Park Eun Shin left to grab coffee nearby—the closest shop sat across from Hex Company. Just as she reached the entrance, she caught a glimpse of Lee Jae Vin stepping out. Her eyes dropped. She walked faster.
"Eun Shin!"
She didn't turn around. She stepped into the shop, letting the door close behind her. Jae Vin lingered outside, deciding to wait near his company.
Inside, the barista greeted her.
"What can I get for you?"
"One grande black coffee, please," Eun Shin said, smiling lightly as she reached for her wallet.
The moment her order was ready, she grabbed the cup and stepped out, walking quickly. Jae Vin caught her just outside.
"Eun Shin, can we talk?" he asked, breathless. She ignored him. From behind, Rena appeared, storming toward them.
"Vinnie-oppa... You disappeared on me again," she purred, sliding her arm around his. Jae Vin brushed her off and kept following Eun Shin.
"Eun Shin…" He caught her wrist. She jerked her arm back and turned with a glare.
"Don't follow me. I'm working."
He frowned. "Stop ignoring me. I want to talk—"
"I don't. You're still the same—annoying, and worse, pathetic. You have Rena."
She spun around—
…and smacked right into someone. Coffee spilled onto her and the stranger's suit.
"Ah—! Damn, that looks expensive… I'm so sorry," she gasped. "I wasn't watching—"
"Eun Shin..." Jae Vin's voice faltered. She looked up. Her breath caught. That face. Older now. A sharper jaw, colder eyes—but there was no mistaking it.
"Seung-oppa…" she whispered. The man looked at her, stone-faced.
"Young lady," he said. His gaze was disinterested, distant. There was no flicker of recognition, no warmth in his eyes—nothing that suggested he knew her. Eun Shin's chest tightened, and the words stuck in her throat. He glanced at her coldly, then turned his attention to Jae Vin, as if she were a stranger.
"Is this man bothering you?"
Her lips parted, but no sound came. She stared, confused, as his expression turned colder. Just like that—he looked at her like she was no one. Jae Vin glared at him with recognition but held back, realizing that he did not recognize Eun Shin and treated her like a stranger.
10 YEARS EARLIER…
No one was supposed to be in the gym.
"Mmh... wait—"
A breathy moan escaped as the girl melted into the kiss. Jae Vin didn't stop. He kissed her again, slower this time, fingers inching higher beneath her skirt. The echo of their breaths bounced off the gym walls, careless and hungry. Like they had all the time in the world.
Eun Shin walked out of the hallway, looking at her phone. She was texting.
Love 💗
"I'm out now"
She hit send, only for a muffled noise to cut through the silence—the faintest sound of a heated encounter, sharp and raw, echoing from the gym. Her thumb hovered above the screen, and then she just kept walking. Her mind flickered, but she didn't let herself think about it. She was waiting—for someone.
Jae Vin.
The one behind those gym walls.
She flipped her hair just as the boy came up and slung an arm around her neck.
"Hi, babe! When did you get here?" he asked with a grin. She frowned, already over it.
"I texted you a while ago, Oppa. Did you not read it?" she said flatly. He laughed—nervous, too quick.
"Sorry, Eun Shin. I was… chatting with my coach," he said, scratching his head. Eun Shin turned without a word and stormed off.
"Babe! Wait for me!" he called.
"My father's waiting. I'll see you tomorrow," she said, hopping into the car. She rolled the window down and waved with a small smile. "Bye!"
"Heh… bye," he replied, watching her car disappear. He stayed behind, lips tugged into a crooked smile. Casually, he wiped the corner of his mouth, his thoughts flickering briefly to Eun Shin, but he quickly pushed them aside. Guilt? He didn't have time for that. A girl jumped on him from the side.
"Oppa!"
He turned, slipping an arm around her shoulders.
"Let's go to my place," he murmured. The girl blushed, nodding eagerly.
"Jae Vin Oppa is so sweet," she giggled, clinging to him as they walked off.
THE NEXT DAY
Park Eun Shin walked through the hallways. Whispers trailed behind her—gossip swirling about her and Jae Vin. They were the couple everyone watched. But Jae Vin was also the boy everyone warned about. The one with too many smiles.
Too many desires.
Eun Shin did not care. She couldn't. Even if she tried, her mother would throw her out.
Oh Seok Jun, her kindergarten friend, appeared and tapped her head.
"Ah!" she exclaimed. Seok Jun smiled.
"Are you ready for game night?"
Eun Shin smiled, placing her hands on her forehead.
"Of course. You guys better win!" she answered. Seok Jun chuckled. Lee Jae Vin entered through the hallway as girls squealed with excitement about how handsome and dreamy he was. He walked straight to Eun Shin and hugged her.
"What's up, babe? You didn't give me a call last night," he said. Eun Shin groaned silently.
"I had tutoring. You knew that," she shoved him away. Jae Vin laughed and poked her waist. "Hey!"
"At least, say goodnight before you go to bed… I was lonely," Jae Vin teased. Eun Shin scoffed as she tried to remain composed.
"Well, maybe text that to me and I'll reply to it," she stated. Seok Jun laughed as he got up and walked out of the room. Jae Vin's face flushed with embarrassment.
"Tell coach I'll be a little late!" he called to Seok Jun, avoiding Eun Shin's cold stare. Seok Jun just smiled and gave a two-finger peace sign before disappearing down the hallway. The homeroom teacher entered, surveying the students. He spotted Jae Vin.
"Young man, you don't belong in this class. Please step out," the teacher ordered. The entire classroom giggled, eyes glued to Jae Vin. He smiled, soaking in the attention, but then realized Eun Shin wasn't watching him. Her eyes were cold, unfazed.
"Come on, teacher. I'm just here because I enjoy being here," Jae Vin said with a casual grin. The teacher gave a soft chuckle, clearly amused but quickly adopting a more professional tone.
"Thank you for your kind words, but we have a transfer student joining us today. That seat will be theirs from now on. Please move along," the teacher said, pointing toward the desk. Jae Vin gave a slow nod and stood up, stretching as he did so.
The transfer student, barely making eye contact, shuffled forward. His steps were hesitant, and the nerves were evident in his fidgeting hands. The room buzzed with whispers. Eyes darted from one student to another.
"Who's that?"
"He looks so dorky…"
"Hehe, he's cute though."
The murmurs grew louder. The teacher sighed, lifting a hand to quiet them.
"Class, welcome our new student, Hae Seung Jee. Seung Jee, please introduce yourself," the teacher said, gesturing toward the front. The new student stood still for a moment, looking down, his face flushed.
"I-I'm Seung Jee…" he stammered, barely audible with his words lost in the room's noise. A collective silence followed, followed quickly by giggles. A few students exchanged glances, and the teacher stifled a chuckle.
"Go ahead and sit down," the teacher said, nodding toward the empty seat next to Eun Shin. Seung Jee shuffled his feet as he moved toward the seat, his head down, avoiding the eyes that followed him. Once he sat, the weight of the room's attention remained. Eun Shin, eyes briefly scanning the class, felt a wave of frustration rise. She grabbed her book and slid it across the desk.
"You can use my book for today," she said. Seung Jee froze, looking at her in surprise, then glanced at the book in her hand. The class chatter continued in the background, but Eun Shin didn't acknowledge it. She stared at the window, shutting out the noise. The teacher continued giving his lesson.
Once the lesson ended, Eun Shin stood as the class president.
"Teacher, thank you for your hard work today. The class is now over. Everyone, please go home safely," Eun Shin said with a small bow. The teacher walked out with his binder and nodded.
"See you all tomorrow," he said on his way out. The class stood and bowed.
"Thank you, teacher," the class said in unison. Eun Shin grabbed her backpack, ready to leave. Seung Jee closed the book and slowly handed it to her.
"Th-thank y-you…" he said, trying to sound normal. The girls jumped onto Eun Shin while laughing at Seung Jee.
"Let's go, Eunnie," one of the girls said, Rena. Eun Shin smiled faintly at her.
"I'll come after. You can head first," Eun Shin shoved her hand away. Rena smiled awkwardly and nodded. She walked away. Eun Shin turned to Seung Jee and grabbed her book.
"Thank you. I hope you enjoy your years here," she said kindly to Seung Jee. Seung Jee nervously nodded.
"Th-thank you…" he stuttered again. Eun Shin noticed that he was fiddling with his fingers. She slowly reached out to his hands.
"Don't be nervous. If anyone bullies you, let me know," she said firmly. Seung Jee stared at her, mesmerizing her eyes of confidence. He nodded with a gentle smile. Eun Shin threw her backpack behind her and walked out of the classroom. Seung Jee paused for a while before allowing himself to smile freely about what just happened.
Eun Shin walked to the gym and changed into her cheerleading outfit. She took out her pom-poms and casually walked to the football field. All other cheerleaders stood there, waiting for Eun Shin. There was a new member in the cheerleading team. Ahn Min Ying. Her outfit was different than others.
"Gosh, there she goes and tries to stand out..,"
"Ptsh. Ain't like she's all that."
"Eun Shin will shine brighter regardless."
The others giggled at her. Eun Shin walked straight to Min Ying, who glared back, thinking Eun Shin was going to spit at her face. Eun Shin smiled.
"Your outfit is cute. Maybe you can come to my house and teach me your talents," she praised. Everyone was shocked. Rena chuckled nervously and grabbed Eun Shin's arm.
"Are you crazy? She's definitely trying to outshine you. You're supposed to show her place," Rena murmured. Eun Shin turned to Rena, seriously annoyed.
"Why? Am I that kind of person?" Eun Shin asked. Rena gulped and bowed.
"No… But-"
"Then forget it. We are here to cheer for the school. Not to have a drama between one another," Eun Shin commanded. Rena felt uncomfortable and sat down with the others. Eun Shin stood and waited for the school's team to walk out.
The visitors' team walked out first. One of the football players ran to Eun Shin, Goo Han Tael. He was blushing as he got closer. Eun Shin looked at him awkwardly. She bowed.
"Are you… Park Eun Shin, by any chance?" he asked. Eun Shin smiled awkwardly.
"I am…" she replied. He smiled, still blushing.
"By any chance, do you have a Kakao account?" he asked. Eun Shin chuckled awkwardly.
"Hm. I do, but I have a boyfriend. I'll have to ask him," she answered. Just then, Jae Vin walked in with a smile.
"Yeah, and I'm that boyfriend," Jae Vin smirked as he placed his arm around her shoulder. Eun Shin disliked his touch but bore with it. Han Tael looked at Eun Shin and understood how uncomfortable she was.
"I see. Well, if I win, can I get it?" he ignored Jae Vin. Jae Vin looked at him for the audacity. Eun Shin tried to hold in her laugh.
"We will see. Fighting," she turned to Jae Vin. Han Tael smiled. Jae Vin grabbed Eun Shin's cheek and kissed her. She wanted to pull away, but closed her eyes instead.
"I'll bring the win," he whispered before he turned to Han Tael and smirked. Han Tael took a step back with a smirk before returning to his teammates. Eun Shin pushed Jae Vin.
"Go prepare to play," she said. Jae Vin smiled delightfully at her and then kissed her forehead.
"Okay, I will," Jae Vin replied. He stormed away to his teammates, too. Rena watched closely, biting her nails nervously. The other teammates ran through. Seok Jun stopped by Eun Shin and patted her head. Eun Shin shared a genuine smile with him.
"Fighting!" she whispered. He nodded without a word and walked away. Eun Shin turned around and noticed that Min Ying blushed at the sight of Seok Jun. Eun Shin smiled and looked at the other cheerleaders.
"Let's get ready!" she shouted.
"Yes!" they replied together.
The cheerleaders cheered for their teams. Eun Shin stood out among the girls to bring cheer to the school. Although they were close to losing, Eun Shin didn't stop cheering, boosting their moods to challenge the visitors.
Seok Jun kicked the ball at the goalie. Anticipating.
Did he get it? Did he make it?
THWAP!
The referee blew the whistle. The entire school jumped out of their seats.
"Goal!"
Everyone cheered for their school. The visitors' team sighed in frustration but took the defeat as a lesson. They lined up and bumped hands as a thank-you for the good game. Jae Vin smirked as he reached Han Tael. Han Tael didn't mind the rivalry tension and smiled back. After this was done, Jae Vin laughed.
"What a sore loser," he commented. Han Tael's friends stopped and glared at Jae Vin.
"What did you say?" one of his friends asked. Jae Vin turned around delightfully.
"I said, 'what a sore loser'," he repeated. The friends were ready to fight him, but Han Tael stopped them.
"I think the only losers in this world are people who act like they are above others," Han Tael responded. Jae Vin's face turned sour immediately.
"What did you say?" Jae Vin asked seriously. Han Tael smiled. Han Tael's friends laughed.
"Yeah! I mean, just because you're at the top, doesn't mean you'll stay there. You'll fall quickly if you keep it up," another friend chimed in. Jae Vin held his fist and stormed forward. Seok Jun quickly intervened and pushed him back.
"Hey, it's not good to do this here…"
"That loser is starting shit!"
"Jae Vin, it's not good," Seok Jun reminded. Jae Vin glared at Han Tael. Han Tael smiled before he left. Seok Jun sighed in frustration. "We won. Calm down…"
"Fuck off!" Jae Vin shoved Seok Jun's hand away with a growl. Seok Jun let out a low groan and rubbed his temple, the tension rising in his jaw. From a distance, Eun Shin watched, her gaze unwavering. She grabbed her pom-poms and silently walked off with the other cheerleaders.
After the school team finished changing, Han Tael and his friends made their way to the parking lot. Jae Vin followed closely behind, his footsteps heavy. Without warning, he lunged at the group, throwing a punch straight at Han Tael's face.