The first sign of trouble came on a Monday morning.
Han Seo-yeon didn't notice it at first.
She was too focused on reviewing physics notes at her desk in Seat 3B. The classroom buzzed with early chatter, chairs scraping, students comparing homework answers. Winter sunlight poured through the windows, pale and distant.
But the whispers were louder today.
Not about rankings.
About her.
"She's pretty when she smiles."
"I heard she used to be student council in Busan."
"Do you think she's dating Kang Ji-hoon?"
Seo-yeon's pen paused mid-sentence.
Dating?
She hadn't even spoken to Ji-hoon properly outside of school walks and academic rivalry.
Still, rumors didn't need logic to survive.
They only needed proximity.
And she was sitting next to the most untouchable boy in Seoul.
As if summoned by the thought, Ji-hoon entered the room.
The air shifted immediately.
It always did.
He walked in calmly, adjusting his cuff slightly, gaze steady. Conversations dipped. Not completely silent — just enough to acknowledge him.
Then something unexpected happened.
Someone blocked his path.
"Ji-hoon-ah."
The voice was bright. Confident.
Seo-yeon looked up.
A girl stood there with perfectly styled hair and a tailored uniform that somehow looked more expensive than everyone else's. Her name floated through Seo-yeon's memory.
Yoo Min-jung.
Top of the arts department. Popular. Elegant. Untouchable in her own way.
Ji-hoon stopped.
"Yes?"
Her smile widened slightly.
"My dad's hosting a dinner on Friday. Business partners and families. You should come."
It wasn't a question.
Seo-yeon pretended to focus on her notebook.
Why did it bother her?
It shouldn't.
Ji-hoon and Min-jung were clearly from the same world — wealth, power, expectations.
He belonged there.
Not beside her in Seat 3B.
"I'm busy," Ji-hoon replied simply.
Min-jung's smile didn't drop.
"You're always busy. Don't be boring."
There was something almost possessive in her tone.
Seo-yeon's stomach tightened slightly.
She told herself it was irritation at the arrogance.
Nothing more.
Min-jung finally noticed Seo-yeon watching.
Her eyes narrowed — just slightly.
"Oh," she said lightly. "You're the transfer student."
Seo-yeon nodded politely. "Han Seo-yeon."
Min-jung's gaze flickered between her and Ji-hoon.
"You're doing well academically. Impressive."
It didn't feel like praise.
It felt like measurement.
Comparison.
Seo-yeon forced a small smile. "Thank you."
Min-jung turned back to Ji-hoon.
"Think about Friday," she said softly before walking away.
The moment she left, the classroom noise resumed at full volume.
Seo-yeon kept writing.
Ji-hoon sat down beside her.
Silence.
Then—
"You don't have to eavesdrop so obviously," he said calmly.
Her head snapped toward him. "I wasn't eavesdropping."
"You were listening."
She huffed slightly. "Hard not to. She was practically announcing it."
He didn't respond.
Instead, he opened his notebook.
But she noticed something.
His handwriting was sharper than usual.
The lines pressed deeper into the paper.
"You don't like her," she said before thinking.
His pen stopped.
"I didn't say that."
"You didn't have to."
He turned slowly.
"And you?" he asked.
"What about me?"
"You don't like her either."
Seo-yeon looked away.
"왜 나한테 신경 써?"
(Why do you care about me?)
The words slipped out before she could stop them.
The classroom noise seemed to fade.
Ji-hoon studied her carefully.
For once, he didn't have a quick answer.
Because maybe he didn't fully understand it himself.
"I don't," he said finally.
But the hesitation betrayed him.
Lunch felt tense.
Seo-yeon sat outside again, pretending to scroll through her phone. She didn't know why she felt unsettled. Ji-hoon wasn't hers.
There was no "hers."
They were just classmates.
Rivals.
Nothing more.
"Mind if I sit?"
She looked up.
Not Ji-hoon.
A different boy.
Lee Hyun-woo.
Captain of the basketball team. Loud. Friendly. Very much not cold and mysterious.
"Sure," she replied cautiously.
He grinned, sitting across from her.
"You're brave."
"For sitting here?"
"For surviving Kang Ji-hoon."
She rolled her eyes slightly. "He's not that scary."
Hyun-woo laughed. "You're the only one who thinks that."
They talked easily.
About Busan.
About the school.
About random things that didn't feel heavy.
For the first time since transferring, Seo-yeon laughed without thinking about it.
She didn't notice the figure watching from the hallway.
Ji-hoon.
His expression unreadable.
But his jaw slightly tense.
Hyun-woo leaned forward. "You know, there's a winter festival coming up. You should go."
Seo-yeon blinked. "Festival?"
"Yeah. Bonfire. Music. Food. It's tradition."
"That sounds nice."
"You can go with me."
The words hung in the air.
Not aggressive.
Just straightforward.
Before Seo-yeon could respond—
"Seo-yeon."
Her name.
Low.
Controlled.
She turned.
Ji-hoon stood there.
Hands in pockets.
Eyes fixed on Hyun-woo.
The air shifted.
Hyun-woo leaned back slightly. "Oh. The genius joins us."
Ji-hoon ignored him.
"We have math prep," he said to Seo-yeon.
She frowned slightly. "It's lunch."
"You said you wanted first place."
Her pride flared instantly.
She stood.
Hyun-woo looked between them, amused.
"I didn't realize you two were studying partners."
"We're not," Seo-yeon said quickly.
Ji-hoon's gaze flickered.
Then—
"Come on."
It wasn't harsh.
But it wasn't optional either.
Seo-yeon hesitated only a second before following him.
They walked toward the empty classroom wing in silence.
Once inside, she turned on him.
"What was that?"
"What?"
"You dragged me away."
"I didn't drag you."
"You basically did!"
He stepped closer.
Not threatening.
Just close enough to make her heartbeat spike.
"You were distracted."
"So?"
"You said you wanted to win."
"And what if I don't?" she challenged.
His eyes darkened slightly.
"You do."
Silence.
Then she said softly—
"You looked annoyed."
"I wasn't."
"You were."
He exhaled quietly.
Then—
"He's not serious."
"About what?"
"About you."
Her chest tightened.
"And you are?"
The question slipped out.
Dangerous.
Too honest.
Ji-hoon stared at her.
Longer than usual.
Then said quietly—
"I don't like people treating you like a temporary interest."
Her breath caught.
"왜?"
(Why?)
This time, her voice wasn't teasing.
It was vulnerable.
He stepped back slightly, breaking the intensity.
"I don't know," he said honestly.
And that was worse than any confident answer.
Because it meant this feeling—
Whatever it was—
Wasn't calculated.
Wasn't strategic.
It was real.
The bell rang again, pulling them back to reality.
As they walked back to class, their shoulders brushed lightly.
Neither moved away.
And for the first time, Seo-yeon realized something terrifying.
Jealousy didn't look good on Kang Ji-hoon.
But it looked honest.
And maybe—
Just maybe—
He wasn't as untouchable as everyone believed.