Chapter Text
Hamin groaned, slumping against his desk as he stared at the mess of textbooks in front of him. His Taekwondo coach had made it clear—no passing grades, no training camp. And there was no way he was missing out on that.
Which was why he was now waiting outside the student council room, hoping for a miracle in the form of his hyung, Yejun.
"You? Study?" Yejun raised an eyebrow when Hamin finally explained his situation.
"Hey! I can study if I put my mind to it," Hamin defended himself.
Yejun chuckled. "Right. Well, as much as I’d love to help, I barely have time to breathe with exams and council work."
Hamin's face fell. "So I’m screwed?"
"Not necessarily," Yejun smirked. "I know someone who can help you."
Hamin perked up. "Who?"
"Bamby."
Hamin frowned. "Who?"
Yejun sighed. "Bamby. Top of his class. Student council’s academic committee member. Probably the most diligent student you’ll ever meet."
Hamin scowled. "You expect me to survive tutoring with someone like that?"
"You asked for help," Yejun reminded him. "Take it or leave it."
Hamin groaned but had no choice. "Fine."
When Hamin walked into the library for their first session, he spotted Bamby immediately—neatly dressed, posture straight, already flipping through a textbook with quiet focus.
"You're late," Bamby said without looking up.
Hamin blinked. "Barely five minutes."
Bamby finally glanced at him, unimpressed. "Five minutes late is still late."
Hamin groaned, dropping into the seat across from him. "You’re really strict, huh?"
Bamby ignored him and slid a worksheet across the table. "Let’s start with the basics. Show me what you know."
Hamin sighed and picked up his pencil.
Half an hour in, Hamin realized something—Bamby was really good at explaining things.
He was patient, methodical, and surprisingly not as stuck-up as Hamin had assumed. Whenever Hamin struggled, Bamby didn’t get frustrated. Instead, he found another way to make things click.
By the time their session ended, Hamin sat back, a little dazed. "...That actually made sense."
Bamby smirked. "It’s called studying. You should try it more often."
Hamin rolled his eyes, but for once, he didn’t hate the idea.
As their sessions continued, Hamin realized he was actually improving. His grades weren’t perfect, but he was no longer failing, and more importantly, he was starting to enjoy the process.
But there was another problem.
Hamin had always admired Yejun.
His hyung was responsible, charismatic, and had always looked out for him. It made sense that Hamin had a crush on him. Right?
At least, that’s what he thought.
Until he found himself looking forward to study sessions more than seeing Yejun.
Until he started noticing the way Bamby absentmindedly bit his lip when concentrating, or the way his eyes softened whenever Hamin finally got a question right.
Until he realized that the person occupying his thoughts wasn’t Yejun anymore.
It was Bamby.
And Hamin was in way more trouble than he thought.
One evening, after yet another study session, Hamin found himself walking Bamby home.
They talked about random things—teachers, homework, their favorite snacks. But Hamin barely processed any of it because his heart was too busy racing.
Without thinking, he blurted out, "Do you like anyone?"
Bamby gave him a side glance. "Why?"
Hamin hesitated. "Just... curious."
Bamby hummed, thinking. "I guess I never really thought about it. Too busy with school."
Hamin nodded slowly, relief and disappointment mixing in his chest.
"Why?" Bamby asked. "Do you like someone?"
Hamin’s mouth went dry. "...I thought I did."
Bamby raised an eyebrow. "Past tense?"
Hamin swallowed. "Yeah."
Bamby didn’t push further, but Hamin knew the answer now.
It wasn’t Yejun.
It had never been Yejun.
It was Bamby.
Hamin barely passed his makeup exams, but he passed. Which meant he could finally go to training camp.
But as excited as he should’ve been, something didn’t feel right.
Bamby had simply packed up their last study session with a casual, "Guess my job here is done."
For some reason, that pissed Hamin off.
So, the night before he left for camp, he called Bamby out to meet him.
When Bamby arrived, confused, Hamin took a deep breath. "I like you."
Bamby blinked. "...What?"
"You heard me," Hamin muttered, rubbing the back of his neck. "I like you."
Bamby stared at him, lips parted slightly. Then, after a long pause, he said, "You’re serious?"
"Do I look like I’m joking?"
Bamby searched his face, then let out a small chuckle, shaking his head. "You’re unbelievable."
Hamin frowned. "What’s that supposed to mean?"
Bamby sighed, rubbing his temple. "I just spent weeks trying to drill equations into your head, and now you're dropping confessions on me?"
Hamin huffed. "It’s not my fault you made me like you."
Bamby gave him a long look, then smirked. "Well... good luck at training camp, genius. We’ll see where this goes when you get back."
And just like that, Bamby turned and walked away, leaving Ham
in standing there—heart pounding, face burning, and in the biggest trouble of his life.
— End.