Let's Not Falling In Love (1st Book) (FIXED)

Introduction (fixed)

​I finished unpacking my things. I hadn't brought much—just some clothes, textbooks, my guitar, and a few Lego sets. Looking around, I wondered how long I could actually manage to live in this house with them. I lay back on my bed, staring at the ceiling, trying to process everything that had just happened.
​I hoped no one had noticed how my eyes kept lingering on that blonde girl. Even though it was summer, I wasn't used to seeing someone dressed like that. She’d look so much prettier if she wore something a bit more modest.
​I have to be careful, I thought to myself. If my little brother wakes up, it’ll be dangerous—they'll notice what's inside my pants. It was the main reason I tried to avoid girls altogether. My mind drifted back to the moment I first realized I was different from everyone else.
​[ Flashback ]
​"Mom," seven-year-old Jeongyeon said, her eyebrows knit together in confusion. "Yesterday, when I was playing at Jiyeon’s house, she took off her pants in front of me to pee. I told her not to, but she just said, 'It’s fine! We're both girls, so I'm not embarrassed.' But Mom, I saw something under her stomach. Why does hers look different from mine? Am I not a girl?"
​Her mother smiled gently, though a pang of worry tightened in her chest. She had always tried to shield Jeongyeon from seeing other girls, terrified that this exact question would come up sooner or later.
​"Jeongyeon... of course you’re a girl. A beautiful one," her mother answered softly. "You just have something special. Something that means you won't have to feel the same kind of pain."
​"So Jiyeon is going to be in pain because of what she has?" Jeongyeon asked, her heart aching for her friend. "Why, Mom?"
​Her mother chuckled softly at her daughter's earnest, worried face. "Jiyeon will be just fine, sweetheart. You don't need to worry. You'll understand everything when you grow up."
​"Since I'm a girl too, does that mean I can take off my clothes in front of other girls?" Jeongyeon asked innocently.
​"Definitely not," her mother replied firmly. "That’s impolite and improper. Like I’ve told you before, never let anyone see your special secret—not even other girls. Now, no more questions. It's time for bed; you have school early tomorrow." She turned off the light and quietly slipped out of the room.
​Jeongyeon was indeed a girl, but she had been born with a male anatomy. When her mother first gave birth, she thought she had a baby boy. However, the doctor explained that the baby also possessed female hormones and would likely go through puberty like any other girl. Despite everything, her mother chose to raise Jeongyeon as a daughter—she had desperately wanted a girl, having already raised an older son, Yoo Sungjae, who was a year older than Jeongyeon.
​[ Present Day — Third Person POV ]
​Out in the dining room, the girls were sitting around the table, locked in a fierce debate over who should go to Jeongyeon's room and invite her to join them for dinner. It was their usual tradition for welcoming a new housemate.
​"Let's settle this with Rock, Paper, Scissors," Nayeon suggested.
​Everyone agreed. "Gai, bai, bo!"
​Sana surreptitiously gestured to Nayeon and Momo—who were sitting across from her—by pretending to stroke her hair, signaling them to play scissors. Mina, sitting right beside Sana, missed the hint entirely and threw paper.
​"I can't do this, eonni! Let's go again!" Mina whined, realizing she was the loser.
​"You've got this, Minari. I'm sure she won't bite," Momo teased.
​"Fighting!" they called out in unison.
​With a nervous sigh, Mina walked hesitantly toward Jeongyeon's door.
​"Aren't we being a little mean?" Momo murmured, watching Mina linger anxiously outside the room, raising a hand to knock but hesitating.
​"No way," Nayeon replied smoothly. "She's afraid of everything. We're doing this to help her build some courage."
​[ Jeongyeon POV ]
​I was just drifting off to sleep when a knock sounded at my door. I tried to ignore it, but the tapping continued persistently. Annoyed, I got out of bed and swung the door open.
​"What?" I snapped.
​Standing there was a girl with tiny moles scattered across her face.
​"W-we usually have a welcoming party for new housemates... so you have to..." She stuttered, looking so small and innocent that I instantly felt guilty for scaring her.
​"So I have to join you guys?" I offered, finishing her sentence.
​She nodded rapidly and turned back toward the dining room. I followed her out, stopping short at the edge of the room, hesitating to take a seat.
​"Come on, sit down!" called out the cheerful girl—the one the others referred to as a pervert.
​I took the open chair in the middle. To my left sat the blonde girl and the one with bunny-like front teeth; to my right sat the cheerful girl and the shy one who had knocked on my door.
​"Let's introduce ourselves first," the cheerful girl announced, leaning in toward me. "Starting with you, handsome."
​"Oh—" I flinched, pulling back as she reached out to touch my face. She certainly didn't filter herself.
​"Sana, stop it, you're scaring her," Nayeon scolded. "Mina, hold her hands."
​Mina obediently reached over, but I gently pulled away from her grip. "You don't have to do that, Minari," I said quietly.
​"Sorry about her! Go ahead and introduce yourself," Nayeon offered with a chuckle.
​"I'm Yoo Jeongyeon. Twenty years old. Second-year business major at Seoul University," I said, keeping my tone flat and detached.
​"This cute girl right here—the one you probably thought was just a bunny—is actually the oldest," Sana chimed in, flashing a mischievous grin at Nayeon. "Eonni, your turn!"
​"My name is Im Nayeon. I'm a lecturer at Seoul University," Nayeon said smoothly. "And don't ask about my age—"
​"—Twenty-seven years old! Oops," the blonde girl interrupted, placing a hand over her mouth with obviously fake regret.
​Nayeon shot her a glare that could kill. Then she turned back to me, winking and flashing a smirk. "Looks like we'll be seeing a lot more of each other, Yoo Jeongyeon."
​What was her problem? I furrowed my eyebrows and stared back at her.
​"Whatever," I muttered, looking away to pretend I didn't care—though inwardly, a small knot of worry tightened.
​"Alright, we'll see," Nayeon murmured smoothly.
​"Moguri, your turn!" Sana nudged the blonde girl.
​"Hirai Momo," the blonde said casually. "Just call me Momo. I'm twenty, same year as you, but at JYP University majoring in Performance Arts."
​"Me too!" Sana added brightly. "I'm Minatozaki Sana. And this is our maknae," she said, throwing an arm around the shy girl's shoulders.
​"My name is Myoui Mina," the youngest offered softly. "I'm nineteen, a first-year Performance Arts major at the same university as Momo and Sana eonni."
​I listened quietly as an awkward silence settled over the table. None of us spoke as we ate the pizza they had ordered. The moment I finished my last slice, I stood up from my seat.
​"Wait!" Nayeon called out. "The rules here say you have to do the dishes after you eat."
​I didn't argue. Without a word, I cleared the table, washed the dishes, and retreated straight back into the safety of my room.