There is a certain limit to loving someone. There's also a certain limit to hating someone. Feelings change, and it's completely normal. But it's up to you as to whether you want those feelings to change or not.

Jiyeon met Taehyung when she was in her third year of high school. She remembers seeing him lounging out in the halls with his hoodie covering his identity. He was in the middle of chasing away from the bullies who were calling out his name. Suddenly, one of the bullies, Chanwoo, catches up to him and grabs him at his shoulders.

She lets out a soft gasp when Chanwoo pushes him to the cold floor. She hears a slight crack when he hits the floor, and she winces to herself. Chanwoo pulls him back up and starts yelling curses at him, while Taehyung just stood there, letting Chanwoo do whatever he wanted to do to him.

Fight back. Fight back, you idiot, don't just stand there! Those were the thoughts she had that chanted like a mantra. But as she felt her heartbeat start to speed up when she noticed he wasn't doing anything to stand up for himself, she silently prayed to the heavens before pushing off of her locker to head over to them.

"Yah," she says warily, and Chanwoo immediately lets go of Taehyung's collar. He turns over his shoulder and notices that it's Jiyeon, and immediately, he flashes her a small smile.

"Jiyeon-ah, I didn't see you there," he says nervously, scratching the back of his neck. "Do you need me to walk you to class? Why didn't you answer my texts?"

She scoffs. "Since when did you even have my number? I don't remember being friends—heck, even acquaintances—with you."

"Jiyeon-ah—"

"And I don't need you to walk me to class." She says sternly, "I need you to stop bullying him, though. Could you do that for me?"

She looks past his shoulder and sees Taehyung hanging his head low. She frowns, he's still not standing up for himself. Chanwoo raises an eyebrow at her request.

"Do that? For you? Are you serious?" Chanwoo laughs, "come on, Jiyeon, don't tell me that you're taking his side. He's a nobody."

"Stop bullying him." She warns him, "Because if I find out you laid a finger on him, I'm telling the principal that you sent everyone—including me—your nudes and asked for some in return."

"What? What nudes—"

"Just stop bullying him, got it?!" She yells. "And watch your filthy mouth, because if I hear you insult him or anyone, I know you won't be happy to see me in the principal's office with your text messages and a trip back to Busan to get your ass whooped."

Chanwoo looks at Taehyung, and he laughs bitterly. He then looks back at Jiyeon and sighs with defeat. Leaving the both of them in the hallway, she hesitantly approaches Taehyung. But before she could even utter a word—

"You didn't have to do that, you know that, right?" He asks.

She frowns. "Even if I didn't need to do that, I know that I wanted to."

"You barely know me."

"That's true." She chuckles. "But it takes less than barely knowing someone to know that they're in danger."

"As I said, you didn't have to do that." He mutters. "I hate having to thank people for doing favors I didn't even ask them to do."

"That wasn't a favor," she shrugs her shoulders, "think of it as something your best friend would do, alright?"

"B-Best friend?" He stutters.

"Yes." She smiles, walking past him to head to her next class. She stops and looks over her shoulder to see him still standing there, completely astounded. "Why? Do you not want to be my best friend?"

"Y-Yeah, I guess. Sure." He stutters again. 

She walks away again and she hears him clear his throat. She looks at him questioningly.

"But that doesn't mean I trust you, got it?" He says, his face unchanging.

She folds her arms, her smile continuing to widen.

"As long as you let me in and eventually let yourself trust me, then we have a deal."

He slowly looks up and his eyes meet hers. She's never seen such beautiful eyes, and she felt her lips slightly part in awe. He had such long eyelashes, she could see them from afar.

"Fine. I'm Taehyung. Kim Taehyung. You?"

She can't stop herself from smiling.

"Park Jiyeon."