"Ughhh, I’m so tired," Seungkwan groaned, collapsing into his chair.
"You’re not the only one," Minghao muttered, sliding into the seat next to him. Jeonghan trailed behind, looking equally exhausted.
"Okay, I’ve had enough," Jeonghan said dramatically, burying his face in his arms on the table.
"What’s going on, Hannie?" Joshua asked, leaning closer with concern.
"Do you guys know Scoups? He’s part of Rebel Hearts," Jeonghan began, lifting his head slightly. Everyone nodded.
"Well, he’s been following me around all day, teasing me, and acting… weird," Jeonghan continued.
"Same here," Joshua said, frowning. "DK keeps showing up wherever I go. He even offered to carry my books earlier. Like, why?"
"Mingyu hasn’t stopped staring at me," Wonwoo muttered, crossing his arms. "He even smiled at me during class. It’s creepy."
"And Jun? He’s been finding excuses to hang around me," Minghao added, narrowing his eyes. "He even tried to ‘help’ me with my notes."
"Hoshi keeps sending me random memes," Woozi grumbled, holding up his phone as evidence. "Does this look funny to anyone?"
"Nope," Seungkwan replied quickly. "And Vernon? He keeps trying to act all casual, bumping into me and pretending it’s a coincidence. Like, dude, I see through you."
"Dino’s been hanging around my practice sessions too," Samuel said, sighing. "He’s trying so hard to act like he’s interested in what I’m doing."
The group fell silent for a moment, each of them processing the odd behavior.
"Is it just me, or is this super suspicious?" Minghao finally asked.
"It’s definitely weird," Joshua agreed, his brow furrowing.
"Maybe they’re bored and looking for entertainment," Jeonghan suggested, though he didn’t sound convinced.
"Or maybe they’ve finally realized how irresistible we are," Seungkwan said with a smug grin.
"Please," Woozi muttered. "That’s not it."
"Then what is it?" Wonwoo asked.
The group exchanged uneasy glances.
"Whatever it is, I don’t trust it," Minghao said firmly. "Jun can keep trying, but I’m not falling for it."
"Same here," Jeonghan said. "Scoups is too persistent, and it’s throwing me off."
"Let’s just keep our distance," Wonwoo suggested. "If we don’t engage, they’ll probably get bored and stop."
"Agreed," Joshua said. "We’ll just ignore them."
The group nodded, seemingly satisfied with their decision. None of them noticed the small smirks exchanged by the Rebel Hearts members across the room.
---
Later
Jeonghan was walking through the courtyard when he spotted Scoups leaning against a tree, waiting for him. He considered turning around, but it was too late.
"Hannie!" Scoups called out, his voice cheerful. "You’re just the person I wanted to see."
Jeonghan sighed but walked closer, deciding to keep his guard up. "What do you want, Scoups?" he asked, crossing his arms.
"Nothing much," Scoups replied with a grin. "I just thought we could talk. You’ve been avoiding me all day."
Meanwhile, in the library, Minghao froze when Jun appeared out of nowhere, sliding into the seat across from him.
"Hey, Minghao," Jun said casually. "I thought I’d keep you company while you study."
"I’m fine on my own," Minghao replied curtly, trying to focus on his book.
"Come on, don’t be like that," Jun said with a playful smile. "You might actually enjoy having me around."
Elsewhere, Vernon caught up with Seungkwan in the hallway.
"Seungkwan! Wait up!" Vernon called, jogging to catch up.
"What do you want?" Seungkwan asked, narrowing his eyes.
"Nothing," Vernon said with an easy smile. "I just thought we could walk to class together."
Similar encounters played out across campus. The Bottoms were wary but couldn’t quite put their finger on what was happening. The Rebel Hearts, on the other hand, were enjoying every second of their carefully orchestrated plan.
---
Later That Week
The Bottoms had been trying their best to avoid the Rebel Hearts, but it was becoming increasingly difficult. Everywhere they went, one of the Rebel Hearts was there—smiling, teasing, or offering unsolicited help.
Jeonghan sat at their usual lunch table, glaring at his tray. "I don’t get it. Scoups was waiting for me again this morning. He even brought me coffee."
"DK showed up at choir practice," Joshua said, stabbing at his salad. "He said he was ‘just passing by,’ but stayed the entire time."
"Mingyu ‘accidentally’ bumped into me twice in the library yesterday," Wonwoo muttered. "He’s way too obvious."
"Jun offered to tutor me in a subject I’m already acing," Minghao said, rolling his eyes. "As if I’d say yes."
"Hoshi sent me another meme last night," Woozi said, his tone flat. "It wasn’t even funny."
"Vernon keeps finding excuses to sit next to me in class," Seungkwan complained. "I don’t know what his deal is, but it’s annoying."
"And Dino? He’s been showing up at my dance rehearsals, pretending he’s interested in choreography," Samuel added, shaking his head.
The group collectively sighed.
"Maybe we’re overthinking it," Joshua said hesitantly. "What if they’re just… being nice?"
"Nice?" Seungkwan scoffed. "Since when do they care about being nice to us?"
"That’s the thing," Jeonghan said, narrowing his eyes. "It’s too sudden. They’ve ignored us for years, and now they’re everywhere. Something’s up."
"But what if it’s not bad?" Minghao asked cautiously. "What if… they’re genuinely interested?"
"In us?" Woozi raised an eyebrow. "Unlikely."
"Still," Wonwoo said thoughtfully, "what if we’re wrong? What if we’re just being paranoid?"
The group fell silent, each of them mulling over the possibility.
---
Meanwhile
At the other side of campus, the Rebel Hearts were gathered in their usual hangout spot, grinning as they discussed their progress.
"I think it’s working," Scoups said, leaning back in his chair. "Jeonghan’s been avoiding me, but I can tell he’s curious."
"Same with Joshua," DK said, smirking. "He acts all polite, but I see him glancing at me when he thinks I’m not looking."
"Minghao’s putting up a fight," Jun said with a laugh, "but I know he’s softening up. He didn’t immediately walk away when I sat with him yesterday."
"Mingyu, how’s it going with Wonwoo?" Scoups asked.
"He’s suspicious," Mingyu admitted, "but I think he’s starting to question himself. That’s a good sign."
"Hoshi?" Scoups turned to him.
"Woozi’s tough," Hoshi said, grinning. "But I think he secretly likes the attention. He hasn’t blocked my number yet."
"Vernon?"
"Seungkwan’s dramatic, as always," Vernon said with a chuckle. "But I know he enjoys arguing with me. He’s too fun to mess with."
"And Dino?"
"Samuel’s playing it cool," Dino replied, "but I caught him smiling when I complimented his choreography."
Scoups smirked. "Perfect. Let’s keep this up. Sooner or later, they’ll let their guard down."
---
The Bottoms’ Meeting
Back at their table, Jeonghan sighed. "Okay, let’s assume for a second that they’re not up to something. What do we do then?"
"Ignore them," Woozi said immediately.
"But what if they’re genuine?" Joshua asked softly.
Seungkwan groaned. "Why are we even entertaining this idea? It’s obviously a trick!"
"Maybe," Minghao said, shrugging. "Or maybe… they’re just bad at expressing themselves."
The group exchanged uncertain looks. None of them wanted to admit it, but the attention was starting to get to them. The Rebel Hearts were persistent, and despite their suspicions, a part of each of them wondered—what if it wasn’t a game?
Unbeknownst to them, the Rebel Hearts were one step closer to winning.
