You Belong With Me | Jeongcheol Fanfic

Chapter 2

After a long day of school, Jeonghan and his friends decided to unwind with a trip to the local convenience store. It was their usual hangout spot after class—a place to grab snacks, chat, and let go of the stresses of the day. Mingyu and Seungkwan were already bickering over which chips to buy, laughing and joking as they wandered through the aisles.

Jeonghan, however, was still a bit distracted. His thoughts kept drifting back to the cafeteria incident, and he couldn't quite shake the feeling that it was more significant than it seemed. As they entered the convenience store, the familiar ding of the doorbell barely registered with him as he trailed behind his friends, lost in thought.

It wasn't until they reached the checkout counter that Jeonghan finally snapped out of his daze. He looked up, ready to mindlessly pay for his snacks, when he froze. There, standing behind the counter in a worn uniform, was Seungcheol.

The same Seungcheol he had accidentally drenched in food earlier that day.

Jeonghan blinked, his usual composed demeanor faltering for a second. He hadn't expected to see Seungcheol again so soon, and definitely not working at the convenience store. Seungcheol was scanning items, his face calm and focused, completely unaware of Jeonghan's presence at first.

Jeonghan couldn't help but stare. There was something different about seeing Seungcheol here, outside the school walls. He seemed... more real, somehow. Not just a faceless student in the background, but someone who had a life beyond the cafeteria and computer lab.

As Seungcheol finally looked up to greet the next customer, his eyes landed on Jeonghan—and there it was again, that brief flash of surprise, quickly masked by his usual neutral expression. For a moment, neither of them said anything. The awkwardness hung in the air, heavy and unspoken.

Mingyu, oblivious to the tension, dumped his snacks onto the counter with a grin. "Oh, hey! You're that guy from school, right? Small world!"

Seungkwan, always quick to pick up on social cues, gave a subtle nudge to Jeonghan, a smirk forming on his lips. "Looks like Jeonghan's favorite person from lunch," he teased, his voice light but pointed.

Jeonghan shot him a look, but Seungkwan just raised his hands in mock innocence.

Seungcheol, still maintaining his professional distance, began scanning the items without missing a beat. "Yeah, I work here part-time," he said quietly, keeping his tone polite but distant. He was clearly trying to make this as normal as possible, though Jeonghan could sense the underlying tension.

"Right," Jeonghan finally said, his voice softer than usual. "About earlier... I'm really sorry again." He could feel his friends watching the interaction closely, but he ignored them, focusing on Seungcheol.

Seungcheol nodded, but his eyes didn't quite meet Jeonghan's. "It's fine. Stuff happens."

Mingyu, sensing the awkwardness, tried to break the tension with a laugh. "Yeah, no hard feelings, right? Just a little cafeteria chaos."

Seungkwan, still grinning, chimed in, "You're lucky Jeonghan didn't ruin your entire day."

Seungcheol didn't respond to their teasing, simply handing them their bags with a quiet "Here you go." His posture remained stiff, clearly not comfortable with the attention.

As Jeonghan took the bag, their fingers brushed for a split second—an accidental, fleeting touch that made something stir inside him. Seungcheol pulled his hand back quickly, but Jeonghan didn't miss the way his expression flickered, just for a moment.

"Thanks," Jeonghan said, offering a small smile, trying to bridge the strange gap between them. But Seungcheol simply nodded, his face unreadable, before turning to help the next customer.