An Unexpected Dilemma

"Shuttttttt," he brought his face closer to mine. The distance between us was so close that I could almost hear his breath. I couldn't say a word, confused by what was happening. With this nearly nonexistent gap, I felt incredibly nervous.

"Is it too hot in here?" He observed my face, which I kept lowering occasionally, feeling slightly uncomfortable with this proximity.

I still didn't fully understand what he meant.

"Your face is red. Are you sick?" he asked softly, placing his palm on my forehead to check my temperature. Before his hand could actually touch me, I pulled my head back, not wanting the situation to become more awkward.

"Ah, I'm fine. This place is just a little stuffy," I replied, and he stepped back slightly, giving me some space. I let out a sigh of relief, touching my flushed cheeks. Every now and then, I stole a glance at his eyes, which, even in the dark, remained strikingly handsome.

"Why did you bring me here?" I felt the need to ask, as he hadn't given any explanation.

"Oh, I saw your best friend. She seemed to be trying to contact you," he said casually.

I immediately checked my phone to confirm his words. Sure enough, there were ten missed calls from Hana.

Worried that something had happened, I quickly tried to call her back. But before the call could connect, he snatched my phone from my hand and turned off the screen.

"Hey! What are you doing?" I tried to grab my phone back, but as you might guess, he was too tall for me to reach. I attempted to jump for it, but it was useless. He just laughed at my clownish attempts.

"You're laughing?" I asked, annoyed.

"No," he replied with a smile, making me even more irritated.

"Stop making fun of me."

"Are you crying?"

"No."

"Then stop making fun of me," I replied angrily.

"Hey! Give me my phone back!" I tried again with all my might to snatch it from his hand. He was seriously getting on my nerves. How could the girls in this school be crazy about such a shamelessly annoying guy?

Exhausted from trying, I finally gave up. I just stood there, staring at him in frustration. I could no longer see him as the angelic-looking guy everyone admired.

Seeing me silent, his expression softened. He lowered his hand, and I was confused—rather than trying to keep my phone away, he was now simply staring at me. Slowly, he leaned closer, placing a hand on my head and whispering, "Stop acting like that."

I didn't understand what he meant. All I knew was that I was annoyed by his teasing.

While he was distracted, I managed to snatch my phone back from his grip. Turns out, he wasn't that strong. I brushed his hand off my head, messing up my hair. Quickly fixing it, I turned and walked away from the place.

Just as I was about to leave, I heard him shout playfully, "I was only trying to save you from the tiger's wrath."

Do you think that's funny?

I turned back and glared at him. He just smirked smugly, making me even more annoyed. Without another glance, I stormed off.

---

Still feeling slightly irritated, I returned to class after wasting my time with someone who had no clear purpose.

"Narin, where have you been? I've been trying to call you, but you didn't pick up!" Hana's voice greeted me the moment I sat down.

"Aaaa, that..." I searched for an excuse, a little flustered by the situation. Pulling out my chair and sitting down, I tried to explain.

"I was in the bathroom," I lied, even though I hadn't gone there at all. I had completely forgotten what I was supposed to do.

"The homeroom teacher was looking for you. You need to go to the staff room now."

"Really?" I got up from my seat and headed straight to the staff room.

After a few minutes of walking to the first-floor staff room, I knocked on the door and asked for permission to enter. After receiving a nod from my homeroom teacher, I approached his desk.

"Sir, I heard you were looking for me."

"Yes. How do you feel about today's lessons?"

"Sir, is there something wrong?"

"I know you've always had excellent grades. That's why you received a full scholarship at this school," he said, making me even more confused about where this conversation was going. I just waited for further explanation. He took a piece of paper from the drawer and handed it to me.

"Take a look. I understand you may be facing difficulties lately, but your grades have started to drop this semester. What worries me is that if this continues, your scholarship could be at risk before you graduate," he said, looking at me with concern.

"I just want you to focus on your studies first before you graduate. Do you understand?"

"Yes, sir. Thank you. I'll take my leave now," I replied, bowing respectfully before exiting the room.

I had to work harder. I couldn't let my father worry if I lost my scholarship. As someone who couldn't afford tuition, I relied entirely on the scholarship, and I knew the only way to keep it was through hard work.

Just before I disappeared through the doorway, my homeroom teacher called me back.

"Narin, come here for a moment!"

Without questioning it, I immediately approached him again.

"I think I have a solution to keep your grades safe."

"A solution? What kind of solution, sir?"

"You need to form a study group."

"A study group? I think I can study on my own, sir. I promise my grades will improve next semester," I pleaded slightly.

"You don't have time to review all the material on your own in such a short period, and new lessons keep coming every day. You need someone to help you study efficiently."

"But I don't know who to ask."

The teacher fell silent. His expression seemed to acknowledge my struggle. The top-ranked students in the school were all scholarship recipients, and I ranked second after Jiwoo. Of course, Jiwoo would never waste his time tutoring me—besides, I knew he worked part-time at a restaurant.

"I know someone," my teacher suddenly said, breaking the silence.

"Lee Do Hwan," he continued, making me freeze for a moment.

"Lee Do Hwan? You mean the new guy?" I asked, suddenly hearing perfectly.

"Yes. After reviewing his grades from his previous school, he's incredibly smart. I think he can help you."

"No way," I blurted out.

"Why not?"

"I... I don't know. But... I'll find someone else." I struggled to come up with a reason.

"There's no better candidate than him. Now, go find Do Hwan and tell him I assigned you both to form a study group," the teacher instructed, glancing at his watch before standing up.

"But sir..."

"I have to get to my next class now. Talk to him properly. The sooner, the better." Without listening to my protest, he walked away, leavi

ng me behind, still unwilling to accept his one-sided decision.

God, why does everyone want him—even the homeroom teacher?

***