𝐒𝐄𝐑𝐄𝐍𝐀𝐃𝐄; boysnextdoor

opposites collide ; sungho

Y/N was the type of girl who could light up a room with her infectious laughter. With her bold personality and quick wit, she had earned the title of class clown—a label she wore proudly. Her humor was her armor, her way of navigating the chaos of high school. But behind her lively exterior was a heart capable of feeling deeply, even if she rarely let anyone see that side of her.

Enter Sungho. The epitome of a class nerd, he was quiet, diligent, and deeply passionate about academics. His round glasses often slipped down his nose as he scribbled in his notebooks, his head always buried in books or projects. While many in their class ignored or underestimated him, Y/N found him fascinating. Not that she’d admit it—not even to herself.

It all started during a history project. The teacher paired them together, much to Y/N's mock despair.

“Of all people, why the human encyclopedia?” she had joked, earning a polite but disinterested glance from Sungho.

Despite her playful exterior, Y/N was genuinely curious about him. She’d noticed how he always stayed behind after school to help teachers or tutor other students. He never seemed fazed by the teasing whispers from classmates, and Y/N admired that quiet resilience.

“So, partner,” she had said on the first day of their project meeting, sprawled across her chair in the library. “Got any genius ideas?”

Sungho adjusted his glasses and set down a thick textbook. “I thought we could analyze the political and social impact of the Industrial Revolution. It’s comprehensive and has plenty of sources.”

Y/N blinked at him, her lips twitching. “Wow, Sungho, you really know how to excite a girl.”

He flushed, momentarily flustered, before recovering with a shrug. “Do you have a better idea?”

She smirked, leaning forward. “Nope. Let’s roll with yours, genius.”

Over the next few weeks, they spent more time together than Y/N had anticipated. Initially, she was determined to make him laugh, peppering their study sessions with jokes and light teasing. Sungho, to her surprise, wasn’t as stiff as she thought. While he didn’t laugh easily, there was a dry humor in his responses that caught her off guard.

“Why do you always crack jokes?” he asked one afternoon as they worked on their project in the library.

“Why don’t you?” she shot back, raising an eyebrow.

Sungho hesitated. “I guess... I just don’t see the point.”

Y/N stared at him, her smile faltering. “The point is to make life less boring,” she said softly. “To make people happy.”

Sungho studied her for a moment, his dark eyes thoughtful. “Do you think you’re happy?”

The question hit her harder than she expected. She deflected with a grin, nudging his arm. “Are you psychoanalyzing me now, Doc?”

But the seed of his question stayed with her.

One day, as they walked to the cafeteria after a particularly intense study session, Y/N noticed how Sungho carried himself. His back was always straight, his head slightly bowed, as if trying to minimize his presence. But there was a quiet confidence in his movements, a self-assuredness that intrigued her.

“Hey, Sungho,” she said suddenly. “Do you ever, like, break the rules?”

He gave her a sidelong glance. “Rules exist for a reason.”

“Boring,” she drawled, spinning around to walk backward in front of him. “Come on, live a little. Ever skipped class? Pulled a prank?”

He shook his head, a small smile tugging at his lips. “I’ll leave that to you.”