During break, they always went to the rooftop.
The air was always quiet up there, no noise, no people, just the wind scraping against the railing. Seungmin was eating slowly. Jisoo noticed it immediately. A single grain of rice, clinging to the corner of Seungmin's lips. His chest tightened.
He tried to look away. He couldn't. The urge crawled under his skin sharp, itchy, unbearable.
Seungmin noticed his stare.
"What's wrong with you?" he asked.
Jisoo swallowed. "There's something on your face."
Seungmin wiped his mouth roughly. I missed it.
"Where?"
Jisoo leaned closer. Too close.
"Here," he whispered.
He lifted his hand. His fingers brushed the edge of Seungmin's lips. The world slowed. Too slow.
Seungmin's lips were warm. Pink. Slightly cracked from the wind. Jisoo forgot how to breathe. It felt like something heavy was pressing on his chest, not fear, not excitement, something worse.
Need.
Seungmin grabbed his wrist.
"Enough," he said.
But he didn't push him away. That was the mistake. Jisoo leaned in and kissed him. Messy. Desperate. Wrong. He tasted rice. For a split second, he wanted more.
Then Seungmin shoved him back hard.
"What are you doing?" Seungmin asked, voice cold, sharp.
Reality crashed back.
Jisoo stumbled backward.
"Oh God!" He ran a hand through his hair. "I'm sorry. I don't know what I was thinking. Please don't hate me. Please we can still be friends. "
Seungmin stared at him.
"You stole my first kiss."
Jisoo froze. "First…? You've never kissed anyone?"
Seungmin shot back, "Have you?"
Jisoo laughed nervously. "Yeah. I have a girlfriend."
That was it.
That was the moment everything cracked.
"You have a girlfriend," Seungmin said slowly. "And you kissed me."
Jisoo's face was drained of color.
"I—I can break up with her. If you want."
Silence.
Then Seungmin said calmly, "Do it."
"What?"
"You said you can. So do it."
Jisoo's mouth opened. Closed.
"If I do… will you date me?"
Seungmin didn't look at him.
"I'll think about it."
Both were teenagers living with impulse. They didn't realise what they were doing. Days went by the moment jisoo talked about his gf she started to appear more often. Seungmin was definitely annoyed but he didn't show it. And pretended he didn't care. Suddenly the 2 person group became 3. She started to stay with them. All the time. Jisoo was annoyed that Seungmin was not jealous because he looked really fine. This tension made him crazy so he broke up with her.
In front of everyone. She didn't cry. She slapped him. The sound echoed through the class. Jisoo didn't move. Across the room, Seungmin watched. His lips twitched. A smile that was quick, sharp, and satisfied. He looked away before anyone noticed.
During the break jisoo opened the lunchbox with trembling hands.
Seungmin ate quietly.
"So…" Jisoo said awkwardly. "Can we date now?"
"I said I'll think about it."
"How long?"
"I don't know if I can trust you."
"Don't trust me," Jisoo said quickly. "Just love me."
Seungmin looked at him — really looked.
Jisoo continued what I'm saying. Trust takes time. But can you let me love you.? I'm serious about you. I really am. You are the person that motivates me to live. Like do you understand. Whenever I see you I feel complete.
"So you like me because of how I make you feel," he said. "That's not liking someone. That's an addiction."
Jisoo shook his head. "I like your eyes. Your face. Your lips—"
He leaned in again.
Too close.
Seungmin pushed him back with his chopsticks.
"Stay back."
The words weren't loud.
They were final.
Seungmin exhaled slowly.
"You know about my father," he said. "If we date, things won't be easy."
Jisoo smiled but it didn't reach his eyes.
"If loving someone is easy, it's not love," he said. "I'll stand in front of anything that comes for you. And you know I will."
Seungmin studied with him.
"I need time."
"I can wait."
"For now," Seungmin said, "focus on finals."
"Do you care about exams?" Jisoo laughed weakly.
"Yes," Seungmin replied. "You helped me. I won't waste it."
Guilt crawled up Jisoo's spine. Because Seungmin didn't know. Jisoo had already made a deal. With his father. If I date him, Jisoo said, you will never touch Seungmin again. No money. No favors. Just that. Regret swallowed him whole.
He wanted to stop. But stopping meant Seungmin would suffer. Turning back wasn't an option.
Jisoo had never felt this alone. And for the first time, love felt like a trap he built himself. And he had no one to even talk with.