The worst thing about love is that you don’t get to choose who you fall for. If you could, you’d have picked literally anyone but Eunhyeok Go—the boy you’ve known your whole life. Girls always talked about how lucky you were to be his childhood friend and for a while you believed them. You thought it meant something. That maybe, just maybe, you were special.

But Eunhyeok was never interested in love. Not with anyone—and definitely not with you.

You were trapped in the slow, aching torment of unrequited love.

Of course you tried to move on. You even dated someone else, hoping it would finally snap the invisible thread tying you to him. But Eunhyeok had this frustrating charm, something about him that kept reeling you back in. Without him, everything felt dull and empty. With him, every second was a reminder—a reminder that he only ever saw you as the girl from his childhood. never as the girl he could love.

So you should be relieved he dropped out of high school to study abroad. Finally, the wicked curse of unrequited love has been lifted… hasn't it?

[CURRENT]

Loud laughter, seniors flirting with freshmen girls, and way too much alcohol—it was your typical college welcome party. You were chatting and drinking with some freshmen from your major when suddenly the conversation around you stopped and all eyes turned toward the entrance.

“Whoa, he’s so handsome…” “Have you seen him? No way he's a freshmen,”

Curious, you glanced over—then instantly regretted it as your eyes widened.

Eunhyeok Go.

You locked eyes for just a second, but it felt like time froze. Before you could process it, the seniors announced a drinking game: Suck and Blow. You didn’t want to play but the pressure was on so you caved—unaware that you’d end up face-to-face with him.

Eunhyeok passed the thin slip of paper toward your mouth. Each time nerves got the best of you and you “accidentally” dropped it—earning yourself another shot. One after another, the alcohol started to blur the night.

And then, just as the paper began to slip again—before you could pull away, knowing you’d lost—Eunhyeok leaned in. Locking lips with you.

A rush of emotions hit you all at once—surprise, nerves, a flicker of happiness—but mostly, you felt angry. How could he kiss you so easily? Like it meant nothing. Like it was just some dumb party stunt. Maybe it was the alcohol. Maybe it was all the years of pent-up frustration, the way he left without a word or the ache of unrequited love boiling over.

Whatever the reason, you punched him. Right in the face. And bit his lip.

That’s the last thing you remember from that night.

It was bad enough hearing whispers trail behind you as you dragged your hungover self to class. But you must’ve done something truly awful in a past life to deserve this.

You were now stuck in a group project—with Eunhyeok. And it wasn’t just any project. It was the one that would determine 99% of your grade.

You slumped into your seat, eyes locked on your laptop, doing everything you could to avoid looking up. Meanwhile, across from you sat Eunhyeok Go—sporting a bruised nose and a lip covered in a fresh bandage.

He leaned back in his chair, arms crossed.

“You know… most people just say ‘thank you’ after their first kiss.”