Geum Seong-je. .⁹

From the moment you transferred to a new school, Geum Sungjae, from the class next to you, immediately started hanging out with you. You barely even remember the exact moment you met and started talking—he appeared in your life so suddenly, as if he'd always been there. At first, you didn't pay it any mind, but day after day, he got closer: he'd come up to you during recess, text you something funny, or just tease you for the sake of a smile. That's how you became close.
You never openly and directly confessed your love to each other. But Sungjae immediately claimed you—so openly that no other man dared even look in your direction without getting into serious trouble with him. Sungjae tried to show concern, but he did it in his usual manner—he turned everything into a joke, hiding his sincerity behind mockery and light sarcasm. One day, you couldn't resist asking him point-blank: why did he even choose to meet you? In response, he simply shrugged and said you were simply "cool." It was a strange answer, but perhaps it was precisely this strangeness—his ease, his intensity, and at the same time, a certain vulnerability—that attracted you to him most of all.
One weekend evening, as you lay on your bed, absentmindedly scrolling through your phone, your phone rang. Sungjae's name appeared on the screen. You picked it up, and his voice came from the other end—with the undisguised chuckle you'd grown accustomed to hearing.

• "Baby, bring me some cigarettes, I'm out of them. If anything happens, I'm at the computer club."