After the great "Stink Bomb Saga," Jungwon High returned to normal... or at least as normal as it could be with Hae-won and Ji-hoon around.
The gossip app was still buzzing like a beehive. Photos of Ji-hoon spinning Hae-won around the courtyard had gone viral, and the comments hadn't slowed down:
"These two are LITERALLY a K-drama couple!"
"I want someone to catch stink bombs for me too…"
"Min-ji should just transfer schools after that LMAO."
And while the school whispered, gasped, and speculated, Ji-hoon had another plan up his sleeve.
Operation Ice Cream Invasion
"Mission: Sundae Explosion," Ji-hoon announced, dramatically slapping two coupons onto Hae-won's desk right after class.
Hae-won blinked. "Is that an actual mission... or are you just craving sugar?"
He wagged his brows. "Both."
Before she could protest, he grabbed her hand and yanked her into a full sprint toward town. Students gawked, cameras clicked, and even some teachers peeked through the window blinds.
They burst into the famous Sundae Kingdom ice cream parlor, out of breath and laughing. Ji-hoon ordered the biggest, most chaotic creation on the menu: the Galaxy Tower Sundae — a ridiculous mountain of scoops, syrup, fruit, and sparklers shooting out the top like fireworks.
When the waitress brought it over, the whole café clapped.
"You're gonna eat all that?" Hae-won squeaked.
"We," Ji-hoon corrected. "If we survive."
They dug in, laughing as whipped cream ended up on Hae-won's nose and chocolate syrup smeared Ji-hoon's cheek. A group of middle school girls at the next table squealed and whispered, taking sneaky photos.
Within minutes, it was a full-out ice cream battle. Ji-hoon sneakily flicked a cherry at Hae-won's forehead; she retaliated by smudging rainbow sprinkles in his hair. A family at the back table filmed the chaos, and within twenty minutes, they were trending under:
#BloomCoupleFoodFight
Views: 550K | Comments: 7.4K
Comments flooded in:
"Are they seriously THIS adorable all the time?"
"Protect them at all costs!"
"Omg someone make this a drama already!"
Back at the School Grounds
When they got back to Jungwon High, still sticky and slightly glowing from the sugar high, Hae-won noticed something.
The school gates were packed.
A new banner hung over the archway:
"Jungwon Annual Talent Show - Sign Up Today!"
Hae-won groaned. "No way. Nope. I'm not standing on a stage in front of them."
Ji-hoon grinned mischievously. "Not alone, you're not."
Before she could run, he yanked a sign-up sheet from a volunteer's hand and scrawled both their names under the Couple Performance category.
Students nearby gasped. Some clutched their phones.
"NO WAY!"
"THEY'RE JOINING?!"
"I'm living for this!!!"
Even Mi-ra, lurking by the bushes, dropped her phone in shock. Her jealousy levels were probably hitting DEFCON 1.
Mini Chaos: Jealousy Strikes Again
The next morning, Mi-ra and her crew tried their classic sabotage: planting a fake "anonymous rumor" on the gossip app, claiming Ji-hoon only pitied Hae-won.
For a second, Hae-won's heart clenched when she saw it.
But right when students started murmuring and whispering, Ji-hoon grabbed Hae-won in front of the whole hallway, lifted her onto a locker (again!) and kissed her forehead loudly.
Everyone gasped.
Phones flew up to record as he said, loud and clear:
"Pity? No. I'm addicted."
Cue the loudest shrieking Jungwon High had ever heard.
Cue Mi-ra stomping away dramatically.
Cue the comment section of the gossip app catching FIRE.
Comments: 15K
"I'm dead."
"THIS IS BETTER THAN NETFLIX."
"Where is my Ji-hoon?!"
Late Night: Secret Mission Part Two
That evening, Ji-hoon and Hae-won met secretly in her cozy apartment. She'd gotten even cuter—new cozy pajamas, soft fluffy socks, and a fridge full of groceries from their last shopping spree.
Ji-hoon sprawled lazily on the couch, flipping through the new Talent Show ideas on his phone.
"We could do a duet," he suggested, voice teasing. "Or a magic act."
"Or we could both fake a sudden illness and never show up," Hae-won deadpanned.
He laughed so hard he nearly dropped his phone.
But looking at her flushed, laughing face, Ji-hoon knew he wouldn't trade this chaos for anything.
Tomorrow would bring more drama, more gossip, more jealous enemies—and he was ready for all of it.
Because Hae-won was worth every bit of it.
The seasons began to shift. The leaves along the school walkway turned from vivid greens to bruised reds and golds, like someone had smeared paint across the horizon. It should have been beautiful. It should have felt exciting.
But for Seo Hae-won, every step felt heavier than the last.
Rumors had been swirling around Jungwon High like storm clouds for days now, each whisper a little sharper than the last:
> "Ji-hoon's family is expanding the company overseas."
"He's leaving… for good."
"Tonight might be his last day here."
At first, Hae-won didn't believe it. She couldn't.
Not after everything they'd been through.
Not after he'd pulled her out of the darkness like a stubborn, stubborn flame refusing to die.
But when she saw him waiting by the school gate that afternoon—leaning casually against his luxury car, arms crossed but expression strained—she knew.
The rumors were real.
---
Goodbye Isn't Easy
Ji-hoon pushed off the car as she approached. His usual confident grin was missing. He looked almost... nervous.
His hands trembled slightly as he held out a small, neatly wrapped box.
"For you." His voice cracked a little. He cleared his throat. "Open it when you're home. Promise?"
Hae-won's fingers brushed his as she took it, and she swallowed hard, pretending she didn't notice how cold his hands were.
"You're really leaving?" she whispered.
He nodded, jaw tight. "Appa wants me to take over the international branch. Business school, internships… the whole package. Seoul to London."
She hated how calm he sounded, like it was just another day, just another assignment.
She hated even more how her throat tightened so badly she couldn't say anything clever or funny like she usually would.
"When?" she croaked.
"Tonight."
One word. One blow.
He chuckled bitterly, rubbing the back of his neck. "Short notice. Guess they figured I wouldn't complain if they dropped it on me fast."
"Will you…" Her voice cracked like glass. She tried again. "Will you come back?"
His smile was heartbreakingly sad.
"I'll find a way," he said. "Even if I have to swim across oceans."
But they both knew it wouldn't be soon.
---
A Silent Farewell
The courtyard was empty except for them. Somehow, even the wind had gone still.
Ji-hoon stepped closer, cupped her cheek gently, and leaned in.
Their kiss was slow, lingering—full of promises they didn't know if they could keep.
Hae-won clung to his jacket like a drowning girl grabbing at driftwood.
She wanted to memorize the way he smelled, the feel of his hands, the low rumble of his laugh.
When he finally pulled away, he wiped her tears with his thumbs, pretending not to notice his own.
"I'll call," he whispered. "Every day."
"Idiot," she muttered, punching his chest weakly. "You better."
They laughed shakily.
He kissed her forehead, squeezed her hand one last time, and slipped into his car.
The engine roared to life.
He didn't look back.
If he did, he might never leave at all.
---
Left Behind
The moment he turned the corner and disappeared from sight, the dam inside her broke.
Hae-won dropped to the ground, the little box clutched to her chest like a lifeline, and sobbed silently.
Students passed her by without a second glance—just like old times.
She was invisible again.
But this time…
This time, she knew she had been seen by someone.
Loved by someone.
And that made all the difference.
When she finally made it home, she tore open the little box.
Inside was a simple silver bracelet, delicate and beautiful. A tiny charm dangled from it: a small star.
A note was tucked underneath, written in Ji-hoon's messy scrawl:
> "You are my sky full of stars. Don't ever let anyone dim you.
I'll be back, Hae-won. I swear it.
— Your Ji-hoon."
She pressed the bracelet to her lips, her tears falling freely now.
Outside, the night sky stretched wide and endless—and somewhere across that sky, someone was carrying a piece of her heart.