Back to you | 𝐊.𝐓𝐇

Chapter 1

"Honey, sweetie, you're going to be late for school!" My mom's voice echoed from downstairs, carrying a hint of worry as she always did on mornings like this.

I groaned and pulled the covers off me, the warmth of my bed trying to keep me rooted in place. It was my last day of school before the summer break, and while I was looking forward to the lazy days ahead, there was an unfamiliar feeling settling in my chest. The thought of not seeing some of my friends for a while was a little sad, especially when some of them were leaving town for the break.

Shaking off the thought, I dragged myself out of bed. The clock on my desk blinked an urgent reminder: 7:45 AM. I had only fifteen minutes to get ready. After a quick, no-fuss routine, I pulled on my school uniform, grabbed my backpack, and rushed downstairs. The scent of toast and coffee filled the kitchen, but I didn't have time to enjoy it.

"Lee Ha-rin, don't you want some fruit? Or maybe a little something else?" My mom's voice called from the kitchen, always concerned about me not eating enough.

I adjusted the strap of my bag. "No, Mom, I'm good. I'm late as it is. I'll grab something at school. Love you!" I called over my shoulder as I rushed out the door.

The crisp morning air hit my face as I hopped on my bike, the familiar sound of the wheels spinning beneath me as I rode toward school. Our campus wasn't anything extraordinary, but it had its quiet charm. The little garden by the entrance always looked beautiful with the seasonal flowers in bloom, and the wide field at the back was perfect for running, or just spacing out during lunch.

I parked my bike and locked it up before heading inside. The usual hum of students—laughing, chatting, and scrambling to get to class on time—was in full swing. As I moved through the halls, I could already feel the buzz of excitement in the air. The school year was nearly over, and we were all just trying to get through the last day.

When I walked into the classroom, I spotted him immediately. Taehyung was sitting at the back, as usual, his messy hair falling over his eyes. I couldn't help the smile that tugged at my lips. At least he wasn't late today.

I made my way over, trying to act casual, but the fluttering in my chest gave me away. "Hey, Tae. You're early today," I teased, sliding into the seat beside him.

Without missing a beat, he leaned in and placed a soft kiss on my cheek, his trademark boxy grin lighting up his face.

My heart did that familiar flip-flop, just like it always did whenever he touched me. Even though we'd been dating for five months now, it still felt like we were in that shy, thrilling stage of a relationship—every moment with him felt new and exciting.

"Ha-rin, really funny," he said, his voice teasing, his eyes sparkling with that playful glint I loved. "So, how does it feel knowing we're almost juniors next year?"

I leaned into his shoulder, breathing in the comforting scent of his cologne, a smile tugging at my lips. "Kind of scary, actually. But you'll be by my side, so I guess I won't worry too much."

For a brief moment, there was silence between us. The kind of silence that's supposed to feel comfortable, but suddenly didn't. I pulled back slightly, catching his gaze. His expression had changed. His face had gone pale, the usual spark in his eyes dimmed by something I couldn't place.

I frowned, leaning closer. "Tae, are you okay?" My voice was soft with concern, and I reached out to touch his arm.

He quickly masked the shift in his expression, forcing a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just... i didn't get enough sleep last night. Don't worry about it."

I stared at him for a moment, my gut telling me something was off. But I didn't press. Taehyung wasn't one to open up easily, and I didn't want to push him if he wasn't ready to talk.

Trying to shake off the unease that lingered, I settled back into my seat and focused on the lesson, though my thoughts kept wandering back to him. What's going on with him?

The bell rang for lunch, and I was grateful for the break. I grabbed my things, Taehyung following close behind as we made our way to the cafeteria. As usual, we sat with the same group of friends—Hana, Minjun, and Ha-Joon. That was how we ended up dating in the first place: one big friend group that turned into something more.

I slid into the seat next to Hana, looking around for Ara. "Hey, guys, where's Ara?"

Hana rolled her eyes, clearly annoyed. "She's off talking to her so-called boyfriend again. I swear, I've told her a million times—he's not worth it."

I bit my lip, agreeing with Hana. Ara's boyfriend, Chun, was always playing the part of the perfect boyfriend, chatting with other girls and manipulating Ara into thinking he was the only one who cared. We had tried talking to Ara about it before, but she never listened.

"Okay, let's not focus on it," I said with a smile, trying to lighten the mood. "One day, she'll figure it out on her own."

Taehyung gave me a small smile in return, but his gaze was distant, focused on something else. Something I couldn't quite figure out. My curiosity gnawed at me again. What was he hiding?

The conversation shifted when Ha-Joon suddenly spoke up. "Oh, wait, guys, did you hear back from that idol training audition you did last month?" He looked at Minjun and Taehyung, a curious spark in his eyes.

I blinked, my confusion evident. I thought only Minjun had auditioned. Taehyung had just gone with him to support him, hadn't he?

Minjun glanced at Taehyung, raising an eyebrow. "So, what about you, Tae? Any callback?"

Taehyung hesitated for a moment, his eyes darting to the side, as if he was weighing whether or not to say something. "Nah, didn't get anything, man."

Minjun shrugged, clearly unaffected. "Same here, no call back. What a rip-off. I thought we did pretty good, though."

He chuckled, then turned to Taehyung with a grin. "At least you didn't actually want to be an idol, right? You just did it for fun."

Taehyung nodded, brushing it off easily. "Yeah, exactly. Just for fun. No big deal."

I blinked, feeling a small sting of disappointment. "Tae, you didn't tell me you auditioned too," I said quietly, the words slipping out before I could stop them. I couldn't understand why he hadn't mentioned it to me.

Taehyung gave me a quick smile, his eyes avoiding mine. "Oh, it didn't come up," he said, his voice too casual. "And like I said, it was just for fun. Doesn't matter."

I tried to smile back, but the feeling of unease only grew. Something wasn't right, and I couldn't shake the nagging feeling that Taehyung was hiding something. But I didn't want to press him. For now, I decided to leave it at that.