First Love •JJK•

Chapter 1 : Academic Rivals

"But don't worry, it's not like you've left us forever." her words meant to offer me comfort, but they do little to ease my unease.

Seoul, a city so different from what I'm used to, isn't where I want to be. Living alone, with no cooking skills to rely on, means that instant ramen is my only go-to meal, even though I know it isn't the healthiest option.

"You'll be fine, honey. This is for your own good, Y/N," she reassures me, but her words fail to comfort me. The thought of living alone has always frightened me, and now I'm here facing that fear head-on. Just as I'm about to respond, a text message interrupts me, "Hey mom, I'll call you later," and I quickly hang up to check it.

"Class starts at 7:30, excited to see you!"
It's Miso, a friend I met online, who happens to be attending the same school as me. It's a relief to know that I won't have to be alone, especially since I'm not very good at socializing.

"Yeah, I'll be there by 7:00," I reply.

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I open my eyes and hear my phone vibrating beside me. Groggily, I reach for the phone and check the caller ID.

"Hello, Mom, what's up?" I ask, still half-asleep. "Are you still in bed, Y/N? It's already 7:20 AM! Why aren't you up yet?"

Wait. What?

My eyes widen as I jump out of bed, glancing at the clock. Without saying a word, I hang up on my mom and rush to the bathroom. How did I oversleep on such an important day? I wanted a fresh start. I quickly wash my face and get ready, taking one last look at myself in the mirror before hurrying out.

"Hey! It's already 8:10 AM! Where are you?" Miso's text pops up as soon as I reach the school gate. My brisk walk turns into a run. My legs grow tired, and I have to stop for a moment. It wouldn't matter if a new student arrives late, would it?

As I catch my breath, I notice a guy behind me, staring intently. "What's his issue?" I thought to myself. Ignoring him, I start to walk away, but still feel his eyes on me. "Hey, wait," a voice calls out, and I turn around to find the guy from behind me. He's already glaring at me.

"What do you want?" I ask, waiting for him to respond, but he continues to glare at me. "What?" I ask again, growing annoyed.

"You pig, why are you here?" he finally speaks, and I gasp at his words. Did I hear him correctly? Did he just call me a pig?

"Excuse me? What did you just call me?" I ask, furrowing my brows. He doesn't reply. There's something familiar about him, but I can't see his face because of the mask.

"You heard it right, I called you a pig," he finally speaks, further infuriating me. Is he out of his mind?

"What the hell? If you have a problem with me, why don't you just say it instead of glaring like that?" I protest. He remains silent, then removes his mask, saying, "You still can't remember me?" I pause, my mind goes blank for a moment. No way.

"Holy shit?! Jeon Jungkook?!" I exclaim as I stare at him. It's been six years since we last saw each other in elementary school.

I'm about to speak when my phone's notification sound interrupts me. It's another message from Miso. My mind is all over the place, and I've completely forgotten that I'm running late.

"Don't act like we know each other," he says, as if I would go around telling people, "Hey, I know Jungkook, he's my crush!" Stupid.

"Why do you think you're so important? Are you someone popular?" I reply. "Yep, I guess I am 'someone popular'," he says mysteriously before leaving.

What was that? I stand there silently for a moment, lost in my thoughts. Well, speaking of popularity, he might be popular. But to me, his behavior hasn't changed since six years ago. He may have grown taller and his looks may have changed, but his stubbornness remains the same. Why would anyone in their right mind call a person they haven't seen in six years a pig?

I gradually open the door to classroom number 338, my assigned section. To my surprise, the teacher isn't angry with me, probably because I'm a new student. Mr. Kang, the teacher, asks me to introduce myself to everyone. Being bad at socializing, it feels a bit awkward, but I manage to get through it somehow.

"Kim Y/N, you can sit beside him," Mr. Kang says, pointing at a guy with his head down and headphones plugged in. Are students allowed to listen to music during class? Whatever. Finally, I spot Miso, who waves at me, visibly relieved.

"Thank you, sir," I reply. As I walk toward my seat, my seatmate lifts his head and turns to face me, catching me off guard.

"You??"