Troublemaker

TROUBLE 29

The classroom was filled with the quiet rustling of papers as students focused intently on the math problems Taehyung had assigned. His authoritative voice echoed throughout the room, keeping everyone on task. "Class, we only have two chapters left to cover," he announced, walking between the rows. "I need all of you to focus on your studies. Exams are just around the corner. After we finish these chapters, we'll go through a thorough practice of each one again, and there will be tests along the way."

Meanwhile, Y/N was fully engrossed in her own work, determined to solve the problems without any mistakes this time. She leaned over her desk, her brow furrowed in concentration as she worked through the questions. Every ounce of her focus was on not just getting the answers right but also resisting the urge to bite her nails. She clenched her fist, determined not to let Taehyung catch her.

But as the numbers blurred in front of her eyes and the frustration of a tricky question began to build, Y/N gave in slightly. She rested her head lower, almost to the edge of her desk, then quietly placed her notebook on her lap, hunching over it so that no one could see. Feeling more hidden now, she absentmindedly brought her pinky to her mouth, nibbling on her nail as she tried to figure out the problem.

From the back of the room, Taehyung's gaze scanned the students. His eyes landed on Y/N, and his attention narrowed. He observed her for a moment, noticing the way her head was down and her posture slouched. His voice rang out firmly across the room, cutting through the silence.

"Y/N, sit properly."

Startled, Y/N immediately shot up, her notebook flying back onto the desk as she straightened her posture. A small pout formed on her lips as she tried to mask her embarrassment. Beom-Seok, her seatmate, couldn't help but chuckle at her reaction, glancing over with amusement. Y/N shot him a glare, her eyes flashing annoyance at his laughter.

In a low voice, Y/N leaned over, pointing her pen towards a tricky part of the problem she was struggling with. "Help me with this," she whispered, her tone just short of pleading. Beomseok showed her his notebook, guiding her to the mistake she had made. Y/N immediately started correcting her work, focusing harder than before. Her hand, however, instinctively drifted back under her chin, and once again, she found herself nibbling on her pinky finger, this time more cautiously. No one would notice... or so she thought.

What she didn't realize was that Taehyung was still watching, his sharp senses alert. He noticed every movement, every subtle gesture, and he wasn't fooled. Without drawing attention to himself, he began making his way down the rows of desks, inching closer to Y/N's seat. He finally stopped just beside her desk and, in his usual calm yet firm voice, called out to Beomseok.

"Beomseok, are you done with the problem?"

Y/N's heart skipped a beat. She immediately yanked her finger out of her mouth, trying to act natural. She started tapping her chin, pretending she was deep in thought, her eyes wide as she glanced nervously toward Taehyung to check if he had noticed her nail-biting. Her gaze quickly shifted to his face, and for a moment, she was terrified he had seen everything. But to her relief, he was focused on Beomseok's notebook, not hers. She let out an internal sigh, feeling like she had dodged a bullet.

After finishing with Beomseok, Taehyung turned to Y/N. "Are you done?"

Y/N nodded quickly, keeping her act up, her hand still resting on her chin as if deep in thought. She handed over her notebook, praying everything looked perfect. Taehyung took the notebook from her, flipping through the pages, his expression unreadable.