𓍯7𓂃

The mention of her name hit him like a jolt. He stiffened slightly, his expression faltering before he could mask it. "What?" he said, his voice too defensive. "Why would it have anything to do with her?"

"I don't know," Stella said, raising an eyebrow. "Maybe because you've been acting like this ever since she joined? Or because I saw the way she looked at you-and the way you looked at her. There's obviously history there, Minho."

Minho opened his mouth to respond, but nothing came out.

Stella sighed, crossing her arms tighter as she continued. "Look, I don't know what happened between you two, and I'm not asking for details. But if she's got you this distracted, maybe you need to figure out what's going on in your head. Because right now, it feels like you're more focused on her than on us."

Her words struck a nerve, and Minho looked away, his jaw tightening. "It's not like that," he said, though his voice lacked conviction.

"Then what is it?" Stella pressed. "Because from where I'm standing, it sure looks like you're mind is occupied with her."

"It's not." he said, though even he wasn't sure he believed it anymore.

Stella's expression softened, but there was still a firmness in her tone as she said, "Minho, I love you, but I'm not going to stand here pretending everything's fine when it's not. If it's Dove in your head, you need to be honest-with me and with yourself."

Her words lingered in the air as she stepped back, giving him a small, pointed look before turning and walking away.

Minho stood there, the noise of the courtyard fading into the background as guilt and confusion settled over him. Stella wasn't wrong-Dove was still in his head. And no matter how much he tried to push it aside, he couldn't stop himself from wondering why.

A week later, he had properly apologized Stella and spoiled her with his love, attention, and gifts. That's what she deserved since he had been such a bad boyfriend to her. Although he had first jumped into a relationship with Stella to get over Kitty, he had slowly begun to care about her, so to be guilty for not being there for her was an understatement.

Despite everything, Stella still saw the way Minho would just go into a daze when they weren't together, and it irked her. The thought of someone stealing him away from her was horrible. It didn't help when one of his friends joked that Minho might leave her for Dove. So Stella decided to go find Dove and finish it once and for all.

Dove's

The library was quieter than usual, the hushed whispers of students fading into the background as Dove flipped through the pages of her textbook. She'd claimed a table in the farthest corner, hoping for some much-needed solitude after a chaotic week. It was one of the few places where she could focus, away from the prying eyes and relentless chatter of the school.

She'd just started underlining a key section when the sound of someone approaching broke her concentration. At first, she ignored it, assuming they were heading for one of the nearby shelves. But then the footsteps stopped directly in front of her table.

"Dove," a voice said, sharp and cutting.

Dove glanced up, her brow furrowing as she saw Stella standing there, arms crossed and a hard look in her eyes.

"Yes?" Dove replied evenly, setting her pen down.

Stella wasted no time. "I know what you're trying to do."

Dove blinked, confusion flashing across her face. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me," Stella said, her voice lowering but no less accusatory. "You're trying to come between me and Minho."

For a moment, Dove simply stared at her, processing the words. Then she leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms. "I have no idea what you're talking about," she said calmly.

"Oh, don't play innocent," Stella snapped, her tone growing sharper. "Ever since you showed up, he's been distracted-acting weird. I don't know what your history is with him, but whatever you're trying to do, it stops now."

Dove felt a flicker of irritation but kept her expression neutral. "First of all, I'm not 'trying' to do anything," she said, her voice measured. "And second, whatever's going on with Minho has nothing to do with me. That's between you and him."

"Don't lie to me," Stella said, leaning closer. "I saw the way he looked at you last week. There's obviously something going on."

Dove held her gaze, her patience wearing thin. "If Minho is distracted, maybe you should be asking him why, instead of accusing me of something I haven't done." She stood up, gathering her books and slinging her bag over her shoulder. "And for the record, I don't want anything to do with your relationship. You can keep him."

Stella flinched slightly at the bluntness of Dove's tone, but Dove didn't stick around to see her reaction. Without another word, she brushed past her and walked out of the library, her footsteps steady despite the anger simmering just beneath the surface.

The library, usually a haven of quiet, was suddenly alive with tension. Dove had barely taken a few steps away from her table when Stella's voice rang out, sharp and cutting through the hushed air.

"Don't you dare walk away from me!"

Dove froze, her grip tightening on the strap of her bag. She turned slowly, her expression calm but her eyes narrowing ever so slightly. Stella was standing near the table, her fists clenched at her sides, her face flushed with frustration.

"Stella," Dove said, her voice low and even, "this is a library. Maybe you should save the dramatics for somewhere else."

But Stella wasn't backing down. She stomped after Dove, ignoring the scandalized looks and quiet murmurs of students around them.

"You think you're so untouchable, don't you?" Stella hissed, her voice rising. "Walking around like you don't care about anything or anyone. But I see right through you, Dove. You don't fool me."

Dove's patience snapped. She turned fully to face Stella, her calm her demeanour cracking just enough to let a sliver of irritation show. "I don't know what your problem is," she said coldly, "but I'm not interested in whatever drama you're trying to drag me into."

"My problem is you," Stella shot back, pointing a finger at her.

"You're playing games with Minho, messing with his head-"

Dove let out a dry, humourless laugh, cutting her off. "Messing with his head?" she repeated, her tone dripping with disbelief.

"Let me make something very clear-I don't have time for Minho or his head. If he's 'distracted,' that's not my responsibility. Maybe it's something you need to take up with him instead of following me around screaming in a library."

The words hit Stella like a slap, her mouth opening and closing as if searching for a retort. The stares from nearby students grew more pointed, some whispering while others outright stared.

Stella's cheeks flushed, but she squared her shoulders, her fists clenching at her sides. "I don't care where we are, Dove," she snapped. "I'm not stopping until I get some answers."

Dove stared at her for a beat before letting out a sharp, incredulous laugh. "Wow," she said, shaking her head. "The 'innocent, soft girlfriend' act? Nowhere to be seen. You might want to work on that-your mask is slipping."

Stella's face hardened, her eyes narrowing. "Don't act like you're better than me," she hissed, stepping closer. "You're the one pretending to be all calm and above it all, but you're the reason Minho is out of it. You're in his head, and you know it."

Dove tilted her head, her lips curling into a faint, humourless smile. "First of all, I didn't ask to be in his head. Whatever he's dealing with is on him, not me. Second, if you're so confident in your relationship, why are you wasting your energy screaming at me instead of talking to him?"

Stella flinched, but she didn't back down. "Because I know your type. You act like you don't care, but you're just waiting for the right moment to swoop in and mess everything up."

Dove laughed again, louder this time, drawing even more attention from the students around them. "You're delusional," she said, her voice edged with disbelief. "If I wanted to mess with you or Minho, don't you think I would've done it by now? Trust me, Stella-you're not that interesting, and neither is he." she's says as the murmurs become louder as the situation seems to escalate with every passing second.

-ˋˏ✄┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈

Dang. Who do you think will win this argument?

Share your thoughts (I know you won't)