Only You (YeonGyu)

Chapter 3: A Strange Encounter

“What’s your name?” Soobin asked.

“C-Choi Beomgyu, s-sir,” he stammered, voice small.

Soobin smirked, clearly amused by the tension in the room. Beomgyu’s body trembled as whispers and soft laughter buzzed around him. This was exactly the kind of humiliation he had dreaded.

“It seems you were in deep thought. Was I too boring to capture your attention, Mister Choi?”

He shook his head silently, unable to find his voice. Soobin motioned for him to stand. His heart pounded so loudly, it drowned out the room.

“What do you think of my subject, hm?”

“G-Good, sir,” Beomgyu mumbled.

“Really? Are you interested in biology?”

“N-Not much, sir. I-I only know a few things…”

“Is that so?” Soobin’s eyes glinted with mischief. “Well, let me ask you a question. If you get it right, you can leave class and do whatever you want. But if you get it wrong, you’re in detention for two hours. Deal?”

Beomgyu gulped, panic rising in his chest as the pressure mounted.

“They say that only ten percent of our brain functions, and the rest is unused. If that’s true, how can we access one hundred percent of our brain?”

The room fell silent. All eyes were glued to him.

Beomgyu shut his eyes for a second and inhaled deeply. Then, gathering his courage, he replied:

“All humans—especially healthy ones—do use their whole brain. The brain has different regions, each responsible for specific functions. It doesn’t work like separate machines turning on and off. Instead, it operates through complex interactions between those parts. If ninety percent of our brain truly went unused, then that portion would degenerate. But brain scans show that all regions are intact and active in healthy individuals. So the claim is a myth.”

Gasps rippled through the class. Even Soobin raised his eyebrows in surprise before breaking into a slow clap.

“Not bad, Choi Beomgyu. I’m impressed. Since you got it right, you may leave. Think of it as a prize for answering a difficult question.”

Beomgyu blinked in disbelief.

Was he serious?

Students groaned in protest, some glaring at him as if he’d just won the lottery. Beomgyu felt the weight of their resentment but held his head a little higher.

“Don’t worry,” Soobin said, smiling. “That was your graded recitation. Just make sure to pay attention next time, okay? Now, off you go.”

As Beomgyu picked up his bag, the boy beside him whispered, “Cool.”

Beomgyu glanced at him. The boy’s smile was innocent, childlike. There was something strangely warm about it. Maybe, just maybe, he wasn’t like the others. But Beomgyu reminded himself not to trust too quickly. Appearances could deceive.

With heavy footsteps and a racing heart, he exited the classroom, ignoring the judgmental stares aimed his way.

He sighed as he checked the time on his phone. “Guess I’ll just go to the cafeteria and read. I still have time before my next class,” he muttered to himself.

Eyes on his screen, he didn’t notice the uneven floor ahead—and tripped.

Before he could hit the ground, someone caught him.

“Are you okay?” a voice asked, gentle and concerned.

Beomgyu looked up and froze.

The man had glasses perched on his nose and held a stack of books. His hair was stylishly swept back, and his outfit was effortlessly elegant. Beomgyu’s breath hitched. He’d seen attractive people before, but this man? He looked like he stepped straight out of a fairytale.

Beomgyu stood frozen, heart pounding. His thoughts scrambled like static noise.

The man smiled kindly and ruffled Beomgyu’s hair. “Be careful next time.”

And just like that, he walked away.

Beomgyu stared after him, still processing what had happened. Who was he? There was something about the man—something more than looks. A quiet depth, maybe even kindness. He didn’t know him, and yet his presence lingered, vivid and confusing.

Beomgyu’s cheeks flushed as he stood there, dazed.

Was this just an awkward accident... or the beginning of something?

He didn’t have the answer.

Not yet.