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

the weight of being kind

"Come on! Tell us the whole story," Jackson pressed. "How did you end up getting slapped, only to end up hugging her right after?"
I collapsed onto the couch as soon as I entered their room. The three of them sat on the rug, surrounding me like a group of wide-eyed children eager for a bedtime story.
"Shut up... you're way too nosy," I muttered.
"Did she confess to you?" Taehyung chimed in. "And did you reject her with those harsh words of yours—like you always do—making her get so mad that she slapped you?"
"No, it wasn't like that. It’s just... forget it. We already resolved it." I closed my eyes, but I couldn't erase the image of her face as she cried. I felt like absolute garbage. I felt guilty.
"Let's play PES," Jeongyeon said, jumping up to grab Jimin's laptop, eager to change the subject.
"Listen... I care about you," Jackson said, his tone softening.
"You care about me? What, do you want to date me now?" Jeongyeon flirted dramatically, poking fun at his sudden seriousness.
"I'm serious," Jackson insisted. "This is getting out of hand. How many more girls are going to cry because of your cold words? And I know they aren't the only ones getting hurt when you act like an asshole—you hurt yourself, too. I know you don't want to be like this. So stop pushing girls away and breaking their hearts."
I froze, my hand hovering over the laptop's power button.
"Don't you remember?" I said softly, staring blankly ahead. "You were the ones who told me I was too kind. You said I was giving them false hope. Have you forgotten the mess I caused back in high school?"
In high school, Yoo Jeongyeon’s life had been full of effortless brightness. As the star captain of the girls' basketball team—with her short brown hair, tall frame, and striking, handsome features—popularity followed her wherever she went.
She had two best friends, Bona and Seulgi. Life was simple, until her second year...
Jeongyeon had gone out to buy food for the three of them. When she returned to the classroom, her friends were nowhere to be found.
"Where did they go?" she murmured, wandering down the hallway.
Suddenly, Taehyung rushed up to her. "Jeongyeon, you’re in trouble. Look at what you’ve caused."
"What are you talking about? I just went to buy tteokbokki," she said, genuinely bewildered.
"Just follow us," Jackson said, guiding her through the crowded corridor toward the back of the school building. A large crowd of students had already gathered there.
"Aren't those your best friends, Bona and Seulgi?" Jimin asked, nodding toward the commotion. "They're fighting with Jennie and her group over you."
It was complete chaos.
Bona and Seulgi were locked in a fierce argument with Jennie and her friends—Lisa, Jisoo, and Rosé. The tension in the air was thick. Because Jeongyeon was standing near the back of the crowd, none of the girls noticed her yet.
"How could this possibly be my fault?" Jeongyeon muttered, her frustration rising. She had always tried so hard to avoid drama.
"I told you not to give them false hope," Jimin whispered. "You always said you were just being polite because they were nice to you, but didn't you realize they had crushes on you? Listen to what they're saying..."
Crushes on me? That’s impossible. We’re all girls, she thought, shaking her head in denial. I'm just Yoo Jeongyeon. Why would anyone fall for me?
Bona had been her childhood friend, and Seulgi was a year older, introduced to her through Bona. Meanwhile, Jennie’s group shared a class with her. She knew the two groups had prior friction, so she assumed this was just another personal spat. But then she caught the words flying between them.
Jennie’s group was accusing Bona and Seulgi of intentionally keeping Jeongyeon away from them.
Seulgi countered that Jeongyeon simply already had plans with them, but when Jennie refused to believe it, Seulgi snapped: "Or maybe she just doesn't want to hang out with a bunch of troublemakers like you!"
That was the breaking point.
"You're not just an ordinary girl to them, Jeongyeon," Taehyung said, pushing her forward out of the crowd. "Stop standing there. Go break them up."
Things had devolved into physical hair-pulling between Bona and Jisoo, as well as Jennie and Seulgi, while Lisa and Rosé watched anxiously.
"Hey! Stop it!" Jeongyeon yelled, her voice cutting through the noise.
"Jeongyeon! This is all her fault!"
"She started it!"
The moment the girls realized Jeongyeon was standing there, they froze. Almost instantly, they let go of each other, smoothed down their clothes, and offered innocent smiles, immediately shifting the blame.
"Wow," Jackson whispered in awe. "One word from her and they completely stopped. I've never seen her actually mad before."
Jeongyeon let out a bitter, quiet chuckle. It really was because of her.
She couldn't grasp the influence she held over them. She had the power to drive them to madness, yet here they were, desperately trying to look delicate and composed in front of her. She hated it. She hated being the center of attention, with every eye fixed on her.
"Unbelievable," she murmured, her face emotionless.
She turned on her heel and walked away just as the teachers arrived to march everyone to the principal's office.
Later, she sat alone on a bench by the basketball court, quietly eating the tteokbokki she had bought for her friends. The boys soon joined her.
"They got suspended for a week," Jackson reported.
"That's going to make it really hard for them to get into a top university," Jimin added.
Jeongyeon felt a pit form in her stomach. She knew how badly Bona wanted to get into Suwon University—the most prestigious college in the area—and that her parents wouldn't support her higher education if she failed to get in.
This happened because of me, Jeongyeon thought, staring blankly into the distance. If I hadn't made such a good impression in the beginning, they wouldn't have fallen for me. There wouldn't be this mess, and their futures wouldn't be at risk.
"Nobody can control how love happens, Jeongyeon. It's already done," Jackson said gently, trying to lighten the mood. "Cheer up. Where did the playful Jeongyeon go?"
I only helped them because they were my friends, she thought. They brought me breakfast, lunch, and sweet gifts, and I accepted them without thinking twice. I never meant to lead them on.
They were right. I'm not an ordinary girl. And besides... with this secret body of mine, I can't truly just be 'friends' with girls.
"I won't let something like this happen again," Jeongyeon said firmly, staring at the boys' bewildered faces.
(End of Flashback)
"I know you try to make girls dislike you by acting cold and aloof, but it's useless," Jackson said. "The colder and more distant you are, the more curious they become. Ever since you started pushing people away, even more girls have developed crushes on you."
"Remember how some girls at our old college even made a bet to see who could win you over?" Taehyung added.
"And yet nobody ever succeeded," Jackson chuckled.
"You were so popular!" Taehyung sighed dramatically. "Honestly, ever since you transferred to a new college, we stopped getting free snacks, hoodies, and shoes."
"What the hell? Were you guys just using me for free stuff?!"
"No, no, I'm just kidding," Taehyung grinned. "But seriously, it feels empty without you."
(Flashback)
Back when she attended Suwon University, gifts and confessions were a daily occurrence for Jeongyeon. But she rejected every single girl bluntly, without a trace of hesitation or tact.
"Jeongyeon, I made these cookies especially for you!" a girl had once said, holding out a beautifully wrapped box.
"Sorry, I don't like sweets," Jeongyeon replied blankly.
"Could you at least try one? Please accept them!"
When a girl was particularly persistent, Jeongyeon would take a bite right in front of her, pull a disgusted face, and say, "Yuck."
Then, she would casually hand the box over to Jackson, Taehyung, and Jimin, who were standing nearby. "Here, you guys take these."
"She made them for you," Jackson had muttered, glancing awkwardly at the hurt girl. "Why are you giving them to us?"
"She gave them to me, so it's my choice whether I eat them or give them away," Jeongyeon declared loudly enough for the girl to hear. "I'm not eating them—I'd get diabetes."
Her rejections were always sharp. “I don’t wear cheap clothes from random brands,” she would say.
If she sensed a girl was building up the courage to confess, she would cut her off before she even had the chance.
"Jeongyeon, can I sit next to you?" a girl had asked her once.
Jeongyeon merely glared at her.
"I wanted to tell you that I..."
"You don't have to," Jeongyeon interrupted, not even bothering to look at her. "I already know you're going to say you like me."
The girl blinked, hurt and confused. "How...? Why did you act like you didn't know before?"
"Because you gossip like an old lady all the time," Jeongyeon smirked coldly, recalling a rumor the guys had mentioned. "And frankly, I don't know what you expect me to do about it, because I don't like you."
As tears welled up in the girl's eyes, Jeongyeon simply turned her head and walked away.
Through the guys, she also learned that she had a fan club. Secret paparazzi photos of her were regularly shared—and even sold—in a group chat. One day, she experienced it firsthand.
While inside a bathroom stall, she overheard a group of girls talking outside.
"Look at this one! She looks so cool when she's serious."
"Are you selling that print? How much?"
Jeongyeon stepped out of the cubicle and saw four girls gathered around a phone screen. She quietly snuck a glance over their shoulders.
Good grief, she thought, staring at the screen. They took a picture of me stuffing my face? Are they blind? How is that 'cute'?
"How much are you selling that for?" Jeongyeon asked casually.
The girls gasped in unison, scrambling to hide the phone. "J-Jeongyeon!"
"Hi," she offered a cool smile.
"Hi..." they squeaked, suddenly flushed and breathless.
"Well, I have to get to class. See ya," Jeongyeon said with a smirk, stepping out into the hallway and shutting the heavy restroom door behind her.
"Wait, I thought she’d be mad!" one girl giggled from inside.
"Come on, let's go—"
Click.
"Wait, the door won't open! It's locked!"
"Take care of yourselves, girls!" Jeongyeon called out cheerfully from the hallway before strolling away.
"Hey! Yoo Jeongyeon!" an angry voice echoed from behind the locked door, making Jeongyeon chuckle to herself.
Eventually, the fan club disbanded. Most of the girls dropped out, thoroughly discouraged by her ruthless behavior.
(End of Flashback)
"I was just trying to save them from the heartache of loving me," Jeongyeon murmured.
"Stop being so harsh on them," Jackson said softly. "It doesn't work anyway—you can't prevent love. Nobody chooses how or when it happens. Just go back to being the old Jeongyeon."
"At least this way, their feelings don't go any deeper," she argued. "It stops things from ending up in a disaster like back then."
"Stop using that incident as an excuse for your coldness," Jimin interjected quietly.
When Jeongyeon didn't answer, Jimin continued, "The real reason you're doing this is because you're still waiting for her, aren't you?"
Jeongyeon lowered her head, remaining silent. The boys knew him all too well; it really was because of the girl she had been holding out for.
"Don't you realize your worlds are completely different now?" Jimin said, a trace of arrogance in his voice. "She's a famous actress, and you're just a college student with an uncertain future."
Jeongyeon clenched her fists, her chest tightening at his blunt words.
"I think it's time you opened your heart and tried dating someone else," Jimin added with a slight smirk. "Maybe a girl at your new college could make you fall in love again—assuming she can accept loving a girl who... well, has a dick."
Before he could finish his chuckle, Jeongyeon lunged forward, grabbing him tightly by the collar.
"Jeongyeon, hold on!" Jackson warned. "You don't want to show up on your first day at the new college with a bruised face!"
Jeongyeon ignored him, her eyes locking onto Jimin's.
"Listen to me," she said, her voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. "If it weren't for Taehyung and Jackson, I wouldn't even be friends with you. You're acting cocky just because you have a girlfriend now? You wouldn't even be with her if I hadn't told you to go comfort her when she was crying—after I rejected her, you shy little coward."
Jimin's eyes welled up with frustrated tears. "I've always hated this about you! Do you know how hard it is? Even now, she still talks about you! She feels guilty every single day, thinking she ruined you. How can you sit there feeling proud after hurting her like that?!"
Jeongyeon's expression softened slightly as she realized she had pushed him too far.
She let go of his collar and smirked faintly, trying to diffuse the tension. "Don't ask me to be the old Jeongyeon again. You know I could still make your girlfriend leave you if I wanted to. I'm sure it's hard for her to forget her first kiss."
She patted his cheek mockingly. "Now come on, let's play the game. Stop crying and wipe your nose."
Using the hem of Jimin's shirt, she playfully wiped under his nose as if taking care of a crying toddler.
"I'm not crying! And there's no snot!" Jimin whined, swatting her hand away.
"Then why are you making those sniffling sounds?" Jeongyeon teased, grabbing a controller and turning toward the laptop screen. "I'm picking Barcelona."
Within seconds, their focus completely shifted to the match. Jackson and Taehyung exchanged bewildered looks from behind them.
"Are they bipolar or something?" Taehyung whispered to Jackson.
"What makes you say that?" Jackson asked.
"Their moods switch every five seconds!"
"Unless they're actually throwing punches at each other, don't play psychologist," Jackson deadpanned.
"Hey, can I borrow a pair of loose sweatpants or an oversized sweater for my trip back to the dorms tomorrow?" Jeongyeon called out.
"Why?" Jackson asked.
"To cover... this," Jeongyeon said, turning around and pointing casually toward her groin.
"Woohoo, look at you!" Jackson teased, raising his eyebrows flirtatiously.
Jeongyeon rolled her eyes and turned back to the game.
"Wait, weren't you wearing a jacket earlier?" Taehyung asked. "Where is it?"
"Momo..." Jeongyeon answered, hesitating.
The boys stared at her inquisitively.
"She... took it by accident," Jeongyeon offered weakly.
Seeing their skeptical expressions, she quickly tried another excuse: "I mean, the jacket wasn't long enough to cover the bulge anyway, so I just asked her to leave it at our place."
The three boys exchanged amused, knowing glances, nodding in perfect unison.
"Right... we totally understand," Jackson smirked.
Jeongyeon opened her mouth to defend herself, but realized it was useless, leaving her entirely speechless.