Ji Hyun came to class early that morning.
Unusual for him.
He didn't even stop by the canteen or wait for Hyun Soo like usual—he just walked into the room, dropped his bag by the desk near the window, and slouched forward with his head on the cold wood.
Maybe if he closed his eyes, the buzzing in his chest would quiet down.
It didn't.
He could still remember Haeri laughing.
Ji Yong smirking.
And that ridiculous box of chocolate-dipped strawberries still sitting untouched on the table like some silent punchline.
He sighed and pressed his forehead deeper against the desk.
Other students trickled in. The scraping of chairs, the flipping of notebooks, a few conversations here and there—but Ji Hyun tuned it all out.
He didn't want to talk. Or think. Or remember how stupid he felt yesterday.
He just wanted silence.
But silence never lasted long around Ji Yong.
He heard him before he saw him.
The faint shuffle of polished shoes. The soft creak of a chair being pulled back—his chair. Ji Yong always moved like he didn't care who noticed him, but Ji Hyun always noticed anyway.
Ji Hyun didn't lift his head.
He didn't need to.
He could feel it.
Ji Yong's presence.
Settling beside him like static electricity—quiet but charged.
A pause.
Then, a low hum broke the silence.
Ji Hyun's fingers twitched.
And then—
🎵 "Strawberry lips and secrets sweet..." 🎵
The singing was soft, low, almost lazy. Like Ji Yong was humming to himself—except Ji Hyun knew better. Every word was aimed directly at him.
🎵 "Still pretending not to eat..." 🎵
Ji Hyun's knuckles tightened beneath the desk.
🎵 "I brought it for someone cold..." 🎵
🎵 "But I guess I gave it to a ghost~" 🎵
Ji Yong stopped there. The air stilled.
Ji Hyun didn't move.
He didn't look.
But something in his chest twisted.
Mocking?
No—teasing.
Worse.
Ji Yong didn't say anything else at first. He just leaned back in his seat with that same impossible calm, as if nothing had happened yesterday. As if Ji Hyun walking out hadn't meant anything at all.
Then he shifted.
And something rustled.
Ji Hyun's eyes flicked sideways.
A small, clear container. Condensation beading on the lid.
Strawberries.
Not chocolate-dipped this time. Just fresh.
Red. Cut clean. Arranged neatly like it mattered to him.
Ji Hyun stiffened.
His heart pounded once—just once—but it was loud in his ears.
Ji Yong popped the lid with a click. The faint smell of fruit hit the air—sweet, sharp, nostalgic.
Ji Yong didn't look at him.
Not yet.
He just picked one out. Slow. Careless. Like this wasn't deliberate.
And then he finally turned his head—just slightly.
Enough that Ji Hyun could feel his eyes.
Ji Yong took the strawberry, held it between two fingers, and bit into it.
The soft sound—the crunch, the pull—made Ji Hyun's throat tighten.
He swallowed.
Nothing was in his mouth, but he swallowed.
Ji Yong chewed slowly, eyes flickering to the side.
"You're not curious?" he asked.
Ji Hyun kept his expression cold, but his voice didn't come immediately. It took effort to speak.
"Are you always this annoying?"
Ji Yong gave a soft chuckle, his tone playful, eyes gleaming. "Only to people who make that face when I eat."
Ji Hyun jerked his gaze away. "You're imagining things."
"Oh?" Ji Yong leaned in just a little—not enough to cross the line, but enough to make Ji Hyun aware of every breath between them.
"You looked."
Ji Hyun stared hard at the window.
"You swallowed when I bit into it," Ji Yong added, voice lower now.
Ji Hyun snapped his eyes back. "I didn't."
Ji Yong raised an eyebrow, lips curling into a smirk. "I should keep a camera next time."
Ji Hyun opened his mouth to retort—but then Ji Yong, without breaking eye contact, plucked another strawberry from the box.
Held it up.
The sun caught the juice clinging to its edge.
He didn't say anything this time.
Just held it there—offering it.
Ji Hyun didn't take it.
Didn't flinch either.
The tension sat thick between them, stretched like a wire.
The classroom was slowly filling up, but this moment felt detached from the world.
The bell rang.
Ji Yong popped the strawberry into his mouth and leaned back in his seat, chewing slowly.
Ji Hyun looked forward again, eyes hard.
But even then—even as the teacher entered, even as the lesson began—he could still feel the sound of that bite echoing under his skin.
_____________________________________________________________
The streets were quiet when Ji Hyun left school.
A pale evening sun dipped behind the rooftops, painting long shadows on the pavement. There was no Hyun Soo waiting for him by the gates. No chatter. No easy excuse to get lost in someone else's words.
Hyun Soo was sick today.
So Ji Hyun walked alone.
And as he turned onto the street that led home, he heard the one sound he didn't want to hear.
Footsteps.
Light. Unhurried.
Familiar.
Ji Yong.
Ji Hyun didn't look back.
He kept walking.
Straight lines.
Tight fists.
Head down.
He thought if he didn't acknowledge him, maybe Ji Yong would just disappear.
But he didn't.
After half a block of silence, Ji Yong's voice floated forward, low and annoyingly cheerful.
"You always walk this fast?"
Ji Hyun didn't answer.
"I mean, I'm not complaining. The view from here isn't bad."
Still nothing.
Ji Yong chuckled to himself, then added, "Do you always clench your fists like that when I'm around? Cute."
Ji Hyun came to a sharp stop.
He turned around slowly, eyes dark with quiet fire.
"Stop following me."
Ji Yong didn't look remotely guilty. He just leaned forward slightly, hands in his pockets, smirking. "That's the fourth time you've said that to me. I'm starting to think you don't mean it."
"I do."
"You sure? Because you keep letting me catch up."
Ji Hyun's face twisted. "What do you want from me?"
Ji Yong tilted his head. "Nothing."
"Then stop—stop teasing, stop showing up everywhere, stop acting like you know me."
Ji Yong blinked.
Ji Hyun's voice cracked as he continued, his chest rising. "You don't. You don't know me."
"I know you fake sleep during club," Ji Yong replied lightly. "I know you tap your fingers when you're nervous. I know strawberries used to be your favorite. I know—"
"Shut up."
Ji Hyun stepped closer.
It wasn't loud.
But it cut through the air like a blade.
Ji Yong's smile faltered, just for a second.
Then came back—smaller. Tighter.
Ji Hyun spoke again, voice low, fierce. "In this life... the one thing I truly hate—is you."
There was no dramatic pause. No loud music. Just breath and truth.
"I hate the way you talk. The way you look at me. The way you twist everything into some stupid game."
Ji Yong was quiet now.
And Ji Hyun's chest heaved as he added, almost breathlessly, "So don't follow me. Don't laugh like it means nothing. And don't think for a second that I won't mean it if I say I want you gone."
He turned sharply, walking away, breathing harder than before.
The silence was deeper this time.
But it didn't last.
Just as he reached the corner—
"Ji Hyun."
The voice was quieter now. Less teasing.
"For how long have you liked her?"
Ji Hyun stopped.
His entire body locked up.
He didn't turn.
Didn't speak.
But his shoulders gave him away—just slightly trembling.
"I wonder," Ji Yong said casually, "how long you've been hiding it. A month? Longer?"
Ji Hyun slowly turned his head. Just enough to speak.
"That's none of your business."
Ji Yong's eyes narrowed slightly. "Maybe. Or maybe I just want to know how serious my competition is."
Ji Hyun's brows twitched. "You're not serious."
"About her?" Ji Yong tilted his head. "Maybe I am."
Ji Hyun laughed—dry, bitter. "You don't care about her. You're just messing with her. With me."
Ji Yong didn't deny it.
That made it worse.
"Why are you like this?" Ji Hyun asked. His voice wasn't angry anymore—it was tired. "Do you really hate me that much?"
Ji Yong looked at him, unreadable.
"I like her."
That was all he said.
And Ji Hyun...
He didn't know what he felt in that moment.
Just that it was loud. And tight. And sinking.
He looked at Ji Yong and saw someone who had too much power over something he didn't deserve to touch.
"Don't use her," Ji Hyun said quietly. "Not because of me."
Ji Yong didn't answer right away.
Then came the soft reply.
"But I would love to."
Something in Ji Hyun snapped.
He stepped forward and pushed him.
Harder than before.
Ji Yong took a step back, caught off guard—but didn't stumble far.
He straightened, blinking once.
Ji Hyun said nothing.
Didn't look at him again.
He turned and walked away.
Fast.
Steady.
But his heart wasn't.
And somewhere in the quiet behind him, Ji Yong's voice from days ago echoed in his mind—
"If you push me... I might take everything."
⸻