Han spent the next few days caught between regret and relief.
A part of him felt lighter knowing Seungmin wasn't as heartless as he had believed. But something always stopped him from apologizing, from reaching out.
Seungmin had taken Jisoo's girlfriend.
And worse — the way he had flirted with Han that night.
Han didn't hate it. That scared him.
So he told himself it was better to stay away.
No drama. No dangerous people.
As the days passed, the anger inside him slowly faded. He began to understand why Seungmin hadn't fought the bullies — why he had run to get help instead. The hatred thinned until his chest felt almost clear.
Almost.
One morning, Han realized he had forgotten his book. He was searching through his bag when someone quietly placed a book on his desk.
Seungmin.
Before Han could react, Seungmin had already leaned back and closed his eyes.
Han froze.
He didn't say anything. He didn't want to draw attention. From the corner of his eye, he noticed Jisoo glance back — long enough to see that Han was fine. That he was… normal around Seungmin.
That made Han uneasy.
Jisoo had been the one who stood by him when no one else did.
Seungmin was Jisoo's enemy.
So Han tried to keep his distance.
But Han was careless by nature. He forgot things often — his pen, his notebook, sometimes even his lunch. And every time, Seungmin noticed. Every time, he wordlessly handed them over. All his books and stuff were new as if he don't use them.
Han told himself it meant nothing.
But slowly, he started doing it on purpose.
Forgetting became an excuse.
Taking things from Seungmin became the only way he allowed himself to interact with him.
Then came sports period.
Teams formed quickly. Laughter, shouting — everyone had a place. Everyone except Seungmin.
Only Jisoo's group still needed one member.
Seungmin noticed. He didn't say anything. He walked to the corner, sat down, and started scrolling through his phone as if none of it mattered.
Whispers spread through the class.
Chahyuk shifted uncomfortably. "Jisoo… it's been a year. Just let it go."
Jisoo shot him a sharp look. Chahyuk immediately shut up.
Woohyun sighed. "Come on. It's just a game. No one's asking you to hug him."
Jisoo exhaled hard. "Fine. Call him if you want. Like he'll even listen. Who wants to embarrass themselves?"
Chahyuk laughed. "Fair point."
Han raised his hand.
Jisoo's expression changed instantly — tight, unreadable. He didn't want Han to go.
Everyone could see it.
But no one stopped him.
Han walked toward Seungmin slowly and stopped beside him.
"Seungmin…"
Seungmin looked up immediately, giving him his full attention.
"Seungmin…"
The room went quiet. Everyone watched.
Han took a breath. "Will you join our team?"
"Yes."
Han blinked. He had already prepared himself for rejection.
"Oh— it's fine if you don't want to—"
He stopped. "Wait. What did you say?"
"Yes," Seungmin repeated calmly.
The class erupted in shocked murmurs.
Han stared at him, stunned. It was the first time Seungmin had ever agreed to join someone's team.
Seungmin reached out his hand.
Han took it.
Han pulled him up — too quickly. Seungmin stumbled forward, and suddenly they were too close. Han steadied him, their faces inches apart.
Seungmin smiled.
Jisoo felt something twist violently in his chest.
Jealousy — sharp and unfamiliar.
He didn't know if it was because of Han… or because of Seungmin.
The teacher walked in and clapped his hands. "Teams are final. You'll stay in these groups for the semester."
Groans filled the room.
Jisoo glared at Seungmin. Seungmin didn't even look back.
Chahyuk stayed silent, not wanting to provoke Jisoo further.
Finally, Jisoo scoffed.
"Great," he muttered. "Now I'm stuck with this jerk for a whole semester."