* * *

The clothes Jeongseo had been wearing lay discarded on the blanket, and the brown weasel’s soft white belly rose and fell rhythmically as it slept.

No one dared wake him; they merely watched in silence.

Time passed, and Hayan, who had returned to the dorm early the night before to take medicine, stirred awake.

Although the room was quiet, the peculiar atmosphere didn’t escape Hayan’s keen senses.

Thanks to the rest and the medication, he felt much better.

Still, his dry eyes forced him to blink several times before he reached for his glasses.

As his blurry vision cleared, the sight before him made even his corrected view feel surreal.

Why are they all… huddled over there?

Hayan stood and stumbled toward the cluster of students.

“What’s going on— Wait, what is that?”

His voice faltered as he stared in disbelief at the small animal lying in the middle of the dorm. Looking around, he realized something was missing—Jeongseo.

So this… is him.

Hayan had never seen someone so easily reveal their true form before.

He stood speechless at Jeongseo’s carelessness until Yeonwoo, seated nearby, lightly tapped his friend on the shoulder, whispering, “Do you think he’d mind if I petted him…?”

It was obvious that Yeonwoo’s restless hands were itching to touch the small creature.

Hayan let out a long sigh, silently pitying Pyo Yoontae, who he thought would have his hands full in the future.

Squeezing through the group of kids, Hayan leaned down and prodded the weasel’s belly.

“Hey, wake up.”

The tiny paws twitched, and the weasel slowly opened its eyes, then abruptly shot upright.

It turned its head, inspecting itself with a look of utter confusion.

Hayan shook his head slightly, picking up Jeongseo’s discarded clothes.

“Hold on. Let me get you sorted.”

Grabbing the weasel—Jeongseo—with one hand, Hayan carried him and the clothes into the bathroom.

Jeongseo’s slim, elongated body dangled from Hayan’s hand, swaying back and forth.

Yeonwoo once again clapped his hands over his mouth to stifle a squeal, unable to hide his fondness for cute things.

For beastfolk, revealing their true form like this was considered a childish mistake, something they only did when they were very young.

It was ingrained in them never to show their true form to others so carelessly.

From the bathroom tiles, the small weasel gazed up at Hayan, letting out a soft squeak.

It seemed like a thank-you.

Hayan waved dismissively and shut the door.

Not long after, Jeongseo emerged, freshly washed and dressed.

He scratched the back of his head awkwardly, laughing sheepishly.

“I guess I was too tired yesterday. Before I started school, I spent most of my time in my true form.”

Even Jeongseo hadn’t expected to transform in front of anyone but Pyo Yoontae, let alone other kids.

Raised by humans, Jeongseo had always been taught never to shift into his animal form in front of others. He realized now how careless he had been.

Fortunately, the other kids reassured him with smiles, easing his embarrassment.

The awkward atmosphere that had lingered in the dorm since the beginning of the trip finally dissipated, replaced by warmth and laughter.

The second-year students of Dangang High School enjoyed the last day of their trip, wrapping up their journey with fond memories.

Even though their muscles ached from the climb, their youthful energy made every moment exhilarating.

---

During a break, Jeongseo leaned against the windowsill, chatting with the others.

Naturally, Pyo Yoontae stuck by his side, while Ha Sumin and Hyun Junhyun joined in the conversation seamlessly.

At first, Pyo Yoontae seemed annoyed by their presence, but as time passed, he appeared less bothered.

Surprisingly, he seemed to get along well with Hyun Junhyun.

Though their exchanges usually consisted of Pyo Yoontae giving him a disdainful look whenever Hyun Junhyun said something strange, he at least responded now instead of outright ignoring him.

“Do you know why the dormitory on the third floor has window bars?” Hyun Junhyun asked suddenly.

Jeongseo blinked, puzzled by the out-of-the-blue question.

Dangang High School had a dormitory for students who lived far away.

Although Jeongseo qualified to live there, his attachment to his home kept him from moving in.

“No idea. Why?”

Hyun Junhyun glanced around conspiratorially before whispering, “I fell trying to sneak in tteokbokki at night during my first year.”

“Wait, from the third floor?!” Ha Sumin gasped softly. “Were you okay?”

“Not really. I broke my thigh bone,” Hyun Junhyun replied nonchalantly.

“It was late at night, so only the dorm supervisor and my roommates knew. After that, the supervisor got pissed and installed bars on all the third-floor windows.”

“Is that something to brag about?”

Pyo Yoontae interjected, giving him a look of disbelief.

Hyun Junhyun shrugged. “

Hey, thanks to me, the dorm is safer now, right?”

Jeongseo winced at the thought.

As someone who had fallen from trees before, he could somewhat imagine how painful that must have been.

“Are you all better now?”

“Yeah, totally fine. The doctor said if things went wrong, my leg might rot, but I just had to wear a cast for a few months, and now I’m good as new.”

“Horrifying…” Jeongseo shuddered at the thought of a rotting leg, but Hyun Junhyun looked thrilled by the attention.

Just as he was about to elaborate, someone tapped Jeongseo lightly on the top of his head.

Startled, he looked up to see a student leaning on the window frame, gazing down at him with a playful smirk.

“Hey, Seo Jeongseo!”

“Oh, uh, hi! I mean… hi…” Jeongseo stammered, flustered by the sudden greeting.

Jeongseo’s eyes wavered uneasily.

He knew this kid.

He had been the friend sitting next to Yeonwoo during the school trip.

The problem was that Jeongseo didn’t know the boy’s name at all.

Hoping to catch it on a name tag, he looked around, but the kid wasn’t wearing one—or even a proper school uniform. Instead, he wore a thin sweatshirt.

The boy seemed to know his name, but Jeongseo had no idea what to call him.

Feeling awkward, his lips moved as if to speak, but no words came out.

That’s when the boy burst into laughter.

“Oh, right. You don’t know my name, do you? It’s Kim Minseong.”

“Ah…! Thanks!”

As Jeongseo awkwardly smiled and repeated the name to himself, Kim Minseong reached out a hand toward him.

Reflexively, Jeongseo extended his hand, and something dropped into his palm—a piece of candy.

When Jeongseo looked at it questioningly, Kim Minseong grinned and gestured behind himself with his thumb.

“Yeonwoo told me to give it to you.”

“Yeonwoo?”

Jeongseo tilted his head in confusion, and from behind Kim Minseong, a head of white hair popped out.

Yeonwoo’s shyly smiling face came into view.

“I saw it… on my way to the art room…”

Though his voice was soft and mumbled, Jeongseo heard him clearly.

Looking down at the pineapple-flavored candy in his hand, Jeongseo beamed.

He’d thought Yeonwoo disliked him, but he was relieved to find out otherwise.

“Thanks, I’ll enjoy it!”

“Mm…”

Yeonwoo rubbed his cheek in embarrassment at Jeongseo’s smile before grabbing Kim Minseong and disappearing.

Jeongseo, still grinning, carefully tucked the candy into the pocket of his uniform.

That’s when he felt a piercing gaze.

Turning his head, he saw Pyo Yoontae glaring at him with his hand over his mouth.

That kid, Heo Yeonwoo—wasn’t he the one who had shown interest in him before?

What had happened in the meantime?

And wasn’t this the same Jeongseo who’d been jealous when Yeonwoo had asked for his number?

Pyo Yoontae’s mood darkened as he recalled the smile Jeongseo had just given Yeonwoo.

Smiling like that?

As Pyo Yoontae’s eyes grew sharper, Jeongseo tilted his head, clueless as ever.

Those innocent eyes, unaware of anything… Pyo Yoontae muttered under his breath.

“…Such a sly little weasel.”

Attracting people wherever he went seemed to be Jeongseo’s specialty.

Though Jeongseo didn’t understand what was said, the bell rang, and the teacher’s entrance forced him to turn his attention to the front.

---

It wasn’t exam season, but today, after school, Jeongseo found himself at Pyo Yoontae’s house.

In Yoontae’s room, a worn-out stuffed animal peeked out from a drawer.

The small, white-furred toy bore a striking resemblance to Jeongseo as a child.

As Jeongseo toyed with it, a shadow fell across his back.

* * *