JIAH POV
Baek Jiho is standing at the doorway.
Just standing there.
Looking at me.
And the entire class does that thing—
that slow, synchronized inhale—
like they're all about to choke at once.
Mouths open.
Eyes wide.
Necks craning.
I am frozen in my seat.
Not the cute frozen.
The oh god my soul just left my body and forgot to come back frozen.
My heart starts going absolutely feral.
Not fast-fast.
LOUD-fast.
It's beating so hard I swear it's echoing in my ears. Like—thump, thump, thump—hello?? Can everyone hear this or is this just me slowly dying in public??
I don't move.
I don't blink.
I think if I breathe too hard I might actually pass out.
Jiho steps inside the classroom.
And it's like the air parts for him.
Students shift without realizing they're doing it. Desks scrape softly. Someone scoots their chair back. A literal path opens up, leading straight to me.
Straight. To. Me.
No no no no no.
Why is he walking like that.
Why is he walking here.
My brain is screaming questions I cannot answer.
Why is he here?
Why now?
Why after yesterday?
WHY DID I NOT TELL BORA AND HAERIN ABOUT YESTERDAY—
I feel Bora stiffen in front of me.
Haerin slowly turns, eyes darting between me and him like she's watching a live crime unfold.
Jiho keeps walking.
Every step feels heavy.
Each one lands somewhere in my chest.
My hands are cold. My fingers curl around the edge of my desk like it might anchor me to reality.
He stops.
Right in front of me.
Too close.
Way too close.
I have to tilt my head up to look at him.
My heart is officially in my throat now.
"Jiah," he says.
My name from his mouth should be illegal.
"How's your nose?"
…
My what?
My brain short-circuits.
Nose??
Why nose—
Oh.
OH.
Yesterday.
The ball.
The bleeding.
The whole humiliating sports-field disaster.
I lift my hand without thinking and touch the bridge of my nose. It doesn't hurt. Not anymore. Just a faint soreness, like a memory more than pain.
"It's… fine," I say. My voice comes out quieter than intended. "Doesn't hurt now."
He studies my face.
Like actually studies it.
Not in a creepy way. In a careful way. Like he's checking for something invisible.
Then he smiles.
And I swear to god my skin reacts before my brain does.
Goosebumps.
Straight up my arms.
Down my spine.
"Good," he says. Just that. Simple. Warm.
I swallow.
Then he adds, casually—way too casually—"Still, we should get it checked. I'll take you to the nurse."
The class collectively malfunctions.
I feel Bora's soul leave her body.
Haerin lets out the tiniest gasp.
Someone behind me whispers, "What the hell…"
I panic.
"No—no, it's really fine," I rush out. "It's not hurting anymore. Really."
He hesitates.
And then—
he lifts his hand.
Slow. Careful.
Hovering.
Right near my face.
NOT TOUCHING—
just close enough that I can feel the warmth.
I flinch back instantly, face burning.
Too close.
Too intimate.
Too many people watching.
My chair squeaks as I lean away, heart going insane all over again.
He pauses.
Then laughs softly. A quiet exhale of a sound. Not mocking. Just… amused.
"Okay," he says, lowering his hand. "Then it's fine."
Relief hits me so hard my shoulders drop.
He leans back a little, giving me space.
"Take care," he says.
And then—
He reaches out.
And gently messes my hair.
Not rough.
Not playful.
Just one soft ruffle at the top of my head like it's the most natural thing in the world.
The classroom gasps.
AUDIBLY.
My brain fully shuts down.
I just sit there, stunned, eyes wide, hand lifting automatically to my hair like I need to check if that actually happened.
Jiho smiles at me one last time.
Then he turns.
And walks away.
Just like that.
Hands in his pockets.
Back straight.
Calm like he didn't just ruin my entire nervous system.
I watch his back until he disappears through the doorway.
Silence.
Heavy. Thick. Unreal.
Then—
"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT???"
Bora whips around so fast I almost fall out of my chair.
Haerin is staring at me like she just watched a plot twist live.
Every single student is looking at me.
Whispering.
Staring.
Judging.
Losing their minds.
I'm still touching my hair.
My heart is still pounding.
My face feels like it's on fire.
I don't say a word.
Because honestly?
I have no idea what the hell just happened.
The silence lasts exactly three seconds.
Then the class explodes.
"What was THAT?" "Why was Jiho here?" "Why did he touch your hair??" "Since when does he know you like that?" "WAIT—did something happen yesterday??"
People crowd in. Actual crowd. Desks scrape. Chairs turn. Someone leans over my shoulder like this is a documentary and I'm the main subject.
My brain is still buffering.
I'm sitting there with my hand half-raised to my head, fingers tangled in the exact spot he touched, like if I move them the memory will disappear.
My heart is still going insane. My face feels hot. My thoughts are a mess.
I do not respond.
At all.
"Jiah?" someone waves a hand in front of my face. "Hello??"
"Why was Baek Jiho asking about your nose?" another voice says. "Did you get into a fight or something?"
"Oh my god," a girl whispers, eyes shining. "Did he walk you home yesterday??"
I blink.
Once.
Twice.
No words come out.
Then—
"HEY."
Bora snaps up from her seat like a guard dog finally unleashed.
Her chair screeches loudly as she stands, arms out, full blocker mode.
"Everyone back the hell up," she says, voice sharp. "This is NOT a zoo exhibit."
The noise dips.
Not fully. But enough.
She turns to me slowly.
And when Bora looks serious, it's terrifying.
"Seo Jiah," she says. Calm. Too calm. "We need an explanation. Right now. What was that."
Haerin leans closer from the other side, brows knit together, concern written all over her face.
"And… why was he asking about your nose?" she asks gently. "Did something happen yesterday? It looks fine now."
My brain short-circuits again.
Yesterday flashes through my head—
the ball, the blood, Jiho's hand, the nurse, the candy, the walking, the smiling—
I still don't answer.
Bora squints at me.
Then reaches out and shakes my shoulders.
Not violently. But urgently.
"Jiah," she hisses. "Why are you not speaking."
That does it.
Everything rushes back into my lungs all at once and I inhale sharply, like I've been underwater.
"OKAY—OKAY—" I blurt, hands flailing. "STOP SHAKING ME."
Bora doesn't stop.
Instead, she slings an arm around my neck and pulls me into a loose headlock.
Not tight. But dramatic.
"START TALKING," she says sweetly. "OR I CUT OFF YOUR AIR SUPPLY."
"BORA—!" I choke, half-laughing, half-dying.
Haerin immediately slaps Bora's arm. "Let her breathe!"
Bora releases me with a huff.
I slump back into my chair, coughing, eyes watering, heart still racing for like fifteen different reasons.
"Okay," I say, breathless. "Okay. Yesterday."
Both of them lean in.
The class leans in too, even though Bora shoots them a warning glare.
"I got hit in the face with a ball during PE," I say. "My nose bled. Like… a lot."
Haerin gasps softly. "That's why—"
"Jiho took me to the nurse," I continue quickly, words tumbling now that they've started. "He just—he helped. That's all."
Bora stares at me.
Blank. Unblinking.
"That's ALL?" she repeats.
"Yes," I say immediately. Too immediately. "He just helped me. That's it."
"Then why," Bora says slowly, dangerously calm, "did he come into your class like he owns the place, ask about your nose, offer to take you to the nurse, and then—" she gestures violently at my head, "—DO THAT."
I open my mouth.
Close it.
Open it again.
"I—don't know," I admit. "I didn't even know what to say myself."
Bora groans and drags a hand down her face. "Why didn't you tell us yesterday?"
"I was surprised!" I say, defensive. "What was I supposed to say? 'Hey guys, Baek Jiho suddenly turned into a caring male lead?' I didn't have words!"
Haerin nods slowly. "That makes sense…"
From somewhere behind us, a voice cuts in—
"So… he likes you then."
I stiffen.
"No," I say immediately. "No. It's not like that."
Another voice. Louder. Confident.
"He definitely likes you."
I turn.
Park Seohwan.
Class rep.
Arms crossed. Observant eyes. Annoyingly calm.
"He came during class," he says. "Asked about your injury. Physical contact. That's not normal 'just helping.'"
My cheeks burn.
"That doesn't mean anything," I argue weakly.
"It kind of does," Bora mutters.
The room buzzes again. Whispers. Looks. Speculation multiplying like bacteria.
I shake my head, pressing my palms to my face.
"No. He doesn't like me," I say. "He just… helped me. That's all. Don't make it weird."
But even as I say it—
My heart betrays me.
Because the thought slips in, quiet but dangerous.
Does he?
Does Baek Jiho actually like me?
____________________
ENHYEOK POV
I don't understand two things.
One—
that man's audacity.
Two—
this girl's stupidity.
That's it. That's my entire thought process while the classroom loses its collective mind and I sit here, earphones in, staring at absolutely nothing on purpose.
Baek Jiho has some nerve.
Six rejections.
Public.
Clear.
Clean.
Everyone saw it.
And now suddenly he's walking into her class like he pays rent here, asking about her nose, offering the nurse, smiling like a caring boyfriend in a coming-of-age drama?
And then—
the hair.
He fucking ruffled her hair.
In front of everyone.
I clench my jaw and pretend the bass in my ears is louder than it is.
Bastard.
Who does that after rejecting someone over and over like it's routine? You don't get to rewrite the rules just because you woke up nice today. You don't get to touch her like that and act confused when the room explodes.
And she—
she just sits there.
Blushing.
Actually blushing.
While the entire class practically swallows the idea that Baek Jiho likes her.
Is she serious?
Seo Jiah, bold as hell when she opens her mouth to the world, suddenly loses every ounce of common sense the moment that guy looks at her. She argues with teachers, stares people down without blinking, runs her mouth like she's untouchable—
and then Jiho smiles at her and she forgets how gravity works.
I don't look at her directly.
I don't need to.
Peripheral vision is enough.
Her shoulders are stiff.
Her ears are red.
Her hand is still in her hair like she's checking if it's real.
It's irritating.
Not because I care.
I don't.
But because it's obvious.
And she's too smart to be this clueless.
The class is loud. Whispers bouncing off the walls. Bora looks like she's five seconds from committing a felony. Haerin's shock is quiet but lethal. Even Seohwan's watching like he's piecing together a puzzle.
And Jiho?
Gone.
Walked out calm. Unbothered. Clean exit.
Like he didn't just light a match and drop it in the middle of a room full of gasoline.
I keep my eyes forward.
Music on.
Face blank.
I hear everything anyway.
Her friends interrogating her.
The theories.
The "he definitely likes you" bullshit.
She denies it. Weakly.
And that—
that's what pisses me off.
Because she sounds like she's trying to convince herself.
I tap my finger once against the desk. Stop. Control it.
This isn't my business.
Her feelings.
His intentions.
None of it touches me.
But Jiho's behavior doesn't sit right.
You reject someone, you leave them alone. You don't hover. You don't soften. You don't blur lines when the other person clearly never stopped caring.
That's not kindness.
That's selfish.
I glance at the doorway once, just once.
Empty.
Of course it is.
Coward.
The bell rings. Chairs scrape. Noise surges again. Jiah's still frozen like the moment hasn't caught up to her yet.
I stand.
As I pass her , I don't look at her.
I don't need to.
I already know what she looks like when she's confused and glowing and completely unaware she's being played with.
And the question I can't shake—
the one that actually sticks—
What's Baek Jiho's deal, actually?