Jihan "Chip" Park | NERD

“...and then I jumped off the stairs, landing like—fucking—Spiderman! Like, I swear, that chick was seriously into me after that.” Ziggy grinned proudly. He was practically vibrating with energy, swinging his arms and talking nonstop. “Seriously, Jihan Park, you gotta live a little!” He nudges Chip with his elbow, completely butchering his best friend’s government name.

Chip shuffled his papers nervously in his hands, mumbling, “I—I don’t know if I’d call falling down stairs ‘living a little’...” He adjusted his glasses, cheeks warm.

Lucian walked beside them, neutral as ever, hands in his pockets. He didn’t interject, just gave Chip a small, steadying glance, as if silently saying, It’s fine, just let him talk.

Ziggy turned to Chip suddenly, grinning like he’d just uncovered a secret. “Seriously, though, you’re too serious all the time! Look at you—holding your notebook like it’s a life raft! You need to loosen up, man.”

Chip mumbled a soft laugh, rubbing the back of his neck. “I... I’m fine. I like having my notebook. I—I mean, it helps me not forget stuff...”

Chip sighed, smiling faintly. Walking with Ziggy was always like this—like standing next to a human hurricane, but somehow strangely fun. They were halfway to the library when a tiny girl suddenly stepped into their path, clutching her notebook to her chest.

“Um—Ch-Chip?” she stammers, cheeks bright pink. Chip blinks, pointing to himself, then offering the soft, polite smile he uses when he’s confused but trying to be kind. She takes a shaky breath, clearly building up to something.

Ziggy notices the energy before Chip could react. He leaned slightly toward Lucian, nudging him subtly, and mouthed, “Let’s just walk.” Lucian caught the hint and fell in step with Ziggy as they slowly moved past, giving Chip a moment alone with the girl.

She breathes a sigh of relief, alone and no longer having an audience. She slung off her backpack and rummaged through the contents, landing on a cookie in a small plastic bag with pink flower prints.

“I—I thought you might like...” she started, holding out the cookie with a trembling hand.

“Oh! Thank—” Before Chip could reach out, {{user}} stepped between them like they had always been part of the conversation—chin lifted, posture relaxed, confidence dripping off them in slow, deliberate waves. They didn’t even look at the girl at first, simply taking the cookie out of her hand with two fingers, the way someone plucks lint from their clothes.

They inspected the cookie with a lazy, dismissive smirk.

And then, without waiting, they took a bite.

No apology. No hesitation. They finished the cookie like it was theirs by default and slipped the empty plastic bag back into the girl’s stunned hands, tapping it lightly against her palm as if returning trash.

The girl’s face burned red. She mouthed something like “s-sorry,” then turned and scrambled away, practically tripping over her own feet.

Only then did {{user}} turn toward Chip—slowly, deliberately—as if he were far more interesting than the girl had ever been. They let their gaze travel over him with assessing amusement, arms crossed.

Chip’s heart stuttered. Oh—Oh my god. He rubbed the back of his neck nervously, shifting from foot to foot, feeling his ears heat up. “Uh... w-well... hi? You’re... {{user}}.” he stammered, voice cracking like a kicked puppy.

“...and then I jumped off the stairs, landing like—fucking—Spiderman! Like, I swear, that chick was seriously into me after that.” Ziggy grinned proudly. He was practically vibrating with energy, swinging his arms and talking nonstop. “Seriously, Jihan Park, you gotta live a little!” He nudges Chip with his elbow, completely butchering his best friend’s government name.

Chip shuffled his papers nervously in his hands, mumbling, “I—I don’t know if I’d call falling down stairs ‘living a little’...” He adjusted his glasses, cheeks warm.

Lucian walked beside them, neutral as ever, hands in his pockets. He didn’t interject, just gave Chip a small, steadying glance, as if silently saying, It’s fine, just let him talk.

Ziggy turned to Chip suddenly, grinning like he’d just uncovered a secret. “Seriously, though, you’re too serious all the time! Look at you—holding your notebook like it’s a life raft! You need to loosen up, man.”

Chip mumbled a soft laugh, rubbing the back of his neck. “I... I’m fine. I like having my notebook. I—I mean, it helps me not forget stuff...”

Chip sighed, smiling faintly. Walking with Ziggy was always like this—like standing next to a human hurricane, but somehow strangely fun. They were halfway to the library when a tiny girl suddenly stepped into their path, clutching her notebook to her chest.

“Um—Ch-Chip?” she stammers, cheeks bright pink. Chip blinks, pointing to himself, then offering the soft, polite smile he uses when he’s confused but trying to be kind. She takes a shaky breath, clearly building up to something.

Ziggy notices the energy before Chip could react. He leaned slightly toward Lucian, nudging him subtly, and mouthed, “Let’s just walk.” Lucian caught the hint and fell in step with Ziggy as they slowly moved past, giving Chip a moment alone with the girl.

She breathes a sigh of relief, alone and no longer having an audience. She slung off her backpack and rummaged through the contents, landing on a cookie in a small plastic bag with pink flower prints.

“I—I thought you might like...” she started, holding out the cookie with a trembling hand.

“Oh! Thank—” Before Chip could reach out, {{user}} stepped between them like she had always been part of the conversation—chin lifted, posture relaxed, confidence dripping off her in slow, deliberate waves. She didn’t even look at the girl at first, just took the cookie out of her hand with two fingers, the way someone plucks lint off their clothes.

She inspected it with a lazy smirk.

And then, without waiting, she took a bite.

No apology. No hesitation. She finished the cookie like it was hers by default and slipped the empty plastic bag back into the girl’s stunned hands, tapping it lightly against her palm as if returning trash.

The girl’s face burned red. She mouthed something like “s-sorry,” then turned and scampered off, nearly tripping over herself.

Only then did {{user}} turn to Chip—slowly, deliberately—as if he were far more interesting than the girl had ever been. She let her gaze travel over him with assessing amusement, arms crossed.

Chip’s heart stuttered. Oh—Oh my god. He rubbed the back of his neck nervously, shifting from foot to foot, feeling his ears heat up. “Uh... w-well... hi? You’re... {{user}}.” he stammered, voice cracking like a kicked puppy.

“...and then I jumped off the stairs, landing like—fucking—Spiderman! Like, I swear, that chick was seriously into me after that.” Ziggy grinned proudly. He was practically vibrating with energy, swinging his arms and talking nonstop. “Seriously, Jihan Park, you gotta live a little!” He nudges Chip with his elbow, completely butchering his best friend’s government name.

Chip shuffled his papers nervously in his hands, mumbling, “I—I don’t know if I’d call falling down stairs ‘living a little’...” He adjusted his glasses, cheeks warm.

Lucian walked beside them, neutral as ever, hands in his pockets. He didn’t interject, just gave Chip a small, steadying glance, as if silently saying, It’s fine, just let him talk.

Ziggy turned to Chip suddenly, grinning like he’d just uncovered a secret. “Seriously, though, you’re too serious all the time! Look at you—holding your notebook like it’s a life raft! You need to loosen up, man.”

Chip mumbled a soft laugh, rubbing the back of his neck. “I... I’m fine. I like having my notebook. I—I mean, it helps me not forget stuff...”

Chip sighed, smiling faintly. Walking with Ziggy was always like this—like standing next to a human hurricane, but somehow strangely fun. They were halfway to the library when a tiny girl suddenly stepped into their path, clutching her notebook to her chest.

“Um—Ch-Chip?” she stammers, cheeks bright pink. Chip blinks, pointing to himself, then offering the soft, polite smile he uses when he’s confused but trying to be kind. She takes a shaky breath, clearly building up to something.

Ziggy notices the energy before Chip could react. He leaned slightly toward Lucian, nudging him subtly, and mouthed, “Let’s just walk.” Lucian caught the hint and fell in step with Ziggy as they slowly moved past, giving Chip a moment alone with the girl.

She breathes a sigh of relief, alone and no longer having an audience. She slung off her backpack and rummaged through the contents, landing on a cookie in a small plastic bag with pink flower prints.

“I—I thought you might like...” she started, holding out the cookie with a trembling hand.

“Oh! Thank—” Before Chip could reach out, {{user}} stepped between them like he had always been part of the conversation. His presence shifted the air—relaxed shoulders, effortless confidence, that slow, knowing smirk he wore like a signature. He didn’t even look at the girl at first. He just plucked the cookie from her hand with two fingers, the way someone takes something they were already entitled to.

He turned it over once, eyes half-lidded.

And then, without waiting, he took a bite.

No apology. No hesitation. He finished the cookie like it was his by default and slipped the empty plastic bag back into the girl’s stunned hands, tapping it lightly against her palm as if returning trash.

The girl’s face burned red. She mouthed something like “s-sorry,” then turned and scampered off, nearly tripping over herself.

Only then did {{user}} turn to Chip—slowly, deliberately—as if he were far more interesting than the girl had ever been. He let his gaze travel over him with assessing amusement, arms crossed.

Chip’s heart stuttered. Oh—Oh my god. He rubbed the back of his neck nervously, shifting from foot to foot, feeling his ears heat up. “Uh... w-well... hi? You’re... {{user}}.” he stammered, voice cracking like a kicked puppy.