happened between them?
Yujin blinked, clearly caught off guard by the question. She tilted her head slightly, brows furrowing in confusion.
“Mad at you?” Yujin repeated, the soft lilt in her voice betraying a hint of surprise. “I’m not mad at you. Why would I be mad at you?”
Wonyoung bit her lip, feeling her heart race even faster. She wasn’t sure why she’d asked that. Maybe it was the nerves, the constant fear that she was somehow in trouble or on the verge of ruining something she hadn’t even fully understood yet. But her thoughts were running away with her, and she just couldn’t help herself.
“Well... then,” Wonyoung hesitated, the words coming out more awkwardly than she intended, “do you... hate me?” Her voice was quieter this time, almost as if the question was too much to bear, though she was half-joking, trying to downplay the anxiety clawing at her chest.
The moment she said it, she regretted it. Her face heated, a rush of embarrassment flooding her body. Why did she ask that? Of course, Yujin didn’t hate her. She had never given her any reason to. But still, the doubt lingered. Maybe Yujin thought she was annoying. Maybe she thought Wonyoung was too much of a nerd, too eager to follow the rules.
But then, to Wonyoung’s surprise, Yujin’s eyes widened in genuine shock.
“Hate you?!” Yujin repeated, her voice a little louder now, a mix of disbelief and confusion. “No! Not at all!”
Her eyes softened, and for the briefest moment, it was as if Wonyoung saw something in Yujin’s gaze that she hadn’t expected—something kind, something reassuring.
“I’ve never hated you,” Yujin added, her tone steady and sincere. “You’ve never given me any reason to.”
Wonyoung blinked, her heart slowly beginning to settle in her chest. The weight of her assumptions, her worries that had been building up, suddenly seemed so much smaller. Yujin wasn’t mad at her. She didn’t hate her.
Wonyoung’s mouth went dry again, but this time, it wasn’t from fear. It was from a strange sense of relief—and something else that she couldn’t quite place. She couldn’t quite understand what it was that made her feel lighter in Yujin’s presence, but for the first time since they’d started talking, Wonyoung allowed herself to smile, even if it was small and uncertain.
“Really?” Wonyoung asked, just to be sure, a slight laugh escaping her lips, the awkward tension finally beginning to dissolve.
“Really,” Yujin replied, her voice now calm and even, as if the misunderstanding had never been there at all. She gave a small, reassuring smile. “I’m not mad. I’m not upset. So don’t worry about it, okay?”
Wonyoung stood frozen for a moment, absorbing the sincerity in Yujin’s words, before the weight of the last few years seemed to hit her all at once. She had spent so much time worrying about what Yujin might think of her, imagining all sorts of reasons for the tension she felt whenever Yujin was near. But now, with the silence between them finally broken, the questions that had lingered in Wonyoung’s mind for so long came rushing to the surface.
“Then… why do you always look at me like that?” Wonyoung blurted out, her voice a little more nervous than she intended. “It’s like you hate me, or you’re always glaring at me.”
Yujin blinked, clearly caught off guard by the question. Her eyebrows furrowed slightly as she processed Wonyoung’s words. She hadn’t expected that.
“I—I look at you like that?” Yujin’s voice was tentative, as though she was trying to figure out what Wonyoung meant. She hadn’t realized that her gaze had come across that way. “I’m not glaring at you, I swear.”
Wonyoung's heart skipped a beat. She had never been entirely sure about the way Yujin’s eyes had always seemed to linger on her. It was hard to explain, but it was like there was something behind Yujin's gaze, something cold or... judgmental. She had never been able to shake the feeling that Yujin didn’t like her, but hearing Yujin’s words now, it was like the entire foundation of her fears was beginning to crack.
“I don’t know,” Wonyoung continued, her voice quiet, vulnerable. “It just always felt like you hated me, like... like you were annoyed by me all the time.”
Yujin's expression softened, and she shook her head, a small smile tugging at her lips.
“I’m really not annoyed by you, Wonyoung. Honestly. I’ve never hated you,” Yujin reassured her, her voice gentle. “I don’t know why you’d think that, but I promise you, I’m not glaring. I wasn’t trying to make you feel uncomfortable.”
Wonyoung’s breath caught in her chest. For a second, she wasn’t sure what to say. She had carried this misconception for so long, believing that there was something inherently wrong between them. But now, hearing Yujin’s honest words, it was like a weight was being lifted from her shoulders. Still, part of her couldn’t help but feel self-conscious, like she’d misunderstood everything for so long.
Trying to change the subject before she started getting too emotional, Yujin cleared her throat and turned the conversation in a different direction.
“So,” Yujin began, offering a small chuckle, “since I’ve been caught in the corridors this late, are you going to take points off Gryffindor or something? You know, since you’re a prefect and all.”
Wonyoung blinked, caught a little off guard by the sudden shift in the topic. It was like a breath of fresh air, the tension between them now slightly lighter.
She thought about it for a moment. After everything that had just been cleared up—the misunderstanding that had weighed heavily on her for so long—it didn’t seem right to make a big deal out of a simple infraction. Besides, what was the point of punishing someone who had just made her feel like everything was fine between them?
Wonyoung let out a small laugh, shaking her head. “I think,” she began, her voice a little more relaxed now, “since I’ve finally cleared up a misunderstanding that’s lasted six years... I’m willing to let it go. Just this once.”
She gave Yujin a shy smile, feeling lighter than she had in ages. It felt like a door had opened between them, even if just a crack. Maybe they weren’t best friends yet, but at least the burden of her fears, the tension that had been there for so long, was finally gone.
Yujin looked at her, surprised, but the relief in her expression mirrored Wonyoung’s own. “Really? You’re not going to dock points?”
“Nope,” Wonyoung replied, her smile widening. “Consider yourself lucky. I think we both deserve a little peace after all that.”
Wonyoung nodded, her heart still fluttering, but this time in a good way. It wasn’t just about letting go of the points. It was about letting go of all the worries she had carried around for so long.