As the bell rang, signaling the beginning of the first class, the teacher entered the room with a composed expression and said, "Everyone, take your seats."
Ms. Park's eyes lit up as she noticed Lee Soo-Ho seated beside Jay. "Wow, what a pleasant surprise! Lee Soo-Ho has made a friend. That's great!"
Without missing a beat, Soo-Ho replied flatly, "She's not my friend."
Jay scoffed and rolled her eyes. "As if I'd want to be."
Ms. Park chuckled awkwardly. "Alright, alright, you two—enough now. Let's get started with the class."
With that, she turned to the board and began the lesson.
Jay turned slightly toward Lee Soo-Ho and whispered, "Can you give me your notes? I need to catch up on everything I've missed."
He glanced at her for a second, then turned away without a word.
Jay narrowed her eyes, visibly annoyed. "Are you for real? I'm asking you something!"
Lee Soo-Ho muttered without looking at her, "I'll think about it."
Jay scoffed and turned away. "Let it be. Don't bother thinking—I'll ask Kim Yu-Ri or someone else."
Soo-Ho glanced at her quietly and said, "Okay then."
After a few minutes, the bell rang, marking the end of the period. It was time for Math class.
Ms. Yoon entered the classroom, holding a thick textbook in her hands. Her eyes scanned the room and settled on Jay with mild curiosity.
Ms. Yoon adjusted her glasses and asked, "You're Jayshree Oberoi, right? The daughter of Yash Oberoi—the CEO of Daehan FutureTech?"
Jay nodded calmly. "Yes, that's me."
At that, Lee Soo-Ho turned to her with a flicker of surprise in his eyes. "So your name is Jayshree."
She smirked slightly. "You can call me Jay."
Lee Soo-Ho leaned back in his chair, his tone cold. "I don't need to call you anything. Just sit here for today—find another seat tomorrow."
Jay crossed her arms, unfazed. "If someone's leaving this seat, it'll either be you or no one."
His jaw tightened slightly, clearly annoyed by her defiance.
Ms. Yoon clapped her hands lightly. "Alright, everyone, eyes on the board. Let's focus."
She began explaining a new concept, her voice steady and clear. After a few minutes of teaching, she turned to the board and wrote down two complex equations.
"Lee Soo-Ho," she called, "come up and solve these on the board."
Lee Soo-Ho stood up without a word and walked confidently to the board. In a matter of moments, he solved both equations with ease.
Ms. Yoon nodded in approval. "Well done, Soo-Ho. As expected."
She turned to the class. "Jayshree, your turn. Come solve this next one."
As Jay stood up, Ms. Yoon added, "Soo-Ho, stay here for a minute."
Jay walked toward the board with a hint of uneasiness in her steps. She picked up the chalk and began solving the problem slowly, carefully thinking through each step.
Once she finished, Ms. Yoon turned to Lee Soo-Ho. "Check if it's correct."
He scanned the board with a blank expression as Jay stood beside him, quietly crossing her fingers behind her back.
After a moment, Lee Soo-Ho gave a small nod. "It's correct."
Without another word, he returned to his seat.
Jay felt a rush of joy bubble inside her but quickly masked it with a composed expression. Silently, she walked back to her seat, pretending it was no big deal.
A few classes passed in a blur, and soon the bell rang, signaling the start of lunch break.
As Jay was about to leave for lunch, Kim Yu-Ri caught up to her and gently tugged her sleeve.
"Hey, sorry girl," she said with a sheepish smile. "I should've asked you to sit with me. Sitting next to Lee Soo-Ho must be so boring."
Jay shrugged casually. "It's okay. It wasn't that boring."
Just then, two boys walked over and casually draped their arms over Kim Yu-Ri's shoulders.
Jay raised an eyebrow and gestured toward them, silently asking, Who are they?
Kim Yu-Ri grinned and introduced them. "This is Kim Tae-Hyun, my cousin. He's the same age as me. And this is Cho Min-Woo, my best friend."
She then turned to the boys, motioning to Jay. "Hey, meet Jay."
Cho Min-Woo gave a friendly smile and said, "Hi, Jay."
Kim Tae-Hyun, the goofy one, grinned widely and said, "Looks like we got another member in our team!"
Kim Yu-Ri frowned, puzzled. "What team? Are we playing soccer or something?"
Kim Tae-Hyun shrugged nonchalantly. "Whatever."
Jay couldn't help but laugh at the exchange.
Kim Yu-Ri clapped her hands excitedly. "Come on, let's have lunch before the bell rings!"
Jay, however, noticed Lee Soo-Ho talking with a teacher at the far end of the hallway. She gestured toward them. "You guys go ahead. I'll join you later."
Kim Yu-Ri gave her a playful look. "Don't be late!"
As they walked off, Jay's mind was already set—her plan for the day was simple: annoy Lee Soo-Ho.
After Lee Soo-Ho finished talking with the teacher, he made his way to the canteen. Jay, with her own mischievous plan in mind, followed him at a distance.
Noticing her trail behind him, Lee Soo-Ho turned and asked, "Why are you following me?"
Jay smirked and shrugged. "I'm not following you. I'm going this way too."
Lee Soo-Ho's expression darkened with annoyance, and seeing him get worked up made Jay laugh quietly to herself.
They both reached the canteen, and Lee Soo-Ho grabbed his food tray, heading straight to an empty table. Just as he sat down, Jay plopped onto the seat beside him with her own tray.
He looked at her, clearly irritated. "What's your problem?"
Jay replied innocently, "Nothing. I just want to eat."
"Then go eat somewhere else," he muttered, trying to focus on his food.
Jay glanced around dramatically. "Everywhere's full," she said with an exaggerated smile.
Lee Soo-Ho let out a sharp sigh, clearly annoyed again, while Jay was satisfied with her mission.
Just as Lee Soo-Ho was about to start eating, he looked at Jay one last time and warned, "Don't annoy me while I'm eating. I love food, and I don't want to get interrupted."
Jay raised her brows, a little surprised. "Okay, okay. Chill. I won't."
As he dug into his meal, Jay glanced down at her tray and picked up the chopsticks. She stared at them, confused, turning them awkwardly in her hands. How am I supposed to eat with these? she thought, a small frown forming on her face.
Jay glanced around and saw everyone busy eating and chatting, effortlessly using their chopsticks. Feeling slightly embarrassed, she took a bite with her hand under the table and then quickly held up the chopsticks, pretending she was eating properly.
From the corner of his eye, Lee Soo-Ho noticed something odd. He glanced at her, confused, then looked back at his plate. When she repeated it again, he snapped his eyes toward her, trying to catch her in the act—but missed.
Jay noticed his suspicious glances and raised an eyebrow. "What?"
Lee Soo-Ho looked back down at his food. "Nothing," he muttered, focusing harder on his tray than necessary.