People Watching ★ 𝐒𝐮𝐧𝐒𝐮𝐧

0: The unexpected request

"Time for a break," Sunoo muttered, throwing his head back as he sank into the bench. He closed his eyes, letting the cool autumn breeze play with his blonde hair. The chill in the air crept beneath his clothes, but the crispness only added to the moment of peace. He wrapped his arms around his torso, savoring the quiet.

"H-hey, are you Kim Sunoo?" a voice interrupted, soft and unsure.

Sunoo blinked his eyes open, startled. Before him stood a young woman, her long brown hair falling in loose waves over her shoulders. A pair of large glasses framed her delicate face, and her outfit—ill-fitting and decidedly vintage—seemed more suited for a grandmother than a college student.

But Sunoo didn't mind. He wasn't the type to judge, and her slightly disheveled, bookish appearance struck him as charming. There was something endearing about her awkwardness, the way her glasses slipped down her nose, how her hair seemed perpetually tangled. For Sunoo, nerdy was far from a turn-off.

A grin tugged at the corners of his lips as he straightened up, facing her. "The one and only," he declared with playful confidence.

The girl shifted nervously, her gaze fixed on the ground as she wrapped her arms around herself. Her voice barely rose above a whisper. "I... I need your help."

Sunoo tilted his head, curiosity piqued. Then, it clicked. "Ah!" He snapped his fingers and pointed at her, his grin widening. "You need help with your crush, don't you?" His eyebrows wiggled suggestively, as if he had just unearthed some scandalous secret.

She let out a long sigh and moved to sit down beside him, though she kept a good distance between them. "My friends say you're kind of a love expert," she said, looking at him expectantly.

Sunoo puffed out his chest, gesturing dramatically at himself. "Of course, I am!" He scooted closer, nudging her gently with his shoulder. "So, tell me—what's this guy like?"

For a moment, she hesitated, but then her face lit up, and a smile brightened her features. "He's... he's amazing," she said, her voice filled with admiration. "One of the kindest souls I've ever met. Handsome too, with sharp features and these deep-set eyes that look like they hold a million secrets." Her eyes sparkled as she spoke, her words spilling out faster now. "He plays guitar, solves math problems like it's nothing... But what I love most is how mysterious he is. He's like a puzzle, and I can't stop wanting to figure him out!" She giggled, swinging her feet as she talked, completely wrapped up in her thoughts of this perfect guy.

Sunoo listened, nodding along. He understood the warmth that came with being in love—the giddiness, the excitement. That's why she was here, after all.

And he was totally going to help her.

Leaning forward, he clasped his hands together, his voice a low murmur of curiosity. "So, what's this guy's name?"

Her gaze drifted upward toward the sky, and she sighed as though dreaming. "Oh... my beloved Park Sunghoon... the one and only love of my life."

Time seemed to freeze.

What...

WHAT?

Sunoo's eyes widened in disbelief, his heart sinking like a stone. Park Sunghoon? The guy who couldn't solve basic algebra? The same Sunghoon who was anything but kind—the one infamous for picking fights and landing kids in the hospital? And to top it off, the very Sunghoon who had been Sunoo's childhood enemy?

Sunoo's mind reeled. How could this be? Of all the people in the world, she had fallen for him?

There was no way he could help her now.

No way in hell.