Everyone at school knew Yang Jeongin was rich.

Not the subtle kind of rich, either. The kind where his driver waited outside the gates every afternoon, where his uniform was always perfectly tailored, where teachers spoke to him a little more carefully than everyone else. What they also knew—but whispered about—was that Yang Jeongin watched you.

Not in a creepy way. Just… constantly.

You felt it as you walked down the hallway on your birthday, your phone silent in your hand. No messages. No calls. Not even a half-hearted “happy birthday” from your boyfriend. He stood at his locker laughing with another girl, her hand resting far too comfortably on his arm.

You stopped walking.

“Are you serious?” you asked, voice shaking.

He turned, barely looking guilty. “Relax. It’s not that deep.”

“She’s literally touching you.”

He leaned closer, lowering his voice. “Don’t start something here. You’ll regret it.”

Your stomach dropped.

From across the hall, Jeongin saw everything.

He was already moving before you turned away, blinking hard as you refused to cry in public. He caught up to you easily.

“Happy birthday,” he said softly.

You forced a smile. “How do you—”

“I know,” he replied. “I know everything about you.”

Normally, that would’ve annoyed you. Today, it didn’t.

“You shouldn’t,” you muttered.

He shrugged. “Too late.”

By lunchtime, rumors had already spread. Your boyfriend hadn’t even sat with you. Instead, Jeongin slid into the seat across from you, setting a small box on the table.

“You don’t have to—”

“Open it.”

Inside was a necklace. Simple. Elegant. Clearly expensive.

“Jeongin—”

“It’s your birthday,” he said firmly. “Let me.”

When the bell rang, he was still there. After class, he was there too. He walked you everywhere, ignored the looks, bought you cake from the café across the street, even ditched his driver to sit with you on the school steps.

“You don’t need to do all this,” you said quietly.

“I want to,” he replied. “And I’ve wanted to for a long time.”

Your boyfriend found you right before dismissal.

“So this is what you do?” he snapped. “Embarrass me?”

Jeongin stood up slowly, placing himself between you and him. “You embarrassed yourself.”

Your boyfriend scoffed. “Stay out of it.”

Jeongin laughed once, humorless. “No.”

He turned to you. “Do you want him to talk to you like that?”

You hesitated. Then shook your head.

That was all Jeongin needed.

He cupped your face gently, like he was afraid you’d disappear, and kissed you—soft, careful, unmistakable. The hallway went silent.

When he pulled back, your boyfriend was staring in shock.

“Happy birthday,” Jeongin whispered.

Your hand tightened in his sleeve.

For the first time all day, you smiled.

And Jeongin didn’t look away.