The next day at Crestwood High, Yuki marched into class with a mission:
To pretend the nickname "shortcake" did NOT live in her head rent-free.
She plopped into her seat, pulled out her notebook, and muttered,
"No. I refuse. I am not a dessert."
Her best friend Mina raised an eyebrow.
"What did you eat for breakfast?"
"Respect," Yuki said proudly. "And then it got taken away by a tall boy."
Before Mina could interrogate her, the classroom door opened.
And in walked Jenwoo.
The chatter died down instantly — that always happened when he entered a room. He walked with quiet confidence, books in hand, looking way too perfect for 8 a.m.
Yuki quickly looked down at her desk.
Not because she was shy.
Because she wasn't ready for his teasing again.
But of course…
He chose the seat diagonally behind her.
He never sat there before.
Mina leaned over and whispered,
"That's new."
"Coincidence," Yuki whispered back.
"Uh-huh," Mina smirked.
Yuki ignored her. Mostly because she could feel Jenwoo's gaze on her hair. Or maybe she imagined it. Or maybe—
Oh no. She dropped her pencil.
It rolled across the floor… and stopped right at Jenwoo's shoe.
Great. Perfect. Why was gravity her enemy?
Before she could move, Jenwoo leaned down and picked it up.
He tapped her shoulder gently.
When she turned, he held out the pencil.
"You dropped this. Again."
She took it, cheeks puffing.
"You don't have to say 'again.' Let me be elegant at least once in life."
He gave a small smile. "Noted."
But he didn't look away.
Yuki blinked. "What? Is there something on my face?"
"Yeah," he said softly. "Your sticker."
"My—what?!"
She slapped her cheek, panicking.
There was indeed a tiny star sticker on her face from her planner.
Jenwoo chuckled.
"You're interesting, you know that?"
Yuki stared at him.
"No one has ever said that to me without sounding confused."
"I didn't sound confused," he replied.
He didn't.
He sounded… sincere.
She quickly turned away, kicking her feet under the desk to hide the flutter in her stomach.
---
✨ Lunch Break
Yuki and Mina sat under the big oak tree, eating sandwiches and laughing about random nonsense. Yuki had just taken a huge bite when she noticed a group of girls giggling near the basketball court.
They weren't giggling at the court.
They were giggling at Jenwoo, who was practicing free throws with his team.
"Ugh," Mina muttered. "There's his fan club."
Yuki shrugged.
"He's tall and smart and rich. Girls like that."
One girl from the group — tall, pretty, famous-for-no-reason Hana — suddenly ran up to him with a bottle of water.
"Jenwoo! You looked thirsty," she said dramatically.
Yuki snorted.
"Okay relax, Miss Hydration."
But then…
Jenwoo's eyes shifted away from Hana.
And looked straight at Yuki.
Right across the field.
Yuki froze mid-bite.
Jenwoo's lips lifted slightly.
He noticed her.
From that far.
With that many people around.
Hana followed his gaze, saw Yuki… and instantly glared.
Mina leaned close.
"Ohhhh. Someone is jealous."
"Who? Me? No, I'm just… confused," Yuki argued, stuffing more sandwich into her mouth.
But her heart knew.
Something was changing.
Jenwoo wasn't just noticing her.
He was choosing to notice her...