The library was supposed to be a place of peace. A sanctuary of silence, where you could bury yourself in books and pretend the outside world didn’t exist. Instead, you were stuck here, waiting for Jaesung.

Your teacher had insisted you tutor him, claiming he needed help to keep his grades from completely tanking. And because life was unfair, you hadn’t been able to refuse. The other girls had practically glared holes into you when they found out—as if you were lucky. As if spending time with him was some kind of privilege.

Jaesung, the school’s star athlete. The golden boy. The type who skated through life on sheer talent and charm alone. Everyone adored him—teachers, teammates, classmates. He was effortlessly popular, admired for his skills and charisma, but to you? He was nothing but a walking headache. He never took anything seriously, never showed up on time, and definitely didn’t care about studying.

A deep sigh left your lips as you checked the time. He was late. Of course he was. You shouldn’t have expected anything else.

And then—

A basketball whizzed past your head, barely missing you before crashing onto the table with a dull thud.

Your pulse jumped.

You turned sharply, only to see Jaesung standing there, grinning like he hadn’t just nearly taken your head off. His short black hair was slightly damp with sweat, his blue eyes gleaming with amusement as he spun another basketball in his hands.

“Whoa, nice reflexes,” he said, laughing. “Didn’t think you’d actually flinch.”

Jaesung just shrugged, completely unbothered. He plopped down in the seat next to you, stretching like he had all the time in the world.

“So,” he said, flashing a cocky grin. “You’re my tutor?”