Liking someone is like a temporary insanity
- but somehow, it feels sane
Y/N POV:
"I woke up to an unusual silence - no alarm blaring, no mom's voice calling out. I checked the time; it was only 5:00 AM. I tried to drift back to sleep, but my mind was wide awake.
"Ahhh, the new Y/N is born," I muttered to the ceiling, grinning.Who knew I could wake up before noon without a threat of bodily harm? My mood shot up instantly-partly because of the novelty, mostly because today, I'd see *him* again. I bragged about it on group chat, but crickets - guess everyone else is still dreaming."
I came downstairs after my shower, and Mom froze mid-pour, her coffee kettle hovering over the cup like she'd just seen a ghost.
"Are you sick?" she blurted, eyes wide.
I couldn't blame her. I was the type of person who showed up late even on exam days. Waking up early? Voluntarily? This was basically an alien invasion in her eyes. "Nope, just reborn as a morning person," I said, snagging a piece of Cake from the fridge.
I helped her with breakfast, then quickly changed into my uniform upstairs. After fueling up, I walked over to Nari's house.
__
Today, the teacher rearranged our seating, but our seatmates remained the same. The warning was clear: "We won't separate those who sit together, but if you're disobedient, we'll reconsider." Luckily, Jay and his friend sat directly behind and to the side of us, and Haerin and Juhee took their seats in front of us.
Math class was never fun-but with Miss Bok at the helm, it was even more torturous. The woman was a legend in the worst way possible.Nobody liked her. Nobody even pretended to.
As usual,Nari and I treated class like our personal chatroom, while whispering and passing doodles.I caught a glimpse of Jake's handsome friend, who was surprisingly focused on the lesson.Ugh. How boring could one person be?
Before we knew it, Miss Bok's piercing gaze landed on us. "Those two-Bae Nari and Kim Y/N-get out!"Miss Bok's voice cut through the room like a rusty saw.
We didn't hesitate to get out of our seats. Soon after, Haerin and Juhee followed suit, playing along with our usual routine - if one of us got kicked out, we'd all pretend to get kicked out too.
A hot wave of embarrassment crashed over me.What must he think of me now? I didn't care about others' opinions-but his? I think i really like him ..
When the teachers disappeared, i turned to my friends "I have something to confess," I whispered urgently. Haerin rolled her eyes. "Just say it. Don't do that dramatic 'I-have-something-to-say' nonsense." I took a shaky breath."I... I think I have a crush on that new boy," I mumbled, *pointing discreetly in his direction.*
Nari burst out laughing."Hah! I knew it! The way you stared at him yesterday-" . My finger was still outstretched when he suddenly looked up. I freaked out "That's also-and that's too-and that's-that's-" I swung my pointing finger wildly at random objects: a chalkboard, a backpack, a half-eaten sandwich.
My friends doubled over laughing, clutching their stomachs.
"Ohhh, Y/N," Haerin wheezed, tears in her eyes. "That blush makes you look like a scared monkey!". I was so embarassed.
Haerin leaned in with a smirk, lowering her voice to a dramatic whisper."His name is Park Sung-hoon. Jay's best friend-and apparently some kind of academic genius."
My eyebrows shot up."How do you even know that?"
She twirled her phone triumphantly."Jay and I text. Obviously." As if that explained everything. "He said Sung-hoon, Jungwon, and Heeseung are all tight. Oh, and-" She paused for effect, eyes glinting. "I think Jay also like me too."
Lunch was a sacred ritual of stolen fries and exaggerated gossip-until *they* appeared.
Sung-hoon and his friend stood near the vending machines, surrounded by girls from another class. One giggled while twirling her hair.
"Are they not ashamed of themselves?" I muttered, stabbing my kimchi with unnecessary force.
Nari followed my glare and grinned. "Ohhh, someone's *jealous*-"
"I'm not!" My voice cracked. "I just think public displays of desperation should be illegal."
Sunoo, ever the agent of chaos, leaned in. "Y/N, your face is doing that thing where it looks like you swallowed a lemon." They teased me nonstop while we ate.
After lunch, Jake announced he needed to go to the library.Everyone else bailed immediately-"I'd rather eat cafeteria mayo," Nari declared.
Jake's grip on my wrist was ironclad. "You're my emotional support human," he declared, dragging me toward the library like a hostage.I hated libraries.
Sure, I loved reading, but the oppressive silence always made me feel like I'd get *shushed into another dimension* just for breathing too loud.
When we got there, I saw Sung-hoon and Heesung studying away. I grabbed a book and sat down across from them, while Jake searched for his own stuff. I snuck peeks at Sung-hoon from behind my book.
"Wow, staring so hard your eyeballs might fall out?"Jake stage-whispered, leaning into my space with a shit-eating grin.I elbowed him away, face burning. "Shut up. You're blocking my view," I muttered, desperately trying to peer around his shoulder.
He grabbed my wrist, saying, "Let's go, I'm in a hurry." I protested, "Wait, I can't see! Go ahead, I'll follow you.""
When I looked up again,he was gone. I walked over to his seat and sat down in his chair, closing my eyes to catch a whiff of his lingering scent. "Mmm, it smells so good," I breathed. But when I opened my eyes, my heart skipped a beat - Sung-hoon was staring right at me, his gaze locked on my face.
*Oh my god, what do I say? Help!!!!!* "That's my seat." His voice-god, his voice-was like dark honey poured over gravel. Low. Smooth. Dangerous.
"Ahh... uhh... sit! I think-nobody sits?" I stammered, I awkwardly poked my tongue out-a stupid habit I couldn't control-before I launched myself upright, chair screeching like a betrayed cat. I didn't look back.I ran.
I didn't stop running until I reached the classroom door.
I slumped against the classroom door, thumping my forehead against it rhythmically. *Thunk. Thunk. Thunk.*
Look at her, Juhee," Nari's voice cut through my misery. "Does she think she's a bull practicing headbutts?"I peeled my face off the door to see them doubled over laughing, Nari clutching Juhee's arm for balance. I caved and told them everything-the chair, the scent, the sprint of shame. Their laughter escalated to wheezing.
"You're peak stupidity,"Juhee wheezed, wiping laugh-tears from her eyes. "I wish I was there! Sunghoon's amazed face-he probably thinks you're mentally unstable!"
Nari hip-checked me, grinning. "So? Were you embarrassed? Just a little?" *Was I? *
Sure, I was shy-but embarrassed? I shook my head hard enough to rattle my brain.
Juhee snorted. "Even with a crush, you've got zero shame. Iconic."
The warning bell rang. Nari grabbed my wrist, dragging me toward class. "C'mon, disaster bisexual. Your future ex-husband awaits."
__
When the last bell rang, we quickly packed our bags. "Let's go to my house today," I suggested, but first, we had a plan. We followed Sung-hoon secretly, and what we discovered blew our minds - we live on the same street! His house is actually pretty close to mine.