When I say I wanted to have a power of mind reading, this is not what I meant...

...⋆｡˚ ☁︎ ˚｡⋆｡...

The school gate of Mirae High loomed ahead like a final boss in a video game.

Behind it, already half-through scolding me with her eyes alone, stood Park Na Eun, my best friend. My life. My rule. My style. My attitude. My daily alarm system, and the only reason I ever pass homeroom.

“HANA! You have exactly twenty-two seconds before Mr. Kim locks the gate and declares your academic career over!”

I sprinted, hair flying, toast still in my mouth like a true K-drama extra.

“Why does this school hate punctuality-challenged girlies?!”

“You hate waking up early. This is your villain origin story,” Na Eun shot back, grabbing my arm and yanking me through the gates as the security guard glared.

As soon as we were safely inside, I bent over and wheezed. “I think I left my soul on the sidewalk.”

Na Eun smacked my back like she was burping a toddler. “Pick it up during lunch. Come on, we have twenty stairs, one hallway, and a hallway crush to pass before class.”

“Hallway crush?” I perked up.

She winked. “You’ll see.”

...•┈┈┈•┈┈┈•┈┈┈...

The first bell hadn’t even rung, and the hallways were already flooded with students, laughter, gossip, and that weird scent of cafeteria bread and teenage perfume.

Na Eun navigated it like a social queen. I just tried not to walk into people while internally composing a dramatic monologue:

“Min Hana, 17. Chaotic neutral. Functioning on dreams and barely-passed science tests. This is her story.”

And then..

Boom.

Not literally. But emotionally. The crowd parted.

And he walked by.

Tall. Black hair falling perfectly into his eyes. Mirae High’s very own mysterious side character who refused to become a main one. The guy who loves to sit alone. Basically the nerd.

Choi Taeyang.

Quiet. Distant. Always late to assembly but never to class. The kind of boy who looked like he knew something you didn’t.

He passed us without a word.

But Na Eun elbowed me like she’d spotted a unicorn.

“That’s your new target,” she whispered.

“Huh?”

“We’re giving you a romance arc this semester. No more NPC energy. It's your main character era.”

I blushed so hard my soul caught fire.

“I—I’ve never even talked to him!”

“Then start small. Stalk him with your eyes first. It’s the beginner level.”

She meant it as a joke.

But unfortunately, that was exactly what I did the entire walk to class.

...•┈┈┈•┈┈┈•┈┈┈...

There are two types of students when you walk into class early.

Type 1: The ones already flipping through their notes, mechanical pencils lined up by color, as if their brains are organized Google Drives.

Type 2: Me.

I slumped into my usual seat by the window, second row from the back, the perfect spot for maximum people-watching and minimum teacher attention. My desk was covered in doodles, mystery pen ink, and one very faded sticker that said “You Tried.”

Na Eun dropped into the seat beside me, immediately pulling out her strawberry-shaped eraser and glitter pens. “Okay, real talk. Out of ten, how hot is Choi Taeyang in person? Be honest.”

“I’m not answering that.”

“Because you don’t know? Or because you already imagined marrying him during the walk here?”

I gasped. “I did NOT!”

…Okay, I might have. Just a little. But it was more of a daydream. With sparklers. And dramatic wind. And possibly a slow-motion kiss scene where he caught me from falling down the stairs.

Before I could defend myself, the door slid open with that krrr-chhk sound that always makes my stomach twist.

And there he was again.

Choi Taeyang.

Calm. Silent. Cool as winter.

He entered like a ghost who couldn’t be bothered. Backpack on one shoulder. White earphones in. No eye contact with anyone.

He headed straight to the back seat, dropped into his chair, and stared out the window.

Na Eun leaned in. “He’s giving... mysterious manga boy energy.”

“Because he is a mysterious manga boy,” I whispered back. “He literally has plot armor.”

“Plot armor or trust issues. Could go either way.”

...⋆｡˚ ☁︎ ˚｡⋆｡ ...

Mr. Kim walked in like thunder, smacked the board with a ruler, and began his morning announcements in his usual grumpy-grandpa tone.

“Attendance. Field trip forms. And I swear, if one more person skips their cleaning duties, you’re all staying after school.”

Yikes. Bold of him to assume I even knew I had cleaning duty.

Na Eun passed me a folded note under the desk. I opened it slowly, already bracing for the worst.

Inside, in glitter pen:

MISSION: Operation Make Hana a Main Character 💘

① Make eye contact with Choi Taeyang

② Say “hi” without combusting

③ ??

④ Marriage

I covered my mouth to stop from laughing out loud.

She gave me a thumbs-up like a proud coach.

...⋆｡˚ ☁︎ ˚｡⋆｡ ...

It happened too fast.

I glanced back casually. Totally normal. Totally just looking at the clock on the wall.

Except the clock was right above Taeyang’s head.

And he looked up at the exact same moment.

Our eyes met.

My brain exploded.

My soul left my body.

I panicked.

And then I-

I waved. Like the stupid girl I am.

Just a tiny, awkward flick of my hand. Like a broken robot short-circuiting.

His eyes narrowed for a second. Not mean. Just confused.

And then-

He looked away.

…

“Okay,” I whispered, sinking into my desk. “I’m dropping out. I’m changing identities. I’ll live in the mountains.”

Na Eun cackled beside me. “CONGRATS! You’re officially in his memory now. He will forever remember you as That Girl Who Waved At Him Like a Malfunctioning NPC.”

“THANKS I’M CRYING.”