Just a few steps away, Joo Min-hyeok was heading toward the Business Faculty when he heard the slap. He was the guy who had dated Kwon Ji-a for two years in high school. As he saw Ji-a and her boyfriend, he paused for a second before he started walking straight toward them. His expression revealed absolutely nothing.

"I'll catch up later," he said to his friends.

He moved with steady steps until he stopped right between Ji-a and Yeonjun. He stood there like he completely belonged in their space.

"Is everything okay, Ji-a?" he asked.

Disgust crossed Ji-a's face at first, but she quickly turned to Yeonjun with an intense glare. It was the kind of look that clearly said someone else knew how to treat her right.

Yeonjun stared at the newcomer while his irritation visibly grew.

"Why don't you mind your own business?" he asked. "This is between us."

Min-hyeok did not back down. He showed zero sympathy for Yeonjun because he just looked like he wanted to win the argument.

"If it's really just between you two, maybe don't turn it into a public show," Min-hyeok said.

Yeonjun looked down as he brought his hand up to rub his forehead like he had a massive headache. He exhaled loudly and looked completely exhausted.

"It kind of felt like you were the one putting on the show here," he said.

The tension was hitting its peak among the small crowd of students while Kim Seojun finally made his move. He walked closer than he should have, and he kept his eyes locked completely on Min-hyeok as he moved with slow steps.

Ji-hu called out from behind him while worry filled his voice.

"Hyung, what are you doing?" he asked.

Seojun ignored the question as he kept walking until he stood face to face with Min-hyeok.

He was wearing ripped denim and leather, so he looked like a total glitch in Min-hyeok's perfectly polished and expensive world. Seojun was already wearing a smooth and overly friendly smile. He always used that exact expression when he wanted to control a situation on his own terms.

"Hi. What's going on?" he asked.

Min-hyeok just grinned and made a dismissive sound, so Seojun dropped the warmth from his smile. The two of them looked like they were sharing an inside joke no one else could understand. As Min-hyeok prepared to speak, his eyes drifted to Song Ji-hu for a brief moment.

"Who the hell are you to be asking that?" Min-hyeok asked.

"Just think of me as someone who can't ignore this," Seojun said. He forced a fake sweetness into his voice.

Min-hyeok kept his grin as he answered, and his eyes were still sliding back to Ji-hu from time to time.

"Then I guess I'm one too," Min-hyeok said. "A girl was being harassed, so I stepped in."

The crowd around them fell completely silent while every pair of eyes locked on the two men.

"That's funny. From what I saw, the one who got slapped was the guy," Seojun said.

They stared at each other like they were seconds from tearing each other apart. Min-hyeok held his ground because he clearly wanted to show he was not afraid of a fight.

"Either way, a girl was involved," he said. "Was I supposed to just walk away?"

Ji-hu spoke up from behind them at that exact moment.

"That's rich coming from you. So you only care if it's a girl?" Ji-hu asked.

Seojun turned back to his friend. He stared at Ji-hu for a second like he had not expected him to say anything, but then he finally nodded.

"Stay out of this, Ji-hu," Seojun said. "It's okay."

Min-hyeok looked back and forth between Ji-hu and Ji-a before he turned his full attention to his ex-girlfriend. His smile completely vanished.

"Wanna come with me?" he asked. "The vibe here is terrible."

Anger filled Ji-a's eyes as she looked at Yeonjun one last time. She immediately turned around and walked away with Min-hyeok.

Yeonjun was watching them leave while surprise washed over him. He did not expect Ji-a to actually go with her ex, but he was also feeling a strange sense of relief inside.

As the couple left the area, Seojun looked over at Ji-hu.

"Ya. What was that?" he asked. "Are you picking fights now?"

"No way, right?" Ji-hu chuckled. "He was talking nonsense, so I couldn't just stay quiet."

Seojun laughed at the excuse.

"I didn't even know you knew that guy," he said.

He then turned to Yeonjun, and his expression suddenly became warm and almost boyish. He was rubbing the back of his neck because he could not hide how much he cared.

"Hey," Seojun said. "Are you okay? I'm really sorry you had to deal with that."

Yeonjun lifted his eyes for a brief moment before he looked away again.

"I'm fine," he said.

He was already walking away without looking back. Seojun waited until the blond boy was far enough away.

"At least you could have asked for my name," he said. He sounded like he was actually hurting.

Ji-hu laughed and shook his head at the dramatic reaction.

"Ya, Seojun," Ji-hu said. "You're serious about this?"

Seojun was still keeping his eyes on Yeonjun as the boy moved further away across the campus.

"Ya, how many points would you give that guy?" Seojun asked. "Come on, tell me."

Ji-hu watched the stranger walk away as curiosity filled his gaze.

"Eight. Okay, nine," Ji-hu said. "He's really good-looking. But since he's straight, he's maybe a six at best."

"No," Seojun said as he finally looked back at his friend. "Ji-hu, I'm dead serious. That guy is my Perfect Ten¹."

And just like that, Seojun knew he wanted to capture every single part of him on canvas. Putting the boy in a painting felt like it would make him his forever, but he did not just want to paint him. He was looking at Yeonjun like a prize he had already decided to win.

—

¹ In Olympic gymnastics and diving, a "Perfect 10" is the top possible score, given for a flawless routine. The term became famous in 1976 when Romanian gymnast Nadia Comăneci earned the first-ever Perfect Ten in Olympic history. It's also used more broadly to describe someone or something seen as perfect.