The day I first met Jeon Jungkook was when I was in my third year of middle school. At that time, Jungkook was handsome, but he was shorter and smaller than the other boys his age, so he was often teased. Since I was his deskmate and friend, I would help him out and look after him.Then, one day, the teacher announced that Jungkook was suddenly transferring to another school. No one knew the reason because the teacher didn’t explain, so everyone assumed he couldn’t endure the bullying and used the transfer as an escape.
When I came home from school that day, I cried all the tears I could for a whole year. I felt resentful and disappointed that he left without saying anything to me, his friend. No—if I were being honest, I had feelings for him.
Even though he was always teased, Jungkook was kind to everyone.
To him, I was probably just a friend, but to me, he was something more. I wanted to message him on KakaoTalk while crying, but it said the user had already deleted their account. When I tried calling, the voice message told me it was an invalid number.
That night, I cried until I fell asleep, hoping to see him in my dreams.
"Alright, class, quiet down!! Starting today, I’ll be your homeroom teacher for your senior year..."
It had already been years since I last thought about Jungkook, and now, I was in my final year of high school. Well, to be honest, I never really forgot about him. The memories just faded little by little.
Even now, I have no idea where Jungkook is or how he’s doing.
"You, in the back! The teacher is talking. Pay attention instead of spacing out."
"Oh… I’m sorry."
"Anyway, let’s all get along this year. Since you’re seniors, focus on preparing for the college entrance exam. No slacking off, got it?"
"Yes..."
"And also, we have a new transfer student. They transferred due to personal reasons, so don’t ask too many questions. I’ll introduce them during the first period."
"Yes!!"
The class responded energetically, and the teacher covered their ears before leaving the room. As soon as the teacher left, the classroom became noisy with chatter.
No one was sitting next to me, so I stayed quiet by myself. I had nothing better to do, so I laid my head on my desk to take a nap—until the back door suddenly slammed open.
"......"
"...Huh?"
Something felt strange. That face… I had definitely seen it before.
I tried to deny reality, telling myself it couldn’t be possible. But the person who walked into the classroom was different from the Jungkook I used to know. He looked intimidating, sharp, and cold.
He scanned the room before confidently stepping inside.
The entire class went silent as he walked past them and sat down right next to me.
Everyone’s eyes were now on me and him.
At that moment, I felt like my final year of high school was doomed.
"...Kim Yeoju?"
"Huh? Y-you called me?"
"......."
"...Why?"
Up close, I could see his nametag. It definitely said Jeon Jungkook.
It was him. The Jungkook I knew.
But instead of saying anything, he scanned me from head to toe with his eyes and scoffed.
I felt a chill run down my spine.
This wasn’t the gentle Jungkook I once knew.
This was someone different.
"Why are you staring at me like that?"
"...Nothing, sorry."
In the past, he once told me he hated students who dyed their hair or wore flashy earrings to school.
But now, he had become exactly the kind of student he used to dislike.
The classroom atmosphere turned ice-cold.
But Jungkook didn’t seem to care as he leaned on his desk and started scrolling through his phone.
Of all the empty seats… why did he have to sit next to me?
"Don't dwell on the past."
"...Huh? Were you talking to me?"
"Figure it out yourself."
"Ah… um, okay. Thanks?"
What the hell was that?
My brain couldn’t process his words.
If I analyzed what he said, that would mean Jungkook remembers me too.
And there was no way he randomly blurted out such a deep, emotional phrase.
The school bell rang, and everyone quickly took their seats.
The students sitting near Jungkook were hesitant as they quietly sat down.
"Since we have a transfer student and it’s the first day, I won’t start the lesson right away. You can relax for this period—but keep the noise down."
The class cheered, thanking the teacher, before moving around to chat with their friends.
Of course, since I had no friends, I stayed seated in silence.
And Jungkook, sitting beside me, was the same.
But unlike me, who was bored, Jungkook didn’t show any expression at all.
I debated whether I should talk to him.
"...Hey, Jungkook."
"?"
He didn’t answer, but he turned his head toward me.
When did he get this big?
We used to be similar in size, but now he looked two, maybe three times bigger than me.
And his face... he looked even more beautiful.
I decided it was best to just ignore him from now on.
"Why are you calling me?"
"Uh… what school did you transfer from?"
"A rural one."
"A rural area? What was it like there? I heard it’s really peaceful."
"Not sure. I don’t really know."
"...Oh, I see."
His lukewarm response made me stop asking questions.
I leaned on my desk and closed my eyes.
The classroom was still loud with chatter, but Jungkook and I remained silent.
I let out a quiet sigh.
Can I really get along with Jungkook?