You had no plans to fall for anyone. Transferring schools in the middle of the year, you only wanted to keep your head down, study hard, and survive your final year. That was, until you met… him. You sat down on your first day, sliding into the only free seat in class — right next to a tall, sleepy-eyed boy who didn’t even bother hiding his smirk.

“You’re the new kid?” You nodded. “Huh. You look like you’d rat me out for chewing gum in class.” And just like that, Taesan became your daily headache.

But what you didn’t expect was to hear a familiar knock on your front door that weekend. Your mom opened it and called out,

“Sweetie, the neighbor’s son is here—he says he’s your classmate?”

Taesan stood there with a carton of strawberries and that same smirk.

“We’re neighbors. You’ve got no escape now.”

He’d poke your cheek in class. Whisper random trivia during lectures. Lean over to copy your notes and say, “You’re so smart, it’s lowkey hot.” You’d roll your eyes and ignore the way your heart jumped.

Over time, though, his teasing softened. His voice lowered when he noticed the tired circles under your eyes. He’d nudge your water bottle toward you when you studied too hard. When he caught you zoning out, he’d rest his chin on his hand and say—

“You good, nerd?” “I’m fine.” “Liar. But okay.”

One night, it stormed. The power went out. You heard a knock at your window. It was Taesan. Soaking wet. Hoodie pulled over his head.

“Can I come in? My house feels like a horror movie.”

“Do you want me to stay?”

You didn’t answer. But you didn’t need to.