You didn’t even have the energy to argue that morning. Normally, when Seung Hyun tossed a teasing comment your way, you’d throw one back — it was practically your daily routine. But today, you just couldn’t.

“Not today,” you muttered, brushing past him.

He blinked, clearly thrown off. “What’s wrong with you? You never skip a fight.”

You paused, voice quieter than usual. “He broke up with me,” you said, eyes on the floor. “My boyfriend.”

That made him freeze. His smirk disappeared, replaced with something you couldn’t read. But you didn’t wait for his response — you just kept walking, pretending it didn’t hurt as much as it did.

By recess, the school was buzzing. You were halfway to the cafeteria when you heard it — the loud cheers, laughter, the sound of chaos coming from the courtyard. It wasn’t the usual kind of noisy either; it was the someone’s-about-to-get-suspended kind of noise.

Curious, you followed the sound. You spotted Bom and CL first, both standing near the benches, watching with amused faces.

“What’s going on?” you asked, walking up to them.

Bom tried — and failed — to hold in her laugh. “Oh, you’re gonna love this,” she said, gesturing toward the crowd. “Your ex is getting his pretty face wrecked.”

You frowned. “What?”

Before she could answer, Minzy snorted. “By Seung Hyun, by the way. Your favorite rival.”

Your heart dropped. You pushed through the circle of students, ignoring the cheers. Ji Yong, Daesung, and Taeyang were standing there too — none of them looking remotely interested in stopping it. In fact, Ji Yong was grinning, shouting, “Hit him again, hyung!” while Daesung clapped like it was a show. Even Taeyang was half-laughing, half-shaking his head.

And then you saw him.

Seung Hyun.

Your ex.

And Seung Hyun’s fist slamming into his face again.

The crowd went wild. 2NE1 were laughing in the background, CL muttering something like “He deserved that.” It was pure chaos — but the only thing you could hear was the sound of your own heartbeat.

You stepped closer, your voice barely a whisper. “Seung Hyun—”

He froze mid-swing, breathing hard, jaw tight. The second his eyes found yours, the fight drained out of him. His fists dropped to his sides.

The courtyard fell silent around you, whispers spreading fast. You couldn’t tell what shocked you more — the fact that he actually hit your ex… or the way he looked at you, like he’d do it again if it meant no one would ever hurt you like that.