Four days have passed, and Taehyung got back to normal health; it's just a common fever that had taken him down for a few days. He couldn't help but think back to that fleeting moment with Byeol, grateful for the memory that brought him comfort during his recovery.

The four boys were sitting at the canteen. "Ohhhhhhh~," the three boys sang in unison as Taehyung told the story of Byeol turning back for him. They all knew how much it meant to him, and they were happy; at least one of his friends might get mingled with the girl he likes. .

"Yah! Cut it off." Taehyung blushed at his friends' teasing, rolling his eyes.

"Oh, look at him all blushing and shy." Jiho said, nudging Taehyung playfully.

"Shy, shy, shy~" Jun-seo sang, moving his balled fist up to his cheeks, front and back, by wrist. "Stop it, guys," Taehyung said, trying to hide his embarrassment. Jun-seo and Jiho continued to tease Taehyung, making the rest of Daeseong laugh.

But Daeseong's laugh subsided, and he turned to Taehyung, "Did class one not get a break?" He said, looking around, not finding anyone belonging to class one.

Jiho and Hun-seo stopped teasing Taehyung and turned to Daeseong, puzzled. "I guess they didn't," Jiho said.

"Oh, my poor Tae can't talk to his girl today," Jun-seo said dramatically. Taehyung rolled his eyes, feeling the heat rise to his bread cheeks as his friends continued to tease him.

"Taehyung, it's better you confess your feelings. You never know; she might feel the same way," Daeseong said with a knowing smile, trying to encourage his friend.

"She might? Come on, Daeseong, she has been hinting at this dumb bear ever since they began talking often. Man, just go for it." Playfully nudging Taehyung, Junseo continued, "You never know until you try." With a sigh, Taehyung considered telling the girl he had been secretly loving on for months how he felt.

He finally took a long breath and let it out before deciding to take the chance telling her how he felt. "Fine, I'll do it." When Taehyung said that, the three boys' eyes nearly glowed with excitement. He grinned and continued, "But, tomorrow," which caused his closest friend's excited smile to immediately fade and their shoulder to drop.

"Tomorrow?" Jiho let out a loud groan and threw back his head as if everything had suddenly stopped. "You say 'tomorrow,' Taehyung, all the time! If things continue this way, you'll tell her after our graduation."

Leaning closer to Taehyung, Jun-seo slammed the table. "Dude, you have to stop pushing it. What happens if someone else jumps in and tells her first?"

Taehyung furrowed his brows, the thought making his heart drop. "She... she wouldn't just say yes to anyone, would she?" he asked, his voice laced with uncertainty.

"Who knows?" Daeseong gave an innocent shrug, but his grin gave a hint that he was trying to rail Taehyung. "Byeol's nice to everyone. Do you really want to take that chance?

With a grunt, Taehyung brushed through his hair. His friends were right, yet the idea of confessing made his palms sweat out. After a minute of uncertainty, he replied, "Fine," his voice steady despite the flutter of nervousness in his chest. "I'll tell her... today."

"Yes!" Bringing back his excitement, Jiho punched his fist into the air.

"That's the spirit!" Jun-seo cheered and gave Taehyung a somewhat too-strong back pat.

"Finally, our boy grows a spine," Daeseong teased, but his smile was genuine.

Taehyung hurriedly said, "But wait," raising his palms so they could stop their fun. "What am I supposed to do? It is too little for me to just go there and say, 'Hey, Byeol, I like you.'"

The three boys looked at each other, and then Jiho gave him a cheeky smile. "Leave it to us."

Taehyung straight away regretted his decision. "Wait, what does that mean?"

"You'll see," said Jun-seo as he got up and picked up his tray. "Taehyung, don't be worried. We've got your back."

As they left the canteen, Taehyung couldn't shake the feeling that his friends' "help" might make this confession far more embarrassing than he intended.

With a heavy sigh, Taehyung rubbed the back of his neck and followed with the others. "Getting my back is okay, but you guys give me back pain," he murmured under his breath.

Despite the low volume of Taehyung's complaint, Jun-seo could clearly hear it as he looked over his shoulder. His face lit up with a teasing smile as he said, "What was that, lover boy?"

Quickly, Taehyung said, "Nothing," avoiding eye contact.

Putting an arm over Taehyung's shoulders, Daeseong laughed. "Calm down, Tae. All we're going to do is give you a little shove. Remember how you said you would confess today?

"I said it, but I didn't mean today!" The familiar heat of embarrassment crept up Taehyung's neck as he protested. "What if her feelings are different? What if—"

He got interrupted by Jiho, who turned to face Taehyung and walked backward. He raised an eyebrow in response, asking, "What if she does? Man, you must take the risk. No more excuses!"

Taehyung groaned, knowing he was outnumbered. His friends were relentless; once they had an idea in their heads, there was no backing out now. It would only make them double down.

As they approached the hallway near Byeol's classroom, Taehyung's heart began pounding in his chest. The idea of confessing his feelings suddenly felt a hundred times more terrifying than he'd imagined.

"OK, so what's the plan?" His voice was no more than a whisper as he asked for it hesitantly.

Leaning on the wall with a smug grin, Jun-seo looked confident. "Simple. We'll call Byeol out, keep it comfortable, and then... boom! You confess."

"Boom?" Taehyung said again, disbelievingly. "That's not a plan—that's chaos!"

"Chaos adds flavor to life," Jiho joked, smirking.

Daeseong patted Taehyung on the back in a comforting way. "You'll be okay, Tae. Just keep your motivation in mind. You like her?

For the first time in his life, Taehyung had seen the smartest one in their group agreeing with the dumbest idea, yet he swallowed hard, nodding from the growing lump in his throat.

As they were about to call, Taehyung saw Ms. Park coming in their way. While Junseo was looking into class, Taehyung quietly tucked Junseo, who simply clicked his tongue and looked for Byeol. Taehyung tucked Jiho and Daeseong once more, causing them to turn to face him, raise their eyebrows,  irritation kissing their features.

Taehyung pointed Ms. Park coming in their way, which almost made their eyes pop out of their sockets, as they felt a ringing alarm only heard by them. Three of them looked at each other, and then they tried to call Junseo but didn't move, so three of them quietly escaped from the corridor to the other side.

"I couldn't find her, Taehyung," he said, but nobody answered.

Junseo turned his head back, sensing it, and saw Ms. Park, their strict homeroom teacher. It clicked on him then why Taehyung was tucking him. He turned his head to other sides, but he couldn't find three boys.
When Jun-seo realized he was alone and facing Ms. Park, whose serious gaze could stop anybody in their tracks, his heart fell.

"Well, Nam Jun-seo-shi," she started, crossing her arms. "What exactly are you doing here, peeking into classrooms during lunch break? Shouldn't you be in the canteen or outside with your other three troublemakers?"

Jun-seo plastered on his best innocent smile, though the sweat forming on his forehead betrayed him. "Uh... I was just... looking for my, uh, textbook, Ms. Park!" he stammered. "I think I might've left it in class earlier."

Ms. Park, obviously not convinced, arched an eyebrow. "In a classroom that isn't your own?"

For a while, Jun-seo's brain stopped its functioning, trying to come up with a convincing lie. He stammered, "Well, you see, my friend borrowed it... from me... during... PE!" with each sentence seeming less and less believable.

With a sigh, Ms. Park pinched the bridge of her nose. "I've been a teacher long enough to know when someone is lying, you know, Jun-seo. Before I call your father, why don't you just tell me the truth?"

Jun-seo knew there was no way out at this point. He took a quick glance about in the hopes of seeing his betraying friends, but they were not there. "Traitors! They left me!" he thought, his teeth clenched.

Taehyung, Jiho, and Daeseong were looking at Ms. Park and Junseo from behind a corner on the opposite side of the hallway.

"Do you think he'll tell on us?" Jiho murmured.

"We know he won't," Daeseong replied, his expression a mix of worry and amusement. "But he is cooked right now."

Taehyung groaned, running a hand through his hair. "He should have turned back at least once. When I was tucking him"

This is a disaster...

Back with Ms. Park, Jun-seo thought to come up in another way. He sighed dramatically, lowering his head. "I... was actually trying to find a quiet spot to study. The canteen is just too noisy."

Ms. Park raised her eyebrow, which can show she still wasn't entirely convinced. "Is that so?"

Jun-seo nodded earnestly. "Yes! I'm trying to improve my grades, Seonsaegnim. Really, I am!"

Ms. Park stared at him for a long moment before finally sighing. "You should've thought of the library rather than looking into other empty classes." She said with a stern voice, "Alright, just go now, but if I catch you wandering around again during break without a good reason, I won't be so tolerant."

"Yes, seonsaegnim! Thank you!" Jun-seo said, bowing over and over before running down the hall.

As soon as he came around the corner and found his friends, his relieved expression turned into a glare. "You bastards! You left me alone there to deal with her!"

Taehyung, Jiho, and Daeseong burst into laughter, unable to hold it in any longer.

"You should've seen your own face at that time!" Jiho wheezed.

Jun-seo crossed his arms, huffing. "You better make up for this, Taehyung. You're confessing to Byeol today, no more excuses! Got it!"

Taehyung groaned, knowing he had to thank Jun-seo for taking one for the team—even if it was hilarious.

Time skips

Time has passed more quickly than they thought, and they have begun gathering their belongings to get ready for getting back home. The teachers nearly threw them out of the class because they were laughing throughout class since Junseo was never stopping giving them death glares or cursing at them for leaving him in such a way for abandoning him.

The four of them got out of the class into the hallway. "Yah! 답답해!" Junseo said, kicking his leg in the air.

"Sorry, Junseo," Taehyung murmured, trying to not laugh. "We owe you one for sure." A little smirk pulled at the corner of Junseo's lips as he just rolled his eyes.

But Junseo's plump lips curved into a mischievous smile. "Yeah, now our bestest friend Kim Taehyung has to make that true."

"I know, I know." Taehyung nodded and murmured, squeezing his nose and shutting one eye.

But before they made their way to class, a junior guy came running to them, breathless and panting. Four boys stared at him in confusion, wondering what's urgent and mainly why did he stop them.

"Taehyung hyung?" Gazing at Jiho, the boy questioningly said.

Jihoo closed his eyes, shook his head, and pointed at Taehyung, saying, "Him."

The boy looked somewhat calmer and stood up straight. "Hyung, the noona is calling you," he said.

Taehyung's brows knotted together as his glasses-wearing eyes followed the way the boy pointed, and after that the boy ran without saying his name or giving clarity on who that noona is. But the only person Taehyung mostly refers to as Noona is his cousin. The nurse. Even the boy pointed in the same direction as medical room.

"Oh, maybe the nurse is looking for you, Tae," Junseo said, trying to help clarify the situation.

"Maybe," Taehyung shrugged. "I'll be back," he said, turning to face his friends. "If you guys want, you can wait," he added.

"We can wait, right?" Junseo said, turning his gaze to Daeseong and Jiho, who nodded their heads together.

"Alright, I hope it doesn't take too long," Taehyung said as he dashed to the medical room; he had to confess to Byeol today anyhow, so he didn't want to spend too much time at the medical room.

"As soon as he reached the door, he swung it open and hurried inside. "Hey, Noona, did you call me?" he said urgently as if he didn't have time.

The nurse was startled at Taehyung's sudden entrance but quickly composed herself. "What?" she said, frowning. "Who told you that I called you?" She asked, Confusion is evident in her voice.

"Some Junior," he replied.

His cousin, the nurse, closed her eyes for a moment with a letting out a deep breath before opening them. "Taehyung, I didn't call you; I guess he might have played a prank," she said, returning back to her work.

What? Did he prank me? Out of all? He thought, biting his lower lip.

But if it was a prank, why would he come running up to me, panting? He nibbled his bottom lip in thought as he left the medical room, his finger brushing his chin.

Just then, a crumpled piece of paper fell at his feet, stopping him in his steps. His brows furrowed at the sloppy handwriting, he bent down and unfolded it, saying, "Look here." There was a clumsily drawn arrow below the text.

His warm, earthy eyes rose with confusion as his gaze followed the arrow's direction. Byeol, who was looking at him from behind the corner. She looked nervous as she bit her lip, her blackened brown eyes staring at his.

She waved her hand and gestured him to come closer. Taehyung's eyes instantly softened as a small smile formed on his lips. Cute, he mumbled.

He is about to come to her, but here she hears herself calling him little nervouss. You can do it, Taehyung.

Slowly, he made his way towards her, curious about what she had to say. As he approached, Byeol took a deep breath and finally spoke up, "I have something important to tell you." Taehyung's heart skipped a beat; those are his words to say to her since he's the one with something important to say.

Or he thought so.

He nodded slowly, waiting for her to continue while his eyes never left hers. She took his hand in hers, making his already racing heart beat even faster. "Not here," she whispered, leading him to a more private spot where they could talk freely. An empty small classroom at corner where noone find them.

What was she going to say? What's so important that she couldn't say it back there? Just as he was about to ask, she turned to him with a nervous smile, her hands never letting his, and they even held tighter. Making Taehyung's heart beat.

"Taehyung, I have been keeping something from you for a while now," she began, her voice barely above a whisper. "I didn't know how to tell you, but I can't keep it a secret any longer." Taehyung's heart raced even faster; it felt like he already knew what she was about to say.

As he didn't say anything, she took a deep breath and finally confessed, "I like you." The words hung in the air between them, waiting for his response.

For a moment Taehyung thought he might have misheard what she said, but her words, 'I like you,' echoed in his mind, confirming what he heard. He couldn't believe it, but a smile slowly spread across his face as he realized the feelings were mutual.

"I... you... Like..."

Dang it, Kim Taehyung, why are you nervous now? He had been waiting for this moment for so long, and now that it was here, and when it came true he is stammering at his own words. Taking a deep breath, he finally mustered the courage to reply, "I like you too."

He can see the nervousness and anxiety in her face slowly fading away as she smiled back at him, her eyes filled with happiness and relief. It was a moment of fragility and genuineness that brought them closer together in ways they never imagined possible.

"So, Han Byeol," he said, looking at their hands and then back into her eyes, and continued, "Will you be my girlfriend?" The words hung in the air.

Her shy smile turned into a huge grin, flashing her pearl teeth. "Yes, I will be your girlfriend," she said softly, her voice filled with happiness and excitement.

"WOAH! FINALLY!" the loud screams of Junseo echoed through the room, startling the couple. "Junseo, you scared us!" Taehyung said, holding his chest as he tried to calm down his already racing heart.

"Sorry," he said, smiling sheepishly.

"How did you come here?" Taehyung asked. As far as he knew, they should be waiting for him in the hallway when he left.

"Oh, that's simple, with our legs," Junseo said with a proud smirk, making Taehyung narrow his gaze. "Um... We followed you," he said as Taehyung saw his narrowed gaze.

"You are insane," Taehyung said in disbelief, shaking his head while Byeol laughed in agreement. Their hands still holding each other's, Daeseong whistled to Jiho, pointing him through his eyes to Taehyung's and Byeol's hands, for which Jiho responded with a knowing smile.

"I hope you class guys won't have any objection to having Taehyung as your boyfriend." Daeseong said they knew the class one guys didn't like them, and now this might fuel them.

"Who cares? I'm her boyfriend now, and I don't care. "Let them talk," Taehyung replied confidently, squeezing Byeol's hand, making his friends, even Byeol, a little shocked at his new confidence.

"Aw, now our lover boy is finally showing some backbone," Jiho teased, getting a shove from Taehyung. They all laughed together as their sweet laughs echoed in that small empty classroom.

Taehyung started at Byeol's hand, which is still holding his, and back to her, who is laughing beautifully, as her beautiful blackish-brown eyes creasing up as she laughed. A soft smile involuntarily curled on Taehyung's bow lips. He wanted this moment to stay forever. He never wanted to let go of her hand.