The school felt different now.
Jiwon wasn’t sure when it changed exactly—maybe it was the moment she dropped her books and Jungwon caught them, or the time they spent forty minutes arguing over which festival booth theme was cooler. Either way, the quiet boy with the cat-like eyes had settled into her world without warning.
And somehow, she liked it.
"Are you always this competitive?"
Jiwon grinned, holding up the poster board between them. She and Jungwon were sitting on the classroom floor, surrounded by markers, snacks, and chaos. The class festival was in a week, and their group had somehow been put in charge of decorations.
“Only when I know I’m right,” Jungwon said, smirking as he added sparkles to the edge of their banner.
“That’s cute,” she said, not realizing the words had slipped until he paused, looking up.
Jiwon blinked. “I mean—that’s cool. Not cute. Definitely not cute.”
He tilted his head slightly, smile playing on his lips. “So… not cute?”
She grabbed the glitter pen and threw it at him. “Shut up.”
His laugh echoed in the empty classroom. For a second, everything else faded.
-
Jiwon:
Working with Jungwon is like babysitting a cat that judges your every decision.
Unknown Number:
That sounds… oddly specific.
Jiwon:
Because it’s true. He stares at me like I’m a puzzle he can’t quite figure out.
Unknown Number:
And how does that make you feel?
Jiwon:
Like I want him to figure me out.
Jungwon sat in his room, staring at her message.
Every part of him wanted to reply:
I already have.
But instead, he typed:
Unknown Number:
Maybe he’s just scared to try.
-
Jungwon had gotten used to living a double life.
By day, he was just Jungwon—classmate, committee member, the guy who helped Jiwon hang paper lanterns and sneak extra cookies from the cafeteria.
By night, he was her anonymous comfort—the person she confided in about him. About Jungwon.
It was ridiculous. A cycle he didn’t know how to end.
-
“You text someone a lot,” Sunghoon noted, glancing over Jungwon’s shoulder as they walked to gym class.
Jungwon quickly locked his phone.
“Who is it?” Ni-ki chimed in with a teasing grin. “Don’t tell me you’re texting the girl you like.”
Jungwon froze.
“I’m… just helping her adjust,” he mumbled. “As a friend.”
Jay raised a brow. “Sure. Just a friend.”
-
“Try this,” Jiwon said, holding out a bite of her sandwich to Jungwon.
He blinked, surprised. “Seriously?”
“I made it myself,” she said proudly. “It’s a special recipe. I need validation.”
He took the bite, pretending not to notice how her eyes watched him expectantly.
“It’s good,” he admitted. “Kind of sweet.”
She beamed. “Just like me?”
He coughed into his drink, ears turning pink.
“You’re impossible,” he muttered.
-
Jiwon:
I think I might be doomed.
Unknown Number:
Why?
Jiwon:
Because I keep falling harder for Jungwon every time he does something soft. Like today, he said my sandwich was good. And smiled. Like actually smiled.
Unknown Number:
That’s all it takes?
Jiwon:
You don’t get it. That smile could cure diseases.
Jungwon laughed silently, lying in bed.
Unknown Number:
Sounds like you’re already in too deep.
Jiwon:
Maybe. But I don’t mind drowning a little.
-
Heeseung watched Jungwon type furiously under his blanket one night during a sleepover.
“You’re in love with her,” he whispered, nudging him.
“I know.”
“So why don’t you tell her you’re the guy she’s been texting?”
Jungwon didn’t answer right away. The glow of his screen lit up his face as he reread Jiwon’s message for the fifth time.
Jiwon:
Sometimes, I feel like you know me better than anyone else. Isn’t that strange?
He typed back:
Unknown Number:
Not strange. Maybe just… meant to be.
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✓ 𝗜'𝗠 𝗖𝗨𝗧𝗘𝗥. yang jungwon
Fanfiction( 𝗜'𝗠 𝗖𝗨𝗧𝗘𝗥 ) "One dare, one text, and a whole lot of feelings." --- It all began with a simple dare-one that led to an unexpected connection. Jiwon Park, a quiet transfer student, received a random text that read, "I'm cute." Thinking it was...
