* * *

At the touch of a cool winter scent, Jeongseo’s heart leaped and then plummeted, his body feeling as if it were bound by an invisible force.

He glanced up curiously, sensing tension in the pheromones surrounding him, only to meet eyes with Pyo Yoontae.

“…Yontae, hello…?”

Without a word, Pyo Yoontae stared down at him, then suddenly cupped Jeongseo’s face.

“Hey, what are you doing!”

Flustered, Jeongseo struggled as Pyo Yoontae ruffled his neatly set hair and dragged him away.

His classmates by the teacher’s desk watched in mild disbelief, some laughing awkwardly.

After finally breaking free from Pyo Yoontae’s grip, Jeongseo raised an eyebrow and glared.

“Why are you picking a fight so early in the morning?”

Pyo Yoontae was the one who suddenly caused trouble, yet he seemed more annoyed as he looked at Jeongseo.

Straightening his now-messy hair, Jeongseo met his gaze, refusing to look away.

‘What’s with him today?’

“Why are you glaring at me? Did I do something wrong?”

“….”

“Answer me!”

Growing increasingly frustrated by Pyo Yoontae’s silence, Jeongseo eventually gave up and took his seat with a sigh.

The screech of his chair echoed unusually loud.

Annoyed, Jeongseo turned his head to the window, refusing to look at him.

Shortly after, Pyo Yoontae sat down beside him without saying a word.

The sports festival morning wasn’t supposed to feel this heavy, and Jeongseo pressed his lips together in frustration.

His phone buzzed in his pocket, breaking the silence.

When he checked, there was a message on KakaoTalk.

[Pyo Yoontae: Don’t cheat on me.] 7:59 AM

Cheat…?

Unsure if he understood correctly, Jeongseo tilted his head and looked over at Pyo Yoontae, who was now resting his head on the desk, gazing up at him with a sorrowful expression.

Seeing him look up from this low angle, Jeongseo felt an unfamiliar sensation stirring within him, prompting a small cough.

He wanted to ask what Pyo Yoontae meant by “cheating,” but the words wouldn’t come out. Instead, he felt like he owed an apology.

As Jeongseo blinked in confusion, Pyo Yoontae narrowed his eyes and mouthed the words silently.

“You said you’d only hang out with me, Jeongseo.”

For a moment, Jeongseo’s mind went blank.

Something inside him burst, and his heart started pounding hard.

Overcome by an intense yet hazy emotion, Jeongseo found himself nodding without thinking.

---

The principal’s voice boomed across the school.

“All students of Dangang High School, please enjoy the sports festival safely and without pushing yourselves too hard.”

Following the morning exercise routine, the students lined up on the field dispersed back to their tents.

“Is dodgeball scheduled for the morning?”

Walking beside Pyo Yoontae, Jeongseo nodded.

“Yeah, dodgeball in the gym in the morning, badminton in the afternoon.”

“Our class has basketball in the afternoon.”

“Oh, good! No conflicts!”

Jeongseo thought of watching Pyo Yoontae’s game after lunch, heading toward the gym, where their class president was already waving them over.

“Hurry, or we might lose our seats.”

Pyo Yoontae matched Jeongseo’s pace as they sped up, but by the time they arrived, the seats with the best view were already taken.

The class president waved from across the gym, gesturing for them to join.

“Ah, I guess we could sit by the class president…”

“No.”

Jeongseo felt himself pulled back. Surprised, he turned to see Pyo Yoontae’s stubborn expression.

“You said you’d only hang out with me. Let’s sit here.”

With a firm hold on his wrist, Pyo Yoontae led Jeongseo to a different section of the gym, finding a place to sit on the floor.

Still in slight shock, Jeongseo glanced over and whispered.

“Yontae, do you prefer having only a few close friends?”

Pyo Yoontae furrowed his brows slightly at the unexpected question.

Jeongseo had often pondered about the concept of “friendship” and even occasionally looked it up online.

Through this, he learned that some people prefer to have many shallow friendships, while others prefer a few, but deep ones.

Those who form deeper, narrower friendships are said to pour their affection into just a few people they cherish dearly.

Pyo Yoontae seemed to be one of those people, so perhaps he wanted to keep his circle close and only spend time with the friends he considered genuine.

As Jeongseo gazed at him, Yoontae hesitated, as if reluctant to answer.

Sensing this, Jeongseo was about to say he didn’t need a response.

“When you’re trying to pay attention to multiple people at once, your focus on each person naturally diminishes.”

Disliking this idea, Jeongseo began to understand why Yoontae seemed increasingly uncomfortable when he spent time with others.

Jeongseo paused, deliberating. He could say he felt the same way, to reassure Yoontae, but…

“I don’t know if I’m superficial, but I think I enjoy having a wider circle.”

His grandmother had always said that trust is what matters most between people.

She warned that lies, even small ones to smooth things over, could lead to even bigger issues later on.

After he finished speaking, Jeongseo saw that Yoontae’s face showed a hint of dissatisfaction.

Trying to lighten the mood, Jeongseo leaned slightly against him.

The soft, brown tips of his ears brushed against Yoontae’s shoulder, making him flinch slightly as if tickled.

“But you’re still my best friend.”

The feel of his arm pressing into Yoontae’s was comforting.

The slight chill of the gym air made their exposed skin brush together, raising faint goosebumps.

It was obvious he was trying to console him.

Yoontae covered his eyes with one hand, muttering, almost as if to himself,

“Did I look that… moody?”

Jeongseo responded with a small, knowing laugh — the best answer he could give.

Yoontae ended up letting out a faint, resigned chuckle.

“Third-year dodgeball’s about to start.”

Jeongseo’s gaze shifted forward, catching sight of someone in the gym.

His pupils narrowed.

It was Kim Woosik.

He quickly nudged Yoontae’s thigh and pointed.

“Yoontae, that’s Kim Woosik, right?”

Following his gaze, Yoontae saw Woosik standing at the far end of the dodgeball court.

With his lackluster posture, it was clear he had joined reluctantly.

“Yep, that’s Kim Woosik.”

He’s actually participating in dodgeball?

Surprised, Yoontae stole a glance at Jeongseo, who was watching Woosik with a conflicted expression.

It reminded Yoontae that Jeongseo had mentioned he hadn’t made many friends in their first year because of Woosik.

“If you meet him in the finals, crush him.”

Though he wasn’t sure they’d make it that far, Yoontae held back his skepticism.

The game began, and to his surprise, Woosik dodged skillfully, proving himself more agile and athletic than expected.

Despite the odds, Woosik’s team ended up winning.

Yoontae glanced at Jeongseo, who had watched the entire game in silence, barely blinking.

It was uncharacteristic of him to be so quiet, given his usual chatty nature.

Finally, as the next team entered the court, Jeongseo broke his silence.

“Do I seem scary when I play dodgeball?”

“Well… I’d rather not be on the opposing team, if I’m honest.”

Puzzled as to why Jeongseo would ask such a thing, Yoontae gave him a sideways look, but Jeongseo just stared silently at the court, lost in thought.

In the ensuing silence, the next game began.

Once it was over, it was finally Jeongseo’s class’s turn.

As he was about to enter, a classmate, Sumin Ha, gestured him over. Jeongseo gave Yoontae a quick wave.

“Wish me luck!”

“Go for it, Jeongseo!”

Yoontae watched as Sumin sidled up to Jeongseo.

He couldn’t help but notice how Jeongseo’s once-limited social circle was expanding rapidly.

If he wasn’t paying close attention, Jeongseo would soon have a new friend at every turn, his bright smile and friendly demeanor endearing him to everyone.

“You’re still my best friend.”

Even if Jeongseo reassured him for now, he was someone who naturally drew people in.

Yoontae imagined him charming others with the same endearing affection he showed his family — and sometimes, him.

“Ugh, this is so annoying.”

The irritation simmered inside him.

If only Jeongseo were a little more selfish or had hidden motives like some others.

Then he’d gladly do whatever it took to keep Jeongseo close, so he could bask in that warmth just for himself.

* * *