Minjin's stubbornness and Minjun's impatience

Minjin calmly stepped off the bus. As she walked slowly, she realized that while this might seem more convenient, she still enjoyed the adrenaline rush of being in a hurry. It may sound silly, but she liked the thrill of feeling rushed. She smiled at the thought, shaking her head in amusement.

However, that smile quickly faded when the thought of Minjun picking her up every morning crossed her mind. She stopped walking and hugged herself, feeling goosebumps.

"Aniya. Aniya," she said, shaking her head in disapproval. 

Minjin was walking through the hallway toward their classroom when she noticed a small crowd had gathered, whispering and staring, clearly intrigued by the scene. Minjin slowed her pace, her eyes widening as she recognized a girl standing in front of Minjun. Despite her surprise, she felt a sense of curiosity, like the others, and waited to see what would unfold.

The girl handed Minjun a small cake. "I baked it myself," she said, her voice filled with hope.

Minjun smiled politely. "Thank you, but I don't usually eat cake."

The girl's face fell slightly. "Oh, really? I didn't know that," she muttered.

"But it's okay; I can have it. Gomawo," Minjun added.

The girl's expression brightened. "Really?"

Minjun nodded but quickly followed up with, "I can share it with others."

That remark seemed to catch the girl off guard, yet she maintained her composure. "Minjun-ah, I know you already know."

Minjun glanced around, noticing the eyes on them. Minjin, who had been watching from a distance, quickly turned around to avoid being seen by him. As she did, she was startled by Bang Eun-kyung, who stood right in front of her, grinning widely.

"What the—What are you doing here?" Minjin asked, irritated.

Bang Eun-kyung chuckled and grinned. "Looks like another girl is about to confess to Minjun," he said, gesturing toward the hallway. 

Minjin turned slowly, watching as Minjun and the girl walked away from the crowd's prying eyes. 

"Ya, Minjin-ah. Aren't you curious?" Bang Eun-kyung asked, his tone playful. 

"Curious about what?" Minjin replied, her eyebrows raised.

Without waiting for an answer, Bang Eun-kyung grabbed Minjin's arm, pulling her along as they trailed behind Minjun. Minjin tried to shake him off, but Bang Eun-kyung's grip was firm. They followed Minjun and the girl to the garden, where the girl looked visibly nervous.

Bang Eun-kyung crouched behind a nearby bush, urging Minjin to do the same. "Shhh! Listen," he whispered.

"Minjun-ah, I've always liked you. Could you be my boyfriend?" the girl finally asked, her voice trembling slightly.

Minjin couldn't help but gasp in shock before quickly covering her mouth with her hand. She could hardly believe that a Korean girl would actually say something so direct. 

"I know I'm charming and irresistible. I know I'm almost perfect," Minjun said, half-jokingly. 

Minjin snorted softly, amused by his confident words. 

"But I'm sorry. I can't accept your feelings," Minjun added, his voice sincere. 

The girl asked, "You've been rejecting every girl. May I know why?" 

Minjun chuckled softly and replied, "I... I like someone else."

Minjin froze, her eyes widening in shock. She nearly gasped but managed to hold it back. 

Bang Eun-kyung chuckled softly and shook his head. "Baboya," he whispered teasingly. 

Minjin turned to him and shot him a glare. 

"May I know who she is?" the girl asked, her voice now barely a whisper.

Both Minjin and Bang Eun-kyung were so engrossed in eavesdropping that they didn't notice Lee Deji and Choi Ye-joon approaching them. The two exchanged confused glances before Lee Deji tiptoed closer to the bush where Minjin and Bang Eun-kyung were hiding.

Suddenly, Lee Deji shouted, startling Bang Eun-kyung, who yelled in fear. Minjin quickly slapped a hand over his mouth to muffle the sound, but Lee Deji burst into laughter.

Choi Ye-joon frowned and asked, "What are you doing here?" He walked past them to see what they were spying on and was surprised to see Minjun walking toward them with a girl. 

Minjin quickly let go of Bang Eun-kyung, trying to act casually as Minjun approached.

"Hyung," Minjun greeted Choi Ye-joon, narrowing his eyes slightly as he glanced between Bang Eun-kyung and Minjin. 

Choi Ye-Joon looked back at Minjin and Bang Eun-kyung, who was awkwardly pretending just to be passing by. However, it became harder for them to avoid the situation.

"Ya, what are you two doing here?" Lee Deji asked, her voice playful yet curious. 

Minjin grabbed Bang Eun-kyung's arm. She tried to come up with words. "We're just... walking around," she said, her voice strained.

"Yeah, that's right," Bang Eun-kyung quickly added, nodding in agreement.

Just then, the bell rang, signaling the end of the break. Without hesitation, Minjin pulled Lee Deji and Bang Eun-kyung away from the scene in a hurry.

Minjun watched them leave, confusion flickering across his face, while Choi Ye-joon smiled.

### 

In the classroom, Minjin tried to maintain her composure as she placed her school materials on her desk just as Minjun approached. To her surprise, he set a box of cake down on her desk.

Minjin stared at him, confused. "Boya?" she asked.

"You can have it," Minjun replied with a casual smile.

Minjin frowned and pushed the box back to his side. "I don't want it; it might have a love potion in it."

Minjun looked at her for a moment, then couldn't help but laugh, the sound echoing through the classroom and drawing the attention of their classmates. "W-what?" he managed to ask through his laughter.

Hearing Minjun laugh out loud made Mun Sara turn her head to look at them. Her eyes widened when she saw Minjun laughing comfortably while Minjin stared at him in confusion. She realized it was her first time witnessing Minjun laugh this hard. As she glanced around, she noticed that some of their classmates had also turned their heads to watch, while a few of the female students whispered to one another.

Minjin looked at him, puzzled, as he continued to chuckle until Ms. Yun entered the room.

Minjun tried to stop himself as he placed the box of cake behind his chair. Turning to Minjin with a teasing smile, he said, "You saw the girl confess to me." 

Minjin cleared her throat, attempting to sound casual while focusing on her notes. "A-aniya, Eun-kyung-ah, and I were just passing by when we happened to see you."

Minjun chuckled again and leaned closer to study her face intently. Feeling his heavy gaze upon her, she swallowed hard before speaking. "W-wae?" 

She turned to face him, but her heart raced as she met his eyes. They held each other's gaze for several seconds until Minjin noticed that, despite Minjun's generally friendly demeanor with other girls, the way he smiled and looked at her felt different. 

"You," Minjin suddenly said, her voice wavering as she trailed off. "Face forward." She gently guided Minjun's head to turn back ahead.

Minjun smiled at her reaction as he looked ahead, while Minjin couldn't help but feel her face burning and her heart racing. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, exhaling softly through her lips. 

As the classes continued, Minjin struggled to concentrate. Her thoughts consumed by Minjun. She couldn't shake the image of another girl confessing to him. But Minjun had simply smiled and gazed at her with an unspoken intention. Minjin kept her eyes fixed out of the window, avoiding the urge to turn her head toward him. Eventually, the back of her neck felt stiff and painful. With a resigned sigh, she laid her arm on her desk and rested her head on it. 

Then another thought crossed her mind: Mun Sara had warned her about this yesterday.

When the bell rang for a lunch break, she quickly stood up and rushed out of the room. In the hallway, she muttered to herself, "I am crazy, I am crazy!" In a fit of frustration and confusion, she began hitting her head repeatedly.

###

As the class was coming to a close, Minjin quietly packed her belongings, hugging her backpack tightly as she waited for the bell to ring. When it finally sounded, she sprang to her feet, eager to make a swift exit. However, Minjun's quick reflexes allowed him to catch her blouse just in time. 

"Where are you going?" he asked, his tone curious. 

Minjin turned to face him, her expression pleading. "Can I just leave this one time?" 

Minjun grinned and shook his head. "No." 

She attempted to walk away, but his grip remained firm. With a resigned sigh, she replied, "Araso." 

Minjin pretended to settle back into her seat, subtly easing Minjun's hold on her. Then, with a quick motion, she gently smacked him on the forehead. His surprised reaction allowed her to break free, and she dashed out of the classroom.

"Ya! Park Minjin!" Minjun shouted after her, clearly frustrated as he watched her rush out.

The whole class observed the commotion with a mix of amusement and surprise. 

Bang Eun-kyung then approached Minjun, his voice tinged with concern and a hint of amusement. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Minjun replied, irritation evident as he touched his forehead.

Bang Eun-kyung chuckled. "Only Minjin could pull that off with you. Other girls just look at you and wouldn't dare touch you."

"Shut up," Minjun snapped, returning to his notes while gripping his pen tightly with a frown.

During the rest of the self-study session, Minjun struggled to focus on his studies. He leaned back in his chair and glanced at the empty seat beside him. Sighing deeply, he massaged his temples, unable to believe that Minjin continued to defy him despite his efforts to encourage her to be as diligent as he was. It finally dawned on him that she had changed for the worse, far beyond what he had expected. Now, he wondered what he should do about her.

After the self-study session, Minjun approached Mun Sara with a serious expression. Mun Sara had finished packing her school supplies into her backpack and was about to leave when Minjun approached her.

"Where is she?" Minjun demanded, his brow furrowed in frustration.

Mun Sara felt the intensity of his anger for the first time and stuttered, "W-who?"

"Park Minjin," Minjun replied, his voice laced with annoyance.

Bang Eun-kyung, walking over with his bag slung over his shoulder, noticed Mun Sara's distress and approached her. 

"I think she's at the computer gaming shop," Mun Sara said.

"Take me there," Minjun instructed firmly. 

Mun Sara swallowed hard as she quickly glanced at Bang Eun-kyung, who simply nodded in response. Feeling the weight of Minjun's anger. "A-alright." She said.

Together with Bang Eun-kyung, Mun Sara led Minjun to the gaming shop. Inside, Minjin, Kim Aecha, and Heo Yeong-hwan were engrossed in a game, their cheers and voices filling the room as Minjun watched them silently. Suddenly, Minjun pressed the power button on Minjin's computer.

"Boya?!" Minjin exclaimed, turning around in shock. When she saw Minjun, she removed her headset and asked, "What are you doing here?"

"You skipped the self-study session for this?" Minjun said with a deep frown, sounding almost like he was yelling at her.

Heo Yeong-hwan stood up, stepping between Minjun and Minjin. "Ya, stop acting like you're superior. You can't boss Minjin around like she's your pet."

"Yeong-hwan-ah." Minjin stood up and gently pushed Heo Yeong-hwan aside to address Minjun. 

Minjun turned his attention to Heo Yeong-hwan. "And you, always hanging around her. Are you her shadow?" 

"Bo?!" Heo Yeong-hwan moved forward, but Minjin stepped in to intervene. 

"Stop!" Minjin said, turning to Minjun. "If you're just here to argue, then you should leave."

"You know I was assigned to guide you and help you become a diligent student, but you're really testing my patience," Minjun said, his voice rising. 

Minjin smirked and folded her arms. "You said you could handle me. Are you giving up now?" 

"Why are you being so rebellious? If you keep this up, I'll involve your brother!" Minjun threatened. 

His loud voice made several people around them turn their heads, while others removed their headsets to focus on the confrontation. 

The mention of her brother struck a nerve. "Fine, I challenge you to that!" Minjin declared. 

Mun Sara, looking distressed, interjected, "Minjin-ah." 

The entire shop watched the exchange with bated breath.

"You're hopeless," Minjun said, shaking his head in anger before turning and walking away. 

Bang Eun-kyung called after him, "Minjun-ah." and followed him out.

"He deserves that!" Heo Yeong-hwan said, his tone a mix of satisfaction and defiance. 

Mun Sara approached Minjin. "Minjin-ah, that was too harsh. Minjun-ah only wanted to help you." 

Minjin tried to dismiss Mun Sara's concern, knowing Minjun's intentions very well. "Let's go. I'm hungry."

Mun Sara watched as Minjin walked away with Kim Aecha and Heo Yeong-hwan. She let out a deep sigh, realizing that both Minjin and Minjun were acting strangely around each other. Their arguments seemed to be getting worse. She couldn't tell if their constant bickering was due to their opposing personalities or if they had feelings for each other that they didn't recognize. Still, she hoped it was the latter.