Look at me," he said calmly. YN felt nervous as she met his gaze, which seemed to convey something she couldn't quite decipher. Maintaining eye contact was difficult for her.

Taehyung moved in closer. Yn's heartbeat quickened as she looked at him nervously, waiting for him to continue.

Taehyung: "I know you're good at marathons, but please don't push yourself too hard. They're targeting you, and I don't want you to get hurt. I hope you understand, hmm?"

He said in the calmest tone. Yn smiled slightly and nodded her head, but Taehyung noticed that her smile seemed forced. She took a step back, about to leave, but he gently held her wrist and pulled her closer. She gasped but didn't react. He gazed deeply into her eyes, but she was looking away.

Taehyung: "I didn't mean it that way. You're misunderstanding me."

He whispered softly, making her finally look at him. He nodded slightly, his eyes softening. Yn nodded in response.

Taehyung: "All the best, Yn."

He spoke with sincerity while still holding her hand. A bright smile spread across her face, causing him to chuckle.

Yn: "Thank you."

Taehyung: "Just promise me you won't get hurt, okay?"

He was genuinely worried, but she misunderstood his concern, thinking he was belittling her. He knew how those boys could be-they would do anything to see her lose.

Yn: "I promise, I won't."

Taehyung: "Alright, let's go."

He took her hand, but she looked down at their joined hands before he released her. She ran off, smiling like an idiot. Soon, his expression turned cold.

Taehyung: "I won't let this go."

He spoke icily and walked away.

---

Time skip.

Everyone had gathered for the marathon, and the opposing teams were eyeing each other, smirking. Yn rolled her eyes as she noticed that all her opponents were boys. Taehyung and his friends stood behind them, with Taehyung looking worried. Mr. Kim and Taehyung's grandmother were watching Yn curiously, as she was the only girl in the large lineup.

As soon as the starting signal sounded and the flags waved, the competitors took off. As usual, Yn was in second place. The crowd cheered for their favorites, and the entire strawberry group team rallied behind her. Ema smiled with pride at seeing her best friend do so well. Jimin, Jungkook, and Wooshik also smiled, but Taehyung remained silent, his expression blank.

Yn seized the moment and pushed ahead to take first place, making the boys jealous and hurting their egos. Almost halfway through the race, the boy in third place smirked, plotting something. Not realizing his intent, Yn sprinted faster, but something slipped in her shoe, causing her to fall hard to the ground. Laughter erupted from the boys, and the crowd fell silent. Taehyung gasped, his jaw dropping, while his friends flinched. He started to run toward her, but the professor strictly prohibited him.

Yn sat on the ground, hissing in pain as the four boys rushed towards her. Looking down, she saw heavy pipes scattered around. Gritting her teeth, she noticed her knee was bleeding. Summoning her strength, she stood up, moved the pipes to the side to ensure no one else would get hurt, and quickly wiped the blood away.

Yn: "Just wait and watch, you motherf***ers!"

She shouted angrily and took off running again, surprising everyone. The crowd began cheering exclusively for her. Taehyung's eyes widened in astonishment, as did those of his friends.

Taehyung: "Shit!"

He muttered, walking toward the finish line, filled with a mixture of concern and admiration.

Yn was running as fast as she could, determined to take revenge on those who had hurt her. She knew exactly who was responsible. She finally reached the third place and glared at the boy ahead of her. Looking forward, she noticed that the top two runners were moving slowly due to their overconfidence. Seizing the opportunity, she smirked, removed her gloves, and tossed them to the ground intentionally. The boy turned and looked at her with wide eyes.

"Oops, sorry, poor boy," Yn said sarcastically as she sped past him. Her new target was the first boy, the one who had been after her from the start. He was still quite far ahead.

She sighed, feeling the sharp pain from her bleeding knee. As she continued running, the boy in first place called back to her, laughing. "You came again? *Chuckled* Don't you think you're just trying to impress Taehyung?"

Yn was momentarily stunned, her eyes wide in shock. She had never considered that for a second.

"Forget it. He'll never be impressed by anyone. So don't bother," the boy added dismissively.

Yn watched him as they both ran, her gaze falling on Taehyung, who was standing at the finish line with a worried look on his face. His expression showed just how concerned he was for her.

"It's none of your business, you bastard!" she shouted through gritted teeth as she pushed herself to run faster.

"Look, we're almost at the finish line. I won't let you win," the boy said confidently.

Yn simply laughed. The professor was announcing the boy's name on the microphone while Yn raced ahead. Taehyung stepped forward, his eyes fixed on her.

She smiled slightly and then increased her speed, drawing motivation from his encouragement. When she noticed Taehyung opening his arms, she quickly jumped across the finish line, surprising everyone. Taehyung stood there with a wide smile, still with open arms. He signaled to Yn, and she immediately leaped into his embrace. He smiled and wrapped his arms around her waist.

The boy was taken aback, questioning how Yn had managed to finish ahead of him. Everyone was surprised that Taehyung had come to the finishing line for her and that Yn had jumped into his arms.

Taehyung's friends and Ema chuckled while watching from a distance.

"When will he understand?" Jimin remarked.

"That day will come soon," Wooshik replied.

"They're adorable together," Jungkook added, and they all laughed at the sight.

Taehyung gently lowered Yn to the ground, looking at her with admiration. "I'm so proud of you, Yn," he said, his voice filled with emotion that made her heart flutter. She blinked as she met his gaze, but his attention quickly shifted to her injured knee, which was bleeding and stained her clothes. They both momentarily forgot their surroundings, focused solely on each other.

Taehyung's eyes fell on the boys and he gave them death glares. The boys gulps hard.

"I'll see you later " he mouthed while glaring at them. The boys left from there after losing against yn. Taehyung looked at yn who's looking at him innocently. Their eyes met and he lost in her.

Suddenly, the crowd erupted in cheers, chanting Yn's name, which brought them back to reality. The professor approached them as well.

"Taehyung, take her to the hospital room first," he instructed.

Taehyung nodded and was about to scoop her up, but Yn stopped him.

"I'm fine, Sunbae," she insisted.

"But you're bleeding-" he began, concern etched on his face.

"I came here while running," she replied, standing up, though she needed his support. She didn't want the other students to gossip about them, fully aware that Taehyung would dislike that. Though he seemed to forget her injury momentarily, she didn't want him to become angry later.

"Don't be stubborn, Yn-" he said.

Before he could finish, she started walking away, struggling a bit. He quickly followed her, not ready to let her go just yet.

While leaving, YN saw the judges and guests, including Mr. Kim and Taehyung's grandmother, giving her a standing ovation. Everyone was impressed by her performance. She smiled and bowed to them, then walked away, while Taehyung, who witnessed everything, smiled proudly at her. A different feeling rose in his heart; he was happy to see someone else's success, not just that of his family and friends. Unknowingly, she had entered his life and he was changing for her. She wasn't changing him; perhaps he was changing for her himself.

The new game began, and the crowd was busy with it. Taehyung's grandmother noticed everything while sitting on the stage. She felt proud of her grandson today. She even recognized YN when she gave her welcome speech. For the first time, she saw a new side of Taehyung. He was the same boy who had never shown interest in any other girls, yet today he stood at the finishing line, arms open, not caring about anyone else around him. She observed his worried expression when YN fell while running-everything did not escape her notice.

Grandma: "She's really something," she mumbled, smiling proudly as she looked at them.

YN entered the room, and Taehyung went to help her. The hospital section was empty. He sighed and brought over a medical kit. YN sat in a chair while he removed her shoes and placed her leg on his thighs. She flinched.

YN: "Aniyo, Sunbae. I'll do it."

She protested, but he just glared at her.

Taehyung: "Stay quiet!" he ordered, but YN didn't want him to take over. She quickly pulled her leg away, but he grabbed her wrist and said, "You better sit quietly. Otherwise, I have my ways."

He spoke coldly, causing her to blink and look away. He chuckled slightly, and YN rolled up her leggings. He noticed a long cut that was still bleeding. Carefully, he wiped the blood with cotton while YN found herself lost in thoughts of him. She admired his worried expression, which surprised her. She liked it. She thought about how he was the same boy who was her first and last love. He was so close to her, yet he wasn't hers. Every time he came closer, hope rose in her heart, but she reminded herself that it was just her feelings.

She was in her thoughts then flinched,

Taehyung: Didn’t I tell you that you don’t have to push yourself so hard? They’ve been targeting you from the start. Why did you start running again after falling? I know you’re brave, but do you even realize how badly injured you are? You still ran with an injured leg! I was really worried about you!

His words trailed off when he noticed her looking away and whining. She was pouting. He sighed and said,

Taehyung: YN.

He called her name calmly, and she looked at him but didn’t respond; she just looked down. He pulled her chair closer.

Taehyung: Can you look at me?

His voice was very calm, as if he were talking to a child. She glanced at him, blinking her eyes.

Taehyung: I got scared when I saw you fall, and I yelled at you. I'm sorry.

He apologized for raising his voice earlier. She was definitely surprised, just staring at him while he smiled slightly. She found herself lost in his beautiful smile, and he internally chuckled at her reaction.

Taehyung: "Done," he said, snapping her back to reality. She flinched at his sudden voice and saw that he had bandaged her knee well.

YN: "Thank you, Sunbae," she muttered softly, looking down at her lap.

Taehyung: "Let's go," he said as he held her arms, and they walked out of the hospital together. The whole time, YN was looking at him, and that boy's earlier words echoed in her mind. She sighed and walked toward Ema.

Time skips

The games were almost coming to an end when two teams formed, igniting cheers from the entire college. Taehyung and his friends gathered with their teammates as the opposing team arrived, fully prepared. The crowd began cheering for their respective teams. Yn's eyes widened, realizing there was no mention of football.

Taehyung wore a red jersey that set him apart. He glanced at his teammates, and they exchanged nods before the referee blew the whistle to start the game.

The match was intense, with both teams putting up a tough fight. The opposing team, determined to get under Taehyung's skin, made mocking gestures toward him and his teammates. With no goals scored yet, Taehyung's attention focused on a boy from the opposing team who was also a marathon runner.

Frustrated, Taehyung wanted to make a mark in the game. Finally, Wooshik scored, earning a point for their team, but Taehyung remained dissatisfied.

"Get ready to lose today, Taehyung!" one of the boys yelled while kicking the ball toward the goal. Taehyung shot him a dangerous glare and discussed strategies with his teammates.

The opposing team smirked in their apparent victory, which only fueled Taehyung's anger.

Jungkook said, "They're not letting us play."

"Fuck you, Jungkook! They're just kids! Have you lost your mind?" Taehyung yelled, clearly frustrated. He sighed as Wooshik signaled Jungkook, who nodded in response.

Taehyung's full focus remained on the ball as he aimed to score. Just as he was about to kick it, one of the boys from the opposing team pushed him, causing him to lose his balance. He almost fell, but Jimin caught him. Taehyung glared at the boy, who taunted him, "What? I'm not scared!"

"Let's see, bastard!" Taehyung roared angrily. His face flushed red as he rushed after the ball, with the boy following closely behind to provoke him. Taehyung managed to kick the ball, but the opposing player got in the way. Before anything could happen, the ball found its way into the goal. Taehyung gritted his teeth and shoved the boy.

"How dare you?" the boy retorted.

"How dare you ruin my game, you motherfucker?" Taehyung shouted back, his rage palpable. The situation escalated as the boy approached Taehyung, gripping his jersey. Gasps filled the air.

Enraged, Taehyung threw a powerful punch at the boy's face.

"STAY IN YOUR LIMITS, YOU FUCKING ASSHOLE! YOU'RE FACING KIM TAEHYUNG. PREPARE YOURSELF BEFORE MESSING WITH ME!" he yelled furiously before storming off.

Everyone heard his words, but Taehyung didn't care. Yn gasped, watching him, aware of how furious he was. The crowd collectively swallowed hard at the sight of his anger. Meanwhile, Jimin and the rest of the team diverted their focus back to the game, quickly scoring another goal that secured their victory.

To be continued

Love from tatamic ❤️‍🩹

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Guys I don't know what to say. It's just having troubles in life. Plus with my health . I'm sorry for disappeared suddenly. But I'll try to update now. I read your comments. Thank you for waiting. Love you my readers 🫶🏻