Teacher entered class with a stack of worksheets.
"Today you will work in groups of three."
Everyone sighed.
Teacher announced the groups.
"Y/n… Jungkook… Taesung."
Half the class gasped.
Someone whispered loudly:
"The tension group."
Another laughed:
"Smartest trio. Also most dangerous trio."
You put your face in your hands.
"Why always him?"
Jungkook muttered:
"Why always you?"
Taesung sat between both of you to avoid disaster.
Teacher handed the worksheet and left the room for 10 minutes.
Immediately Taesung said:
"Okay, let's divide questions. Y/n you take first three—"
"No," Jungkook cut in. "She should do number 5. She is good at that."
You raised your eyebrows.
"You don't decide for me."
He shot back:
"I'm helping. You always complain later."
You glared.
Taesung sighed loudly like a tired dad.
"Both of you… stop. Let's just finish."
You and Jungkook kept solving—silently but stealing glances at each other every time one of you wrote something wrong.
Once you solved an answer quickly.
Jungkook stared at your sheet.
"Wait… that's wrong."
You snapped back:
"It's correct. Check properly."
He leaned closer (too close) and pointed.
"You missed minus sign."
You paused… looked again… and realized he was right.
You exhaled.
"Oh. Fine."
He smirked like he won a battle.
Taesung whispered:
"You both argue like a married couple."
Both you and Jungkook shouted:
"WE DO NOT!"
Class burst out laughing.
After the activity, you went to the staffroom corridor to submit the worksheet.
On the way back, a boy from another class stopped you.
"Y/n! Can you help me with eco chapter 2? Please, just 5 minutes."
He smiled politely.
You were about to reply when suddenly someone grabbed the worksheet from your hand.
Jungkook.
He appeared from behind you, expression flat but eyes sharp.
"She doesn't have time. We need to submit this to ma'am."
The boy blinked.
"Oh… okay? Sorry Y/n."
He walked away confused.
You turned to Jungkook with fire in your eyes.
"What was THAT?"
He shrugged.
"He was wasting your time."
"He asked nicely! I can help him."
"No. You can't."
You stared at him.
"I'm not your responsibility."
He looked directly at you.
"I NEVER SAID YOU WERE."
You stepped closer.
"Then stop dragging me away from every boy!"
He stepped closer too.
"Then stop talking to boys who stare at you like they want to copy your entire brain!"
You were speechless.
His voice was low
Sharp
Possessive
But also… concerned.
A weird silence formed.
Then he looked away suddenly and walked off.
During last period, you bent down to pick your pen that fell.
At the same time, Jungkook leaned down because his water bottle rolled toward your feet.
And your foreheads bumped.
Hard.
Both of you froze.
Face to face.
Inches apart.
His bangs touching your forehead.
Your breath mixing with his.
The class went silent as if the world paused.
You blinked rapidly.
He stared at you like he wasn't breathing.
Then you both jerked back at the same time.
"Aah—"
"Ow—"
You touched your forehead.
He rubbed his.
The class exploded with noise.
"THEY BUMPED HEADS!"
"SO CUTE!"
"Is this a drama scene?!"
Taesung literally buried his face in his hands.
Jungkook muttered under his breath:
"I hate everything."
You muttered:
"Same."
But your heart was racing uncontrollably.
After school, rain suddenly started.
Students ran everywhere.
You were holding your notebook above your head, trying to cover yourself.
A group of seniors accidentally splashed water from the stairs while running.
You didn't see it coming.
Before the water could hit you—
Jungkook stepped in front of you.
The entire splash landed on him instead.
Completely soaked.
You gasped.
"Jungkook! Are you crazy?! Why did you—"
He interrupted:
"You would've gotten sick."
You stared at his drenched uniform.
"You're soaked because of me…"
He shook his head.
"It's fine."
"No it's not—"
"It's just water, Y/n. Chill."
You swallowed, guilt hitting you.
He noticed your expression and said softly:
"Don't look like that. I did it on purpose."
"But—"
"I can handle it."
You looked at him, trying to understand him.
He looked away, embarrassed.
Under the school roof, waiting for rain to stop, both of you stood side by side.
No arguing.
No teasing.
Just the sound of rain.
Then Jungkook looked at you.
Completely drenched hair dripping.
He exhaled.
"Y/n…"
You turned.
"Yes?"
His voice was lower than usual.
"I don't understand something."
You frowned.
"What?"
He ran a hand through his wet hair.
"Why do you always affect me?"
Your breath stopped.
You opened your mouth but no words came out.
He continued quietly:
"When you talk to other people… it irritates me.
When you ignore me… it annoys me.
When you fall… I want to catch you.
When you're upset… I want to fix it.
And I HATE that I feel like this."
You stared at him in pure shock.
He looked down.
"I don't know WHY I care so much. But I just do."
Your heart beat so loud, you were scared he could hear it.
Before you could respond, Taesung shouted from far:
"Y/n!! Come!! It's raining too much!! Bus will leave!!"
You stepped back.
"Jungkook… I… I need to go."
He nodded slowly.
"Yeah. Go."
You turned to leave but stopped for a second and whispered:
"Don't stay in rain too long… you'll catch cold."
He smiled faintly.
"Worried about me?"
You shot him a glare.
"Just saying."
You ran toward your friends, not daring to look back.
But he watched you the whole time…
A small smile on his face despite being completely drenched.
The next morning, the classroom was unusually quiet. Everyone was preparing for the weekly class test, scribbling last-minute notes. Yn entered with her usual confident walk, but her eyes instinctively scanned the boys' row.
Jungkook was there, but… different.
He was sitting hunched, hoodie up, shoulders shaky. His nose was red, eyes watery.
He sneezed loudly — "ACHOO—" — the whole class turned.
His benchmate Taesung whispered, "Bro, you okay?"
Jungkook tried to act normal, "I'm fine…"
Immediately coughing. "Kh–kh… khh…"
Yn watched for a moment, expression unreadable.
He looks terrible… why did he even come to school? she thought.
Ma'am entered and announced, "Everyone settle. Test will start in five minutes."
Jungkook sniffled, rubbing his forehead.
Taesung raised his hand, "Ma'am, Jungkook isn't well."
Jungkook nudged him, "Stop it! I'm fine."
Yn rolled her eyes. Always trying to act strong in front of everyone…
While ma'am distributed papers, Jungkook sneezed again and accidentally dropped his pen under Yn's desk.
He looked embarrassed.
Yn sighed, picked it up and placed it near the edge without looking at him.
"Here," she said flatly.
He blinked in surprise. "Thanks."
"No problem," Yn replied, already staring at her paper.
Halfway through the test, the class got noisy, and ma'am shouted:
"WHOEVER IS TALKING, I WILL CUT MARKS!"
At that exact second, Jungkook coughed loudly, and ma'am turned sharply.
"JUNGKOOK! Why are you disturbing the class?"
Before Yn could stop herself, she said,
"Ma'am, he isn't talking… he's sick."
The class went silent.
Ma'am nodded. "Oh. Then keep water with you, Jungkook."
Jungkook glanced at Yn. Not smiling, not thankful — just surprised that she defended him.
Yn ignored him, pretending to be focused on her paper.
I didn't do it for him… I just didn't want extra drama, she told herself.
During the break, Sol Hee rushed to Jungkook with a tissue box.
"Oh my god, Jungkook, are you okay? You look so pale!"
Yn's jaw tightened.
Why is she hovering around him like a nurse?
Sol Hee bent to take Jungkook's water bottle to refill it.
Yn clicked her tongue silently.
Why she acting like he's her responsibility?
Jungkook noticed Yn staring and immediately looked away, pretending not to care.
He took the bottle back from Sol Hee but didn't drink water.
After lunch, when ma'am called students to collect notebooks from the staff room, she said:
"Yn and Jungkook, go."
Yn froze. "Ma'am he's sick—"
"That's why you'll help him," ma'am said firmly.
Yn exhaled sharply but didn't argue.
Jungkook followed quietly, shoulders drooping.
On the way, he suddenly stopped and leaned on the wall, breathing slowly.
Yn frowned. "You okay?"
"I'm—" cough "—fine."
Clearly not.
Without thinking, Yn held his backpack strap so he wouldn't fall forward.
"Don't faint here. I don't have energy to drag you," she muttered.
He let out a tiny laugh through his cough.
"You're so rude…"
But there was a softness in his tone. Not teasing — just tired.
Yn looked away. "Let's just get these copies and go."
They walked side by side, not talking, but the silence felt strangely calm — not like their usual arguing.
After returning to class, Jungkook sat with his head down on the desk.
No jokes, no comments, no teasing — just quiet.
Yn watched secretly.
He looked upset… almost defeated.
Sol Hee asked him something, but he didn't reply.
Taesung tried to joke with him, but Jungkook didn't react.
Yn wondered, Is he upset because he got scolded by ma'am? Or because he's sick? Or… because I defended him?
She didn't understand it, but seeing him dull and silent made her chest feel tight in an unfamiliar way.
Without meaning to, she whispered across the aisle,
"Jungkook… are you okay?"
He raised his eyes slowly.
"Yeah… just tired."
Yn nodded once. No smile, no soft tone.
Just an honest, quiet moment.
For the first time, the class didn't see them fight —
they saw them simply… exist next to each other.
The next day, Jungkook was absent.
The news spread fast in class.
Taesung announced loudly,
"He has fever, guys. He won't come for 2–3 days."
Yn didn't react outwardly.
But inside, she felt something pinch.
He really got sick because he stayed at school yesterday… stupid boy.
Ma'am looked at Yn and said,
"You're the class topper. Take the notes to him after school."
Yn froze.
"Ma'am, I—"
"No excuses," Ma'am smiled. "You two live in the same area. And you've visited his house earlier for a project, right?"
The whole class turned to Yn.
Jinhee whispered dramatically to the others,
"Yn going to Jungkook's house? Wahh gossip!"
Yn glared at her group, "Shut up, it's not like that."