Attention

Dohoon just got into 42 University and joined the football club.
He was hoping for a peaceful university life, but fate had another plan for him.
He bumped into another boy, Junghwan, who is as tall as him, but with wider shoulder.
He try to befriend him, but was ignored completely.
Then the next time they met, started their non-stop arguing.
And with fate keep putting them into group project, means that peace is not an option.

Notes:

Hey! This is prequel/sequel to Dance to my Heart, for better understanding you can go read that first.
But you can definitely read it as standalone story.

(See the end of the work for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Ringing ears.

The roar of the crowd.

Teammates shouting names.

The referee's whistle.

They all blended into one indistinct noise.

Dohoon vision refused to focus.

The stadium lights blurred together as the world around him spun.

"...My head..."

A sharp pain throbbed at the back of his skull.

Then another shot through his right leg.

"...Ah..."

He instinctively tried to move, only for another wave of pain to force a groan from his lips.

"...Dohoon!"

Someone was calling him.

The voice sounded familiar.

Very familiar.

But his mind felt too foggy to react.

"...Dohoon!"

The voice came closer.

The next thing he knew, the ground disappeared beneath him.

Strong arms slipped underneath his knees and around his back, lifting him effortlessly into a bridal carry.

"...Huh...?"

Dohoon forced his blurry eyes open.

The face above him slowly came into focus.

Dark hair.

Sharp eyes.

A worried expression he had almost never seen before.

"...Junghwan?"

It was Shin Junghwan.

His enemy.

...Or perhaps...

His former enemy.

Dohoon frowned weakly.

"Put me down..."

His voice came out much softer than he intended.

"The match..."

"My team still needs me..."

He instinctively struggled, trying to climb out of Junghwan's arms.

Almost immediately, Junghwan tightened his hold to stop him.

"Will you stop moving for one second?"

His tone was firm.

"You're injured."

"I can still—"

"No."

Junghwan cut him off without hesitation.

"You hit your head."

"And you couldn't even stand up."

"I'm taking you to the hospital."

Dohoon wanted to argue.

He really did.

But another wave of dizziness hit before the words could leave his mouth.

"..."

He squeezed his eyes shut.

Everything still felt like it was spinning.

Slowly...

Fragments of what had happened returned.

It had been the university football championship.

42 University versus one of Seoul's strongest university teams.

The score had been tied.

Only a few minutes remained.

Dohoon had stolen the ball near midfield.

He sprinted toward the goal with only one defender left to beat.

Then—

Someone lunged in for a tackle.

They missed the ball completely.

Instead...

Their shoulder slammed directly into Dohoon's side.

His balance disappeared instantly.

He crashed heavily onto the grass.

His head struck the ground first.

Then his right leg twisted awkwardly beneath him.

The pain had been so overwhelming that everything afterward became a blur.

"...My leg..."

Dohoon muttered.

"It hurts..."

"I know."

Junghwan didn't even look down.

"So stop talking."

"You might have a concussion."

"We're almost at the ambulance."

Dohoon let out a quiet sigh.

For once...

He didn't have the energy to argue.

Instead, he leaned his head against Junghwan's shoulder.

The familiar scent of detergent and faint cologne somehow eased the chaos in his mind.

"..."

Junghwan glanced down briefly.

"You okay?"

"...No."

"...It really hurts."

"I know."

"...Just bear with it a little longer."

There was something oddly reassuring about Junghwan's voice.

Strong.

Steady.

Reliable.

Dohoon closed his eyes again.

If someone had told him a year ago that the person carrying him to safety would be Shin Junghwan...

He would've laughed in their face.

Because back then...

The two of them couldn't stand each other.

They argued whenever they met.

Competed over the smallest things.

And somehow always managed to get on each other's nerves.

No one would've imagined they'd end up like this.

—

One year earlier.

April 24, 2025

The morning sun shone brightly over the front gates of 42 University.

Students carrying suitcases walked in and out of the campus.

Parents gave one last reminder before saying goodbye.

Club booths lined both sides of the entrance, seniors enthusiastically calling out to passing freshmen.

"Come join the football club!"

"Photography club is recruiting!"

"Free drinks if you sign up!"

The entire campus buzzed with excitement.

Standing in front of the main gate, Kim Dohoon adjusted the strap of his backpack before looking up at the enormous university sign.

A slow grin spread across his face.

"...Finally."

"A new chapter."

He took one step forward.

Completely unaware...

That somewhere on this very campus…

Someone in this campus…

Is going to change his life forever.

—

Despite the countless club booths lining the entrance, one immediately caught Dohoon's attention.

The Football Club.

Without much hesitation, he made his way over.

The moment he stepped into the booth, one of the seniors practically lit up.

"Hey! Freshman!"

The senior flashed him a bright smile before giving him a quick once-over.

"You've got a great build."

"Long legs, broad shoulders..."

"You'd do well in football."

Dohoon couldn't help laughing.

"Is that how you recruit members?"

"It works more often than you'd think."

The senior shrugged proudly.

"So?"

"Interested?"

Dohoon nodded.

"My name's Kim Dohoon."

"And yeah, I'm interested."

"Is there anything I need to do to join?"

"There is."

The senior pointed toward a banner beside the booth.

"We're holding evaluations this Friday."

"Register first, come to the tryout, and if you pass..."

"...welcome to the football club."

"Sounds simple enough."

The senior took out a laminated card with a QR code.

"Scan this and fill in the registration form."

Dohoon quickly finished entering his information before handing the phone back.

"There."

"I'm done."

The senior glanced over it before giving him a thumbs-up.

"Perfect."

"Friday, one o'clock."

"Don't be late."

"I won't."

Dohoon smiled.

"See you then, sunbae."

"Looking forward to it."

After waving goodbye, Dohoon turned around—

Thud.

He bumped straight into someone's shoulder.

"...Ah."

"Sorry."

The other person barely moved from the impact.

He simply looked down at Dohoon with an unreadable expression.

"...Watch where you're going."

His voice was cold.

Flat.

Without another word, he walked away.

Dohoon blinked.

"..."

He turned to look at the stranger's back.

The guy was roughly the same height as him.

Broad shoulders.

Straight posture.

The kind of person who looked intimidating even while casually walking away.

"...Seriously?"

"I already apologized."

Dohoon frowned.

"...Does he have to be that rude?"

He clicked his tongue before shaking his head.

Whatever.

He wasn't going to waste his first day thinking about some unfriendly stranger.

With that, he headed toward the dormitory to unpack before exploring the rest of campus.

—

Inside the dormitory office, a middle-aged staff member greeted him warmly.

"Hello!"

"You're a freshman, right?"

"Yep."

Dohoon smiled politely.

"I'm here to collect my room key."

"The name's Kim Dohoon."

"One moment."

The staff member checked the list before nodding.

"Ah."

"Block B."

"Room 402."

She paused for a moment before smiling again.

"You got pretty lucky."

Dohoon tilted his head.

"Lucky?"

"Your assigned roommate cancelled his enrollment at the last minute."

"So for now..."

"...you'll have the room all to yourself."

Dohoon's eyes widened.

"...Really?"

"I was mentally preparing to live with a stranger."

The staff laughed.

"I suppose this works out even better."

"It definitely does."

He grinned.

"I don't mind having roommates..."

"But having the whole room to myself?"

"That's perfect."

The staff handed him the key.

"Here you go."

"Enjoy your university life."

"Thank you."

Dohoon bowed politely before heading upstairs.

—

The corridor on the fourth floor was surprisingly quiet.

Rows of identical doors stretched down both sides.

Dohoon glanced at the room numbers as he walked.

"...402..."

"It should be around..."

He suddenly stopped.

420.

The door was open.

Inside—

The same guy from earlier was unpacking boxes.

"..."

"...Him again."

The stranger looked up for only a second.

Their eyes met.

Neither of them spoke.

Then the guy simply returned to unpacking as though Dohoon didn't exist.

"..."

"...Fine."

Dohoon rolled his eyes.

"Wrong direction anyway."

He turned around and walked the opposite way.

A few doors later—

402.

"There we go."

He unlocked the door.

The room was much nicer than he'd expected.

A compact kitchen.

A bathroom.

Two beds separated by study desks.

Large windows letting in plenty of sunlight.

"...Wow."

"This is actually pretty nice."

He slowly looked around the empty room.

"And I get all of this to myself."

He couldn't help smiling.

"No wonder everyone wants the dorms here."

After unpacking his suitcase and making his bed, he stretched lazily.

"Done."

"...Time to explore."

—

The spring breeze greeted him the moment he stepped outside.

Students wandered around campus in every direction.

Some were taking photos.

Some were carrying club flyers.

Others were already chatting like they'd known each other for years.

Near the dormitories were convenience stores, cafés, restaurants, and small bakeries.

Even though it was only around noon, nearly every shop was filled with students.

"...This place is lively."

Dohoon smiled to himself.

"I think I'm going to like it here."

Feeling thirsty, he walked into the nearest convenience store.

The cool air-conditioning immediately welcomed him.

He headed straight for the drinks section.

Then...

"...Seriously?"

Standing a few shelves away—

Was that same guy.

Again.

"What are the chances..."

Dohoon sighed.

He wasn't the type to hold grudges over a small misunderstanding.

Might as well clear the awkwardness.

He walked over.

"Hey."

The other person looked up.

"I'm the guy who bumped into you earlier."

"Sorry about that."

"I'm Kim Dohoon."

"I also live on the same floor as you."

He extended his hand with a friendly smile.

"Let's start over?"

The stranger looked at the offered hand.

Then at Dohoon.

For a brief second...

Dohoon actually thought he might shake it.

Instead—

"...Shin Junghwan."

That was all he said.

Without shaking Dohoon's hand...

He grabbed his drink and walked away.

"..."

Dohoon's hand remained hanging awkwardly in the air.

After several seconds, he slowly lowered it.

"...Wow."

"What a rude guy."

He watched Junghwan disappear out the store entrance.

Something about him...

Was unbelievably irritating.

Not just the cold attitude.

It was the way he acted as though everyone else was beneath his attention.

Dohoon clicked his tongue.

"...Let's just hope..."

"...I don't run into him again."

—

The next day, there’s orientation for the new intakes.

However, the university really seemed determined to test Dohoon's patience.

Out of all the seats in the auditorium...

The only empty one assigned to him happened to be right beside Shin Junghwan.

"...You've got to be kidding me."

Dohoon stared at the seating chart for a few seconds before letting out a long sigh.

There was no point complaining.

He walked over and sat down, deciding on one thing.

I'm not talking to him.

Not a single word.

He placed his bag beneath his chair and took out his phone, pretending to be occupied.

Maybe if they ignored each other, the orientation would pass peacefully.

Unfortunately...

Peace lasted less than five seconds.

Junghwan turned his head.

The moment their eyes met, he frowned.

"...You again."

A faint click of his tongue followed.

Something inside Dohoon immediately snapped.

He turned sharply.

"What?"

"Is there a problem with me sitting here?"

Junghwan raised an eyebrow.

"I didn't say there was."

"Then what's with that attitude?"

Junghwan leaned back in his chair, looking completely unbothered.

"You're awfully defensive."

Dohoon scoffed.

"Maybe because you've been rude to me since yesterday."

"...Have I?"

"You bumped into me."

"I ignored it."

"You came to the convenience store."

"I told you my name."

"You offered your hand."

"I chose not to shake it."

Junghwan shrugged.

"I don't see the problem."

Dohoon stared at him in disbelief.

"...Seriously?"

"I greeted you politely."

"I even apologized."

"And you couldn't even shake my hand?"

"It's called basic courtesy."

Junghwan looked at him without the slightest hint of guilt.

"Why do I have to shake your hand?"

"...Because that's what normal people do."

"I have the right not to."

"..."

Dohoon took a deep breath.

"Talking to you is seriously pissing me off."

A corner of Junghwan's mouth lifted ever so slightly.

"Oh."

"Then I guess I enjoy pissing you off."

"..."

"...You're impossible."

"And you're loud."

Before the argument could escalate any further, the student sitting on Junghwan's other side finally sighed.

"Junghwan."

"That's enough."

Junghwan clicked his tongue but said nothing.

The student turned toward Dohoon instead, offering an apologetic smile.

"I'm sorry."

"He has a terrible personality."

"My name's Choi Youngjae."

Junghwan immediately frowned.

"...Hey."

"No one asked you to apologize."

Youngjae didn't even look at him.

"I know."

"I'm apologizing anyway."

"You've been rude since yesterday."

"...Traitor."

"Shut up."

Youngjae replied flatly.

Dohoon couldn't help letting out a small laugh.

At least...

Someone normal existed.

He nodded politely.

"Kim Dohoon."

"Nice to meet you."

"Likewise."

Youngjae smiled warmly.

"I hope your day hasn't been too terrible."

Dohoon glanced sideways at Junghwan.

"...It was going pretty well."

"Until five minutes ago."

Youngjae pinched the bridge of his nose.

"...Junghwan."

"What?"

"Can you at least try to be friendly?"

Junghwan crossed his arms.

"I wasn't the one who started arguing."

Dohoon immediately turned toward him again.

"You literally clicked your tongue the moment you saw me."

"...Did I?"

"You know you did."

"I don't remember."

"..."

Dohoon slowly looked toward the ceiling.

How does someone like this even exist?

The orientation hadn't even started yet...

And he already had a headache.

From the corner of his eye, he saw Junghwan calmly flipping through the orientation booklet as if nothing had happened.

...I hate him.

And, judging by the tiny smirk on Junghwan's face...

He had a feeling the other guy enjoyed every second of it.

—

Ever since orientation, Dohoon had come to one conclusion.

The best way to deal with Shin Junghwan...

...was to avoid him.

Whenever he spotted Junghwan walking toward him across campus, he'd immediately turn around and head in the opposite direction.

If he saw him at the cafeteria, he'd eat somewhere else.

If Junghwan entered the convenience store, Dohoon would simply leave.

Anything to avoid another pointless argument.

Unfortunately...

Junghwan seemed to find this absolutely hilarious.

Instead of leaving him alone, he started seeking Dohoon out on purpose.

Sometimes he'd casually appear beside him and make a sarcastic remark.

Sometimes he'd purposely sit across from him during lunch.

Sometimes he'd simply stare until Dohoon noticed.

Every single encounter somehow ended with Dohoon wanting to strangle him.

Today...

Was no different.

—

Friday.

11 a.m.

Dohoon's football club tryout was scheduled for one o'clock.

With plenty of time to spare, he was relaxing in the library, quietly reading while waiting for noon to pass.

The silence was peaceful.

Exactly what he needed before the evaluation.

"..."

Then...

A chair scraped against the floor beside him.

Dohoon didn't even need to look.

"..."

He already knew who it was.

Sure enough...

Shin Junghwan sat down beside him.

A faint smirk appeared on his face.

"..."

Dohoon slowly closed his book.

Without saying a word, he stood up.

Picked up his bag.

Walked to another empty table.

Peace restored.

Or so he thought.

A few seconds later...

Another chair scraped across the floor.

Dohoon froze.

"...You've got to be kidding me."

He looked up.

Junghwan had followed him.

Again.

"What is your problem?"

Dohoon finally snapped.

"Why are you following me?"

Junghwan leaned back comfortably.

"No particular reason."

"I just felt like annoying you."

"..."

"You seriously have nothing better to do?"

"No."

"I have a football tryout later."

"I'm trying to relax."

"So stop bothering me before I actually lose my temper."

Junghwan tilted his head.

"Football?"

"The club tryouts?"

"Yeah."

"So?"

"So leave me alone."

"Hmm..."

Junghwan pretended to think.

"I don't think I will."

Dohoon stared at him for several seconds.

"...Seriously."

"What exactly is wrong with you?"

"Why are you so obsessed with pissing me off?"

Junghwan's answer came immediately.

"It's fun."

"..."

"...You're a psychopath."

"Maybe."

He even smiled.

Dohoon rubbed his temples.

There was no winning against someone whose entire goal was to make him angry.

"...Forget it."

He stood up again.

This time, before walking away, he lightly shoved Junghwan's shoulder.

"Find someone else to bother."

Junghwan barely moved.

He simply watched Dohoon leave...

Still smiling.

"...Interesting."

—

Back in his dorm room, Dohoon immediately threw himself onto the bed.

"...Agh..."

He buried his face in the pillow.

"Can't he just leave me alone?"

He rolled onto his back and looked at the clock.

11:30 a.m.

"...Still ninety minutes."

Too early to head for the field.

Too late to start anything meaningful.

With nothing better to do, he picked up his phone and opened the university's Threads page.

Most of the posts were exactly what he'd expected.

Freshmen asking questions.

Club recruitment posts.

Photos from orientation.

Then...

He stopped scrolling.

"...Huh?"

Someone had uploaded a picture of him from orientation.

The comments were already piling up.

"Who's this freshman??"

"He's handsome."

"Those proportions are insane."

"Football player vibes."

"Please tell me which department he's from."

Dohoon scratched his cheek awkwardly.

"...People really post anything."

He continued scrolling.

Then...

His expression immediately soured.

"...Seriously?"

Another post.

Another freshman photo.

This time...

Shin Junghwan.

Dohoon clicked his tongue.

"...Even here?"

"Can this guy stop appearing everywhere?"

Against his better judgment...

He looked at the comments.

"Broad shoulders."

"He's ridiculously handsome."

"He looks like an actor."

"Cold but attractive."

"I want his Instagram."

Dohoon frowned.

"...He's not even that good-looking."

He looked at the photo again.

The sunlight caught Junghwan's profile perfectly.

His sharp jawline.

Calm expression.

Broad shoulders beneath a simple black T-shirt.

"..."

"...Okay."

"...Maybe he's a little good-looking."

He quickly locked his phone.

"...Still."

"His personality is terrible."

That was enough social media for today.

He tossed his phone aside, closed his eyes...

And promptly fell asleep.

—

When Dohoon woke again, sunlight was pouring through the window.

He glanced at the clock.

12:45 p.m.

"...Crap."

He immediately jumped out of bed.

"I'm almost late."

Within minutes, he had changed clothes and jogged toward the football field.

—

The football field was already bustling with freshmen warming up.

The moment Dohoon arrived, one of the seniors waved enthusiastically.

"Dohoon!"

"Over here!"

He jogged over.

"Sorry, sunbae."

"I'm here."

The senior grinned.

"Perfect timing."

"You feeling confident?"

Dohoon smiled.

"I played football throughout high school."

"I think I'll be fine."

"I like your confidence."

"So..."

"What exactly is today's tryout?"

The senior chuckled.

"You'll find out once everyone's here."

About ten minutes later, the final participants arrived.

The club president stepped forward.

"Alright everyone."

"Listen up."

He pointed toward a row of cones arranged across the field.

"The evaluation is simple."

"You'll dribble the ball through every cone..."

"...without knocking any over."

"You have two minutes."

"If you complete it successfully..."

"Congratulations."

"You're in."

Almost immediately, groans spread through the crowd.

"Two minutes?"

"That's impossible."

"No way..."

The president laughed.

"It really isn't."

"In fact..."

"Our current best time is just over one minute."

The murmuring grew louder.

"So..."

"Who's going first?"

Silence.

Everyone looked at one another.

No one volunteered.

Then—

"I'll go."

Dohoon stepped forward.

The seniors exchanged impressed looks.

"I like that confidence."

The president tossed him a football.

"Alright, Dohoon."

"Show us what you've got."

Dohoon carried the ball to the starting line.

He placed it carefully on the grass.

Took a deep breath.

Just like high school.

Nothing's changed.

The president raised his whistle.

"Ready?"

Dohoon nodded.

"Three."

"Two."

"One."

Tweet!

The whistle echoed across the field.

Dohoon exploded forward.

The ball stayed glued to his feet.

Left.

Right.

Left.

Every touch was controlled.

Every turn was smooth.

He weaved effortlessly through each cone without brushing a single one.

His movements looked natural...

Almost effortless.

A few freshmen stared in amazement.

"...He's fast."

"No..."

"Look at his control."

Within moments...

He crossed the finish line.

Tweet!

Another whistle.

Dohoon jogged back, only slightly out of breath.

The president looked down at the stopwatch before letting out a whistle of his own.

"Damn."

"One minute..."

"...Ten seconds."

Several freshmen gasped.

"Seriously?"

"That's insane."

Dohoon smiled.

"So..."

"I'm in?"

The president laughed.

"If you're not in..."

"I don't know who is."

He extended his hand.

"I'm Kim Mingyu."

"President of the Football Club."

"Welcome aboard."

This time...

Dohoon accepted the handshake without hesitation.

"Kim Dohoon."

"I'll be in your care."

The surrounding seniors applauded lightly.

"Welcome!"

"Nice run."

"You're definitely starting material."

After exchanging introductions with several club members, Dohoon sat on the bench to watch the remaining tryouts.

For the first time in days...

He found himself genuinely smiling.

Football had always been where he felt most at home.

And for a little while...

He completely forgot about the infuriating idiot named Shin Junghwan.

—

"Alright, that's it for today's tryouts."

Mingyu clapped his hands together, gathering everyone's attention.

"Congratulations to everyone who passed."

A small round of applause broke out among the successful applicants.

"As for those who didn't make it this time, don't be discouraged." He smiled encouragingly. "We'll be holding another tryout next Friday. Until then, you're welcome to train with us and improve."

Several disappointed freshmen visibly relaxed at his words.

"Okay, everyone who didn't pass is dismissed."

The students gradually began leaving the field.

"Those who passed, stay behind for a moment."

Dohoon remained where he was, wiping the sweat from his forehead with a towel while waiting for further instructions.

Mingyu glanced around before his gaze landed on him.

"Dohoon."

"Yes, sunbae?"

"You mentioned earlier that you played football in high school, right?"

Dohoon nodded.

"I did."

"What position?"

"Striker."

Mingyu folded his arms, studying him for a few seconds.

"...I figured."

"The way you carried the ball just now wasn't something a beginner could do."

Dohoon scratched the back of his neck with a small grin.

"I've been playing for quite a few years."

Mingyu nodded thoughtfully before speaking again.

"Then let's do this."

"Next Wednesday, after practice, I'll personally test you."

Dohoon's eyes lit up.

"A one-on-one?"

"Not exactly."

Mingyu pointed toward the goal behind them.

"You'll attack."

"I'll defend."

"If you can get past me and score..."

A grin appeared on his face.

"I'll immediately add you to the university league squad as a backup striker."

Dohoon's eyebrows shot up.

"Seriously?"

"Seriously."

"But only if you score."

For a brief moment, silence hung between them.

Then Dohoon smiled confidently.

"I'll be looking forward to Wednesday."

"I'll surprise you."

Mingyu couldn't help laughing.

"Haha..."

"I know I've said this several times already..."

"But I really like your confidence, Dohoon."

He pointed a finger at him.

"Just make sure your skills can back it up."

"They will."

"Good."

Mingyu gave him a pat on the shoulder.

"Official training starts next Tuesday at three in the afternoon."

"Don't be late."

"I won't."

"Alright, you're dismissed."

Mingyu then turned toward the other freshmen who had passed the tryout, beginning to explain the club's training schedule.

Dohoon stretched his shoulders before pulling out his phone.

2:00 PM.

"...Perfect."

Right around lunchtime.

He was starving after all the running.

Still...

A shower sounded even more appealing first.

—

The afternoon breeze felt pleasantly cool as Dohoon walked back toward the dormitories.

His football boots dangled from one hand while he lazily scrolled through his phone with the other.

Just as he rounded a corner, he spotted a familiar figure sitting alone on a bench beneath a tree.

"...Youngjae?"

The other boy looked up from his notebook.

"...Hm?"

It took him a second to recognize Dohoon.

"Oh."

"It's you."

Dohoon smiled before walking over.

"Youngjae, right?"

Youngjae closed his notebook.

"Yeah."

"Need something?"

His voice remained as calm and quiet as ever.

Dohoon scratched his cheek awkwardly.

"Actually..."

"I wanted to thank you."

Youngjae blinked.

"...For what?"

"For stopping Junghwan during orientation."

Dohoon laughed awkwardly.

"If you hadn't interrupted us that day..."

"I think one of us would've ended up getting kicked out before classes even started."

A tiny smile tugged at the corner of Youngjae's lips.

"...That's a bit exaggerated."

"Maybe."

"But I still appreciate it."

Dohoon rubbed the back of his neck.

"So..."

"Are you free later?"

"I was thinking of treating you to lunch."

Youngjae immediately shook his head.

"...You really don't have to."

"I was just doing my job as Junghwan's friend."

"I know."

"But I'd still feel better if I thanked you properly."

Youngjae remained silent for a moment.

"...Maybe another day."

"I've already made plans today."

Dohoon nodded without pushing further.

"That's fair."

Then his expression suddenly changed.

"...Speaking of Junghwan."

Youngjae let out a quiet sigh before Dohoon could continue.

"...What did he do this time?"

Dohoon looked completely baffled.

"He keeps following me around."

"He purposely sits next to me."

"He annoys me for absolutely no reason."

"He even came all the way to the library just to piss me off."

Youngjae pinched the bridge of his nose.

"...He actually did that?"

"He did."

"And he admitted it."

"'I just want to piss you off,' that's literally what he said."

Youngjae closed his eyes for a brief second, looking as though he had developed a headache.

"...I don't know what to tell you."

"He's usually not like this."

Dohoon stared at him in disbelief.

"...Seriously?"

Youngjae nodded.

"He's blunt."

"And kind of difficult."

"But he normally doesn't go around provoking people for fun."

"...At least..."

"...Not this much."

Dohoon clicked his tongue.

"Then there's only one explanation."

Youngjae looked up.

"He really hates me."

"..."

Youngjae didn't answer immediately.

Instead, he thought back to Junghwan's behavior over the past few days.

The orientation.

The library.

The way Junghwan always seemed to know where Dohoon was.

The way he kept picking fights over the smallest things.

...

"...Honestly?"

Youngjae muttered.

"I'm not even sure that's hatred anymore."

Dohoon frowned.

"What do you mean?"

Youngjae simply shook his head.

"...Forget I said anything."

"I'll ask him later."

Dohoon sighed dramatically.

"Please do."

"And while you're at it..."

"Tell him to leave me alone."

Youngjae gave a small, helpless smile.

"...I'll try."

Neither of them realized it then.

But that strange relationship between Kim Dohoon and Shin Junghwan—

The constant arguments.

The inexplicable need to seek each other out—

Was only just beginning.

As things are about to get worse.

—

Despite weeks turning into months, nothing had really changed between Dohoon and Junghwan.

Or perhaps...

They had become even worse.

Dohoon had perfected the art of avoiding Junghwan. The moment he spotted the taller boy anywhere on campus, he would immediately turn around and walk in the opposite direction.

Junghwan, on the other hand, seemed to have made it his personal mission to ruin Dohoon's peaceful university life.

Whether it was making sarcastic remarks as they passed each other...

Taking the seat beside him when there were dozens of empty seats...

Or purposely appearing wherever Dohoon happened to be...

Junghwan never missed an opportunity to get under his skin.

"...Does this guy seriously have nothing better to do?"

Before Dohoon knew it, spring had quietly come to an end.

The cool breeze was replaced by the blazing heat of summer.

Fortunately, Dohoon had always preferred summer over winter.

Unfortunately...

Summer also brought him something he was absolutely not prepared for.

A compulsory general studies assignment.

And, out of every student in the class...

His assigned partner was none other than—

Shin Junghwan.

"..."

"...You're kidding me."

Unfortunately...

The lecturer wasn't.

—

Their assignment was straightforward.

Research the differences between young adults and middle-aged adults.

What did each generation value?

What were they pursuing in life?

What were the biggest differences between their priorities?

It sounded simple.

Until Dohoon realized he had to work with Junghwan.

—

Inside the university library...

The two sat across from each other, laptops open and notebooks scattered across the table.

Ten minutes into the discussion...

They were already arguing.

"I think we should conduct face-to-face interviews."

Dohoon crossed his arms confidently.

"It's the most direct way to get accurate answers."

Junghwan clicked his tongue.

"That's the dumbest thing I've heard today."

Dohoon's eyebrow twitched.

"...Excuse me?"

"You can't just walk up to random people and ask them what they crave in life."

“Especially to someone who is around our age.”

"Why not?"

"Because that's weird."

"It's called research."

"It's called bothering strangers."

Dohoon leaned forward.

"Then what's your brilliant idea?"

Junghwan casually pointed at his laptop.

"Online surveys."

"We create a questionnaire, post it online, and collect responses."

Dohoon immediately shook his head.

"That'll work for university students."

"But middle-aged adults?"

"They're not going to spend their free time filling out online surveys."

"You haven't even tried."

Junghwan shrugged.

"How would you know?"

"The same applies to your idea."

"You haven't tried interviewing people either."

"At least mine has human interaction."

"At least mine doesn't scare people away."

"..."

The silence lasted all of three seconds.

Then both of them spoke at the same time.

"Your idea is terrible."

"No, your idea is terrible."

Their voices grew louder.

And louder.

Until—

"Ahem."

Both boys froze.

Standing beside their table was the librarian.

Her smile looked polite.

Her eyes...

Not so much.

"This is a library."

"If the two of you wish to continue your debate..."

She pointed toward the exit.

"...Please do it outside."

The two exchanged a glance.

"..."

"...Sorry."

—

The moment they stepped outside the library, the argument resumed as if it had never stopped.

"Fine."

Dohoon threw his hands into the air.

"We'll each do it our own way."

"I'll conduct interviews."

"You do your surveys."

Junghwan nodded immediately.

"Sounds good."

"We'll compare the results afterward."

Dohoon narrowed his eyes.

"My method is going to work better."

Junghwan smirked.

"...Keep dreaming."

"You wish."

With that, Dohoon slung his backpack over one shoulder and turned to leave.

Just as he rounded the corner, someone called out to him.

"Dohoon?"

He stopped.

Youngjae was standing nearby, carrying a stack of books.

He looked between Dohoon and the library entrance before tilting his head slightly.

"...Are you okay?"

Dohoon opened his mouth.

For a brief moment, it looked like he wanted to complain.

About Junghwan.

About the assignment.

About how impossible that idiot was.

Instead...

He simply let out a long sigh.

"...I'm fine."

"...Just..."

He rubbed the back of his neck.

"...Forget it."

Without another word, he continued walking away.

Youngjae watched him leave before glancing toward the library entrance.

"..."

"...What did Junghwan do this time?"

—

The moment Dohoon returned to his dorm...

He tossed his backpack onto the floor.

Flopped face-first onto his bed.

And let out the loudest groan of the day.

"Ughhhhh..."

He buried his face into the pillow.

"...Out of everyone..."

"...Why did I get paired with him?"

His muffled voice echoed through the empty room.

This assignment would last...

Two whole months.

Two months of discussions.

Two months of meetings.

Two months of preparing a presentation.

And, most importantly...

Two months of dealing with Shin Junghwan.

"...This is hell."

He rolled onto his back and stared at the ceiling.

"...Please let me survive."

—

Fortunately...

Not everything in Dohoon's university life was terrible.

His football career, on the other hand...

Couldn't have been going any better.

Instead of becoming merely a backup player...

He had successfully earned a permanent place as one of the university team's starting strikers.

Even now...

Thinking back to that day still made him smile.

—

Two months earlier.

After football practice...

The rest of the team gathered around the field.

Mingyu stood near the penalty area with a football tucked under one arm.

He looked toward Dohoon.

"You ready?"

Dohoon stretched his shoulders before nodding confidently.

"Always."

Mingyu tossed the ball onto the grass.

"Then let's begin."

The surrounding players immediately gathered near the sidelines.

Some sat on the benches.

Others leaned against the fence.

Everyone wanted to see whether the freshman who had been showing off all week could actually back up his confidence.

Dohoon placed the ball at his feet.

His eyes remained fixed on Mingyu.

His defense is solid...

I won't beat him with speed alone.

The whistle blew.

Dohoon exploded forward.

Just as expected...

Mingyu matched every step perfectly.

Every feint.

Every acceleration.

Every change of direction.

"...He's good."

Dohoon muttered.

Then...

An idea flashed through his mind.

Instead of forcing his way through, he accelerated toward Mingyu's left side.

Mingyu shifted accordingly.

At the very last second—

Dohoon flicked the ball diagonally across Mingyu's body with the outside of his foot.

While the ball rolled left...

Dohoon sprinted past Mingyu's right shoulder.

For the first time—

Mingyu was caught completely off guard.

"...What?"

By the time he turned around...

Dohoon had already regained possession.

Only the goalkeeper remained.

Dohoon didn't hesitate.

He struck the ball cleanly.

Bang!

The ball flew into the top-right corner of the net.

Silence.

Then—

The field erupted.

"No way!"

"He actually got past Mingyu!"

"What a move!"

Mingyu stared at the goal for a second before letting out a laugh.

"...Hahaha."

He walked over and gave Dohoon a firm pat on the shoulder.

"I'll admit it."

"You've impressed me."

From that day onward...

Kim Dohoon wasn't just another freshman.

He became one of the football club's starting strikers.

And every time he remembered that match...

A proud smile naturally found its way onto his face.

"...Not bad for my first semester," he muttered to himself.

Compared to football...

If only working with Shin Junghwan could be half as enjoyable.

—

Over the next few days, Dohoon threw himself into the assignment.

Whenever he had free time between classes or football practice, he would approach people around campus, nearby cafés, parks, and even the shopping district, asking if they would spare a few minutes for an interview.

His first few attempts...

Were complete disasters.

"Excuse me, could I ask you a few questions for a university assignment?"

"...Sorry, I'm in a hurry."

The woman walked away before he could even finish.

The next person wasn't much different.

"Would you mind participating in a short interview?"

"No, thanks."

"..."

Dohoon let out a defeated sigh.

"...This is harder than I thought."

Still, he refused to give up.

Little by little, things began to improve.

An office worker waiting for the bus agreed to help.

A middle-aged couple enjoying coffee happily answered every question.

Even an uncle exercising in the park enthusiastically shared his thoughts about work, family, and what he valued most in life.

By the end of the week, Dohoon had gathered a respectable amount of information.

However...

As he organized his notes that night, something became painfully obvious.

"..."

Almost every response...

Came from working adults.

Or middle-aged people.

The section labeled Young Adults looked embarrassingly empty.

Dohoon rubbed his forehead.

"...No way..."

He replayed the past few days in his mind.

Most university students either had earphones in...

Were rushing to class...

Or politely declined before he could even explain the assignment.

No matter how many people he approached...

The result was always the same.

"..."

Junghwan...

Was right.

Dohoon clicked his tongue in frustration.

"...I hate admitting that."

—

Unfortunately...

The next meeting with Junghwan arrived much sooner than Dohoon would've liked.

The thought alone was enough to give him a headache.

He's definitely going to rub it in my face.

That annoying idiot...

With a sigh, Dohoon pushed open the library door.

To his surprise...

Junghwan was already there.

He was sitting at their usual table, one arm resting beneath his head.

His eyes were closed.

Apparently...

He had fallen asleep while waiting.

Dohoon stopped walking for a second.

"..."

It was strangely quiet.

Without Junghwan's sarcastic remarks...

Or his smug expression...

He actually looked...

...Pretty decent.

The sharp features that usually made him seem intimidating now looked unexpectedly calm.

His slightly messy hair fell over his forehead, and the afternoon sunlight streaming through the windows made him look...

"..."

...He actually looks nice when he's not talking.

The thought slipped into Dohoon's mind before he could stop it.

A second later, he immediately frowned.

No.

He's still a prick.

Looks are deceiving.

Almost as if sensing someone's gaze, Junghwan slowly opened his eyes.

He blinked once before looking directly at Dohoon.

"...You're here."

His voice still carried traces of sleep.

Dohoon pulled out the chair opposite him and sat down.

"Yeah."

Junghwan stretched lazily before smirking.

"So?"

"How did your interviews go?"

"..."

Here it comes.

Dohoon sighed.

"I managed to collect quite a bit."

"But..."

"Most of them were working adults."

"Or middle-aged."

Junghwan raised an eyebrow.

"Oh?"

"What did I tell you last time?"

Dohoon clicked his tongue.

"I knew you were going to say that."

"I told you your method wouldn't work well with young adults."

"...Stop talking about me."

Dohoon folded his arms.

"How about your survey?"

Junghwan's smug smile immediately disappeared.

"..."

Without saying a word, he pushed a stack of printed responses across the table.

Dohoon glanced through them.

Almost every response...

Came from university students.

The middle-aged section...

Contained only a handful of answers.

He slowly looked back up.

"...You're seriously making fun of me?"

"You're in the exact same situation."

Junghwan quickly snatched the papers back.

"...Whatever."

"Let's just combine what we have."

"I want to finish this as soon as possible."

Dohoon nodded immediately.

"For once..."

"I agree with you."

"I can't stand looking at you for another second."

Junghwan didn't even bother looking up.

"I feel exactly the same."

"...Good."

Neither of them said another word.

Instead...

They quietly began organizing their findings.

Ironically...

Despite arguing about almost everything...

They worked surprisingly well together.

Dohoon summarized the interview transcripts.

Junghwan organized the survey data into neat tables.

Whenever one noticed something missing, the other filled in the gap without needing to be asked.

It almost felt...

Like they had done group projects together for years.

The only sounds between them were the tapping of keyboards...

The scratching of pens...

And the occasional,

"Move."

"You're blocking my notebook."

"Tch."

"...You're welcome."

"...I wasn't thanking you."

"...I know."

Somehow...

Their constant bickering had become its own strange rhythm.

Perhaps...

Both of them simply wanted to finish the assignment as quickly as possible so they could spend less time together.

Nearly two hours later...

Dohoon leaned back in his chair.

"...That's everything."

Junghwan scanned the compiled document one last time.

"...Still not enough."

The amount of data was acceptable...

But nowhere near enough for a convincing university presentation.

"We'll need more participants."

Dohoon let out another sigh.

"...Great."

Junghwan closed his laptop.

"Let's stick to our own methods."

"We'll meet again next time when we have enough info and combine everything."

"...Fine."

Without another word, Junghwan packed his laptop into his backpack.

He slung it over one shoulder...

Turned around...

And walked straight out of the library.

No goodbye.

No "see you next time."

Nothing.

Dohoon watched him disappear through the doorway before letting out a long sigh.

"..."

"...Not even a bye."

He shook his head with a bitter chuckle.

"...Seriously."

"What an unbelievable guy."

—

A week passed in the blink of an eye.

July had arrived.

With July came another freshman intake, and the campus was once again filled with excitement.

Club booths lined both sides of the main entrance, seniors hurried back and forth carrying banners, and enthusiastic voices echoed across the plaza as every club tried to recruit new members.

As one of the football club's starting players, Dohoon had been dragged into helping with recruitment.

"Dohoon!"

Mingyu called from behind the booth.

"Can you pass me those flyers?"

"Coming, hyung."

Dohoon picked up a stack of brochures and handed them over.

"Here."

"Thanks."

Mingyu smiled before arranging them neatly across the table.

The football club booth was almost ready.

A banner hung proudly overhead, footballs were placed neatly beside the table, and several club members were already chatting with interested freshmen.

Dohoon stretched his back before casually looking around the plaza.

Every club seemed busy preparing for the day.

Photography.

Dance.

Basketball.

Kendo.

Music.

Then...

His smile disappeared.

"..."

"...You've got to be kidding me."

Right beside the football club...

Was another booth.

Tennis Club.

And standing there, adjusting a banner with the same expressionless face as always...

Shin Junghwan.

"...Seriously?"

Dohoon rubbed his forehead.

"Hyung."

He turned toward Mingyu.

"The tennis club is right beside us?"

Mingyu looked over before nodding casually.

"Yep."

"I specifically requested it."

"...You requested it?"

"Mhm."

He grinned.

"Jungkook's one of my best friends."

"We thought it'd be fun if our booths were next to each other."

Dohoon blinked.

"...Jungkook?"

"The tennis club president."

"Oh."

Dohoon slowly turned back toward the neighboring booth.

So...

Junghwan played tennis.

That was the first time he'd ever learned anything about the guy besides the fact that he was unbelievably annoying.

As if sensing someone's gaze, Junghwan looked up.

The two made eye contact.

"..."

Junghwan simply rolled his eyes.

Then returned to hanging up the club banner as though Dohoon didn't exist.

Dohoon clicked his tongue.

"...Unbelievable."

He had spent months trying to avoid Junghwan.

Yet somehow...

The universe seemed determined to throw them together at every opportunity.

First the orientation.

Then the group assignment.

Now...

Their recruitment booths were side by side.

"...Am I being punished for something?"

Mingyu noticed where Dohoon was looking and chuckled.

"You know him?"

Dohoon let out a long sigh.

"...Unfortunately."

Mingyu glanced toward Junghwan.

"That guy over there is Shin Junghwan."

"Jungkook told me he's one of the best players in the tennis club."

"I know him."

"We're partners for a group assignment."

"Oh?"

Mingyu smiled.

"Then that's perfect."

"You two must get along pretty well."

“He’s a cool guy.”

Dohoon slowly turned to look at him.

"...Hyung."

"...Are we talking about the same person?"

Mingyu blinked.

"What do you mean?"

"That guy is a complete prick."

"He annoys me every chance he gets."

"I can't even sit in the same room as him without wanting to argue."

"I've been trying to avoid him for months."

"And somehow he always finds me."

Mingyu's eyebrows rose in surprise.

"...Really?"

Dohoon nodded immediately.

"Really."

"I've never met someone so irritating."

"He purposely follows me around."

"He starts arguments for no reason."

"And he enjoys watching me get angry."

Mingyu scratched his cheek awkwardly.

"...That's... surprising."

"From what Jungkook told me..."

"Junghwan's actually pretty polite."

"He doesn't talk much."

"And he's usually quite reliable."

Dohoon stared at him.

"...There's no way we're talking about the same Shin Junghwan."

Mingyu laughed.

"Did something happen between the two of you?"

Dohoon thought for a moment.

"..."

"...Honestly?"

"I have no idea."

"The first time we met, I accidentally bumped into him."

"I apologized."

"He told me to watch where I was going."

"The next time I introduced myself..."

"He refused to shake my hand."

"Ever since then..."

"He's been making my life miserable."

Mingyu couldn't help laughing.

"...Sounds like quite the first impression."

"It was terrible."

Dohoon folded his arms.

"So for today..."

"I'm just going to pretend he doesn't exist."

"That's probably for the best."

Mingyu smiled helplessly before returning to arranging the flyers.

"...Good luck with that."

Dohoon frowned.

"...What do you mean?"

Mingyu pointed toward the growing crowd of freshmen approaching the entrance.

"Our booths are side by side."

"You'll probably be standing next to each other the entire day."

"..."

Dohoon slowly looked toward the tennis booth again.

At almost the same moment...

Junghwan happened to glance over.

Their eyes met once more.

Junghwan merely looked away with a small scoff before continuing his work.

Dohoon sighed deeply.

"..."

"...It's going to be a long day."

Dohoon tore his gaze away from the tennis club booth and looked around the rest of the plaza.

Every club was busy trying to attract new students.

The photography club had already hung up dozens of stunning landscape photos.

The basketball club was showing off trick shots.

The music club was performing live to gather a crowd.

Then...

He spotted another familiar face.

"...Youngjae?"

Sitting behind the dance club booth was Choi Youngjae.

Or more accurately...

Slumped over the table with his chin resting in one hand, staring blankly into space.

He looked like someone who deeply regretted every decision that had led him to this moment.

"..."

"...He looks like he wants to go home."

Dohoon couldn't help chuckling.

"So Youngjae's in the dance club..."

"...Didn't see that coming."

Compared to Junghwan's expressionless face, Youngjae somehow looked even less enthusiastic about recruiting freshmen.

Maybe socializing really isn't his thing, Dohoon thought.

Just then—

"Excuse me?"

A voice pulled him back to reality.

Dohoon turned around.

Standing in front of him was a young man dragging a suitcase with one hand.

A camera hung around his neck, and another smaller camera was clipped to his backpack.

The boy smiled politely.

"Hi."

"I'm a freshman."

"Could I ask where the dormitories are?"

"Oh, sure."

Dohoon pointed toward the largest building in the middle of campus.

"See that main building over there?"

"If you walk through it and turn left, you'll see all the dormitory blocks."

The freshman's eyes lit up.

"Oh!"

"Thank you so much."

He bowed slightly.

"My name's Hanjin, by the way."

"Kim Dohoon."

"Nice to meet you."

"Likewise."

Hanjin adjusted the camera hanging around his neck before hesitating for a second.

"...Actually..."

"Can I ask one more favor?"

"Hm?"

"Can I take a picture of you?"

"...Huh?"

Dohoon blinked.

The request had come completely out of nowhere.

Seeing his confused expression, Hanjin laughed awkwardly.

"Sorry."

"It's just a hobby."

"I really like photography."

"I take pictures of people..."

"Landscapes..."

"Flowers..."

"Pretty much anything that catches my eye."

He scratched his cheek.

"And..."

"I thought you looked really photogenic."

"..."

Dohoon wasn't sure how to respond.

"...I guess..."

"...Sure?"

Hanjin's face brightened instantly.

"Really?"

"Thank you!"

He immediately lifted his camera.

"Just keep doing what you were doing."

"Pretend I'm not here."

"...That's easier said than done."

Nevertheless, Dohoon picked up another stack of football club flyers and began arranging them on the table.

Click.

Hanjin moved around naturally, snapping photos from different angles.

After a minute, he lowered the camera and smiled happily.

"Perfect!"

"Thank you so much."

"I'll see you around, Dohoon!"

Before Dohoon could even reply, Hanjin was already dragging his suitcase toward the dormitories.

"..."

"...What an interesting guy."

—

As the morning went on, the campus became increasingly crowded.

Freshmen poured through the university gates in groups, excitedly exploring every club booth they passed.

Dohoon found himself constantly handing out flyers.

"Interested in football?"

"We're holding tryouts this Thursday."

"Feel free to ask if you have any questions."

Meanwhile...

He couldn't help glancing toward the neighboring booth every now and then.

Junghwan...

Was doing absolutely nothing.

He sat comfortably in his chair, one leg crossed over the other, lazily scrolling through his phone.

Only when someone approached the booth would he look up, answer a question, then return to his screen.

Dohoon's eyebrow twitched.

"..."

How is he this lazy?

After watching for another minute, he finally couldn't hold it in anymore.

"Yah, Shin Junghwan."

Junghwan didn't even bother looking up.

"What."

"Can you stop slacking off?"

Now Junghwan looked up.

"...Mind your own business."

Dohoon pointed around them.

"Look around."

"Everyone's actively recruiting."

"And you're just sitting there scrolling through your phone."

Junghwan shrugged.

"If they're interested..."

"They'll come."

"...That's not the point."

"It is."

"You still have to promote your club."

"I am."

"No, you're not."

"I exist."

"...That's not promoting."

Junghwan looked genuinely confused.

"It seems to be working."

"..."

"...You're unbelievable."

"And you're too nosy."

Before Dohoon could respond, a freshman stopped in front of the tennis club booth.

"Um..."

"Is this the tennis club?"

Junghwan immediately put his phone away.

His lazy expression disappeared almost instantly.

"Yes."

"How can I help you?"

"I'd like to join."

"Could you tell me how the registration works?"

Junghwan nodded politely.

"Of course."

He pulled out a registration sheet.

"Just write down your name and student ID here."

"We'll be holding tryouts this Thursday at one in the afternoon."

"As long as you attend, you're good."

"Oh!"

"Thank you."

The freshman quickly filled out the form.

Junghwan glanced down.

"...Lee Sangwoo?"

"Yes."

"Alright."

"Make sure you're at the tennis courts by one o'clock on Thursday."

"I'll be there."

"Thank you, sunbae."

After the freshman left, Junghwan slowly turned his head toward Dohoon.

A smug smile spread across his face.

"...See?"

He gestured toward the registration sheet.

"What did I tell you?"

"If people are interested..."

"They'll come."

Dohoon stared at him for several seconds.

His eye twitched slightly.

"..."

He wanted to argue.

He really did.

But...

He hated admitting it.

Junghwan had just proven his point.

Dohoon clicked his tongue in annoyance before looking away.

"...Tch."

Junghwan chuckled quietly to himself before leaning back in his chair once more, already reaching for his phone.

Seeing that infuriatingly satisfied smile on Junghwan's face, Dohoon silently made himself a promise.

One day...

I'm going to wipe that smug grin off your face.

By the time the clock struck three in the afternoon, the crowd had begun to thin out.

The once lively campus entrance was finally starting to quiet down.

Most of the freshmen had already finished exploring the club booths, leaving only the occasional student wandering past with a campus map in hand.

Dohoon stretched his shoulders with a quiet groan.

"...Finally."

For the past few hours, he had been standing almost nonstop—handing out flyers, answering questions, introducing the football club to anyone willing to listen.

Even someone as energetic as him was beginning to feel exhausted.

"My throat..."

It felt dry enough to burn.

He looked around the football club booth, searching for a bottle of water.

"...Did we seriously finish all of it?"

Nothing.

Mingyu had disappeared somewhere to help another club, and the cooler that had been full that morning was now completely empty.

Dohoon let out a defeated sigh.

"...Great."

Just as he was about to head toward the convenience store, a familiar voice drifted over from the booth beside his.

"Look at you."

"You've been working so hard..."

Junghwan glanced over briefly before the corner of his lips curled upward.

"...Now you look like a dehydrated puppy."

Dohoon immediately frowned.

"...Did you seriously call me a puppy?"

Junghwan shrugged lazily.

"I was going to say a dehydrated dog."

"But puppy sounded nicer."

"...You're unbelievable."

"At least I'm actually doing my job."

Dohoon crossed his arms.

"Unlike someone who's been sitting there scrolling on his phone for half the afternoon."

"I've been registering members."

Junghwan replied without even looking up.

"And unlike you, I don't need to shout every five seconds."

Before Dohoon could fire back another retort—

A plastic bottle suddenly flew toward him.

His athlete's reflexes kicked in immediately.

Thump.

He caught it with one hand.

"...?"

It was a cold bottle of mineral water.

Tiny droplets of condensation covered the outside.

Dohoon blinked before looking toward Junghwan.

Junghwan had already lowered his gaze back to his phone as if nothing had happened.

"Don't thank me."

He spoke casually.

"You looked like you were about to collapse."

"..."

For a moment, Dohoon simply stared at the bottle.

Then at Junghwan.

Then back at the bottle again.

...

Did...

Did he just give me water?

The same Shin Junghwan who spent every opportunity annoying him?

The one who seemed to wake up every morning thinking about how to ruin his day?

"..."

His brain almost couldn't process it.

"...What's with that face?"

Junghwan asked without lifting his head.

"Did I poison it?"

"..."

Dohoon looked at the bottle suspiciously.

"...You know..."

"That actually crossed my mind."

Junghwan snorted.

"If I wanted to poison you, I'd choose something more dramatic."

"...You're insane."

"So I've been told."

Despite his suspicion, Dohoon was far too thirsty to care anymore.

He twisted the cap open.

Click.

Then lifted the bottle and drank.

"Gulp..."

In less than ten seconds, nearly half the bottle was gone.

"...Haa..."

He let out a long, satisfied breath.

"...I'm alive again."

Without realizing it, the corners of Junghwan's mouth lifted ever so slightly.

"You're easy to satisfy."

Dohoon wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

"...Thanks."

The words slipped out before he could stop them.

Junghwan paused for the briefest moment.

Then he simply waved a hand dismissively.

"I told you not to thank me."

"It's annoying."

"..."

"...You really have a weird personality."

"And you're still talking."

Dohoon clicked his tongue.

"There."

"You've gone back to being annoying."

"That's more like the Shin Junghwan I know."

Junghwan finally looked up from his phone.

"...Oh?"

"So you were disappointed for a second?"

"...In your dreams."

Dohoon scoffed before taking another sip of water.

Still...

As cold water eased the dryness in his throat, he couldn't help stealing another glance at the person sitting beside the tennis club booth.

...

Maybe...

Just maybe...

That guy wasn't completely impossible.

The thought lasted less than three seconds.

Junghwan looked up again.

"What?"

"You still standing there?"

"If you're done drinking, go hand out more flyers."

"...Forget what I just thought."

Dohoon muttered under his breath.

"You're definitely still a prick."

"I heard that."

"Good."

—

By around four in the afternoon, the campus had mostly returned to normal.

The club booths that had filled the entrance with energy all day were now being dismantled one by one. Seniors folded tables, packed banners into boxes, and counted the remaining flyers.

"Good work today, everyone!"

Mingyu clapped his hands to get everyone's attention.

"We'll finish packing up from here."

He turned to Dohoon and smiled.

"You've been standing here since morning. Go get some rest."

Dohoon let out a relieved sigh.

"Finally..."

"My legs are starting to protest."

Mingyu laughed.

"Get used to it."

"Club recruitment is always like this."

"Next year, you'll probably be the one telling freshmen to work harder."

"...Please don't curse me like that."

The surrounding club members burst into laughter.

After saying goodbye to everyone, Dohoon slung his backpack over one shoulder and began walking back toward the dormitories.

The afternoon sun was still bright, though the air had become noticeably cooler than it had been a few hours earlier.

As he walked across campus, he noticed a familiar figure crouching beside a flower bed.

A camera hung around the boy's neck as he adjusted the lens with complete concentration.

Click.

The shutter sounded every few seconds.

"..."

Dohoon slowed his steps.

...He's still taking photos?

The boy seemed completely absorbed in what he was doing.

One moment he was photographing flowers swaying in the breeze.

The next, he tilted the camera upward to capture sunlight filtering through the trees.

It was as though everything around him had become a subject worth preserving.

...He really does love photography.

As if sensing someone's gaze, Hanjin lowered his camera.

"Oh!"

"It's Dohoon!"

He immediately waved with a bright smile.

"Hi!"

Dohoon couldn't help but smile back.

He raised a hand in return.

"Still taking photos?"

"Mhm!"

Hanjin nodded enthusiastically.

"The afternoon lighting is really pretty."

"I don't want to waste it."

"...I see."

"Well..."

"I'll see you around."

"See you!"

Hanjin waved again before immediately returning to adjusting his camera, already focused on finding his next shot.

"..."

What an interesting guy.

Chuckling quietly to himself, Dohoon continued toward the dormitory.

—

The moment he unlocked the door to Room 402, he tossed his backpack onto the chair with a soft thud.

"...Home."

Without wasting another second, he grabbed a towel and a fresh set of clothes before heading straight into the bathroom.

The shower came to life with a hiss.

Warm water poured over his head, washing away the sweat that had clung to his skin after standing outside the entire afternoon.

"...Ah..."

He closed his eyes.

This...

This was exactly what he needed.

As the water continued to run, his thoughts naturally drifted elsewhere.

...The group project.

Next week.

Another meeting with Junghwan.

His shoulders immediately tensed.

"..."

Just thinking about it was enough to give him a headache.

He really wasn't looking forward to spending another afternoon arguing with that guy.

Still...

The assignment was worth a significant portion of their final grade.

No matter how much they disliked each other, they couldn't afford to mess it up.

"..."

Dohoon sighed as he ran a hand through his wet hair.

His thoughts wandered back to something Mingyu had said earlier that day.

"Junghwan's a cool guy."

"He's polite, too."

"..."

Dohoon frowned.

...Were we even talking about the same person?

The Junghwan he knew was arrogant.

Annoying.

Someone who somehow managed to irritate him every single time they met.

Yet...

Mingyu had spoken so naturally, without the slightest hesitation.

Almost as if everyone else knew a completely different Shin Junghwan.

Dohoon leaned against the tiled wall, letting the warm water continue to fall over him.

What exactly...

...did I ever do to make him hate me this much?

He replayed their first meeting in his mind.

Bumping into each other.

Offering a handshake.

Being ignored.

Then the orientation.

The constant bickering.

The teasing.

It had all started almost immediately.

"..."

No matter how many times he thought about it...

He still couldn't figure it out.

Junghwan had been rude to him from the very beginning.

And somehow...

It had only gotten worse from there.

"...Seriously."

Dohoon let out another long sigh.

"...That guy makes absolutely no sense."

After finishing his shower, Dohoon stepped out of the bathroom with a towel draped over his shoulders.

He stood in front of the mirror, lazily drying his hair with the hairdryer.

The warm air blew through his damp black hair as he stared absentmindedly at his reflection.

"..."

What a tiring day.

Once his hair was dry enough, he changed into a loose white T-shirt and a pair of black shorts before collapsing onto his bed.

"Flop."

"...Finally."

The mattress felt unbelievably comfortable after spending the entire day on his feet.

He stretched lazily before reaching for his phone on the bedside table.

Without thinking much, he opened Threads, the university's unofficial online forum where students posted everything—from campus news to funny moments and gossip.

As expected, the front page was flooded with posts about today's freshman recruitment fair.

"Which club had the best booth today?"

"Photography Club appreciation post."

"Freshmen this year are surprisingly attractive."

Dohoon chuckled.

"...Students really have too much free time."

He continued scrolling until one particular post caught his attention.

—

📸 Spotted during today's club fair 👀

Attached below were two candid photos.

The first was of Dohoon.

He was sitting behind the football club booth, leaning back in his chair with one arm resting on the table, a half-empty water bottle in his hand.

His hair was slightly messy from the heat, and despite looking exhausted, the afternoon sunlight somehow made the candid photo look... surprisingly good.

"...When did they even take this?"

He swiped to the next picture.

It was Junghwan.

Sitting at the neighboring tennis club booth.

One hand supported his chin while the other casually scrolled through his phone.

The golden sunlight filtered through the trees above, illuminating the side of his face.

Dohoon stared for a second longer than he intended.

"...Okay..."

"I'll admit..."

"...That's actually a decent picture."

Curious, he scrolled down to the comments.

The very first one made him pause.

“Why do the football club and tennis club presidents-in-training look like they're filming a K-drama?”

"...Huh?"

The next comment.

“Not them sitting next to each other looking like enemies to lovers. 😭”

"...What?"

Another.

“Someone please tell me they aren't actually dating because the chemistry is insane.”

Dohoon's eyes widened.

"...Excuse me?"

He kept scrolling.

“The football guy looks like sunshine while the tennis guy looks like he hasn't smiled in ten years. Perfect combination.”

“They definitely argued five minutes after this photo was taken.”

“I don't know who they are, but I ship it.”

“Please tell me someone has a video of them interacting today.”

“They give off "I'll kill you" and "I'd like to see you try" energy.”

"..."

"...What is wrong with these people?"

Dohoon sat upright on the bed.

His expression was one of complete disbelief.

"They're shipping..."

"...Me and Junghwan?"

He looked back at the photos.

Then at the comments.

Then back at the photos again.

"...How?"

He genuinely couldn't understand it.

They argued almost every time they met.

They couldn't agree on a single thing.

Junghwan irritated him to no end.

How had people looked at that and somehow come to the conclusion that they had "chemistry"?

He scrolled further.

Then froze once again.

“Wait... isn't this the same football guy who was glaring at the tennis club booth all afternoon?”

“Yeah, and the tennis guy kept looking over too. 😂”

“Classic rivals. This is literally the start of every romance novel.”

"...They're delusional."

Dohoon rubbed his temples.

"They've completely lost it."

He immediately locked his phone and tossed it onto the pillow beside him.

Five seconds later...

He picked it up again.

"...Just one more look."

Perhaps...

Just perhaps...

He wanted to know how much more ridiculous the comments could get.

—

A few day passed.

And it was time for another meeting with Junghwan.

Dohoon stared at the library building from outside, already feeling a headache coming on.

"..."

He really wasn't looking forward to this.

Communicating with Junghwan always felt more exhausting than football practice.

Taking a deep breath, he rubbed his face.

...Just compile everything.

...Finish the presentation outline.

...Then this project will finally be over.

With that thought in mind, he pushed open the library door.

Just like last time...

Junghwan was already there.

He was sitting in the same seat as before, leaning back against his chair with his eyes closed, seemingly taking another nap while waiting.

"..."

Dohoon pulled out the chair opposite him and sat down quietly.

His gaze unconsciously landed on Junghwan.

For some reason, Mingyu's words from a few days ago resurfaced in his mind.

"He's a cool guy."

"He's polite."

Dohoon looked at the sleeping Junghwan again.

...Polite?

...This guy?

...Sounds impossible.

"...How long are you planning to keep staring at me?"

Junghwan's voice suddenly broke the silence.

His eyes slowly opened, meeting Dohoon's gaze directly.

Dohoon jumped slightly.

"...!"

"I wasn't staring."

"Oh?"

Junghwan raised an eyebrow.

"Then what were you doing?"

Dohoon crossed his arms.

"I was wondering how someone could be this annoying."

"And congratulations."

"I found my answer."

Junghwan smirked.

"So...?"

"So you're incredibly annoying."

"Thanks."

"I'll take that as a compliment."

"..."

Dohoon clicked his tongue.

"Whatever."

He pulled his laptop from his backpack and placed it on the table.

"Let's finish this as quickly as possible."

"I don't want to spend another minute looking at your face."

Junghwan nodded surprisingly quickly.

"For once..."

"We completely agree."

Without another word, both of them got straight to work.

Compared to their first few meetings, things had become... strangely efficient.

Neither of them wasted time arguing over every little detail anymore.

Dohoon organized the interview results from working adults and middle-aged participants.

Junghwan summarized the online survey responses from younger adults.

Every now and then they exchanged short comments.

"This section overlaps."

"I'll remove it."

"...This graph looks clearer."

"Use that one."

"The conclusion should go here."

"Makes sense."

It was almost unsettling.

Despite constantly getting on each other's nerves...

They worked together surprisingly well.

Perhaps it was because both of them wanted to finish as quickly as possible.

Or perhaps...

They had unknowingly figured out each other's working style.

Within an hour, every piece of information had been organized neatly.

The report was finally complete.

"..."

Dohoon leaned back in his chair and let out a relieved sigh.

"...Finally."

Junghwan closed the laptop.

"We've got enough data."

"Now we just need the presentation next month."

Dohoon nodded.

He pulled out a notebook and quickly sketched out a rough presentation structure.

"How about this?"

"I'll present the first half."

"The background, methodology, and interview findings."

He slid the notebook across the table.

"You take the second half."

"Survey results, comparison, conclusion, and Q&A."

Junghwan glanced over it before nodding.

"...Works for me."

"Good."

Dohoon capped his pen.

"That should make the presentation smoother."

"And it'll save us from interrupting each other."

Junghwan let out a quiet chuckle.

"I was thinking the exact same thing."

"..."

For a brief second, they actually shared the same opinion.

The realization felt... oddly strange.

Once everything had been finalized, Junghwan packed his laptop into his bag.

"...Then we're done."

"Mhm."

Dohoon nodded.

"We'll just practice once before presentation day."

Without another word, Junghwan slung his backpack over one shoulder and walked toward the library exit.

As always...

There wasn't a single goodbye.

Dohoon watched him disappear through the door.

"..."

He sighed deeply.

"...Finally."

Everything had gone smoothly.

The research was complete.

The report was finished.

The presentation outline was ready.

All that remained was presenting it next month.

Considering how much work they had already done, he was confident they could get a good grade.

He gathered his belongings and stood up.

As he left the library, one final thought crossed his mind.

"...Please..."

"...Don't ever put me in the same group as Shin Junghwan again."

If there was one thing he had learned from this project...

It was that surviving two months of working with Junghwan was more mentally exhausting than ninety minutes on a football field.

—

Mingyu’s voice suddenly broke Dohoon out of his train of thoughts.

“Oh, Dohoon. You’re here.”

Dohoon looked up and saw Mingyu standing near the library entrance.

“Hey, hyung.”

He raised a hand in greeting.

Mingyu glanced toward the door Junghwan had just disappeared through.

“I saw Junghwan leaving just now.”

“Were you two discussing that group project you mentioned a few days ago?”

Dohoon nodded.

“Yeah. Fortunately, I don’t have to meet with him anymore.”

“Only the presentation is left, and we agreed to practice together the day before.”

Mingyu let out an awkward laugh.

“You two really don't mix well, huh?”

“Not at all.”

Dohoon leaned back in his chair.

“We’re like boiling oil and cold water.”

“We can never mix.”

Mingyu scratched the back of his neck.

“Usually, Junghwan isn't like this.”

“I honestly don't know why he acts like that around you.”

“Do you want me to ask him?”

Dohoon immediately shook his head.

“No, you don't have to.”

“Honestly, I prefer it this way.”

“At least once the project is over, I can completely ignore him.”

Mingyu let out a sigh.

“I just don't want my two favourite juniors to hate each other.”

“But I guess that's impossible now.”

Dohoon shrugged.

“Well, he started it.”

“I was friendly to him.”

“He was the one being a prick.”

Mingyu could only laugh awkwardly.

"...I really don't know what happened between you two."

"Neither do I."

Dohoon frowned.

"That's the problem."

Mingyu looked at him for a moment before deciding not to press further.

"Anyway, good luck with the group project."

"Thanks, hyung."

Mingyu waved before walking into one of the study rooms.

Once he was gone, Dohoon leaned back in his chair and stared blankly at the table.

...Why was Junghwan so rude to him?

Was it because of the bump?

But Dohoon had already apologized for that.

Did he do something else?

"..."

He thought back to their first meeting.

Nothing came to mind.

He had been friendly.

He had introduced himself.

He had even offered a handshake.

...And Junghwan had simply refused to shake it.

Dohoon frowned.

"...What did I even do to him?"

He stared at the table for another few seconds.

Then shook his head.

"Whatever."

"It's not important."

He packed his things and left the library.

At least...

That's what he told himself.

—

The next day, Dohoon had football practice in the afternoon.

As soon as his class ended, he headed straight for the football field.

The moment he arrived, he spotted the rest of the team already gathered.

"Hey, guys!"

"Am I late?"

Mingyu glanced at his watch before shaking his head.

"Just on time."

"Go get changed and warm up."

Dohoon raised an eyebrow.

"Why? Is there something special today?"

Mingyu grinned.

"I invited another university's football team nearby."

"We're having a friendly scrimmage."

Dohoon's eyes immediately lit up.

"Oh!"

"That's interesting!"

Mingyu chuckled.

"I knew you'd like that."

"Now go get changed before you miss the warm-up."

"Yes, hyung!"

Dohoon quickly changed into his football kit and returned to the field.

As he jogged toward the others, he noticed someone sitting in the bleachers.

The familiar camera hanging around his neck immediately gave him away.

"...Hanjin?"

Hanjin spotted him at the same time and waved enthusiastically.

Dohoon smiled and waved back before heading toward the field.

—

After everyone finished warming up, Mingyu gathered the team together.

"Alright, everyone."

"Use this opportunity to figure out your strengths and weaknesses."

"This is also the first time we're using this particular roster against an actual university team."

He looked at the players one by one before his gaze landed on Dohoon.

"Dohoon."

"Show me what you've got."

"You're our new starting striker today."

Dohoon grinned confidently.

"No problem, hyung."

"I won't disappoint you."

Mingyu smiled.

"I know."

Then he clapped his hands.

"Alright!"

"Let's get onto the field."

Dohoon followed the team onto the pitch.

As he took his position, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

For the past few months, all of their training had been internal.

They had practiced among themselves.

They had scrimmaged against each other.

But this was different.

This was the first time Dohoon was facing an actual university team since joining the club.

His heartbeat quickened.

Finally...

A real match.

The referee raised the whistle.

Tweet!

The game began.

—

The match was fast-paced from the very beginning.

Both teams played aggressively, refusing to give the other side any easy opportunities.

Dohoon threw himself into every play.

He sprinted.

Pressed defenders.

Made runs behind the backline.

And eventually, his persistence paid off.

After receiving a pass near the edge of the penalty box, Dohoon quickly turned past the defender and sent the ball into the bottom corner of the net.

"Goal!"

His teammates immediately rushed toward him.

"Nice one, Dohoon!"

"Great finish!"

The score was now tied at 1–1.

As Dohoon jogged back toward his position, he briefly glanced toward the bleachers.

Hanjin was still there.

But...

"..."

Was someone sitting beside him?

Dohoon narrowed his eyes.

The figure looked familiar.

Very familiar.

...Is that—

"Dohoon!"

A teammate's shout immediately snapped him back to the game.

He turned around.

The ball was already moving toward his side of the field.

"...Later."

He couldn't afford to lose focus now.

The match continued.

With twenty minutes remaining, the score was still tied.

The opposing team launched an attack, but Dohoon's team quickly regained possession.

The ball reached Dohoon near the side of the pitch.

A defender immediately moved to block him.

Dohoon accelerated.

The defender matched his pace.

Another player quickly stepped in front of him.

"...Two defenders?"

Dohoon glanced to his left.

Mingyu was running into space.

Dohoon immediately passed the ball to him.

Then, without slowing down, he sprinted past the defender.

Mingyu understood immediately.

He took one touch.

Then sent the ball straight back toward Dohoon.

Dohoon received it perfectly.

The goal was right in front of him.

Only the goalkeeper stood between him and the net.

Dohoon took one final step.

Then kicked.

The ball flew toward the top-right corner.

The goalkeeper leapt desperately.

His fingertips just missed it.

Thud!

The ball hit the back of the net.

"GOAL!"

Dohoon grinned.

His teammates immediately erupted around him.

Mingyu ran over and patted him firmly on the back.

"That was really good!"

"Keep it going!"

Dohoon laughed.

"Of course!"

—

By the time the final whistle blew, the score was 3–2.

Dohoon's team had won.

Both teams lined up to shake hands after the match.

Some of the opposing players stopped to speak with Dohoon.

"You're Kim Dohoon, right?"

"You're really good."

"You're difficult to defend against."

Dohoon smiled.

"Thanks for the compliment."

"But you're pretty good too."

"I had to get creative to get past you."

The other player laughed.

"Maybe we'll get a rematch next time."

"Looking forward to it."

After saying goodbye, Dohoon turned his attention back toward the bleachers.

Hanjin was still there.

Dohoon immediately jogged over.

"Hey, Hanjin!"

Hanjin looked up.

"Oh, Dohoon!"

"You're here!"

"Yeah."

Dohoon walked over, still slightly out of breath.

"You came to watch the game?"

"Mhm."

"I was passing by and saw a huge group of people gathered here."

"So I thought there must be a game going on."

"Then I decided to watch for a while."

Hanjin lifted his camera.

"And take some photos."

"Of course."

Dohoon chuckled.

"That explains why you're always carrying that thing."

"Here, look!"

Hanjin immediately turned the camera around and began showing him the photos he had taken.

There were pictures of the game.

The players running across the field.

The sunlight reflecting off the grass.

And then—

Dohoon froze.

"..."

It was a photo of him kicking the ball toward the goal.

The moment had been captured perfectly.

His body leaning forward.

His leg extended.

The ball flying toward the corner of the net.

"..."

Dohoon stared at the photo for a moment.

"That's actually pretty good."

Hanjin smiled proudly.

"Right?"

"I took a lot of photos today."

"You really do take a lot of photos."

Dohoon laughed.

"Isn't your camera tired?"

Hanjin blinked.

"...I don't think cameras get tired."

"...Right."

Dohoon shook his head.

Then he remembered something.

He had seen someone sitting beside Hanjin during the game.

"Hanjin."

"Hmm?"

"Was someone sitting beside you earlier?"

Hanjin tilted his head.

"Someone?"

"Yeah."

"I thought I saw someone sitting next to you halfway through the game."

Hanjin thought about it.

"Really?"

"I didn't notice."

"Maybe I was too focused on my camera."

Dohoon frowned slightly.

"...Maybe."

"Maybe I was just seeing things."

Hanjin nodded.

"That happens."

Dohoon looked back toward the bleachers.

The seat beside Hanjin was empty now.

His gaze lingered there for a moment.

Then a strange thought surfaced in his mind.

...No way.

There was absolutely no way Shin Junghwan had come here to watch me play.

Right?

Dohoon immediately shook his head.

"...No."

"Why would he?"

Hanjin looked at him.

"Did you say something?"

"No."

Dohoon turned away.

"It's nothing."

But even as he walked back toward the football field...

That thought refused to leave his mind.

...Was that really Junghwan?

And if it was...

Why was he there?

Hanjin's voice pulled Dohoon out of his thoughts.

"Anyway, Dohoon, you're really good at football."

"No wonder you're in the football club."

Dohoon scratched the back of his neck, feeling slightly embarrassed by the compliment.

"I've been playing since high school."

"So I'm just used to it."

Hanjin nodded enthusiastically.

"It really shows."

"I almost forgot I was supposed to be taking photos because I was too busy watching."

Dohoon let out a small laugh.

"Speaking of clubs..."

"You're in the photography club, right?"

"Yep!" Hanjin beamed.

"It didn't even take me a minute to register."

"I saw the booth, saw the cameras, and thought..."

"'Yep, this is where I belong.'"

"...That does sound like you."

"Hehe."

Hanjin adjusted the camera hanging around his neck before giving Dohoon one last wave.

"I'll get going now."

"See you around, Dohoon!"

"See you."

Dohoon watched as Hanjin disappeared down the path, camera already back in his hands, stopping every few steps to photograph something that caught his eye.

"...He's an interesting guy."

After saying goodbye to his teammates and helping put away a few footballs, Dohoon decided to stop by the convenience store before heading back to his dorm.

He grabbed a sports drink from the refrigerator and wandered toward the snack aisle.

Then—

"..."

A familiar figure appeared from the other end of the aisle.

Shin Junghwan.

The moment their eyes met, Junghwan's lips curled into that annoyingly familiar smirk.

Dohoon immediately groaned inwardly.

...Great.

Of all people.

Junghwan noticed the look on his face and chuckled.

"I haven't even said anything yet."

"And you already look like you want to run away."

Dohoon sighed dramatically.

"...Do I really need to explain why?"

Junghwan shrugged.

"Not really."

He looked Dohoon up and down.

Still wearing his football training shirt, sweat clung to his forehead, and his hair was damp from the match.

Junghwan wrinkled his nose.

"Anyway..."

"You stink."

"Don't come near me."

Dohoon blinked once.

Then a mischievous grin slowly spread across his face.

"...Oh?"

He deliberately took one step forward.

Junghwan instinctively stepped back.

"What are you doing?"

Another step.

Junghwan frowned.

"...Seriously."

"Stay over there."

Dohoon ignored him.

He continued closing the distance with an innocent expression.

Step.

Junghwan kept retreating until—

Thunk.

His back bumped against the snack shelf behind him.

"..."

"...Kim Dohoon."

"What?"

"You smell like an entire football field."

"I know."

"So why are you coming closer?"

"Because you told me not to."

Junghwan clicked his tongue.

"...You're unbelievable."

Dohoon couldn't help smiling.

Seeing Junghwan actually looking uncomfortable for once was strangely satisfying.

He slowly raised one hand toward Junghwan's face.

Junghwan stiffened.

"...What are you doing now?"

His hand moved closer.

Closer.

Junghwan unconsciously held his breath.

Then—

Dohoon's hand casually reached past Junghwan's shoulder.

He grabbed a bag of potato chips from the shelf behind him.

"This."

He held up the bag with a grin.

"I'm getting this."

Junghwan stared at him for two long seconds.

"..."

"...You're insane."

Dohoon laughed.

"I learned from the best."

Without waiting for a reply, he turned and walked toward the cashier, casually waving the bag of chips over his shoulder.

"See you around, Shin Junghwan."

Junghwan watched him leave before letting out an exasperated sigh.

"...That idiot."

Yet...

For reasons even he couldn't explain...

The corner of Junghwan's lips lifted ever so slightly.

Only after Dohoon had completely disappeared from sight did he realize it.

"...He did that on purpose."

Junghwan clicked his tongue again, though this time there wasn't much annoyance behind it.

"...What an idiot."

—

Somehow, after that day at the convenience store, Dohoon barely saw Junghwan anymore.

Occasionally, he would catch a glimpse of him leaving the dormitory or returning late at night.

But most of the time...

Junghwan was nowhere to be found.

And honestly?

That was good news.

No one was around to annoy him for no reason.

No one was making irritating remarks just to get a reaction out of him.

No one was deliberately invading his personal space.

For the first time since entering university, Dohoon finally got to enjoy the peaceful campus life he had always wanted.

...Maybe Shin Junghwan disappearing wasn't such a bad thing after all.

The next time Dohoon saw him was a few weeks later.

The day before their presentation.

Dohoon had booked a study room in the library and arrived exactly at one in the afternoon, as they had agreed.

However...

Junghwan wasn't there.

Dohoon looked around the empty room.

"...He's not early this time?"

It was unusual.

During their previous meetings, Junghwan had always arrived early.

Sometimes, Dohoon even wondered if Junghwan had some sort of personal grudge against arriving late.

Dohoon shrugged and decided not to think too much about it.

He set up his laptop and opened their presentation slides.

Everything was ready.

The slides were complete.

Their research had been properly organized.

Even the presentation points they had prepared for the next day were ready.

There shouldn't be any problems.

Dohoon glanced at the clock.

1:20 p.m.

His eyebrows slowly rose.

"...He's twenty minutes late."

Junghwan was never late.

At least, not when it came to their previous meetings.

Dohoon tapped his fingers against the table.

...Did something happen?

He tried to ignore the thought.

It wasn't his problem.

Junghwan could take care of himself.

Still...

Dohoon found himself glancing at the door every few seconds.

Just as he was about to check the time again, the door suddenly opened.

Junghwan stumbled inside.

He was breathing heavily, his chest rising and falling as if he had run all the way there.

His hair was slightly messy, and there was a faint sheen of sweat on his forehead.

"Sorry."

Junghwan placed one hand on the doorframe as he tried to catch his breath.

"Something came up."

Dohoon blinked.

This was not the Junghwan he was used to seeing.

There was no annoying smirk.

No sarcastic remark.

No attempt to provoke him.

Instead, Junghwan was smiling.

Actually smiling at him.

"..."

Dohoon stared for a second too long.

Junghwan raised an eyebrow.

"What?"

"...Nothing."

Dohoon quickly looked away.

"It's fine."

Junghwan nodded and walked over to the table.

"Alright, let's get started."

Dohoon watched him sit down before shaking his head.

...He's acting weird today.

But he decided not to question it.

They started by going through the presentation slides.

Then they practiced their respective sections.

Everything went smoothly.

Their research was well-organized, and both of them knew what they were supposed to say.

Even Junghwan's usual annoying remarks seemed different today.

"Come on."

Junghwan leaned back in his chair, watching Dohoon practice.

"You're giving a presentation, not reading from a textbook."

Dohoon immediately glared at him.

"Shut up."

"As long as the information gets across, what's the problem?"

"You'll lose marks."

"How?"

"You sound like you're reading a textbook."

"..."

Dohoon frowned.

"That's not helpful."

"I'm being helpful."

"You're being annoying."

"Those two things aren't mutually exclusive."

Dohoon clicked his tongue.

"Whatever."

He looked back at the presentation slides.

"Let me try again."

This time, he focused on making his voice sound more natural.

He emphasized certain points and spoke with more confidence, rather than simply reading everything word for word.

When he finished, he looked at Junghwan.

"...Well?"

Junghwan nodded.

"Better."

"That sounded much more like an actual presentation."

Dohoon leaned back in his chair.

"...Was that so hard to say?"

"I just did."

"After criticizing me for five minutes."

"Constructive criticism takes time."

Dohoon rolled his eyes.

"You're unbelievable."

"And yet you still need me to pass this presentation."

"Don't get too confident, I’ll still pass without you."

They continued practicing.

Despite their constant bickering, the presentation itself went surprisingly well.

Maybe too well.

By the time they finished going through everything, Dohoon glanced at the clock.

It was already past three.

"Alright."

Junghwan closed his laptop.

"I think we're done."

Dohoon nodded.

"Yeah."

"Everything should be fine tomorrow."

Junghwan stood up and slung his bag over his shoulder.

"Then I'll see you tomorrow."

He waved casually.

"Bye."

Dohoon froze.

"..."

Junghwan was already halfway toward the door when he noticed Dohoon hadn't responded.

He turned around.

"What?"

Dohoon blinked.

"...Nothing."

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Did you just say bye to me?"

Junghwan stared at him.

"...Yes?"

Dohoon continued staring.

"You're sure?"

Junghwan's expression slowly became annoyed.

"Why wouldn't I be sure?"

"No reason."

Dohoon looked away.

"...Bye."

Junghwan shook his head.

"You're weird."

He turned around and left.

The door closed behind him.

Dohoon remained seated in silence.

...Did he just say goodbye to me?

He stared at the closed door.

...I’m not hallucinating, right?

For some reason, the fact that Junghwan had casually said goodbye bothered him more than it should have.

Dohoon frowned.

"...Whatever."

He closed his laptop and packed his things.

Just a normal goodbye.

That’s it.

—

The next morning, Dohoon was having breakfast on the second floor of the cafeteria, where it was usually quieter and less crowded.

He had just taken another bite of his food when he spotted a familiar face.

Youngjae was standing nearby with a food tray in his hands, looking around for an empty seat.

Dohoon raised his hand and waved.

"Youngjae, over here."

Youngjae looked over.

"Oh, Dohoon."

He walked over and sat down across from him.

Dohoon studied him for a moment.

Youngjae always seemed to have the same expression whenever Dohoon saw him.

Unenthusiastic.

Tired.

Almost as if he had been working overtime for the past ten years.

Dohoon tilted his head.

"...Why do you always look like you're tired of life?"

Youngjae paused.

"...Do I?"

Dohoon nodded.

"Every time I see you, you're either sighing or staring blankly into space."

Youngjae looked down at his food.

"...Maybe I am tired."

"Being the vice president of a dance club isn't easy, you know?"

Dohoon nearly choked on his food.

"...Aren't you a first-year?"

Youngjae nodded.

"Yes."

"Then how are you already the vice president?"

Youngjae sighed.

"They said my dancing was too good."

"So they pushed me into the position."

Dohoon stared at him.

"...That's a pretty strange way to promote someone."

"I didn't ask for it."

"Yet you accepted it."

"...I didn't have much of a choice."

Dohoon chuckled.

"Still, I have to say, I'm impressed."

Youngjae took a sip of his drink.

"I heard you're already the striker for the university football team."

"Mhm."

Dohoon nodded proudly.

"Apparently, I'm good enough."

"That's good for you."

Dohoon raised an eyebrow.

"...That's it?"

"What do you want me to say?"

"I don't know. Maybe congratulate me properly?"

Youngjae looked at him with a blank expression.

"Congratulations."

Dohoon stared at him.

"...You sound like you're being forced to say that."

"I am eating breakfast."

"...Never mind."

Just then, someone approached their table.

"Hey, Dohoon and Youngjae!"

Both of them looked up.

Hanjin stood there with his camera hanging around his neck, as usual.

He waved at them enthusiastically.

"Can I join you guys?"

Dohoon looked at the empty seat beside him.

"I don't see a reason why not."

Hanjin immediately pulled out the chair and sat down.

Dohoon glanced between him and Youngjae.

"Wait."

"You two know each other?"

Youngjae nodded.

"I know him."

He pointed at Hanjin with his chopsticks.

"One night, I was practicing dancing at the park."

"And this guy suddenly appeared out of nowhere and asked if he could take a picture of me."

Hanjin smiled.

"The scenery was perfect!"

Youngjae's expression remained completely flat.

"It scared the hell out of me."

Dohoon burst out laughing.

"That sounds exactly like something he would do."

Hanjin looked offended.

"What's wrong with taking a photo?"

"You appeared out of nowhere."

"I was being friendly."

"You had a camera pointed at me."

"Because the scenery was beautiful!"

"Yes, yes. Whatever you say, Hanjin."

Hanjin puffed out his cheeks.

"You're both so mean."

Dohoon couldn't help laughing again.

The three of them continued eating together, the conversation naturally drifting from their clubs to classes and campus life.

For the first time in a while, Dohoon found himself enjoying a quiet breakfast with people he had never expected to become friends with.

Youngjae, the exhausted-looking dance club vice president.

Hanjin, the camera-wielding photography enthusiast that he got to know recently.

And himself.

...University life really was getting more interesting than he expected.

After finishing his meal, Dohoon glanced at the time.

His class was starting soon.

He quickly finished his drink and stood up.

"Alright, guys. I'm going first."

"My class is starting soon."

Hanjin waved at him.

"Bye, Dohoon!"

Youngjae simply raised his hand in a quiet wave.

"See you around."

"See you."

Dohoon left the cafeteria and headed toward his classroom.

He had barely walked halfway there when—

"Hey."

A familiar voice suddenly came from beside him.

Dohoon froze for half a second.

Then he looked to his side.

Shin Junghwan.

"..."

Dohoon said nothing.

Instead, he simply sped up.

Junghwan noticed immediately.

He also sped up.

Dohoon frowned.

He walked faster.

Junghwan matched his pace.

Dohoon walked even faster.

Junghwan did the same.

Finally, Dohoon stopped and turned around.

"Are you doing this on purpose?"

Junghwan blinked innocently.

"What?"

"I'm going to class."

He pointed ahead.

"See? The classroom is right there."

Dohoon stared at him.

"..."

"...But do you really have to keep walking beside me?"

Junghwan looked genuinely confused.

"Huh?"

"I'm just walking to class."

"It just so happens that you're walking beside me."

Dohoon narrowed his eyes.

He knew.

He absolutely knew Junghwan was doing this on purpose.

But instead of arguing with him, Dohoon simply turned around and continued walking.

Junghwan followed beside him.

For a few seconds, neither of them said anything.

Then Junghwan glanced at him.

"Why are you walking so fast in the first place?"

Dohoon didn't even look at him.

"...Mind your own business."

Junghwan scratched the back of his head.

"You're always so defensive."

"I'm not defensive."

"You just told me to mind my own business."

"Because you were asking about my walking speed."

"That's a normal question."

"No, it isn't."

Junghwan tilted his head.

"Why not?"

"Because normal people don't pay attention to how fast other people are walking."

Junghwan was silent for a moment.

"...I wasn't paying attention."

"You literally asked me."

"...Maybe I was curious."

Dohoon finally turned to look at him.

"Why?"

Junghwan shrugged.

"No reason."

Dohoon stared at him suspiciously.

There was definitely a reason.

There was always a reason whenever Junghwan was involved.

But before Dohoon could question him further, they arrived at the classroom.

Dohoon immediately walked inside.

Junghwan followed right behind him.

Dohoon stopped at the entrance.

"..."

Junghwan looked at him.

"What?"

"Nothing."

Dohoon walked toward his seat.

Junghwan sat beside him.

Dohoon looked at him again.

"...You really are doing this on purpose."

Junghwan leaned back in his chair with a satisfied smirk.

"Maybe."

Dohoon clicked his tongue.

"...You're annoying."

"And yet you still keep talking to me."

Dohoon immediately turned away.

"I don't."

Junghwan chuckled.

"Sure."

Dohoon clenched his jaw.

...Why was this guy so irritating?

"Also, why do you have to sit so close to me?"

Junghwan glanced at him.

"I can choose wherever I want to sit."

"Is there a problem?"

Dohoon opened his mouth.

Then closed it.

"..."

He had no answer to that.

...Why was he like this?

Junghwan had been teasing and annoying Dohoon for months now.

Usually, every remark came with an irritating smirk or an obvious intention to provoke him.

But this time...

It felt different.

There was no usual bite behind Junghwan's words.

No deliberate attempt to get under his skin.

He was just...

Being annoying.

Somehow, that was even more confusing.

Dohoon frowned and decided not to think about it.

Instead, he pulled his laptop out of his bag, opened it, and launched a game.

If Junghwan wanted to sit beside him, then fine.

Dohoon would simply ignore him.

He focused on the game, pretending the person sitting beside him didn't exist.

Like an irritating mosquito.

A very tall, broad-shouldered, annoying mosquito named Shin Junghwan.

Maybe a little good looking too…

...Whatever.

Just ignore him.

Once their group assignment was over, everything would go back to normal.

No more library meetings.

No more forced conversations.

No more reasons for Junghwan to bother him.

Everything would be better.

Or so Dohoon thought.

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