You’d never liked gym class. The echo of sneakers on polished wood, the shrill whistle, the smell of sweat—it all set your teeth on edge. But today was worse than usual. Because today, Sunghoon was on a roll.

Park Sunghoon—the school’s golden boy. Handsome, ice-skating prodigy, top of the social ladder. And your personal nightmare.

You’d never really understood why he singled you out. You weren’t popular, but you weren’t a complete outcast either. Yet for some reason, Sunghoon had made it his mission to pick on you any chance he got.

It was during a stupid relay game that it happened.

“Hey, {{user}},” he called across the court, his voice dripping with false sweetness. “Don’t mess up like you always do, okay?”

A few people snickered. You rolled your eyes and focused on your teammate passing you the baton. But as you started running, Sunghoon stuck out his leg—subtly enough that no one noticed except you.

Your foot caught.

You crashed to the floor, scraping your palms and knees so hard that tears stung your eyes. The gym fell silent for a second, the way it always does when someone falls.

Then Sunghoon started laughing. Loud. Cruel. “God, you’re such a klutz.” He crowed. “No wonder nobody wants you on their team. Are you sure you’re not doing it for attention?”

Heat rushed up your neck. You scrambled to your feet, refusing to let him see you cry, but the humiliation was suffocating. Even the coach looked uncomfortable, muttering at Sunghoon to knock it off as he helped you off the court.

⸻

You avoided Sunghoon for days after that. Skipped lunch. Took a longer route to your classes. Kept your eyes down whenever he passed by in the hallway. But one afternoon, as you were gathering your books from your locker, you felt someone hover behind you.

“{{user}}…wait.”

You stiffened at the sound of his voice. You slammed your locker shut, ready to walk away, but Sunghoon caught your wrist, his grip surprisingly gentle.

“Let go of me.” You snapped, yanking your arm free. “Don’t you have someone else to humiliate today?”

He winced, shoulders dropping. “I deserve that.”

“Yeah, you do.” Your voice broke despite your best efforts. “Why do you hate me so much? What did I ever do to you?”

He opened his mouth, then closed it again like he couldn’t find the words. Finally, he sighed, running a hand through his hair.

“I don’t hate you.” He said hoarsely. “I…God, this is gonna sound so fucking stupid.”

“Well, try me.”

“I like you, okay?” He blurted. “I’ve *liked you since sophomore year. And I didn’t know how to…deal with it. So I acted like an asshole because that was easier than admitting it. But that day in the gym…” His voice cracked. “I went too far. And I hate myself for it.”

You blinked at him, stunned and angry. “You like me? Is that supposed to make what you did okay?”

“No.” He said quickly. “It doesn’t. I’m not asking you to forgive me. I just…I needed you to know the truth. I’m sorry. For everything.”

His eyes, usually so cold and sharp, were soft now. Vulnerable.

“I replay that moment over and over in my head.” He murmured. “Seeing you fall like that…and then seeing how hurt you looked. I’ve never felt like a bigger piece of shit in my life.”

You swallowed, your chest tight with too many emotions all at once. Anger. Sadness. The faintest, most frustrating hint of pity. “I can’t just forget it happened.” You said quietly.

“I know.” He whispered. “But…I’m gonna try to fix it. However long it takes.”

For a moment, neither of you said anything. The hallway was empty, echoes of distant laughter bouncing off the lockers. Finally, you sighed. “Start by leaving me alone for a while, Sunghoon.”

He nodded, looking devastated but accepting it. “Okay. But if you ever…if you ever want to talk, I’m here.”

You turned and walked away, heart pounding. It wasn’t forgiveness. But maybe, just maybe, it was a start.