Kwon followed closely behind Tae as they walked toward Tae's car parked just outside the house.
"Are you heading somewhere?" Tae asked casually, leaning against his car.
Kwon hesitated for a moment before answering, "Grandma said I should escort you."
Tae gave a small, amused smile but shook his head. "It's fine. You can head back now." As he unlocked the car door, he glanced at Kwon.
Kwon's expression hardened. "See… this whole thing of you 'wooing' me… it should really stop," he said firmly, his tone stern enough to make Tae pause mid-action.
"I don't have feelings for you," Kwon continued quickly, as if trying to convince both Tae and himself. "You should really find someone else… I have a girlfriend."
Tae stood silently for a moment, watching him intently.
"I can't really cheat on her," Kwon added, hoping Tae would back off.
Then, unexpectedly, Tae burst into laughter, loud and genuine, which caught Kwon off guard.
"You… girlfriend? That's cute," Tae said, smirking as he looked Kwon up and down.
Kwon let out a small sigh of relief, thinking Tae had bought his lie.
But Tae saw the relief on his face and called him closer.
"Come here," Tae said smoothly, leaning on the car with an inviting grin.
Kwon squared his shoulders, determined to stand his ground. He stepped closer.
With a quick movement, Tae pulled Kwon by the waist and trapped him gently but firmly between the car and himself.
"Hah… Ta… Tae, we're outside… have some shame," Kwon said, trying to push him away but failing to hide the blush creeping onto his cheeks.
"Oh… I thought you had the wit and mind to lie to my face. Hmm?" Tae whispered teasingly in Kwon's ear, his breath warm against his skin.
"You thought I was buying it, huh?" Tae murmured with a sly smile.
Kwon swallowed hard. "Okay, you caught me… can you let go now?" His voice was shy, and his eyes darted away, embarrassed by how close they were.
Tae chuckled softly. "See? You're blushing. You weren't this shy when we were inside. And you say you don't have feelings for me, hmm?"
"I… I'm just embarrassed," Kwon muttered, unable to meet Tae's gaze.
Without warning, Tae pulled him in closer and wrapped his arms around Kwon in a warm, steady hug.
"I'm serious about you," Tae whispered, his voice low and sincere. "In every way. The first time I saw you, my heart started beating so loudly I thought it might burst. Your smile… everything about you captivated me. I've never been interested in anyone like this before. I want to make you mine. You're the only one who makes my heart flutter."
He paused, breathing in Kwon's scent, as if trying to memorize the moment.
"Don't make it hard for both of us. I love you now and I always will. I know you're not ready to hear those three magical words yet. That's okay. I'll wait until you love me back… and when you're ready to trust me with your heart."
Kwon looked up into Tae's eyes and saw the raw honesty shining there. His heart wrenched.
Slowly, Tae bent down and pressed a soft peck to Kwon's lips.
"Go back and rest… and don't skip school tomorrow," Tae said with a smile.
"You don't have to remind me," Kwon mumbled as he stepped back and started to leave.
Tae slid into his car and drove off, leaving Kwon standing in the quiet evening.
Inside, Kwon closed the door behind him and sighed deeply.
He looked at his bed and remembered what had just happened—how his fingers had tangled in Tae's hair, as if wanting more.
He closed his eyes, shaking his head.
"I can't be having feelings for that guy," he thought, annoyed at himself.
But Tae's words echoed in his mind—how serious he was.
"Why am I even thinking about him?" Kwon muttered.
His phone buzzed. It was Jungwon, already waiting for his call.
Kwon quickly answered and switched to video call.
"Start explaining," Jungwon said immediately, his face pale but curious.
"Are you okay?" Kwon asked, noticing Jungwon wrapped in a thick blanket.
"I have a fever, but I'll be fine," Jungwon assured him. "Took some medication."
"If anything, just let me know," Kwon offered.
"Start explaining," Jungwon repeated, curious.
Kwon scratched his head nervously. "I… I didn't know where to start."
"Take your time," Jungwon said patiently.
"That guy's after me… I mean, he's really wooing me," Kwon admitted, looking down.
"And?" Jungwon prompted.
"I even lied about having a girlfriend, but he didn't buy it. He could tell right away I was lying."
Kwon's voice dropped. "He said he's serious about wooing me."
"Do you like him?" Jungwon asked, eyes searching.
Kwon hesitated. "I'm not even sure about my feelings."
Jungwon smirked. "Well, his friend Sechan just left my place."
"What?!" Kwon exclaimed.
"He's wooing me, too. Just like Tae is doing with you," Jungwon revealed with a laugh.
"Are you for real?" Kwon shouted.
"Do you think they're playing us? Maybe they wanted to have fun before graduation," Kwon speculated.
Jungwon nodded in agreement.
"We should face them and give them a piece of our minds when we get the chance," Jungwon said seriously.
"We can't be played like this," Kwon added, frowning.
"Save that for later. We have to go to school tomorrow," Jungwon said, already feeling sleepy.
"Goodnight," Kwon smiled, watching his friend struggle to keep his eyes open.
"Goodnight," Jungwon whispered, then hung up.
The next morning, Jungwon and Kwon arrived at school.
"We were worried for a moment," the seniors said, glancing at them.
"Jungwon, are you okay? You look pale," one senior asked.
"He's had a fever since yesterday, but he's getting better," Kwon explained.
"You should have stayed home until you were fully better," another senior added.
"I can't bear to skip one more day," Jungwon said with a weak smile.
The seniors understood and nodded.
"Go to class. We'll catch up at break," they told Jungwon and Kwon.
Jungwon fought to stay awake during lessons, but eventually, he nodded off.
Kwon whispered, "You can rest."
Without hesitation, Jungwon bowed his head and slept through the class.
"What's the matter with him?" the teacher asked, pointing at Jungwon.
"He's not feeling well," Kwon replied.
"Once he wakes up, he should visit the nurse," the teacher said.
Kwon nodded. "He will."
Hours later, during lunch break:
"Jungwon, wake up. It's break time. Get up and eat something so you can take your meds," Kwon said gently.
Jungwon stretched and blinked. "Already?"
"How do you feel?"
"Better," Jungwon smiled.
They headed to lunch, where the seniors joined them.
They talked about difficult subjects and how much they struggled.
Then Sechan and Tae appeared.
"I wonder how they even pass the hardest subjects," one senior said, eyeing the two.
"They're blessed with brains. Just naturally smart," another replied.
"I'd love to be their friend, so they'd share some brains with me. But they look scary. Sometimes just saying hi feels like a huge deal," a senior admitted.
"Maybe that's how rich kids are," the other said.
"Guys… I heard they're seeing someone," a senior whispered.
"What?!" Jungwon and Kwon shouted together, startling the seniors.