Ju-woon sat through the entire class, trying his best to focus, but his mind kept wandering. And, of course, it kept wandering right back to Min-ho. He hated that. He hated that he couldn't even get through a class without thinking about that guy.
Why was Min-ho always in his head? It wasn't like they were friends, or even acquaintances. Hell, it wasn't even like Ju-woon liked him. Not in the slightest.
But there was something about the way Min-ho carried himself—so confident, so casual, like he didn't have a care in the world, and it was starting to drive Ju-woon crazy.
It wasn't just the way he looked either. It was the way Min-ho had this... presence. Like when he was in the room, you couldn't ignore him. Even if he wasn't trying to get attention, he had it.
Ju-woon stared at his notebook, tracing the edge of the page with his finger. He didn't even realize he was doing it until the professor called on him.
"Ju-woon."
"Huh?" he said startled
The professor looked at him, eyebrow raised. "You're daydreaming"
Ju-woon blinked "Sorry."
The whole class turned to look at him for a second, and he could feel the heat rush to his face. It wasn't like he was embarrassed, but the sudden attention made him uncomfortable, it wasnt new but still. He glanced over at Min-ho. Of course, Min-ho wasn't even paying attention. He was leaning back in his chair, hands behind his head, headphones on. He looked like he was somewhere else entirely.
Ju-woon looked away and mumbled something under his breath, hoping the professor would just move on.
But no, of course, that didn't happen. The professor stared at him for a beat too long, like he was waiting for some kind of explanation.
Finally, Ju-woon sighed. "I'm sorry. I'll pay attention now."
The professor gave him a nod and went back to his lecture. But Ju-woon couldn't stop thinking about how everyone had looked at him. Like they knew he was off in his own world. And that was... unsettling. The whole point of coming to college was to be in the world. To be part of it. To not be stuck in his own head all the time.
But now, thanks to him, Ju-woon was in a loop. A never-ending cycle of thoughts about Min-ho. And every time their paths crossed, it just got worse.
When class ended, Ju-woon was quick to pack up his things, desperate to get out of there before he saw anyone. Especially Min-ho.
He didn't want to run into him again. He didn't want to have another moment where the air felt thick and heavy like he was about to be suffocated by all the tension.
But of course, he couldn't avoid him forever.
Ju-woon stepped into the hallway, walking fast, trying to get to the exit. He needed air. He needed to clear his head.
And just as he was about to round the corner to the main stairs, he felt a hand—someone grabbed his arm, pulling him back.
He spun around, heart racing, already preparing for the worst. Was it Min-ho again?
No, it wasn't.
It was that girl. The one who had threatened Min-ho yesterday. She was standing in front of him now, arms crossed, looking at him like he was some kind of puzzle she couldn't figure out.
"You're in a rush, huh?" she said, voice flat but curious.
Ju-woon blinked, not knowing what to say. "I... I'm just trying to get outside."
She nodded slowly, then tilted her head as if studying him. "You sure seem like you're avoiding something."
Ju-woon opened his mouth to argue, but she cut him off before he could speak.
"Listen, I don't know who you are, and I don't care. But that guy—Min-ho, right?" She raised an eyebrow. "Don't let him mess with you."
"What?" Ju-woon stared at her, totally confused.
She sighed, looking like she was just getting bored of talking to him. "Never mind. Just... take care of yourself."
And with that, she turned on her heel and walked off, leaving Ju-woon standing there, unsure of what had just happened.
The rest of the day passed in a blur. Ju-woon couldn't concentrate on anything. His mind was like a broken record, just replaying the same thing over and over again—Min-ho's voice, his eyes, his stupid smirk.
Why was he thinking about him so much?
He couldn't stand it.
So he did what he always did when things got too heavy—he locked himself in his room, grabbed a paintbrush, and tried to lose himself in his art.
The problem was, his mind refused to leave. It followed him to the canvas. It crept into his every stroke, no matter how hard he tried to push it away.
There was a knock at his door.
Ju-woon jumped, his heart pounding. He hadn't been expecting anyone.
He walked over and opened the door slowly, unsure of who it was. It was Hyeon, his friend from the art department.
"Yo, you alive?" Hyeon asked, leaning against the doorframe.
"Yeah," Ju-woon said, blinking. "Why?"
Hyeon raised an eyebrow. "You've been quiet all day. Thought I'd check on you."
Ju-woon didn't say anything. He didn't want to talk about his weird feelings. About Min-ho.
"I'm good," he said, nodding slowly.
Hyeon shrugged, not pushing. "Alright, man. Just don't get too lost in your head. You know, you've got people around you. Don't forget that."
Ju-woon didn't know how to reply to that. He just nodded. He wasn't sure what he was supposed to do with it.
The next day, Ju-woon tried to move on. It wasn't easy, but he did his best. He woke up early, did his work, and went to class. He kept his head down, hoping for a peaceful day.
But of course, nothing was ever peaceful when Min-ho was around.
As he walked into class, Ju-woon saw him before he even entered the room. Min-ho was sitting at the back, his usual laid-back pose with one arm slung over the back of his chair. He had that same indifferent look on his face, like he didn't have a care in the world.
Ju-woon tried to ignore him. He did. Really, he did. He sat down, put his stuff out, and acted like Min-ho wasn't even there.
But then Min-ho did it again.
He looked at him.
And for a moment—just a moment—Ju-woon felt like everything around him stopped. The air got thick. His heartbeat quickened. Min-ho's gaze was like a magnet, pulling at him, refusing to let go.
Then, out of nowhere, Min-ho smiled.
It wasn't big or dramatic. It wasn't some kind of flirty smile. It was small, almost like a challenge.
But it was enough to make Ju-woon's chest tighten.
The professor started the lecture, and Ju-woon tried his hardest to focus. But even with the professor talking about whatever math problem they were supposed to be solving, all Ju-woon could think about was that look. That stupid smile.
Min-ho had this way of making everything... complicated.
Later that day, as Ju-woon walked across campus, trying to clear his head, he heard something that made him stop. It wasn't a sound he expected to hear—someone was laughing, genuine and light, not mocking or sarcastic.
He turned his head.
It was a couple, sitting on a bench by the fountain. They were laughing over something trivial, sharing a moment that felt so simple, so normal.
Ju-woon felt something in his chest tighten. He quickly looked away, but he couldn't stop himself from thinking: What if I had that? What if I could just have a moment like that with someone?
But he shook his head. That wasn't his life. He didn't have time for that. Art was his focus. His future.
And yet.. he couldn't help but wonder if maybe, just maybe, something else could fit in there.
He couldn't be sure. But he knew one thing—he wasn't ready for any of it. Not yet.
The next morning, Ju-woon walked into class, hoping it would be just another day. But then he saw Min-ho again.
Of course he did.
Min-ho was standing by the door, looking almost... casual. Like he didn't care, but his eyes were locked on Ju-woon as soon as he walked in.
"Morning," Min-ho said, in a teasing
And Ju-woon, for once, didn't hesitate. He looked right back at him, feeling his heart race, even though he didn't want it to. "Morning," he said, and for the first time, the words came out... almost like they meant something.
And maybe, just maybe, they did mean something
not like he would know though
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