Because It’s My First LoveW. Kkot Seoryeong
“Hey.”
Huh? Wait… Should I be using formal or casual speech right now?
My hand, still clutching the rooftop door handle, started trembling slightly.
From the school uniform, he looked like he was my age—or maybe younger.
But the vibe he gave off was way beyond any high schooler cramming for college exams.
“You got a light?”
A… light?
Wait, is he a high schooler who smokes?!
Caught off guard, I just stared at him blankly.
After a short pause, he asked again, this time sounding annoyed.
“I said, do you have one or not?”
I quickly shook my head.
Of course I didn’t.
As soon as he realized I didn’t have one, he looked away disinterestedly.
“Um… smoking’s bad for you.
And you’re still a student, right? You know it’s illegal under nineteen?”
His gaze snapped back to me, sharp and cold.
He looked… annoyed. Very.
Crap. Should’ve kept my mouth shut.
That expression alone made me want to crawl into a hole.
Still—he was really handsome.
So handsome, I felt like maybe I should forgive him for being rude.
And then…
He started walking toward me.
Closer… and closer…
“What do you think I am, exactly?”
His presence was overwhelming, and before I knew it, my eyes dropped to the ground and my shoulders tensed up.
Did I say something wrong?
His face was unreadable—cold, indifferent.
I couldn’t tell if he was actually mad or just being dramatic.
Then, a sigh from above.
“…I’m not trying to smoke.”
Oh?
I looked up as if to ask, Then what?
He gave me a face like, Why do I even have to explain this?
Then shook his head and reluctantly answered.
“…I was going to burn something.”
“Burn… something?”
Unlike before, he didn’t answer immediately.
What, is he lying now?
Just as that thought crossed my mind, he cut me off.
“No, I’m not.”
I scanned him up and down, curious—then I saw the paper in his hand.
Not a plain A4 sheet—more like… nice stationery?
Who writes letters these days?
Noticing my gaze, he quickly hid the paper behind his back.
“Anyway. So you don’t have a lighter.”
“Uh… yeah. I mean, no. I mean, right.”
He crumpled the paper and shoved it into his pocket like it was nothing,
then walked right past me and out the rooftop door.
Only after he disappeared did my shoulders finally relax.
‘I guess… he doesn’t remember me?’
-
I’d meant to hang out on the rooftop for a while, but
before I knew it, too much time had passed.
I rushed to class and arrived at 3-3 just before first period.
At the door, a teacher was waiting.
“I’m so sorry! I must be really late!”
Still catching my breath, I bent forward and apologized.
The homeroom teacher smiled kindly and said,
“It’s your first day—it’s okay to be a little late.”
He even offered words of encouragement.
Nice. I lucked out with this teacher.
At my last school, which was a prestigious foreign language high school,
the competition was brutal and my homeroom teacher was the worst.
He was bald, always nitpicked our test scores,
and compared me endlessly to Kang, who was always ranked first.
I’d transferred schools by choice.
I figured a general high school would be less stressful.
And besides—no more bald Mr. Nightmare.
Seeing the new teacher's friendly face, I felt strangely optimistic.
“Alright then, shall we head in?”
“Yes!”
The moment I stepped inside the classroom,
everyone’s eyes followed me straight to the front.
“This is the new transfer student.”
As soon as the teacher introduced me, all eyes shifted from him to me.
Introducing myself in front of everyone… yeah, I was nervous.
“H-hi. I’m Yoon Suhyeon, and I transferred from the National Foreign Language High School.”
The class instantly murmured at the mention of that school.
Not surprising. That place was famous not just for academics,
but also for having one of the most expensive tuitions in the country.
Of course people were curious.
“Alright then… Suhyeon, why don’t you sit next to Taehyung over there?
He also just transferred yesterday.”
Following the teacher’s finger, my eyes moved toward the back corner—
Wait, what the—?
That guy… from the rooftop!?
I nearly pointed at him in shock.
My face said it all, and judging by his expression, he was just as surprised.
“Do you two know each other?”
“Uh… well…”
Do we?
We’ve only met twice—once at the café, once on the rooftop.
But neither time ended well, so I wouldn’t say we were on friendly terms.
I was about to deny it when “Taehyung”—who was leaning on his desk—spoke up.
“We know each other. Right?”
What…?
His casual acknowledgment caught me completely off guard.
Normally I’d be thrilled to have a handsome guy say he knows me.
But not this time. Not in front of the whole class.
The attention I already got for transferring from a prestigious school was bad enough.
Now it was going to explode.
And, of course, it did.
“Wait, do they really know each other?”
“Seriously? Is she close with Kim Taehyung?”
No, I’m not!!
I wanted to scream, but I was already the center of attention and froze.
My lips moved, but no sound came out.
Seeing this, the teacher clapped and smiled.
“That’s perfect!” he said, and pushed me toward the back of the class.
No, teacher—I said we’re not close!!
But he didn’t seem to care.
As I reached the back, Taehyung was leaning on his desk, calmly watching me.
Before I could even decide whether to sit,
he tapped the seat next to him with his fingers.
“Sit.”
Yes, sir.
Like a well-trained robot, I pulled out the chair and sat down.
As soon as I did, the teacher launched into the lesson.
I knew I had to focus and take notes,
but Taehyung’s gaze was burning a hole in my cheek.
I couldn’t concentrate.
This can’t go on—I came here to start fresh.
I turned and whispered so only he could hear:
“…Do I have something on my face?”
“No.”
So short.
Then why are you staring?!
I forced a polite smile and asked again:
“Then… why are you looking at me?”
His reply made my brain go: ????
“Because you’re interesting.”
“Huh?”
“Your face shows everything you’re thinking.”
…He said it like it was some rare discovery.
I gave him a look that said, Well duh, I’m human.
I pulled out my notebook and started jotting down the teacher’s notes.
He just kept watching me with that unreadable expression.
“Alright then, stop staring and pay attention.
If a hole burns through my head, are you gonna be responsible?”
Not that I believed in head-melting stares, but I had to say something.
He actually answered seriously.
“There won’t be a hole.”
You’ve gotta be kidding me.
I tried to ignore him and turned back to the board.
But of course, he spoke up again.
“By the way… why did you hesitate earlier?”
“What?”
“When the teacher asked if we knew each other. Why did you hesitate?”
I looked at him, startled.
You noticed that?! That fast?
“I told you. Your face says everything.”
Oh my god.
While I was internally panicking,
he just looked calm, like it was nothing.
“…I mean, I wasn’t sure if meeting once on a rooftop counts as ‘knowing’ someone—”
“Not that.”
“Huh?”
I froze.
Not that?
Then he meant…
The café? From a year ago…?
No way.
I looked at him in disbelief.
And he, with zero hesitation, said:
“We met a year ago too, didn’t we?
That counts as knowing each other, doesn’t it?”
He remembered.
He actually remembered everything from a year ago.
I didn’t think he would.
No—I didn’t think he even could.
But… Kim Taehyung remembered.