* * *

Tuesday arrived with Jeongseo still unable to make a decision.

Ha Sumin was trying to act normal at school, but it was obvious he was failing.

For one, the frequent texts he used to send had stopped altogether.

While this made Jeongseo’s life a little easier, given the circumstances, the reason behind it gnawed at his conscience.

As the bell rang to signal the start of class, Ha Sumin, who had been chatting with another friend, returned to his seat.

Jeongseo, who had been turned toward Pyo Yoontae while they talked, immediately straightened and fixed his gaze forward.

The awkwardness between them was palpable, and it made Jeongseo feel uneasy.

He swallowed dryly, disliking the unfamiliar tension.

Behind them, Pyo Yoontae quietly observed the pair with a peculiar expression.

Since yesterday, the two had been acting strange, almost like strangers.

‘Did they fight?’

If they had, Jeongseo’s reaction would fall into one of two categories: either he’d be glaring at Ha Sumin like he was ready to pounce, or he’d be hovering awkwardly, trying to make up.

But this was neither.

Pyo Yoontae frowned, deciding he hadn’t imagined things.

Whatever it was, the two clearly needed some space—particularly Ha Sumin.

Oddly enough, even though this situation wasn’t all that bad for Pyo Yoontae, it left him with a faint sense of irritation.

Still, he decided to stay out of it for now.

That resolve, however, was interrupted by Hyun Junhyun, who suddenly poked Ha Sumin in the nape with a serious expression.

Ha Sumin jumped in surprise, and Jeongseo flinched slightly in response.

“You two fought, didn’t you?”

“Huh? What? No, we didn’t!”

Ha Sumin frantically waved his hands in denial, but the reaction only made Hyun Junhyun more suspicious.

Narrowing his eyes, he glanced back and forth between the two of them.

“Really? Because since yesterday, you two have been acting like complete strangers. Right, Pyo Yoontae?”

Hyun Junhyun nudged Pyo Yoontae’s elbow, but Pyo Yoontae brushed him off and gave Jeongseo a pointed stare.

“Hmm, maybe they did fight. I wonder why.”

The way he dragged out his words suggested he found the idea amusing.

Jeongseo, caught off guard by the insinuation, avoided his gaze and shook his head.

“No, we didn’t fight—”

“Quiet, the teacher’s here.”

The biology teacher strode in hastily and banged the lectern to call for order.

Jeongseo glanced toward Pyo Yoontae and Ha Sumin before reluctantly turning his attention forward.

The teacher, holding a pointer stick he always carried around, began to speak.

“Remember I told you that presentations start today? Who’s up first?”

The class fell silent, and the teacher chuckled as if he’d expected as much.

Jeongseo hesitated for a moment before leaning back and whispering to Pyo Yoontae.

“Yoontae, want to just go first and get it over with?”

It seemed easier to rip the bandage off quickly.

“If you want to, sure. I don’t mind when we go.”

“Alright!”

Jeongseo raised his hand confidently.

The teacher blinked in surprise before motioning them forward with his pointer stick.

“You’re up.”

As they approached the lectern, the teacher turned to address the rest of the class.

“See, this is what confidence looks like. Even if you’re not perfect, acting confident makes a world of difference. Remember that for your interviews, okay?”

His stick pointed at Jeongseo, drawing a few more stares his way.

Feeling embarrassed, Jeongseo scratched the back of his neck.

Their presentation started smoothly, thanks to Pyo Yoontae’s well-crafted slides and Jeongseo’s clear voice.

By the end, the class looked stunned, particularly at the inclusion of an interview with an actual biotechnologist—Pyo Yoontae’s mother.

When the presentation concluded, the teacher clapped enthusiastically.

“Excellent work! Did you really reach out Dr. Kim Seohyun for an interview?”

“No, she’s my mom!”

The teacher’s eyes widened, and a murmur rippled through the class.

Even those who knew Jeongseo well were surprised—they hadn’t known this about his family.

“Your mom’s a biotechnologist? Impressive!”

The teacher muttered quietly to himself as he walked back to the podium.

Tapping the desk in the front row lightly with his stick, he suddenly declared, “Seo Jeongseo’s group was the first to present on their own. Bonus points: three.”

“What? That’s not fair! Then we should’ve went firs!”

A student sitting by the window shouted in disbelief, but the teacher remained firm.

“The chance has already passed. Would you say that in an interview too?”

At that, the student fell silent, unable to argue further.

Feeling awkwardly apologetic, Jeongseo glanced around before returning to his seat.

The next group, intimidated by Jeongseo’s group’s presentation, only managed to start after the teacher offered one bonus point.

Time passed, and before they knew it, the class was over.

“Groups that didn’t present today will go next time. Class dismissed.”

The teacher, who had entered class late, quickly left the room as though he had pressing matters.

Since the next class was a joint PE session for the second semester, Jeongseo stood up to change into his gym clothes.

“You did well on the presentation.”

Jeongseo flinched at the sudden compliment from Ha Sumin, then offered an awkward smile.

“Oh, um, thanks!”

When silence fell between them afterward, Sumin seemed uncomfortable too and brushed his bangs aside before speaking again.

“Don’t feel pressured. It’s okay to be honest.”

With that, Sumin quickly walked away.

Watching from behind, Pyo Yoontae’s brows furrowed.

Whatever Sumin had meant by “don’t feel pressured,” it left Yoontae with an uneasy feeling.

“That guy… What happened between him and Ha Sumin for him to say something like that?”

Wrapping an arm around Jeongseo’s shoulder, Yoontae bent down, peering at him intently.

It was unsettling enough that Jeongseo couldn’t just ignore it and let it slide.

Jeongseo glanced up at Yoontae and shook his head firmly.

While he did feel like sharing his predicament with someone, he had no intention of talking about being confessed to, especially not with Yoontae, who he liked.

“Nothing’s wrong! Let’s just change into our gym clothes!”

“Liar. You’re lying to me now too? First, you avoided me, and now you’re keeping secrets. It hurts, Jeongseo.”

Feigning sadness, Yoontae’s lips drooped in a dramatic pout, and Jeongseo couldn’t help but picture Yoontae with black, drooping puppy ears.

The image tugged at his heartstrings, but he stood firm, shaking his head resolutely.

“No, really! It’s nothing! I’ll go change first!”

Escaping from Yoontae’s grasp, Jeongseo darted into the restroom.

Left behind, Yoontae scowled in irritation.

“Don’t feel pressured. Be honest with me.”

To Yoontae, those two lines only ever came up in two scenarios: borrowing money or confessing love.

The former seemed unlikely, and if it was Sumin, the latter seemed more probable.

“If he likes me, why’s he dragging it out?”

---

For the joint PE session, the teacher instructed them to practice badminton freely in preparation for an upcoming assessment.

As time passed, the PE teacher left the gym, taking a few sturdy students with him to move equipment from storage.

Naturally, the tallest student in the school, Pyo Yoontae, was among those chosen.

Yoontae, reluctant to leave, clung to Jeongseo but eventually had no choice but to go.

Left alone after practicing badminton with Yoontae, Jeongseo sat on the stage at the front of the gym, seeking shelter from the cold outside.

Fidgeting with his hair, Jeongseo plucked out a white strand he found.

With December approaching and his mind already unsettled, Sumin’s confession only added to his inner turmoil.

While pondering what to do, Jeongseo spotted Hayan sitting alone in a corner, absorbed in a book.

* * *