You, Again || YeonGyu

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The hallways felt emptier without the seniors. The once chaotic echo of overlapping laughter and hurried footsteps was now replaced with a more subdued buzz. Grade 9 had just begun, and Beomgyu found himself adjusting to a new classroom, new teachers, and the same familiar ache in his chest he had been trying to outgrow since graduation day.

But something was different now.

Maybe it was the words still ringing in his head, words said so casually yet hit like a promise he desperately wanted to keep.

"Don't neglect your studies, okay?"

So he didn't.

He poured himself into every quiz, every essay, every recitation. While his classmates were still in that "summer hangover" state, Beomgyu was already reviewing for next week's lessons. Not because he wanted to impress anyone anymore. he told himself it wasn't about Yeonjun. It was about him. About proving he could be more than just the boy who had a silly crush on someone graduating.

Still, that didn't stop him from whispering "I hope you're proud of me" every time he aced another test.

It was a normal Wednesday morning when the achiever's board got updated. The school always placed it right outside the administration office, a large corkboard filled with printed names under each grade level. Top 10 students, ranked in bold.

Beomgyu wasn't in a rush to see it. He thought maybe he landed top 2 again. Maybe someone else did better. That was fine.

Until he passed by it by accident and froze.

There it was.

GRADE 9 - RANK 1: CHOI BEOMGYU

He blinked at his name. His heart felt like it skipped three beats in one second.

He didn't know whether to smile or cry.

But he wasn't the only one who noticed.

Just a few feet away, standing near the admin office doors, was someone else.

Yeonjun.

He had just come from submitting clearance forms and getting his alumni ID photo taken. He hadn't expected to glance at the achiever's board, much less stop. But something pulled him in, and when he read the names, his eyes widened.

"Beomgyu..." he muttered under his breath.

He smiled softly. That kind of proud smile that settles in quietly, like something blooming in the middle of an ordinary day.

He knew Beomgyu was always brilliant. But seeing his name at the very top? That was different.

Yeonjun turned around, ready to leave, but not before glancing one more time at the board, like it was proof that Beomgyu was really... growing. Moving forward. Keeping his promise.

Little did he know, Beomgyu had seen him too, just from the end of the hallway, behind a row of lockers. He stood frozen, eyes locked on the exact moment Yeonjun read his name.

His heart screamed. But his lips remained shut.

Back inside the classroom, Soobin nudged Beomgyu's arm.

"Dude, you saw the board? You're literally top 1 now!" he whispered excitedly.

"Yeah," Beomgyu said, trying to act nonchalant. "Kinda cool, I guess."

Soobin narrowed his eyes. "Why do you look like you just saw a ghost?"

Beomgyu looked out the window and whispered, "Not a ghost."

Just someone I thought I'd never see again.