Tuesday morning.
It was another ordinary Tuesday, yet somehow nothing felt ordinary at all. The classroom buzzed louder than usual, whispers traveling from desk to desk as students pretended not to stare at the girl standing nervously near the windows.
Han Yu-ri.
Everyone already knew what was about to happen.
A small pink box rested on her desk beside a neatly folded letter, and every few seconds she adjusted her hair before breathing anxiously into her palms.
"She's really doing it?"
"She's insane."
"She's seriously confessing to him?"
Soo-ji leaned toward Bo-ram. "What do you think is going to happen?"
"He's probably going to disgrace her," Bo-ram answered immediately.
"Sounds like him," Soo-ji admitted.
Joon-seok dramatically wiped fake tears from his eyes. "Love truly makes people lose all survival instincts."
Before anyone could reply, the classroom suddenly fell silent.
Jae-hyuk had entered.
As always, he walked in calmly with one hand tucked into his pocket, completely uninterested in the attention that followed him everywhere. His expression remained unreadable as he made his way toward his seat.
Yu-ri immediately stood up, stopping his on the way.
The entire room stopped breathing.
Even Soo-ji unconsciously straightened in her seat.
Yu-ri bowed nervously.
"Jae-hyuk… can I talk to you for a second?"
His eyes landed on her briefly.
"You already are."
Soo-ji inhaled sharply.
Brutal.
Yu-ri forced out a shaky laugh and stepped closer anyway.
"I… I've liked you for a really long time."
The classroom became painfully silent.
"You're handsome, smart, good at sports, and—"
"And?" Jae-hyuk interrupted flatly.
The girl froze.
He looked at her without even a hint of cruelty on his face, which somehow made it hurt even more.
"You like the version of me you created in your head," he continued calmly. "Not me."
Nobody moved.
Nobody even breathed.
Yu-ri's fingers tightened around the letter in her hands.
"I still wanted to tell you honestly," she whispered.
Jae-hyuk glanced briefly at the pink box before speaking again.
His voice remained cold and steady.
"I'm not interested in you."
The words landed heavily.
"I don't have feelings for you, and I probably never will. So don't waste your time waiting for me to change my mind."
Yu-ri's eyes immediately reddened.
Soo-ji winced sympathetically.
Dang… he didn't even leave room for delusion.
Yu-ri quickly lowered her head, clearly trying not to cry.
"I understand."
The classroom remained frozen for several seconds after Jae-hyuk sat down.
Then—
"That rejection just paid my tuition fees," Joon-seok whispered dramatically.
Bo-ram smacked his arm.
"What?! I'm trying to cope with the trauma!" he whisper-yelled back.
Meanwhile, Yu-ri quietly returned to her seat, pretending she was not completely humiliated.
Jae-hyuk simply opened his book like nothing had happened.
"There's absolutely no way I'm asking him to tutor me in class," Soo-ji whispered to Bo-ram.
"Definitely not," Bo-ram agreed while shaking her head.
Soo-ji glanced carefully at Jae-hyuk.
He was already reading.
Like he had not just emotionally destroyed someone's entire bloodline.
"Good morning, class," Mr. Hae-in greeted as he walked in, instantly cutting through the tension.
"Good morning, Mr. Hae-in," the class echoed loudly.
"Let's get started, shall we?" he said as he stood at the front of the classroom. "Today, we'll be doing something more practical. Any volunteers?"
Lost in her own thoughts, Soo-ji failed to realize she was sitting with both hands pressed against her chest.
"You like Mr. Hae-in," Bo-ram suddenly whispered.
"What?!" Soo-ji blurted out, causing several students to turn toward her.
Mr. Hae-in smiled softly.
"Lee Soo-ji, come over here," he said gently.
"I'm sorry," Bo-ram whispered teasingly.
Soo-ji slowly stood from her seat, clasping her hands behind her back as she walked toward the front of the class. Her heartbeat pounded so loudly she was convinced everyone could hear it.
"Today we'll be acting out scenes from the famous play Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare," Mr. Hae-in explained before glancing at Soo-ji. "Are you comfortable participating?"
He even asked if I'm comfortable… what a gentleman.
Soo-ji quickly nodded.
"Yes, Mr. Hae-in. I'm okay with it."
"Alright." He smiled slightly before addressing the class again. "This will be your assignment for the week. I'll divide you into four groups, and on Wednesday each team will perform a scene from the play that resonates with you the most. Soo-ji and I will give you a quick example first."
Then he turned toward her again.
"What part of the play do you enjoy the most?"
The kissing scene.
The answer immediately appeared in her head, but there was no way she could actually say that out loud.
Instead, she looked up at him and answered carefully.
"The part where Romeo says he defies the stars."
Several students immediately reacted.
"Ooooh…"
Bo-ram slowly leaned toward Joon-seok.
"That's not subtle at all."
"Not even a little," he whispered back.
Mr. Hae-in paused briefly before nodding.
"Alright. That scene."
He picked up the script, though he barely seemed to need it. His voice changed slightly when he began, calmer, deeper, more controlled.
He stepped closer.
Becoming Romeo.
"Then I defy you, stars—"
He paused just long enough for the words to settle heavily into the room.
Soo-ji froze.
Her breath caught instantly.
He continued, his voice still calm but carrying a quiet intensity.
"I will not be governed by what you decide for me."
Silence filled the classroom.
Even the air suddenly felt heavier.
Soo-ji was supposed to respond, but her mind had gone completely blank.
Joon-seok leaned toward Bo-ram.
"She's malfunctioning."
Mr. Hae-in looked at Soo-ji gently, still fully in character.
"And what does Juliet say to that?"
Soo-ji swallowed nervously.
Her voice came out smaller than she intended.
"I… I think she would be scared."
A brief pause followed.
Mr. Hae-in tilted his head slightly.
"Why scared?"
Soo-ji hesitated before answering honestly.
"Because… if someone is willing to defy fate, it means they're willing to risk everything."
The room fell silent again.
Even the teasing stopped.
Mr. Hae-in held her gaze for a moment longer than necessary before nodding slowly.
"Excellent interpretation, Lee Soo-ji."
Then he finally stepped out of character.
"Exactly like this," he told the class before turning back to her with a smile. "Thank you. You can return to your seat now."
Soo-ji smiled back shyly and bowed before walking back to her desk.
On her way back, her eyes briefly met Jae-hyuk's.
Then she quickly sat down.
"I'm sure you originally wanted to say the kissing scene," Bo-ram teased immediately.
Soo-ji nudged her arm. "Stop it," she muttered, even though her face had already turned completely red.
Because for a second—just a second—it had felt like he was not acting at all.
And somehow, that thought stayed with her for the rest of the lesson.