Chapter Text
After class, Sunoo quickly packed his things and left, not wanting to be affected by Ni-ki’s presence anymore. As he walked out, he noticed Jungwon glaring daggers at him, but Sunoo ignored him and kept going.
As Ni-ki was also preparing to leave, he suddenly noticed someone standing in front of him.
“Hi, I’m Jungwon. You’re Ni-ki, right?” Jungwon said with a sweet smile while extending his hand.
Ni-ki stared at him for a moment, then shook his hand with a smirk. “Nice to meet you, Jungwon.”
Jungwon felt his heart flutter when Ni-ki shook his hand. He loved the feeling, but it was cut short when Ni-ki pulled his hand back.
“Nice to meet you too. I must say, you’re quite the charmer,” Jungwon teased, stepping closer.
“Oh, really? Well, thank you.”
Jungwon smiled. “I just wanted to welcome you to our department. And if you’re ever lost, I can show you around.”
Ni-ki nodded, then remembered something. “Do you know everyone’s name in this department?”
Jungwon smiled proudly. “Of course I do.”
Ni-ki’s face lit up in relief. “Great. You know the guy I was seated with? What’s his name?”
Jungwon’s smile faltered for a second, but he quickly recovered and tilted his head in confusion. “What guy? I didn’t see.”
“The pretty boy with the cute backpack,” Ni-ki said with a sheepish smile.
“Oh… Sunoo. His name is Sunoo,” Jungwon replied, a hint of irritation in his voice.
“Mm, Sunoo. Pretty name for a pretty boy. Well, Jungwon, thanks for your help.” Ni-ki winked, and before Jungwon could say anything, he walked away.
Jungwon stood there, seething with frustration, more determined than ever to make sure Ni-ki stopped talking to Sunoo.
Out in the hallway, Ni-ki walked around nonchalantly, keeping an eye out for Sunoo. He didn’t know why, but something about Sunoo excited him, and he needed to find out what it was and why.
It didn’t take long for him to spot the boy sitting alone in the courtyard under a tree, doodling in his notebook. Ni-ki quietly walked over and sat beside him.
“Pretty doodles. Not as pretty as you, though.”
Sunoo jumped, clearly not noticing his presence before, completely lost in thought.
“What are you doing here? Didn’t you understand what I said earlier?” Sunoo asked after calming down.
“Oh, I did. But you’re too interesting to be left alone.” Ni-ki smirked and leaned closer to Sunoo’s face. “Besides, seeing you act so defiant is entertaining, and I wanna see how far I have to push before you give in, Sunoo.”
Sunoo gasped at the close proximity and was even more surprised when he heard Ni-ki say his name. Something about the way he said it made his heart flip—though he refused to admit that.
“How did you find out my name?” Sunoo cleared his throat and asked.
Ni-ki’s smirk widened as he leaned back. “A very nice student told me. I think he said his name was… Jungwon? Yeah, Jungwon.”
Sunoo’s expression hardened immediately, and he started packing up his things.
Ni-ki sat up in surprise. “What? Where are you going? Did something happen?”
Sunoo paused briefly, then stood with his bag. “Yes. Don’t come near me again, got it? I don’t want to see you ever again.”
And with that, Sunoo walked away.
Ni-ki sat there, dumbfounded. One minute everything seemed fine, and the next it felt like he had set off a time bomb.
“Eh? Why did he just leave like that… did I do something wrong?”
He sighed, got up, and decided to try again another time.
Over the next few days, Ni-ki tried his best to talk to Sunoo, but all his efforts were futile. Sunoo kept ignoring him like he didn’t exist. If Ni-ki tried cornering him, Sunoo always found a way to escape. If they walked down the same hallway, Sunoo would turn around and go the other way.
And it hurt Ni-ki’s pride—because this was the first time anyone had ever treated him like this.
This went on for weeks until Ni-ki finally got fed up.
One day, while “unintentionally” tailing Sunoo, he pulled him into an empty classroom, shut the door, and backed him against the wall.
Sunoo, startled and angry, glared at him. “What are you doing? Let me go.”
Ni-ki sighed in frustration, fighting the urge to yell. Despite how angry he was, he couldn’t bring himself to shout at someone as cute as Sunoo.
He took a deep breath and forced a smile. “Why have you been avoiding me?”
Sunoo rolled his eyes and looked away. “Do we have any business that I’d avoid you? If you’re done, I’d like to leave.”
Ni-ki groaned and ran a hand through his hair. “You know, for someone so pretty, you’re a hard nut to crack.”
Sunoo turned to him in disgust, misunderstanding his words.
Ni-ki’s face paled as he realized what Sunoo was thinking. “Hey, I didn’t mean it like that… you know? A normal nut? Not whatever you’re thinking.”
Sunoo scoffed. “I knew it. You’re just looking for someone to use.”
Ni-ki shook his head. “That’s not true at all. Fuck… forget that. You still didn’t answer my question. Why have you been ignoring me? Did I do something wrong?”
Sunoo sighed and shook his head. “You didn’t. I just don’t want anything to do with you.”
Ni-ki scoffed and leaned closer. “That’s a lie. You’re hiding something… it’s because of Jungwon, isn’t it? I heard from other students that you two have bad blood. I guess it’s true.”
Sunoo let out a shaky breath at how close they were. “Yes. We hate each other.”
Ni-ki smirked and traced a finger along Sunoo’s jawline. “And that’s why you’re avoiding me? You know that hurt my pride a lot. Being ignored in that way.”
Sunoo felt his face heat up at the touch. He could swear he saw Ni-ki’s gaze flicker to his lips.
“You’re getting red, sweetheart. Are you hot?” Ni-ki grinned, leaning even closer until their lips were almost touching.