The Whispers (Underworld 6) VK

28: Flowers & Chocolates

Valentine's Week was in full swing, and the entire campus was buzzing with excitement. Everywhere Hansol went, he was greeted with blushing faces, giggles, and the occasional squeal from admirers too shy to say anything out loud. His locker had essentially turned into a floral display, overflowing with bouquets of roses, cards, and chocolates from admirers hoping to catch his attention. It seemed like every girl on campus had left something for him, hoping that maybe, just maybe, this would be the gesture that made Hansol notice them.

But Hansol barely gave the gifts a second glance. He smiled politely whenever someone handed him something, muttered a soft "thank you," and continued on his way, as if none of it really mattered. And in truth, it didn't. These roses, the chocolates, the handwritten love notes—they all felt hollow to him, because none of them came from the person he actually wanted.

When Hansol reached his locker at the end of the day, he found yet another mountain of flowers waiting for him. There were so many bouquets crammed inside that some of the petals were already falling out, littering the floor beneath with a trail of pink and red. With a sigh, Hansol pulled them all out, one by one, and tossed them unceremoniously into the nearest trash bin. The thoughtfulness of the gifts wasn't lost on him, but it didn't change the fact that they were meaningless to him.

The truth was, Hansol had his heart set on someone else. And that someone was definitely not the girls flooding his locker with roses. No, the person he wanted was the one who was always right beside him, rolling his eyes whenever Hansol did something embarrassing or getting flustered during their silly banter. It was Seungkwan.

Hansol didn't know exactly when it had started—this thing he felt for Seungkwan—but it was impossible to ignore now. Maybe it was the way Seungkwan never backed down from a challenge, or how his quick-witted humor always left Hansol smiling, even when he was trying not to. Or maybe it was just how Seungkwan was unapologetically himself, never pretending to be anyone else just to fit in. Whatever it was, Hansol had fallen hard, and now, nothing else seemed to matter.

As he threw the last bouquet into the bin, Hansol caught sight of a group of girls walking past, whispering and giggling. He could easily guess what they were talking about—it wasn't exactly a secret that Hansol had become the center of attention this Valentine's Week. But there was something else in their whispers this time, something that made Hansol pause.

"Did you hear? He's rejecting all the roses..."

"Yeah, I heard it's because of Seungkwan."

"Wait, what? Seungkwan? No way!"

"I'm telling you! Everyone's saying Hansol only has eyes for him. That's why he's not accepting anyone else's flowers."

Hansol couldn't help but chuckle under his breath. So the rumors have gotten that far, huh?It wasn't surprising, really. Ever since he and Seungkwan had started hanging out more, the campus had been buzzing with speculation. At first, it was just mild curiosity—people wondering why the two of them weren't constantly bickering anymore. But soon, the whispers had turned into full-blown rumors, with everyone assuming there was something romantic going on between them. And now, apparently, people thought Hansol was rejecting all his admirers because of Seungkwan.

The funny thing was, they weren't entirely wrong.

Hansol leaned against the locker, smiling to himself. The thought of people assuming he liked Seungkwan wasn't really bothering him. If anything, it made him feel a little bit bolder. Maybe it was time to stop just thinking about it and start doing something about it.

Meanwhile, on the other side of campus, Seungkwan was having a much less pleasant day. He, too, had heard the rumors—of course he had. How could he not, when every time he walked into a room, people stared at him like he was some sort of soap opera star?