Chapter : 3 Cheeseburger....

The hallway went quiet. Jazze blinked at the little crowd of seniors staring at him, shifting the notebooks in his arms. “Um… sorry, seniors. Did I get in the way?” His voice was soft, polite, almost too gentle.

And Taejun—mighty, popular Kang Taejun—opened his mouth.

“Yes. I mean—No. I mean… Cheeseburger.”

"..."

Jazze tilted his head, clearly confused, lips parting in the smallest, shy “...huh?”

That was it. The squad exploded.

Eunji dropped to her knees, wheezing. “CHEESEBURGER?! Oh my god, somebody record this—oh wait, I already am!”

Minwoo slapped his basketball against the floor, howling. “Bro really folded like origami! Cheeseburger?! That’s your big line?!”

Even Sooyeon, usually the composed one, covered her mouth to hide her laugh. “This is… genuinely pathetic. I’m embarrassed for you.”

Taejun’s entire soul left his body. “I—shut up! I didn’t mean—!” His face burned so red it could light a fire drill.

But before he could dig himself deeper, Jazze blinked again… and then—softly, gently—he smiled. Not mocking, not cold, just a small, nervous curve of his lips.

“It’s okay,” Jazze murmured, bowing slightly. “Cheeseburgers are… nice.”

And then he walked off, leaving Taejun frozen in the hallway like a broken robot while his squad rolled on the floor laughing.

Haesoo clapped him on the back, grinning ear to ear. “Congrats, bestie.

After the “cheeseburger” disaster, Taejun swore to himself he would never, ever let that flower-faced junior have the upper hand again. But fate clearly had other plans.

Two days later, a little “circumstance” arrived.

It was gym duty. The teacher had paired up seniors with juniors to manage equipment. And guess who Taejun got stuck with?

Yep. Jazze.

Taejun nearly fainted on the spot. Eunji screamed. Minwoo and Haesoo placed bets on whether he’d combust before lunch. Sooyeon rolled her eyes like the heavens had cursed her personally.

And yet… Jazze was genuine. Soft-spoken, gentle, smiling politely as he lifted boxes without complaint. He treated Taejun with respect, even bowing slightly every time they exchanged words.

Which only made it worse.

By the time they finished, the whole class was buzzing with whispers. “Did you see? Taejun and the junior were working together!” “They looked… kind of close?”

Taejun’s pride couldn’t handle it. No way was he going to let people think Jazze was stealing his shine. So he crafted a plan.

The plan: pretend to be Jazze’s friend. Smile, laugh, even throw an arm around his shoulder if needed. To everyone else, he’d look like the perfect senior, kind and supportive. But behind the scenes? He’d quietly bury Jazze’s angel image, bit by bit. Show people he wasn’t that perfect.

And so, Kang Taejun began his little act.

“Jazze! My good friend !” he announced loudly in the cafeteria one day, dragging the poor junior to sit beside him while the squad watched in disbelief.

Jazze blinked, cheeks faintly pink, but smiled softly. “Ah… yes, senior. Thank you.”

Everyone around cooed. “Aww, Taejun is being so nice to the junior!”

Taejun gritted his teeth behind his grin. This was step one. His act was working.

At least, that’s what he thought.

Because every time he tried to make Jazze look weak, clumsy, or out of place… Jazze’s quiet genuineness flipped the script. Somehow, people ended up liking him *even more*.

And Taejun? He was the one looking ridiculous.

At first, it was all an act. Taejun dragged Jazze to sit with him at lunch, waved dramatically in the halls, called him “my junior” loud enough for everyone to hear. His squad rolled their eyes, but the plan was working—or so he thought.

Until Jazze started clinging.

“Senior,” Jazze said softly one day, sliding into the seat beside Taejun without even asking. “You forgot your water bottle. I brought it.”

The class went *aww*. Eunji whispered, “Oh my god, he’s like a devoted boyfriend already.”

Taejun almost choked. “W-what—! No, he’s just a *junior*! Don’t twist it!”

But Jazze only smiled that soft, shy smile and sat closer. Much closer.

From then on, it spiraled.

On gym day, Jazze walked beside Taejun, carrying his extra towel.

In the library, Jazze leaned over his shoulder, whispering questions while Taejun tried not to combust.

Even in the cafeteria, Jazze would gently place food on Taejun’s tray—“You forgot vegetables, senior. You need them.”

And the worst part? Taejun’s squad never let him live it down.

Minwoo: “Bro, he’s literally wifing you up.”

Eunji: “This is the juiciest thing I’ve ever seen.”

Sooyeon: “Pathetic. But cute.”

Haesoo: “Congrats, bestie. You’ve lost your independence.”

At first, Taejun raged. He hissed about how it was all fake, how Jazze was dangerous, how he was only pretending to be his friend.

But slowly… he started softening.

Because Jazze wasn’t fake. Jazze’s kindness wasn’t calculated, his clinginess wasn’t strategic. He was just genuine. And for someone like Taejun, who lived on image and pride, that kind of softness was like a knife to the chest.

One night, when they stayed late after school to finish carrying gym equipment, Taejun caught himself laughing at one of Jazze’s awkward, quiet jokes. Laughing—not faking.

It startled him so much he stopped mid-laugh, staring at Jazze like he’d just grown wings.

“Senior?” Jazze tilted his head, blinking softly. “Are you okay?”

Taejun swallowed hard, heart racing. For the first time, he realized… for a sec his act wasn’t just an act anymor

If Taejun thought Jazze was clingy yesterday , today was hell level unlocked.

The moment Taejun entered class, Jazze appeared at the door holding a lunchbox. *Homemade.*

“Senior,” Jazze said softly, walking right past the teacher like some K-drama lead. “I made this for you.”

Dead. Silence.

The class gasped so loud you’d think a ghost walked in. Eunji literally dropped her pen. Minwoo started wheezing into his sleeve. Sooyeon muttered, “Oh, this is better than Netflix.”

Taejun, meanwhile, wanted to *evaporate*. His carefully built image was cracking like a cheap phone screen.

“H-Hey—what the hell do you think you’re doing, junior?!” he hissed, face on fire. “You can’t just—walk in like that with food! In front of *everyone*!“

But Jazze just smiled—sweet, clueless, soft. “You didn’t eat breakfast, right? I noticed. So I thought…” He trailed off, pushing the box into Taejun’s hands.

The class squealed.

“HE NOTICED?!”

“IS THIS A CONFESSION?!”

“Oh my god, Taejun-hyung is finally tamed!”

Taejun slammed the box onto his desk, glaring murderously. “Shut. Up. All of you!”

But it was too late. His squad was already on the floor.

Minwoo pretended to wipe fake tears. “Our boy’s finally married off.”

Eunji dramatically fanned herself. “This is better than any romance drama.”

Sooyeon recorded the whole thing on her phone, smirking like Satan.

Haesoo leaned in with a smug grin. "Admit it. He’s your type.”

“TYPE?! HE’S NOT MY—” Taejun exploded, but his words were drowned out by Jazze gently opening the lunchbox for him. Inside were perfectly packed sandwiches, neatly cut fruit, even a tiny note that said ‘Fighting, senior!’ with a smiley face.

The class melted

And Taejun? He was wrecked. Totally, utterly wrecked.

Storming out was the only option. He grabbed his bag, muttering death threats under his breath, and shoved open the door—

Only to nearly crash headfirst into Jazze again.

Because Jazze had followed.

“Senior, wait,” Jazze whispered, clutching Taejun’s sleeve. His eyes were big, soft, devastating. “Did… I do something wrong?”

Taejun froze, caught between rage, pride, and the terrifying urge to not make this fragile boy cry.

Taejun froze in the doorway, Jazze clutching his sleeve with those big, glassy eyes. The kid looked like a kicked puppy—soft lips pressed together, lashes trembling, cheeks faintly pink.

And Taejun… wrecked.

His whole body screamed *say something rude, storm out, keep your pride!* But his brain was short-circuiting with one horrifying thought: *If I yell at him now, he’ll cry. And if he cries, I’m dead. My entire reputation will crumble.*

“Ugh—!” Taejun groaned, dragging a hand down his face. He couldn’t, just couldn’t. His pride hated him for this, but his heart (and image) left him no choice.

“Fine!” he barked, snatching the lunchbox back. “I’ll eat it. Happy now?!”

The class collectively *gasped*.

Eunji screeched, “OH. MY. GOD. HE ACCEPTED THE LOVE LUNCH.”

Minwoo fell off his chair laughing.

Sooyeon recorded every second, whispering, “Historical moment. Kang Taejun eats defeat.”

Haesoo leaned back, smirking like the devil himself. “Bestie… you’re whipped.”

“SHUT UP!” Taejun yelled, ears red as he stomped back to his desk. He slammed the lunchbox open and shoved a sandwich in his mouth like it was an act of war.

And then—disaster struck.

It was… delicious.

Like, really delicious. Soft bread, perfectly seasoned, even the fruit was sweet. His pride screamed to spit it out, but his taste buds said otherwise. His jaw slowed, chewing more carefully. His face, unwillingly, softened.

“Senior…” Jazze whispered hopefully, still standing by the desk. “Do you like it?”

Every eye in the room was on him.

Taejun swallowed hard. Looked at Jazze’s flower-soft face. Looked at the expectant eyes of his squad. Looked back at Jazze.

“…It’s… edible,” he muttered, voice low.

The class exploded.

Eunji: “EDIBLE \= LOVE CONFESSION!”

Minwoo: “Call the wedding planner!”

Sooyeon: “Face card + sandwich combo. Taejun never stood a chance.”

Haesoo: “Bestie… just admit you’ve lost already.”

Meanwhile, Taejun’s entire world was collapsing. Because for the first time, eating that stupid lunchbox, he felt… pity. Genuine pity. This clingy little junior wasn’t scheming to ruin him. He was just soft. Too soft.

And that softness was the one thing Taejun didn't know how to fight..

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***