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Jungwon sat in the back corner of the campus café, his headphones in and a book open in front of him. But despite the peaceful atmosphere, he found it nearly impossible to concentrate. His mind kept wandering to a certain someone with a cocky grin and an infuriating amount of confidence—Jay.

It was ridiculous, really. He barely knew the guy, and yet there was this strange pull he couldn't ignore. Something about Jay's smirk, the way he carried himself as if the world existed for his amusement—it annoyed Jungwon. But it also intrigued him.

He let out a quiet sigh, staring down at his book without reading a word. "What's wrong with me?" he muttered under his breath.

Across the café, a familiar figure walked in, instantly commanding attention. Jay.

Jungwon's heart did a little flip, and he immediately looked down, pretending to be engrossed in his book. But out of the corner of his eye, he couldn't help but watch as Jay sauntered to the counter, exchanged a few words with the barista, and leaned casually against the counter while waiting for his drink.

The way Jay moved—effortless, confident—drew Jungwon in against his will. He shook his head, trying to snap himself out of it. No. This is stupid. He's just some rich playboy with too much free time.

Still, he couldn't deny that Jay was... attractive. A little too attractive.

Jungwon groaned internally and tried to focus on his book, but his gaze kept drifting back to Jay. When their eyes met—just for a split second—Jungwon's breath hitched, and he quickly looked away, pretending he hadn't been staring.

But it was too late.

Jay smirked, clearly catching Jungwon in the act, and started walking over.

Jungwon's pulse quickened. Great. Just what I needed.

"Fancy seeing you here," Jay said, sliding into the seat across from him without waiting for an invitation.

Jungwon glared at him, trying to regain some semblance of control. "What do you want?"

Jay raised his hands in mock innocence. "Just saying hi. Is that a crime?"

Jungwon rolled his eyes, but the corners of his mouth twitched, betraying the faintest hint of a smile. "You're unbelievable."

"I get that a lot," Jay replied smoothly, leaning back in his chair. "So, what's a dance major like you doing in a business major's hangout spot?"

Jungwon narrowed his eyes. "It's a café. Anyone can come here."

"True," Jay conceded. "But I couldn't help noticing you watching me just now. Care to explain?"

Jungwon felt his cheeks heat up but refused to let Jay get the upper hand. "Don't flatter yourself. You just happened to walk into my line of sight."

Jay chuckled, clearly not buying it. "If you say so."

The conversation lingered in Jungwon's mind long after Jay left. Try as he might to ignore the draw he felt toward the rich male, he couldn't shake the curiosity building inside him. There was something about Jay—something that made Jungwon want to figure him out, even if it meant stepping out of his comfort zone.

By the time Jungwon got back to his apartment that evening, he'd made up his mind.

Fine, he thought to himself, flopping onto the couch. If I can't ignore him, I'll figure out who he really is. But on my terms.

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Jungwon stared at his phone, contemplating whether or not to make the call. Jay was trouble—every instinct in his body screamed it. And Jungwon hated trouble. He avoided drama, avoided messy situations, avoided people who made his life more complicated than it needed to be.

But there was something about Jay that made it impossible to let the matter rest.

With a frustrated sigh, he hit Sunoo's name on his contact list. If anyone could shed light on Jay's chaotic life, it was his ever-gossipy best friend.

The phone barely rang twice before Sunoo picked up, his cheerful voice instantly flooding the line. "Jungwon! What's up? Miss me already?"

Jungwon smiled despite himself. "Hey, Sunoo. I need to ask you something."

"Oh? Is it about dance? Or, wait—" Sunoo gasped dramatically. "Is it about Jay?"

Jungwon froze, his heart skipping a beat. "How did you—"

"Because you're predictable!" Sunoo interrupted, his voice teasing. "And because Jay has a reputation that's hard to ignore. So... what happened? Did he hit on you? Did he smirk at you in that annoying, I-own-the-world way? Oh! Did he try to grab your arm? He does that a lot, you know."

Jungwon pinched the bridge of his nose, already regretting the call. "Sunoo, can you just tell me about him without bombarding me with questions?"

"No way!" Sunoo exclaimed, and Jungwon could practically hear him bouncing with excitement. "This is big news! My Jungwon is curious about someone. And not just anyone—Jay, of all people!"

"Sunoo," Jungwon warned, his tone flat.

"Okay, okay!" Sunoo relented, though his voice was still laced with amusement. "What do you want to know?"

"Everything," Jungwon said after a pause. "Who he is, what he's like... why everyone seems to either hate him or fall for him."

Sunoo let out a low whistle. "You're diving headfirst into the rabbit hole, huh? Alright. Jay's from one of the wealthiest families around. His dad's some big-shot CEO, and their family donates a ridiculous amount of money to the university. That's why he gets away with, well, everything."

"That doesn't surprise me," Jungwon muttered.

"Anyway," Sunoo continued, "he's a total playboy. He's had more relationships—or, well, flings—than I can count, and none of them last longer than a week. Most people either fall for his charm or hate him because he's so arrogant. But, to be fair, he's not a complete jerk. He's... complicated."

"Complicated how?"

"Well, according to Jake—who's, like, his closest relative—Jay has some serious attachment issues. He doesn't let anyone get too close, probably because he's scared they'll leave him first. So instead, he keeps people at arm's length and acts like he doesn't care."

Jungwon frowned. That was... unexpected.

"And," Sunoo added with a mischievous tone, "he's ridiculously good-looking. Like, model-level good-looking. Admit it, Jungwon. You think he's cute."

Jungwon felt his cheeks flush. "That's not the point."

"It totally is the point!" Sunoo teased. "You're interested, and now you're trying to justify it to yourself. Just admit it—Jay's gotten under your skin."

Jungwon sighed, his frustration mounting. "I called you for information, not for you to psychoanalyze me."

Sunoo giggled. "Alright, alright. But listen, if you're planning to get to know him, be careful, okay? Jay's trouble, Jungwon. And you're... well, you're not built for trouble."

"Exactly," Jungwon muttered. "Which is why I'm trying to avoid him."

"Then why did you call me?" Sunoo asked, his voice full of knowing amusement.

Jungwon didn't have an answer to that. And the silence on the line only made Sunoo laugh harder.

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