HAUGHTY-To Love ✔

CHAPTER 07

JAE-MIN POV

"Again and again, which scum is doing this?" I exclaimed loudly, causing the entire hallway to turn their heads in my direction. They looked at me as if I were an idiot ranting gibberish.

"What are you all looking at? Please continue with your own business," I retorted, dismissing their curious gazes.

I looked down at the bunch of red cards I was holding in my hands. This was the twelfth time I had received them. I didn't want to believe that they were actually love cards, fearing it might be a prank or some guy trying to hit on me. Despite repeatedly proving that I'm straight, those pricks just wouldn't understand.

"I should just brush this off," I muttered to myself, eyeing the cards before closing my locker and heading to my next class. I was grateful that my leg had completely healed, as otherwise, I would be standing and waiting for that Taelien to arrive.

Passing through the hallways to get to my class, I noticed girls and even some boys raising their eyebrows and eyeing me. "What's wrong with these people?" I thought to myself, choosing to ignore their curious stares. I entered my class and waited for the lecturer to arrive.

After a couple of minutes, I saw Tae-Sun entering the class from the corner of my eye. He found a seat next to me, which was unusual since he usually didn't bother with attending boring lectures. The only reason he showed up was for the sake of attendance, as we all knew it was important for good grades.

"Why are you panting? Did you do something?" I asked him, noticing that he seemed out of breath. Tae-Sun's presence alone was enough to pique my curiosity.

"Dude, didn't you get the news?" Tae-Sun responded, looking at me with confusion. I was taken aback by his words. "What news? I didn't receive any," I replied, genuinely puzzled.

"How can you not know when it's about you?" Tae-Sun's words only served to confuse me further. I wracked my brain, trying to recall if I had done anything noteworthy recently. As far as I could remember, I had been limping for the past two weeks and hadn't gotten into any fights or mischief. I certainly hadn't been picking on any girls, so why was this senseless creature questioning me?

"You really don't know?" Tae-Sun's persistent questioning was starting to irritate me. I couldn't hold back my frustration any longer. "Can you just fucking spill it?" I snapped at him, catching him off guard. His eyes lost their crescent shape, and he looked at me blankly, unable to respond immediately.

After realizing that my friend seemed sad and hurt by my actions, I reached out and placed my hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry, Tae. Please tell me what's bothering you, I'm here to listen," I said, genuinely wanting to hear him out.

Tae-Sun glanced at me, his lips still downturned in a frown. For a moment, he turned his body away from me, as if sulking. I felt a tinge of irritation building up inside me.

"Tae, please don't do this. I apologized sincerely, so why are you still sulking?" I pleaded. Then, with a hopeful tone, I added, "Alright, I'm willing to make it up to you. You can ask me for anything, and I promise I'll fulfill it for you." As I finished speaking, Tae-Sun turned his body back towards me, a smile spreading across his lips.

" You will do anything of what I say?" With a nod, I confirmed to Tae-Sun that I was willing to do anything he asked. His smile transformed into a mischievous smirk, leaving me wondering what he had planned next. "Go in front of the class and shout, 'Tae-Sun is the greatest and smartest person I have ever known.' Only then will I consider your apology," he challenged, raising his eyebrows and maintaining his smug expression.

I looked at him, a mixture of disgust and annoyance crossing my face. Deep down, I knew he would come up with something like this. "Do it, Jae-Min, if you really want to make amends," he taunted, his smirk growing even more pronounced. I met his gaze with a glare, silently vowing to show him that I wouldn't be easily manipulated.