It was the start of a new day at school. The air was thick with the buzz of students gossiping about their upcoming projects, partners, and who would be stuck with whom. Na Kyung walked down the hallway, mentally preparing herself for another round of classes. But what she wasn't prepared for was the sudden shift that would happen in her group dynamics.

The school bell rang, signaling the start of the day, and the teacher stood at the front of the room, her eyes scanning the class.

"Alright, class," the teacher called, "You all have a group project. I will pair you up randomly. But I know some of you might have specific preferences. If you feel strongly about a certain partner, please let me know."

Na Kyung's eyes flickered to the front, where she saw Seung Tae glance her way, his usual confident, almost arrogant smirk nowhere to be found. Instead, his gaze was surprisingly soft. She frowned. What the hell was he up to now?

Seung Tae stood up, adjusting his uniform like he had all the time in the world.

"I'd like to be paired with Na Kyung," he said smoothly, his voice carrying through the room. The whole class went dead silent.

The teacher raised an eyebrow, surprised at the sudden request. "Seung Tae, are you sure? I thought you and Na Kyung didn't get along."

The class waited with bated breath as Seung Tae, for the first time in a long while, didn't smirk or act cocky. Instead, he simply gave a gentle smile—one that looked almost genuine.

"I've had a change of heart. I think it's time I worked with her," Seung Tae replied, his tone softer than usual. He glanced over at Na Kyung, who was watching him with a mixture of confusion and suspicion.

Na Kyung's frown deepened. What was this? A trap? Was he playing some new game? She didn't trust this sudden shift in attitude at all.

"What are you doing?" Na Kyung muttered under her breath, her voice filled with annoyance as she stared at him. "You've been a jerk to me for how long and now you want to act all sweet and cooperative?"

Seung Tae didn't answer right away. Instead, he looked at her with a sincere gaze—one that made Na Kyung feel uncomfortable, but also... confused. Why did it feel like he was trying?

Whispers started circulating through the class.

"Did Seung Tae just—"

"Is he serious?"

"I thought he hated her?"

"Well, they've been fighting non-stop!"

Seung Tae's friends exchanged looks, their mouths hanging open in disbelief.

"Since when does Seung Tae do things like this?" One of his friends whispered to the other.

"Who knows," another said, still trying to process. "Maybe he's got a crush on her."

Despite their reactions, the teacher seemed content with the pairing. "Alright, if you two are happy with this arrangement, I'll pair you together."

Na Kyung opened her mouth to protest, but before she could say anything, the teacher quickly added, "You can discuss the details of the project during lunch. Now, we'll move on to the next pair."

Na Kyung gritted her teeth, annoyed. Why was he suddenly acting like this? Was he trying to trick her into letting her guard down?

As the teacher moved on to pair the other students, Seung Tae took a step closer to Na Kyung, his voice low.

"I'm serious," he said, his tone almost too soft for her liking. "Let's just get through this project. I'll help."

Na Kyung stared at him for a long moment. He wasn't teasing, wasn't mocking her—just... quietly, genuinely offering to work together.

Na Kyung was confused, but the most annoying thing?

She kind of thought it was cute that he was trying to act all soft now, as if he had a clue about what it meant to be kind. She quickly pushed the thought aside. She couldn't let him get to her.

Meanwhile, the next pairing caught everyone's attention for a different reason.

The teacher smiled sweetly as she turned to Minji, who had been quietly staring at her desk, and Kyung-jun, who was lounging back in his seat with his usual unbothered expression.

"Minji, you'll be paired with Kyung-jun," the teacher announced.

Minji's face immediately turned bright red.

She froze for a moment, her mind scrambling for words. She was paired with Kyung-jun, the new guy, the guy who made her heart flutter every time he smiled her way. He was effortlessly cool, and way too out of her league.

"I—I... okay," Minji stammered, her cheeks burning.

Kyung-jun, on the other hand, was as chill as ever, a lazy smirk tugging at his lips. "Cool," he said, giving her a casual wave. "Let's get it over with."

Minji, although shy and awkward, couldn't help but feel a small flutter in her chest. There was something about Kyung-jun that felt... strangely comforting.

Minji quickly returned to her seat, still red in the face from the pairing, her heart pounding. But as she sat there, she could feel Kyung-jun's gaze on her, and it made her stomach do a little flip.

What had she gotten herself into?

Kyung-jun, on the other hand, wasn't as phased. He stretched, leaning back in his chair and glancing at her. "Hey, don't worry. I'm pretty good at these things. We'll get it done in no time."

Minji nodded, too shy to say anything else, but the small smile on her lips couldn't be hidden.

Na Kyung, still trying to process the situation with Seung Tae, was now forced to watch the new pairing unfold. She glanced over at Minji, who was blushing and shy, and Kyung-jun, who looked like he couldn't care less, but she could tell he was a little intrigued.

Na Kyung raised an eyebrow. This was going to be interesting.

But just as her attention shifted back to Seung Tae, she caught him looking at her again. This time, his gaze was slightly more intense, almost like he was waiting for her to say something.

It irritated her. Why did he care so much?

Seung Tae gave her a half smile. "Let's get to work, Na Kyung. We'll make this project the best in the class, yeah?"

Her stomach twisted, but she didn't respond. Instead, she gave him a dismissive look and walked away.

But Seung Tae wasn't finished yet.

As he watched Na Kyung walk away, he made up his mind—he was going to show her that he could do more than just bully her. He would prove that he was capable of changing, capable of being someone she could rely on.

No more games.

It was time for him to step up, even if it killed him.

—To be continued...