I'll be your protector

"What are you staring at?" Park Hyun Soo asked while solving the query that their math teacher had given. His pen scratched softly on the paper as he tried to focus on the equations before him.

"Why? Can't I stare at you?" Kim Min Jun muttered, a smirk playing on his lips. 

Park Hyun Soo glanced at him with squinted eyes, suspicion clear in his gaze. "What happened to you?" he asked with annoyance.

"Nothing," Kim Min Jun stated, keeping the amusing expression on his face. He shrugged nonchalantly, but his eyes never left Hyun Soo. "Just enjoying the view."

"Hey, Min Jun!" shouted the math teacher, Mr. Lim. As Kim Min Jun looked up, a piece of flying chalk sailed through the air and struck him squarely on the forehead.

"Ahh!" Min Jun cried out in pain, glaring at his teacher as he stood up, rubbing the sore spot.

"What are you whispering about? Come to the front and solve this problem," Mr. Lim ordered, pointing sternly at the board.

Kim Min Jun trudged to the front of the class, taking the chalk from his teacher with a sigh. He examined the differential equation on the board, keeping one hand casually in his pocket. In a matter of seconds, he deftly solved the problem and stepped aside.

Mr. Lim stared in astonishment. "Y-you..." he stammered, unable to find the words.

Kim Min Jun smirked slightly, pivoting on his heel to return to his seat. As he walked back, the girls in the class began whispering excitedly among themselves, smiles spreading across their faces. 

He pulled out his chair and sat down, shooting a glance at Park Hyun Soo, who chuckled softly while looking at his own notebook, where he had also solved the problem.

"Focus on studying, everyone!" Mr. Lim admonished, trying to regain control of the class. The lesson continued until the bell rang, signaling the end of the period. The students started to gather their things and disperse for their next class.

"It's PE next," Park Hyun Soo said with a sigh as he closed his locker after changing into his sports clothes. "I hate this class. The CSAT is so close and they still make us do this."

"It's still a month away. Why are you so stressed already?" Kim Min Jun asked, adjusting his own sports uniform.

"Dad will kill me if I don't qualify for the top university," Park Hyun Soo replied, anxiety clear in his voice. The two exited the locker room and came to an abrupt halt as a girl from Section B suddenly came to them. 

"Hyun Soo, this is for you," the girl said. It was a letter… specifically a love letter. Kim Min Jun's jaw tightened as he was jealous. 

Park Hyun Soo ignored the girl and walked past her. 

"He likes someone else," Kim Min Jun said and told the girl not to take it to heart. He liked this cold side of Park Hyun Soo. 

"There's no doubt you'll qualify for the topmost University. Don't be worried. The PE class is good for building physical strength," Kim Min Jun stated. 

"What course are you going to take once we graduate from the school?" Park Hyun Soo asked him. 

"I'll join the police ac—" Kim Min Jun paused, recalling this wasn't his dream anymore. He wanted to protect Park Hyun Soo by staying beside him. Also, the mistake he made in the past, he didn't wish to do it now. 

In the past, he chose to be a police officer because his mother was accused of killing Madam Park, Hyun Soo's mother. In his college life, he never bothered to check on Park Hyun Soo. He lost five years just because of a misunderstanding. However, this time, he was determined to change their fates. 

Witnessing his death, Kim Min Jun was assured of one thing— someone didn't want Park Hyun Soo to live. That was why he decided to choose his first dream, to become a secretary and bodyguard to Park Hyun Soo. 

"You want to join the police!? I thought you always wanted to work by my side," Park Hyun Soo murmured, his mind drifting back to their childhood days. Back then, Kim Min Jun would eagerly declare his intention to become Hyun Soo's secretary, always by his side.

"No. I will be your protector," Kim Min Jun stated firmly, his eyes filled with determination.

Park Hyun Soo was taken aback by the response, a mix of surprise and admiration crossing his face. They had arrived at the indoor playground, where the PE teacher instructed the students to pair up for exercises.

"Lay down," Kim Min Jun told Park Hyun Soo.

"You do first. I'll hold your legs," Park Hyun Soo replied, trying to mask his curiosity with a nonchalant tone.

"Sure," Kim Min Jun agreed, lying down on the exercise mat. The other students had already started their routines.

Park Hyun Soo knelt and held Min Jun's legs in place, beginning to count as Min Jun placed his hands behind his head and started doing sit-ups. Each time Min Jun lifted his body, his muscles flexed beneath his t-shirt, showcasing his well-built body.

Hyun Soo kept his focus on counting when he suddenly felt Min Jun's minty breath falling on his lips. His heart skipped a beat as he looked at Min Jun, momentarily losing track of his count.

Min Jun noticed the sudden change in Hyun Soo's expression. This was the unspoken spark they both had felt since turning eighteen. The feelings they harbored for each other were intense but kept hidden due to societal expectations, the people around them, and the statuses they held.

"You look handsome from this angle. Now, I realize why you get so many love letters and gifts from the girls," Kim Min Jun said, his voice was light and teasing, attempting to diffuse the tension between them.

Hyun Soo felt a warmth rise to his cheeks, grateful for Min Jun's effort to lighten the mood. "Yeah, well, it's not like I ask for them," he replied, trying to sound casual but unable to hide the slight tremor in his voice.

"Do you like someone?" Kim Min Jun asked, his tone casual but his eyes serious.

In the past, he had always refrained from asking such personal questions, afraid of overstepping boundaries. But now, things felt different. He needed to know.

Park Hyun Soo should have answered immediately, but he couldn't. His gaze locked onto Min Jun's, and he forgot to blink. Min Jun continued his sit-ups, and each time his face drew close to Hyun Soo's, an unspoken tension filled the air, making them both feel strange.

"No. If I had, I would have told you first," Park Hyun Soo lied, his voice steady despite the turmoil inside him. He couldn't express how he felt toward Min Jun. Admitting those feelings would change their lives completely, and he wasn't sure they were ready for that.

Kim Min Jun paused for a moment, studying Hyun Soo's face. "Your eyes say otherwise. Remember, eyes don't lie," he said softly, his gaze penetrating, as if trying to see into Hyun Soo's soul.

Hyun Soo's heart raced. The truth was, his feelings for Min Jun were intense and undeniable, but the fear of what might happen if he admitted them held him back. He tried to muster a convincing smile, hoping it would end the conversation.

"You're imagining things," Hyun Soo said, attempting to sound lighthearted. "I'm just stressed about the exams."

Min Jun didn't press further, but his expression showed he wasn't convinced. He resumed his sit-ups, but the easy rhythm from before was gone, replaced by a palpable tension.

As Min Jun continued his exercise, Hyun Soo's mind raced. How long could he keep pretending? Every interaction with Min Jun felt like a battle between his heart and his head. The spark that had ignited between them was growing harder to ignore, and Hyun Soo wasn't sure how much longer he could keep his feelings hidden.

After a few more minutes, the PE teacher called for the class to switch exercises. Hyun Soo stood up, feeling a wave of relief wash over him as the intense moment passed. 

He and Min Jun joined the rest of their classmates in the next activity, but the lingering tension remained between them.

As they moved through the exercises, Hyun Soo couldn't help but steal glances at Min Jun, who was smiling with his other classmate. 

Each glance made his heart ache with the desire to be honest, but also with the fear of the unknown. Hyun Soo knew that one day, he would have to face the truth, and when that day came, nothing would ever be the same.

'Will he acknowledge me as a lover? Will be ever love me?' Park Hyun Soo thought.