Love In The Shadows Of Guilt

As usual, I woke up to get ready for school. But this time, Jaehyun and I were going to walk together.

When I went to the kitchen, I was greeted by a strange sight: someone was inhaling food like their life depended on it.

"Eat more, Jaehyun! Here, have some more macaroni. Your stomach needs to be full before school," my mom said cheerily, piling more food onto his plate, even though he hadn't finished what he already had.

Mom sat across from him, watching him eat with the focus of a hawk. Wait a second-was Jaehyun my boyfriend or hers?

To my relief, Jaehyun didn't seem bothered by her antics. In fact, he looked...comfortable.

"Mom, stop feeding him so much! I'm the one who needs the extra energy," I complained, setting my bag down and taking a seat. I grabbed the macaroni dish and served myself.

Mom glanced at me with a smirk. "I've always wanted a son. But waiting for you to get a boyfriend is like waiting for the rain in a drought."

Her comment made Jaehyun choke on his drink. For a second, I thought he might actually pass out.

Mom let out a small laugh, her eyes flitting between the two of us. I could practically hear the gears turning in her head. Yep, she knew.

After breakfast, Jaehyun and I left for school.

"If this keeps up, I'm going to get fat," Jaehyun grumbled, patting his stomach.

I burst into laughter, not sure how else to respond.

"Wait," he said suddenly, stopping in his tracks. He stared at my face with a furrowed brow before leaning closer.

"W-what? Is there something on my face?" I stammered, feeling self-conscious.

"There's beauty," he replied, his voice soft but teasing.

My heart skipped a beat. He smiled, then reached out to hold my hand tightly. We continued walking to school together, his warm hand in mine.

When we reached the school gates, I instinctively let go of his hand. But he grabbed it again.

"Why'd you let go?" he asked, his sparkling eyes locked on mine. Was that supposed to be cute? Because...well, it kind of was.

"Are you okay with people whispering about us?" I asked hesitantly.

"That's a weird question," he said with a shrug. Then he leaned in close, his face inches from mine. "Because I'm already yours."

My cheeks burned, and my heart raced at his words. Jaehyun's confidence always caught me off guard. But as we walked into school, hand in hand, I couldn't help but think-yes, Jaehyun was mine. Let them whisper all they want. They're probably just jealous.

As we reached the corridor, we bumped into Minseo and her boyfriend.

"Wow, look at that. Someone finally found a soulmate after dating every guy-" Minseo started, but her boyfriend quickly clamped a hand over her mouth.

"Sorry about her," he muttered before dragging her away.

Jaehyun and I exchanged awkward smiles.

"I-it's not like that-" I began to explain, but Jaehyun cut me off.

"It's fine. I already know."

"Oh."

"But for the record," I added, looking up at him with a shy smile, "you're my first love."

He chuckled softly, seemingly satisfied with my answer.

---

Jaehyun's POV

It had been almost two months since Eunji and I started dating, and by now, the whole school knew about us. Gossip spreads fast here.

I spent nearly all my free time with her, and it made me happier than I'd ever been.

"Ouch!" I winced as Seungmin dabbed medicine onto my bruised face.

"Stop grinning like that-you look like a monkey. If you're hurt, act like it," he scolded, clearly unimpressed.

"How long are you going to keep this up? It'd be better if you-"

"I'm sticking with my decision. I'm not leaving her."

"Even if your dad beats you to death?!" Seungmin shouted, his frustration boiling over.

I stayed silent, staring back at him. My dad had warned me to stay away from Eunji, but I didn't listen. This month alone, I'd already been beaten twice.

"I love her, Seungmin," I said firmly, checking my phone as it buzzed with a notification.

Eunji's message lit up my screen, and I couldn't help but smile as I read it.

Seungmin sighed, clearly exasperated. "What now?"

"She wants to meet later this afternoon," I replied, barely able to hide my excitement.

He chuckled at my enthusiasm. "What excuse are you going to use for your bruises this time?"

"You punched me," I said, grinning as I stood up, ready to run.

"I hope you slip on a banana peel during your date," he called after me, laughing.

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