People Watching ★ 𝐒𝐮𝐧𝐒𝐮𝐧

2: Love sparks..the wrong way

Just as he expected—loud, crowded, and hectic.

Sunoo was no stranger to having lunch by himself. Jungwon's volleyball practices often left him alone, but Sunoo didn't mind much. Still, the occasional pang of loneliness was inevitable.

"Whatever," he muttered, brushing it off. He reached for his secret journal, a treasure trove filled with detailed records of his matchmaking escapades. Flipping through the pages, he scanned the names and dates of his previous clients. "Park Jia and Choi Eunae... done," he whispered, ticking them off with satisfaction.

But before he could relish in the success of another completed case, a loud voice shattered his concentration.

"Hey, watch out!"

Sunoo barely had time to blink before a ball slammed directly into his face. The force knocked him clean off the bench, sending him sprawling to the ground in a daze.

Dizziness hit him like a wave, and for a moment, everything went blurry. His head throbbed, and he could barely make out the muffled sounds of people rushing towards him. He groaned dramatically, whispering, "Is this... what death feels like?" as his vision dimmed.

But of course, he wasn't about to die—not him. Despite the splitting pain and the way the world seemed to spin, Sunoo dragged himself to his feet, clutching his head. His eyes squeezed shut as he tried to steady himself.

When he finally opened his eyes, he froze.

All around him, strings. Thin, delicate threads stretched between people—some red, some blue, others orange or white. They crisscrossed the courtyard, connecting pairs in ways that made no sense. Sunoo blinked, shaking his head in disbelief. "What... the hell?" he muttered. "Did that ball knock my brain loose?"

He instinctively reached up to touch his head, trying to clear the strange vision. But the strings were still there, impossibly real, yet totally incomprehensible. They tugged lightly at people, pulling them toward one another—though none of the strings were attached to him.

"It has to be the ball. I'm not losing my mind, right?" he mumbled, rubbing his temples.

Before he could process the bizarre sight any further, a sudden realization hit him—his journal. His eyes darted to the ground, where the precious notebook lay wide open for the world to see.

In a panic, Sunoo lunged for it, but before his fingers could grasp the cover, another hand beat him to it. Pale, cold fingers, adorned with silver rings. Sunoo's stomach dropped.

Park Sunghoon.

Sunoo looked up, meeting Sunghoon's gaze. For a brief moment, Sunghoon's eyes widened in what could almost be surprise, but his expression quickly morphed back into its usual icy indifference. Half of his face was obscured by the hoodie, but Sunoo could sense his tension.

Great. Of all people...

The crowd around them quieted as Sunghoon flipped through the pages, ignoring the stares of curious students. Then, without warning, he raised his voice, piercing the silence. "Do you like me?"

The question hung in the air, heavy and unexpected. Sunoo felt his heart slam against his ribs. His hand flew up instinctively, shielding his face. "Dude, what the hell? No!" he blurted out, utterly bewildered by both the strings and this sudden accusation.

Sunghoon's eyes narrowed. Slowly, he turned the journal toward Sunoo, revealing the page he'd been looking at—a picture of Sunghoon, surrounded by crudely drawn hearts.

Sunoo's jaw dropped. "I didn't put that there!" he protested, his voice rising in disbelief. How did that even get there? He was certain he'd sworn to the girl who liked Sunghoon that he wouldn't help her.

Sunghoon, clearly unimpressed, tossed the journal back at Sunoo's feet. His gaze swept over Sunoo, cold and calculating. "Frankly," he said, his voice devoid of any real interest, "I don't care what you do. Just stay out of my way."

Sunoo clenched his fists, watching as Sunghoon turned to leave. Oh no. No way am I letting him get away with this.

Fueled by frustration, Sunoo snatched up the journal and tore the offending page out, crumpling it in his fist. "For the last time, I don't like you!" he shouted, his teeth gritted in anger.

Sunghoon paused mid-step, turning back with a smirk playing on his lips. "I don't like you either," he said coolly. "But who was it that kept a picture of me surrounded by hearts?" His words dripped with sarcasm as he sauntered away, leaving Sunoo fuming.

I hate him! Sunoo thought, his face burning with embarrassment as the crowd began to disperse, the whispers and giggles still ringing in his ears.

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For the lazy, by yours truly 2 ʚ(｡˃ ᵕ ˂ )ɞ

Chapter summary: Sunoo was quietly sitting by himself when suddenly he was struck by a ball. After the impact, he started seeing an unusual phenomenon - strings connecting people. As he was trying to make sense of what he was seeing, Sunghoon stumbled upon a page in Sunoo's journal, which had a picture of himself surrounded by hearts. Feeling puzzled and curious, Sunghoon decided to confront Sunoo about it.