Bully for Love
Seon Y/N never meant to laugh at Kim Taehyung in class, but one small slip-up turned into a rivalry that shook her entire school life. Ever since that day, they've been sworn enemies, their every encounter a battlefield of sharp words...
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(Taehyung's POV)
Grounded. The word had a weight to it, heavy and oppressive, like an invisible shackle that kept me tethered to the house. My phone, thankfully, had been returned to me, though under strict conditions. The hyungs had made it clear: no social media, no games, just for "emergencies." As if studying English with Y/N didn't qualify as a life-or-death situation.
The first time I sneaked out to Y/N's room after my grounding, the adrenaline rushed through my veins. The ladder was a lifeline, absurdly more thrilling than it should have been. Each time, I'd climb out of my window, carefully avoiding the creaky spots, and tiptoe across the gap between our houses. The ladder wobbled slightly with every step, adding to the danger and excitement. My room to hers—it was a short journey physically, but it felt like crossing an entire ocean in terms of my pride.
Y/N was surprisingly patient with me. Despite our constant bickering, she never made me feel dumb when I couldn't grasp the concepts immediately. Her explanations were clear, methodical, and tinged with a passion for the subject that even I couldn't ignore. And it was working. I was actually starting to understand some of this English grammar stuff, even if it killed me to admit it.
One evening, while we were huddled over a particularly tricky set of exercises, I felt the beginnings of a headache from all the focus. I had asked Y/N to explain the difference between "their," "there," and "they're" for the third time, and she was patiently going through it again, her eyes bright with the satisfaction of seeing me start to get it.
"'There' is for a place or position," she said, pointing to the examples in the book. "'Their' shows possession, like 'their house.' And 'they're' is a contraction of 'they are.'"
I nodded, repeating the sentences in my head. "There is a book on the table. Their cat is cute. They're going to the store. Got it."
"See? You're getting it," she said, smiling in a way that made my chest feel weirdly tight. Am I having a heart attack?
I dropped my pen, and we both reached down to pick it up. Our heads bumped lightly, and we froze, foreheads touching. My heart skipped a beat. Her eyes widened in surprise, just inches from mine, and I could see the delicate flutter of her lashes and the faint freckles scattered across her nose.
For a moment, the world outside her room disappeared. It was just the two of us, suspended in this odd, intimate bubble. The air between us felt charged, like the seconds before a storm. My mind raced, trying to process this unexpected proximity. I could feel her breath on my face, warm and shallow, and it sent a jolt through my system.
Y/N pulled back first, clearing her throat awkwardly. "Uh, sorry. My bad," she mumbled, looking away as a faint blush crept up her cheeks.
"Yeah, no problem," I muttered, my voice embarrassingly shaky. I straightened up, my face heating up as I struggled to shake off the lingering sensation of her closeness.
