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“Sangwon-hyung, have you met Geonwoo-hyung?” Anxin asked, cheeks stuffed with chicken nuggets.
They were in the cafeteria eating lunch and talking about club-related matters during break when Anxin brought up Geonwoo.
“The student council pres?” Sangwon lifted his head from his meal and tilted it to the side.
Anxin nodded, still chewing nuggets and fries simultaneously.
“I know him. I’ve seen him plenty of times, but never really interacted with him. Why?” Sangwon placed his fork down, curious about where the conversation was going.
He’d heard nothing but praise about Geonwoo from classmates and clubmates. They talked about him as if he’d never done anything wrong his entire life.
“You should! He’s super nice and intelligent—he’s like an AI. You can ask him anything, any help, and he’ll deliver.” Anxin finished his meal, unlocked his phone, and pulled up a conversation he’d had with Geonwoo to show Sangwon.
The thread was long. Anxin had asked about all sorts of things and still received replies from the very busy president.
“But you know what, Anxinnie,” Sangwon said, crossing his arms, “anyone could be like that. He could be asking someone else to answer all these. How would you know it’s really him?”
He doubted it. No one could be that good. No one could reply that way—let alone consistently.
“Maybe you should try, hyung.”
With that, they parted ways and headed back to class.
***
Their teacher announced he would be fifteen minutes late, giving the class time to gossip. From the table beside him, Sangwon heard his female classmates squeal.
“He replied after a minute!” a girl with pigtails said, holding up her phone. Sangwon caught a glimpse of the screen, the contact name read Kim Geonwoo.
“Oh my god! Can you believe it? He replied to me after a minute too!”
Sangwon frowned. Were they really believing this?
****
Before dismissal, the homeroom teacher asked Sangwon to retrieve their class exam papers from the faculty.
Heads turned as he walked down the hall. Murmurs followed him. He was the school's It Boy, after all. Love letters greeted him daily. He didn’t buy snacks from the cafeteria because the treats he received from confession were enough to feed him, and sometimes his friends Jiahao and Xinlong, too. His locker sometimes became unrecognizable, buried under sticky notes and letters.
But lately, the attention shifted, and the change made him curious. The people who used to wait for him at the campus gate were gone. Fewer cheers followed him during swim training. Fewer notes appeared on his desk.
Apparently, people’s interest had shifted to Kim Geonwoo, someone Sangwon found suspicious.
When he reached the faculty, he found it empty except for one tall figure. Sangwon paused outside the door and watched.
What was Geonwoo doing here? Didn’t he have dozens of messages waiting for replies?
Geonwoo searched through the teacher’s table, carefully sorting through the papers. He pulled out a red envelope, slipped it into his pocket, and left.
Sangwon approached the desk and recognized it as his homeroom teacher’s.
What could that red envelope contain?
Until Sangwon got an idea.
****
Sangwon lay on his stomach on his bed, chin resting on a spare pillow, arms stretched out as he typed.
Sangwon
Anxinnie, I need a little help. I think I’ll try your advice.
Can you give me Geonwoo’s contact number?
Anxin
I told you!
Here: +82 03-0411-0508
Hope you get help! :)
Sangwon
Thank you!
I’ll let you know how it goes.
—
Sangwon
Hello, this is Lee Sangwon from Class 2.
I’ve been told you help students.
Geonwoo
Hi, Sangwon-ah
Yes, I do. Do you need help with anything?
Sangwon
I’m currently planning my schedule. Could you send me the upcoming school activities so I can block my schedule?
Sangwon smirked. The information was already posted on the school bulletin board, but asking wasn’t about convenience, it was about testing him.
Geonwoo replied with a neatly formatted message, activities listed by month, as if he’d answered this exact question dozens of times already.
Sangwon
Thank you. That was really helpful.
I’m just curious, do you ever get tired of being… good at everything?
Geonwoo
No. I prepare in advance and make sure to rest properly, so I stay in good condition.
Sangwon laughed at good condition. What was he, an appliance? Anxin was right. He really was like an AI.
Sangwon
There’s something else, Geonwoo-yah.
Well, this might be a different kind of need.
Geonwoo
What do you mean?
Sangwon
I need someone to pretend to be my boyfriend for an upcoming reunion with friends.
Sangwon waited. A minute passed. No reply.
Did he scare him off?
Seven minutes later, his phone buzzed.
Geonwoo
When is the reunion?
Sangwon rolled onto his back, staring at the ceiling.
The reunion was real but he hadn’t expected Geonwoo to even consider it. He’d only meant to test him.
And Geonwoo took the bait.
Sangwon smiled as he typed out the details and sent them.
All set. Next, he’d confront Geonwoo about what he saw at the faculty after the reunion.
****
The days leading up to Saturday passed in a blur. Sangwon could barely wait.
He chose his usual floral top with a cut hem, washed-out denim pants, and boots, adding a small scarf around his neck to finish the look. Once satisfied with his fit, he texted Geonwoo: See you, pres!
The café sat only a two-minute walk from the subway station.
Sangwon spotted Geonwoo immediately. He wore a white shirt under a denim long-sleeve, black denim pants, a simple black belt, and white sneakers.
Despite the simplicity, Geonwoo stood out. He looked like he’d stepped straight out of a K-drama, his handsome face and tall frame making him impossible to blend into the background. The breeze brushed his hair into his eyes as leaves drifted behind him, making the moment feel cinematic.
Sangwon felt heat rush to his cheeks when their eyes met. The air charged with something he couldn’t name yet.
“Hi, Geonwoo-yah,” he said, beaming. “Thank you for agreeing to this. I really don’t want my friends to set me up on another blind date.”
“It’s okay. I understand.” Geonwoo smiled, dimples showing.
“But won’t this affect you? Don’t you have schoolwork or other people asking for help?”
“To be honest,” Geonwoo said, “I’d rather be here.”
Sangwon blinked. Did he hear that correctly?
They hadn’t practiced anything. No story about how they met, who confessed first, or how long they’d been dating. Panic crept in as they neared the café.
Sangwon grabbed Geonwoo’s wrist. “We should-”
“Trust me,” Geonwoo said calmly.
They entered, Sangwon first, Geonwoo close behind.
“Hello, everyone!”
“Won-ah! You brought someone!” Leo exclaimed.
“Guys, this is Geonwoo—my boyfriend. And Geonwoo, this is Leo-hyung, Junseo-hyung, and Sanghyeon-ah.”
They sat as whispers floated around the table.
“We’re here, we can hear you,” Sangwon said with a snort. His nerves settled. Of all people, Geonwoo was the most reliable person he could’ve brought.
“So,” Leo said, turning to Geonwoo, “how did you two meet?”
Geonwoo rested a hand on Sangwon’s knee, tapping lightly.
“We met during the first semester, when I was elected student council president. He volunteered for event preparations, and I purposely assigned him to my team.”
Geonwoo smiled at the memory.
Sangwon’s cheeks heated. He hadn’t even noticed—he thought Geonwoo’s been busy overseeing other operations.
Purposely?
Either Geonwoo was lying, or he wasn’t.
The thought sent butterflies through Sangwon’s stomach.
Geonwoo leaned closer. “Hey, baby. Remember when you forgot your hoodie and mine was way too long for you? You looked really cute.”
Sangwon blushed harder. That definitely hadn’t happened but Geonwoo delivered it so naturally that Sangwon almost believed it himself.
“Sangwonnie, you’re blushing!” Junseo pointed out.
“Finally! I’m happy for you, Sangwon-hyung!” Sanghyeon said between bites of cake.
Geonwoo had endless stories, and Sangwon caught himself staring more than once, hoping he didn’t look too obvious.
At some point, Sangwon realized he was falling fast—then reminded himself this was all just an act.
The night wound down, and they eventually parted ways. Once they were alone, Sangwon let out a long breath, his shoulders relaxing. Why was he even nervous? This was his idea. Or maybe it was Geonwoo who kept making him flustered.
“Told you to trust me,” Geonwoo said, smirking.
Sangwon frowned. “Do you do this for everyone who asks you to pretend to be their boyfriend?”
His heart pounded so hard it felt ready to burst out of his chest.
“This is the first time,” Geonwoo said, adjusting a loose thread on his sleeve. “Most people just ask for help with assignments and projects.” He shrugged. “So… just you, Lee Sangwon.”
The way he said his name sent chills down Sangwon’s spine.
“By the way,” Geonwoo added, “I have something for you.”
He pulled out a red envelope.
The same one he saw him pocket from the faculty room.
“I saw you take that from our teacher’s desk,” Sangwon said. Finally, he felt steady again.
“Oh, that?” Geonwoo chuckled. “I slipped it in with your exam papers, but I got worried it might end up in the wrong hands. So I decided to give it to you personally. Today felt like the right time.”
Sangwon stared.
He flipped the envelope over.
To: Lee Sangwon
From: Kim Geonwoo
He opened it.
It was a confession.
Geonwoo had liked him since the start of the semester, the same thing he’d just told his friends at the café.
Sangwon looked up, his expression confused. Geonwoo was blushing.
“Well?” Geonwoo asked softly. “Are you going to say anything?”
Everything clicked. The group assignments. The coincidences. None of it had been accidental.
“You like me?” Sangwon tilted his head.
“Well,” Geonwoo said, trying to look away, “the letter does say that.”
Geonwoo tries to look away, feeling the rejection coming, but he’s already braced himself for it. He just wanted to get this off his chest, to shoot his shot.
Sangwon smiled, mischief creeping in. “What can I do? I've already introduced you to my friends.”
Geonwoo blinked. “What do you mean?”
“See you on Monday,” Sangwon said. “Let’s walk to school together.”