But at the center of it all—sat Park Sunghoon.

It was only his first week in this school, yet he was already surrounded. Students rushed over, some shoving snacks at him, some trying to sit beside him as if they’d been friends forever. A few guys laughed too loudly at things he hadn’t even said, just desperate to be noticed.

Sunghoon, however, only smiled politely. He didn’t speak much, didn’t push anyone away, just sat there like an untouchable figure. Cold, calm, beautiful—like he was used to people worshipping him.

At the back, Jake sat frozen at his desk. His fingers curled tightly around the edge of his notebook.

How can this be real?

Sunghoon. The very same Sunghoon he had admired from afar for years—now sharing the same classroom. Breathing the same air. Laughing at a desk just meters away. It almost felt like a cruel dream, too vivid to be true.

But Jake couldn’t move. Couldn’t go near him.

He knew how it would end—people would laugh, whisper, maybe push him away. Jake was too quiet, too invisible. He wasn’t like those confident boys who could just slide in beside Sunghoon and talk like it was nothing.

So he stayed at his desk, pretending to look at his phone while stealing glances whenever he could. His chest hurt from how badly he wanted to be near him.

When Sunghoon finally stood up, three boys instantly tagged along, as if they’d already claimed the spot beside him. Together, they walked out of the classroom like a pack, leaving behind an emptiness Jake felt deep in his stomach.

Break was halfway over. Jake finally gathered the courage to leave.

He walked to the cafeteria, bought a simple sandwich and a can of coke, and climbed the stairs to the rooftop.

The air was cooler there, quieter. Just the wind and the sound of traffic below. Jake thought it would be peaceful, a place where he could breathe—and maybe think about Sunghoon without feeling so exposed.

But then—he froze.

Someone was already there.

Near the edge of the rooftop, leaning lazily against the railing, was Sunghoon. A cigarette between his fingers, smoke curling into the sky.

Jake’s heart nearly stopped.

He’s here. Alone. Right in front of me.

His body reacted before his mind—he flinched. Not loudly, but enough for Sunghoon to notice.

Sunghoon’s eyes flicked to him, cold and lazy, like he had been expecting yet another follower to appear. He rolled his eyes slightly.

“Don’t flinch. I won’t kill you,” he said, voice low and careless as smoke slipped from his lips.

Jake immediately bowed, words tumbling out in panic.

“I-I’m sorry!”

Sunghoon raised a brow. “Sorry? For what?”

Jake’s hands tightened around the sandwich in his grip. His eyes stayed glued to the floor. His voice was shaky, almost broken.

“I… I disturbed you…”

Sunghoon let out a quiet sigh, as if the answer annoyed him. He turned back toward the skyline.

“Eat whatever you have. I don’t care.”

Jake nodded quickly and sat down on the ground, fumbling to unwrap his sandwich. His hands were trembling, his heart racing so loudly he could barely hear anything else.

But then—he felt a gaze.

He looked up for a second only to see Sunghoon staring at him with an unreadable expression, eyes sharp and cold.

Jake flinched again.

“Are you stupid or something?” Sunghoon asked, his voice cutting through the air. “Why do you keep flinching? I’m not a ghost.”

Jake’s chest tightened. He wanted to explain—he wanted to say he had admired him for years, that his presence was overwhelming, that just sitting near him felt like touching the stars. But the words stuck in his throat.

Instead, he scrambled to his feet and bowed again.

“I’m really sorry!”

Sunghoon’s face twisted in frustration.

“What the hell? Are you serious right now?”

Jake’s lips trembled. He could barely form words.

“I… I… do-n’t… I…”

“Shut up!” Sunghoon snapped, louder this time. His tone wasn’t cruel, but sharp, irritated. “Just shut up and eat your food.”

Jake froze. Then, like a child scolded, he quickly nodded and sat back down, biting into his sandwich even though he had no appetite left.

Sunghoon clicked his tongue, muttering something under his breath. He returned to his corner, lit another cigarette, and whispered a single word to the empty sky.

“…Disgusting.”

Jake’s hands stilled on the sandwich.

The word stung—but he couldn’t hate him. Not even for a second. Even when Sunghoon’s voice dripped with coldness, even when he pushed him away, Jake’s chest only tightened with something that felt too much like love.

Because this wasn’t just anyone.

This was Sunghoon.

And Jake had already given him his whole heart.

After school ended jake reached home...

He didn't wanted that day to end but it didn't....

That day he couldn't stay calm....

He kept on smiling thinking about how unexpected things happened....

He was with sunghoon....

He couldn't believe....

He didn't slept whole night.....

____________

The next day, the classroom was unusually quiet—at least for the first few minutes. Physics class had that effect on everyone.

The teacher’s chalk scraped across the board, equations filling the space with numbers and symbols. Students leaned lazily on their desks, some scribbling notes, others fighting off sleep.

But Jake’s eyes weren’t on the board.

They were on Sunghoon.

Every few minutes, his gaze would drift, carefully, cautiously. The curve of Sunghoon’s jaw. The way his hair fell across his forehead. Even the bored way he held his pen looked elegant.

Jake knew it was dangerous. If anyone caught him staring, they’d laugh. If Sunghoon noticed—God forbid. But no matter how hard he tried, his eyes betrayed him.

And of course, Sunghoon noticed.

His sharp eyes flicked once, catching Jake in the act. For a second, their gazes almost met. But Jake looked away instantly, heart pounding, cheeks burning.

Sunghoon exhaled through his nose, rolling his pen between his fingers. Weird. That was the only word he thought whenever his eyes landed on Jake. Weird—and kind of irritating. He decided to ignore him, like always.

The teacher cleared her throat, turning back to face the class.

“So, before summer break, I want you all to work on a project together. It will count as your final grade for this term.”

Murmurs spread instantly. Some students groaned, others whispered excitedly about possible partners.

“Each group will have four members,” the teacher continued. “And since we have two new students this year, I expect you all to help them adjust. Don’t just form groups with your usual friends.”

Jake swallowed. He already knew how this would go. No one ever wanted him. He’d be left behind, awkward, pitiful—just like every time before.

The teacher clapped her hands. “Alright. Let’s start grouping.”

Students immediately sat up straighter, each one hoping to be paired with the most sought-after classmate: Park Sunghoon.

Jake dared to hope for half a second—but quickly crushed it. His luck was never that good.

“Okay, first group…” The teacher began calling out names. Students cheered quietly when paired with their friends. The energy in the room grew, except around Jake, whose chest was sinking lower and lower with each name not called.

Then came the moment he dreaded.

“So, who wants to be with Jake?” the teacher asked, her eyes scanning the room.

Silence.

The air went heavy. No one moved, no one raised a hand. A couple of students shifted in their seats, pretending to be busy with their notebooks.

Jake’s head lowered instantly, his bangs falling forward to hide his face. His hands gripped his pencil tight, wishing he could disappear.

Of course. Just like always.

At the back, Sunghoon’s eyes flickered toward him. Not with pity, not even with interest—just a brief, detached glance. Something about Jake’s stiff shoulders, the way he tried to hide himself… caught his eye for a split second.

The teacher sighed, clearly frustrated.

“You all need to be kinder classmates. Since no one is volunteering, I’ll decide. Jake, you’ll work with Sunghoon, Eito, and Yuma. Alright?”

The words hit Jake like lightning.

His head snapped up, eyes wide. He blinked, almost unable to believe what he’d heard. With Sunghoon? His heart leapt, crashing against his ribs so hard it almost hurt.

He turned his head, sneaking a glance at Sunghoon.

Sunghoon wasn’t looking at him. He sat there, calm, unreadable, as if nothing had happened.

But Jake—he was smiling. Just the faintest curve of his lips, hidden enough that no one else would notice. Yet his whole body was trembling with happiness.

For the first time in his life, maybe his luck wasn’t so bad.

But Sunghoon noticed.

His sharp eyes caught that flicker of a smile, that little light in Jake’s face. He stared for half a second longer than he should have. Then, under his breath, a low chuckle slipped past his lips.

“…Gross,” he muttered, mocking, almost to himself.

No one heard it—except Jake, who felt the word stab through his happiness like a knife.

Still, the smile didn’t fade. Not completely. Even if Sunghoon called him disgusting, even if he looked at him with nothing but coldness, Jake couldn’t stop the joy burning in his chest.

Because Sunghoon was now in his group.

That alone was enough to keep him breathing.

“Each team needs to submit a proposal by next week,” the teacher announced. “I expect perfect results. Work hard, everyone.”

The class responded in unison, “Yes, miss.”

But Jake’s voice was absent. His lips were parted in a daze, his mind spinning in circles.

I’m with him. I’m really with him.

he couldn't believe....

He was happy...

But more he was scared to be with someone like sunghoon so perfect....