Just as Bada said, nobody is talking about Taehyeon and the person he fancies. It isn't compelling enough to agree to go on a date with someone from the nerd school Bada is obsessed with.
"Go back to your classroom and leave me alone. If you've already told one of the nerds that I am going to hold hands with them then you're going to need to disappoint them right now."
"Just meet them," Bada sighs. "We're playing a basketball match against Eoleunjeol tomorrow. Please just skip your academy this once and we can cheer for our team and maybe make some new friends."
"I already have too many friends," Taehyeon grumbles dourly. Bada laughs in his face.
"I'm not one of those thirsty bots on tiktok. I know that you don't have enough friends. That's why I am trying to broaden your horizons. Make sure you do something good with your hair though. I told everyone that you're really handsome and I don't want everyone to think I was gassing you up for no reason."
If it isn't bad enough that Bada bothers him at the start of the day, Bada spends the entirety of lunch regaling him with his rundown on the people he should look out for at the basketball game tomorrow. Taehyeon obviously doesn't pay attention because it isn't interesting in the slightest.
"You know you sound kind of deranged reeling off this information like they have idol profiles or something," Taehyeon sniffs. "Wait, they aren't celebrity nerds are they?"
"I just want to make sure that you know who is who so that you don't embarrass me."
"You're embarrassing me. Why would I need to know their height down to the millimetre?"
"I…" Bada pouts a little bit and he blinks down at his lunch as though his food has been the culprit to this strange behaviour. "I like tall guys."
"Is this you officially coming out or did you forget that we're in public?"
Bada pulls a face, still an irritatingly endearing expression just like his pout. "I just meant in general. Shut up. Nobody would believe you anyway. A girl knows what my underwear looks like, remember?"
"Because she's nosy, not because she did anything with you," Taehyeon retorts. It doesn't make a difference. Bada declares himself the winner in this situation. Taehyeon needs to look good tomorrow or else.
On the second day after Taehyeon suspects his secret has escaped the sanctity of textbook margins, Taehyeon is cautiously optimistic. It is Thursday, the day of the basketball match. Bada had demanded a selfie before he left the house that morning and the picture was met with staunch approval.
When Bada sends his own selfie on return, Taehyeon is surprised. Whilst he has only known Bada since last year, the fact that Bada is a certified hottie cannot be ignored. He managed to look strikingly handsome in his middle school graduation picture. Even in the candid photographs with his classmates that Taehyeon has seen, he stands out like a prince amongst bog trolls.
Today, the determination to make a sparkling impression emanates through Taehyeon's phone screen and this might be the best Bada has ever looked. No matter what Taehyeon does he could never misbehave to the extent that some boring nerd would hold it against Bada. Only a heartless buffoon could look Bada in those sparkling puppy dog eyes and his innocent little face and reject him. Whether he likes it or not, Bada is going to end the day with a boyfriend. Taehyeon can sense the good fortune in the air.
The universe is loath to afford Taehyeon the same favour.
Taehyeon doesn't get a seat on the bus but he doesn't expect luck like that at rush hour. He follows the stream of students up the hill to the school gates just like he does every morning. And then he almost walks right into someone's back because they stopped walking abruptly.
Resisting the urge to call the person in front of him an idiot, Taehyeon realises that a lot of people have stopped walking all at once. Weird. Peering around the heads of students, Taehyeon sees Lee Minjun standing at the school gates. Rather than simply wanting to ogle the guy, a queue has formed for people apparently wanting a uniform check from him instead of the bedraggled teacher on duty.
Taehyeon can't afford to be late for school again and he can't afford to be in the vicinity of Minjun in case the sight jogs Minjeong's memory. He knows that she looked in his book and he knows that she knows his stupid secret. He needs to get inside quickly. Electing to avoid the queue of intentionally short skirts, Taehyeon shuffles past the sleepy literature teacher.
"Come back here, Mo Taehyeon," the teacher calls before coughing loudly. Taehyeon looks down at himself. He hastily tucks his shirt in before turning to face the teacher.
"There's nothing wrong with my uniform, sir," Taehyeon says just as he eyeballs a boy wearing cycling shorts instead of trousers with his uniform. He tries not to look so indignant about the injustice because he's got in trouble for disagreeing with teachers before. The effort is apparently wasted here.
"Whatever you say. He needed to talk to you."
That's just about the worst thing a teacher has ever said to Taehyeon in his life.
"Who?"
"Me!" Minjun laughs. The way he lollops into the space between Taehyeon and the literature teacher is ridiculous. Taehyeon can't talk to him. No way.
"I think you have mistaken me for someone else."
"Oh," Minjun says sadly. He presses his lips together as he looks closer at Taehyun, his dimple reappearing on his left cheek for a flash.
Taehyun takes a step backwards. This is the moment he finds out that Lee Minjun is shorter than him. It's not a massive height difference but he seems to be around the same height as Minjeong. Whilst Minjeong is a tall girl, Minjun is middling height for a boy. Taehyun will need to recalibrate his daydreams once he escapes.
"You're the bee boy. Are you not in Year 2 class 4?" Minjun presses. He takes another step forwards and Taehyun takes another step back.
"No. I'm Kim Bada from—"
"Taehyeon, just get out of my sight," the literature teacher says, almost defeated. "Take off your name badge if you want to play stupid jokes."
He doesn't say a word about the fact Lee Minjun is wearing a shirt from the summer uniform over a bright red t-shirt. These uniform checks are a farce to think Taehyeon couldn't even be saved by a confrontation by the easiest infraction that needs punishing.
"You are Mo Taehyeon!" Minjun laughs whilst peering too close to Taehyeon's chest. "You really tricked me. Come on, I need to talk to you."
"What if he's going to beat me up, sir?" Taehyeon shouts as he is dragged away. The teacher ignores him and shoos the orderly queue of patient girls away from the gates.
This is awful. Taehyeon got up early this morning just to get beaten up.
"I'm not going to beat you up," Minjun says cheerily. That's easy for him to say. He was expecting this and could have taken two milliseconds to think about lying. Taehyeon is the one who has been ambushed.
No matter how many students they pass, nobody notices the plea in Taehyeon's eyes (or in his voice for that matter when he warns them that he is about to get beaten up). Everyone is happy to greet Minjun and continue about their business. This is the very worst.
They finally stop around the back of the school where the building backs onto woodland. He supposes this will be a great place for Minjun to dump his body. The forestry club didn't get enough members this year so nobody is going to find Taehyeon amongst the trees for a long time. One of the school caretakers might discover him but the paperwork probably wouldn't be worth it. They'd likely pretend they never noticed.
It's a terrible fate but, even with his newly discovered height advantage, Taehyun doesn't see how he will get out of this situation.