It was a unit test day.
After papers were checked, Jungkook rushed first to the teacher's desk to see his score. He stood on the left side, bending slightly over the table.
You went after him and stood on the right side of the teacher.
Both of you shoulder-to-shoulder but pretending you didn't notice each other.
He opened his copy and you peeked without hesitation.
You pointed at a long answer and said sharply, "This is wrong."
He turned to you slowly.
"Why?"
You explained the concept confidently.
The teacher checked again and said, "Yes… Y/n is right. Jungkook, minus one mark."
His expression was priceless — shocked + irritated + embarrassed.
He glared lightly at you.
"You really made my marks cut."
You replied calmly, "I didn't. Your answer did."
While the teacher started checking your copy, Jungkook didn't move.
He stayed standing there, watching everything like a spy.
You told him, "Go. Your work is done."
He crossed his arms.
"No. What if mam gives you extra marks? I'll check."
The teacher laughed at your rivalry, shaking her head.
"You two fight like you're rivals."
You and Jungkook both froze.
Then glared at each other.
Your copy got full marks.
You smirked slightly and said, "Done. Checking over."
He leaned in and muttered, "I swear you did this on purpose."
You replied, "If I wanted revenge, I would've cut more."
He stared at you for a full second — annoyed yet impressed.
As he walked away, he said just loud enough for you to hear:
"I'll beat you next test. Just wait."
Your heart didn't know whether to roll eyes… or race.
It was Friday, and the class was unusually excited.
The teacher entered with a register and said:
"Today we're having a class quiz competition. Teams of seven. Each team will have mixed boys and girls."
Instant chaos.
Your friends dragged you into their group quickly.
Then the teacher looked at Jungkook and pointed:
"You join their team. You keep the scoreboard."
Your eyes widened slightly.
His friends teased him.
He rolled his eyes and came to your team with that usual calm-walk of his.
Now your team was:
You Three girls (your group) Two boys Jungkook
Everyone kept staring like, "OMG they're on the same team??"
Jungkook stood beside the whiteboard with a marker to write the scores. You sat at the desk in the center, the automatic "brain" position since you were first ranker.
Round 1 started.
General Knowledge.
Your team answered well, and Jungkook wrote scores neatly, not arguing, not showing attitude.
He was very serious, almost too serious, like he wanted to prove something.
Other boys teased him, "Bro write extra marks for your team naaaa."
He glared at them. "Don't cheat."
Then he looked at you for a brief second.
A tricky question came:
"In which year did the decimal system originate in India?"
Your teammates looked confused.
You knew the answer but were double-checking it in your head.
Jungkook glanced at you from the scoreboard.
He said quietly, not too loud, not too soft—only you could hear:
"It's 5th century, right?"
You looked up at him sharply.
Your eyes met.
He was asking you like he trusted your brain.
You nodded once, slowly, confirming.
His lips curved into the smallest, softest smile.
He turned to the teacher and answered confidently:
"5th century, ma'am."
"Correct!"
The class clapped.
Your team cheered loudly.
But in the middle of all that noise, you and Jungkook shared a very tiny smile.
A real one.
Not sarcastic, not cold.
A genuine smile that lasted only 0.3 seconds…
but it hit harder than any dialogue.
ROUND 2 — RAPID FIRE
Now questions came fast.
Your team had only 30 seconds for 5 questions.
The teacher asked:
"What is the chemical formula of washing soda?"
Your teammates hesitated.
Jungkook looked at you again.
You mouthed the answer silently: "Na₂CO₃."
He caught it instantly, repeated it out loud.
Correct again.
He wrote the score, but before turning to the board, his eyes flicked toward you as if checking—
Was that right? Did you approve?
You gave a tiny nod.
He didn't smile this time, but the look in his eyes softened.
ROUND 3 — TIE-BREAKER
Now two teams were tied.
Your team vs a team full of show-off boys who were already irritated at Jungkook for being with you.
The final question:
"Name the author of 'The Alchemist'."
Your team froze.
Your friends whispered, "We forgot… we forgot!"
You whispered softly, "Paulo Coelho."
Jungkook immediately answered it out loud.
Correct.
Your team exploded with excitement.
Automatically, Jungkook turned toward you, and you both smiled again — this time a little longer.
Everyone noticed.
One girl teased loudly,
"Ohooo… team chemistry!"
Jungkook straightened up instantly and said, "I only said the answer."
You added calmly, "Because I told you."
He shot you a look — part annoyed, part impressed, part playful.
You two didn't fight, but there was a spark.
A sharp, electrifying spark.
After the Quiz
When everyone returned to their seats, his friends dragged him.
"Broooo you and her were smiling like in a drama!"
He rolled his eyes and muttered, "Shut up."
But secretly, he kept glancing at you from the boys' row.
You ignored him…
mostly.
Except when your eyes collided accidentally.
Neither of you looked away first.
And that moment told everything:
The rivalry wasn't rivalry anymore.
It was turning into something deeper —
something you both felt but didn't want to admit yet.
The day of the International Quiz results arrived like a festival in school.
The principal herself came to announce the top 7 achievers of Class 11 who won positions. Everyone in the corridor crowded around the bulletin board, whispering and trying to read the list.
You walked slowly, not too excited, not too nervous. Your girl group surrounded you, talking loudly as usual.
But inside…
You already knew you had done well.
When you reached the board, the list was pinned neatly.
Your name was shining on the very second line.
Y/n — Winner
Your friends screamed.
Your heart skipped a beat.
The other girl, Suzi, was on the list too.
And then… five boys.
All from your class.
All of them pushing each other and bragging like they owned the school.
And among those five boys—
was Jungkook.
He wasn't smiling like the others.
He simply stood with his hands in his pockets, expression unreadable, eyes scanning the hall like he was looking for someone.
And somehow, they stopped on you for a second.
You looked away quickly.