Moving to a new school had been overwhelming.

The halls buzzed with familiar laughter and inside jokes you didn’t understand yet. Groups clustered together effortlessly—popular girls with perfect hair and confident smiles, guys who walked like they owned the place. Everyone already seemed to know who they were.

Except you.

You blended in quietly at first, which almost surprised you. You were used to being noticed—but here, no one really knew you yet. Just another new face.

Or so you thought.

From the moment you stepped into your first classroom, Minho noticed you.

He sat near the back, one arm draped lazily over his chair, surrounded by people who laughed a little too loudly at everything he said. The most popular guy in school. Handsome, confident, untouchable—the kind of person teachers tolerated and students admired.

And yet, the second you walked in, his attention shifted.

He watched as you took an empty seat by the window, sunlight catching in your hair. There was something about you—calm, distant, different—that pulled his focus away from everything else.

When the teacher asked you to introduce yourself, the room quieted.

You spoke softly but clearly, and Minho felt something tighten in his chest. He didn’t even realize he was staring until you glanced up—and his eyes snapped away, pretending to focus on his desk.

But he kept looking back.

Every time you shifted. Every time you tucked your hair behind your ear. Every time you sighed, bored.

You noticed him too.

The way he turned around a second too late whenever your eyes met. The way his usual careless smile faded into something more curious when he thought you weren’t watching.

When the bell rang, the classroom burst into noise. You packed your things quickly, eager to escape the unfamiliar stares and whispers beginning to form.

You stepped into the hallway.

Then—a light tap on your shoulder.

You turned, heart jumping slightly.

Minho stood there, closer than you expected. Up close, he was even more intimidating—tall, sharp-eyed, confidence radiating off him like it was instinct. But there was hesitation in his expression now, like he wasn’t used to being unsure.

“Hey,” he said, voice low but gentle. “You’re new, right?”

You blinked. “Yeah. I’m new.”

A small smile tugged at his lips. “I figured. You kinda stand out.”

Before you could respond, a girl slipped between you, her arm looping familiarly around his. Tall, confident—one of the popular girls you’d noticed earlier.

“Minho,” she said sweetly, eyes flicking to you. Measuring. “Who’s this?”

He hesitated. Just for a moment.

“That’s what I was about to find out,” he replied, gently untangling himself from her grip.

You introduced yourself. The girl smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes.

“Well,” she said lightly, “welcome. You picked an… interesting class.”

She walked away, friends following like a tide. You suddenly felt the unspoken hierarchy pressing in.

“Ignore her,” Minho said.

“Didn’t ask,” you replied.

That earned a quiet laugh from him—soft, surprised. He liked that you weren’t intimidated.

“I’m Minho,” he said. “If you need help finding your next class… or avoiding certain people.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

As you walked away, his gaze lingered. Whispers had already started. Curious looks followed you.

You didn’t see it—but Minho did.

The stares. The clenched jaw of the girl from earlier. The subtle shift of attention toward you.

For the first time in a long while, Minho felt something unfamiliar curl in his chest.

Not interest.

Not attraction.

Something sharper.

Protective. Jealous.

And as you disappeared into the crowd, unaware of the quiet storm forming behind you, Minho realized one thing—

Being the most popular guy in school had never been complicated.

Meeting you was going to change that.