At Seoul High, the soccer field is more than just a place for sports—it’s where reputations are built and hearts quietly shift. Hwang Hyunjin, 18, is the school’s star senior player: tall, coldly handsome, admired by everyone, and dating Jihyo, a girl known as much for her flirtatious smile as for her cutting tongue.

Seungmin, 17, a bubbly junior troublemaker who doesn’t hide the fact that he’s into men, doesn’t even know Hyunjin exists—until Wooyoung drags him, Sunoo, Jihyun, and Bambam up to the top bleachers to cheer for San. From that high vantage point, Seungmin’s gaze lands on Hyunjin in motion—sharp, elegant, untouchable. He doesn’t know about the girlfriend yet, and in the crowd’s roar, a quiet curiosity sparks.

But when the game ends, and San brings Hyunjin over to their group—girlfriend included—Seungmin’s groan says more than words.

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Chapter

The sun was setting low, painting the soccer field in a golden haze. The bleachers rattled with cheers and stomping feet as Seoul High’s senior team warmed up. Wooyoung was practically bouncing out of his seat, hands cupped around his mouth as he shouted San’s name.

“Yah, Wooyoung, calm down,” Bambam groaned, tugging his hoodie tighter around his head. “We came here for moral support, not to go deaf.”

Wooyoung ignored him. He dragged Sunoo, Jihyun, Bambam, and Seungmin all the way to the top section of the bleachers—the platform that gave the best view. Seungmin leaned against the railing, fiddling with a bag of chips he’d smuggled in.

The game started. The ball flew across the field, cleats scraping the turf. And then—Seungmin saw him.

Number 7. Tall, lean, hair falling into his eyes as he cut across the field with precision. Every step seemed effortless, every move elegant yet strong. The sound of the crowd rose whenever his foot touched the ball.

Seungmin’s eyes lingered. Too long. He nudged Wooyoung with his elbow, pointing toward the player. “Who is that?” he asked, his voice a little too casual.

Wooyoung followed his gaze, then smirked. “That? That’s Hwang Hyunjin. Star of the team. Best friend of my boyfriend, actually.”

Seungmin tilted his head, watching Hyunjin sprint down the line before sending the ball soaring perfectly across the field. “Does he have a girlfriend or boyfriend?”

“Yeah, he does,” Wooyoung said. “A girlfriend.”

Seungmin groaned, dragging a hand down his face dramatically. “Figures.”

Sunoo chuckled beside him. “Seungmin-ah, you were already planning your wedding, weren’t you?”

“Shut up,” Seungmin muttered, but his eyes still found Hyunjin, following the sharp lines of his shoulders, the way his jaw tensed when he shouted at a teammate. Something in his chest tugged.

The game ended with Seoul High’s win. The players jogged off the field, sweat glistening, cheers following them like a tide. San spotted Wooyoung on the platform and waved, beaming. Wooyoung nearly fell over the railing trying to wave back.

And then, San wasn’t alone. Hyunjin came up beside him, pulling his jersey off to wipe his face, his expression unreadable. And walking just behind him—Jihyo. Her arm hooked easily around his, her smile too sweet, too practiced.

Wooyoung tugged the group forward as San and Hyunjin climbed the steps toward them. Seungmin swallowed, his stomach twisting. He’d asked the question, and now he saw the answer in real life: the way Jihyo leaned into Hyunjin like she owned him, the way Hyunjin didn’t shake her off.

When they finally reached the top, San immediately wrapped Wooyoung into a hug, kissing the side of his head. Hyunjin gave a curt nod to the group, eyes flicking over Seungmin for just a second—long enough to make Seungmin’s heart skip.

“This is my girlfriend, Jihyo,” Hyunjin said flatly, gesturing to the girl still holding onto his arm. She gave them all a once-over, her smirk landing squarely on Seungmin.