Genre: romance, campus fiction, enemies-to-lovers, playboy × cold girl, slow burn
Synopsis: He was dared to make her fall. she didn’t even look his way. he still tried. then he fell first—and harder than anyone expected.
The entire university knew three things about .
And third—he never stayed with the same girl for longer than two weeks.
People called him charming. Dangerous. Addictive.
Professors called him “wasted potential.”
His parents called him “difficult.”
They called him entertainment.
Because whenever Heeseung walked into a room, something always happened.
Music exploded through the walls of the largest fraternity house near campus. Colored lights flashed across drunk students dancing like tomorrow didn’t exist.
Heeseung sat lazily on the kitchen counter with a red cup in one hand, expensive rings shining beneath the neon lights. His dark hair fell perfectly over his forehead despite the chaos around him.
Another laughing too hard at his jokes.
Another asking if he was coming to her apartment after the party.
Heeseung smiled at all of them without really seeing any of them.
Across the room, his best friend Jay snorted.
“You’re actually insane.”
“What did I do now?” Heeseung asked.
“You made that girl cry.”
“I literally told her not to catch feelings.”
Jake laughed from the couch. “That somehow makes it worse.”
Everyone wanted something from him—money, attention, popularity, validation.
Then Sunghoon walked into the kitchen with a grin.
“Ohhh,” he said dramatically. “There she is.”
The boys turned toward the front door.
And for the first time that night—
Heeseung looked interested.
A girl walked inside wearing loose black jeans, headphones around her neck, and an oversized gray hoodie like she accidentally wandered into the wrong building.
No makeup except lip balm.
No effort to impress anyone.
No staring at Heeseung like every other girl did.
She simply walked past him.
Didn’t even glance his way.
Jay blinked. “Did she just ignore you?”
Heeseung smirked faintly. “Cute.”
“That’s Y/N,” Jake said. “Freshman.”
Sunghoon laughed. “The untouchable one.”
“She rejects everyone,” Jay explained. “Athletes. Rich guys. Seniors. Doesn’t care.”
“And she’s kinda mean,” Jake added.
“Not mean,” another student interrupted. “She’s only rude if you’re annoying.”
“Which means all of you.”
Heeseung watched her from across the room.
She sat beside another girl on the couch, calmly sipping soda while chaos happened around her.
Then Jay made the mistake.
“Bet you can’t pull her.”
Heeseung slowly looked at him.
Jay grinned wider. “One month. Make her fall for you.”
Jake immediately groaned. “Bro—”
“What?” Jay laughed. “Heeseung gets every girl. Let’s see if the king survives rejection.”
Heeseung leaned back against the counter.
Sunghoon smirked. “Your ego survives.”
Jay sighed dramatically. “Fine. I’ll do your statistics project.”
Heeseung’s eyes slid back toward Y/N.
She was laughing softly at something her friend said.
Something in his chest pulled strangely.
Professor Kang droned on while half the students fought sleep.
Y/N sat near the window with earbuds hidden beneath her hair, sketching tiny doodles in the corner of her notebook.
Then someone slid into the seat beside her.
The entire row looked shocked.
He smelled expensive. Clean cologne and arrogance.
“You’re in my seat,” Y/N said without looking up.
“I don’t think your name is on it.”
A few students nearby snorted.
“You always this friendly?”
“You always this jobless?”
That actually caught him off guard.
Most girls giggled around him.
But her voice held genuine annoyance.
Like he was simply inconveniencing her.
Professor Kang looked up. “Mr. Lee. Nice of you to attend for once.”
Heeseung smiled shamelessly. “I’m trying to become a better student.”
Over the next two weeks, he kept showing up.
At first Y/N assumed it was coincidence.
He was absolutely following her.
“You’re weird,” she told him one afternoon.
Heeseung walked beside her casually. “You noticed me?”
“I noticed a mosquito too. Doesn’t mean I like it.”
Because every conversation with her felt alive.
Didn’t care about his car.
Didn’t care that girls constantly stared at him.
Once, he picked her up after class in his black luxury car.
Students immediately began whispering.
Y/N climbed in, looked around once, then deadpanned—
“Cool. It drives just like a normal car.”
“Do you enjoy ruining my ego?”
She learned things about him slowly.
That he skipped class constantly.
That he partied almost every night.
That he got into fights when drunk.
That professors expected him to fail despite how intelligent he actually was.
And Heeseung learned things too.
That Y/N worked part-time at a bookstore.
That she sent money home to her mother sometimes.
That she hated fake people more than anything.
That she secretly adored old music and rainy weather.
That she always pretended not to care even when she cared deeply.
One evening, he found her sitting alone outside campus while rain poured around them.
“You’ll get sick,” he said.
He stood there awkwardly before sitting beside her under the tiny bus stop roof.
“You don’t talk much at parties,” he noticed.
“I don’t like loud people.”
“You’re tolerable sometimes.”
Then he noticed her staring at the rain.
Not in the glamorous way girls at his parties looked.
Because for the first time in years—
Jay nearly dropped his fork in the cafeteria.
Heeseung glared. “Shut up.”
“You skipped a party last night.”
Jake looked horrified. “HE skipped a PARTY?”
Sunghoon gasped dramatically. “Call the police.”
“You’ve never cared before.”
He started attending lectures.
Stopped flirting with random girls.
Even his professors noticed.
Professor Kang adjusted his glasses one afternoon.
“Mr. Lee… your assignment was actually excellent.”
The class looked stunned.
Heeseung blinked. “Uh. Thanks?”
Rumors spread fast around campus.
“Heeseung only hangs out with Y/N now.”
“He rejected Mina at the party.”
“He left early last weekend.”
“Did he seriously stop drinking?”
“Apparently Y/N hates smokers too.”
“No way she changed HIM.”
Without demanding anything.
He just… wanted to become someone better around her.
At first it had been meaningless.
But now every time Heeseung looked at her—
Guilt twisted inside him.
Especially because Y/N trusted him now.
One night, she fell asleep in his apartment while studying.
Curled up on his couch in one of his hoodies.
Heeseung sat nearby staring at her quietly.
And he had built everything on a lie.
“You need to tell her,” Jake said seriously.
Heeseung rubbed his face. “I know.”
Jay sighed. “Look, man… if she hears it from someone else, it’ll be worse.”
And fate apparently hated him because the truth came out the very next day.
Y/N walked through campus holding iced coffee when she heard laughter near the basketball court.
“…bro really changed because of a BET—”
“Heeseung fell first honestly.”
“Still insane he approached her for a dare.”
Everything inside her went cold.
The boys noticed her too late.
Jay cursed under his breath.
Y/N’s face became expressionless.
Dangerously expressionless.
Heeseung found her near the music building that evening.
That hurt worse than yelling.
He stepped closer carefully. “Please let me explain.”
“It started like that but—”
His chest tightened painfully.
“Y/N, I swear to you, I love you.”
“You should’ve told me earlier.”
That hit hard because she was right.
Tears filled her eyes despite how hard she fought them.
Heeseung looked shattered.
“You know what the funny part is?” she whispered. “I actually believed you were different.”
He reached for her hand instinctively.
She stepped back immediately.
The look on her face nearly destroyed him.
“I don’t care that you’re rich,” she said shakily. “I don’t care about your parties or your stupid reputation. I cared about YOU.”
Because there wasn’t one good enough.
And for the first time in his life—
Heeseung felt truly alone.
The next weeks were miserable.
He stopped partying completely.
Even his parents noticed.
His mother looked stunned during dinner.
His father glanced up from his phone. “And sober.”
Heeseung only muttered, “Can we not?”
For once, there was no arrogance in him.
At university he still saw Y/N sometimes.
But she avoided him completely.
One afternoon Professor Kang stopped Heeseung after class.
“You know,” the older man said calmly, “people can tell when someone changes for real.”
Heeseung looked tired. “Doesn’t matter.”
“It does if you continue changing after losing the person.”
Because maybe becoming better shouldn’t depend on whether she forgave him.
Maybe she deserved proof.
And slowly everyone noticed something shocking:
Heeseung Lee had changed.
He attended classes consistently.
Stopped leading girls on.
Even started volunteering at campus events.
Students whispered constantly.
Y/N was leaving the library one evening when she found Heeseung sitting on the stairs outside.
Snow dusted his dark coat.
He stood immediately when he saw her.
“I’ll leave if you want.”
She crossed her arms silently.
“I just… needed to say this once.”
“You were right about me.”
“I was selfish. Immature. I treated people like games because I never cared enough to stay.” He swallowed hard. “But you made me want to become someone worth staying for.”
Y/N’s expression softened slightly despite herself.
“I know sorry isn’t enough.”
Snow fell quietly around them.
Heeseung looked at her carefully.
“But everything after the bet was real.”
Every word sounded painfully honest.
“The way I waited for your texts. The way I started hating parties because they weren’t fun without you. The way I memorized your coffee order. The way I—”
His voice cracked slightly.
Tears filled his eyes instantly.
“And I still don’t fully trust you.”
Hope flickered weakly across his face.
Heeseung stared at her like he couldn’t breathe.
“And honestly?” she admitted quietly. “That makes this harder.”
A tiny smile appeared on his face for the first time in months.
He laughed weakly through tears.
Maybe not a perfect ending.
But definitely the beginning of something honest.
The strange thing about forgiveness was that it never happened all at once.
In stolen conversations after class.
In quiet walks back to the dorms.
In Heeseung waiting outside her lectures just to carry her bag even though she complained the entire time.
“Then why are you holding it?”
“Because I like feeling useful.”
Y/N immediately wiped the smile off her face.
Heeseung grinned proudly anyway.
Everyone at university was still trying to process the fact that THE had become—
Jay almost cried laughing one afternoon when he walked into the student café.
Heeseung was sitting beside Y/N with his chin resting on her shoulder while she studied.
Literally clinging to her.
“Bro,” Jay said in horror. “You used to break hearts.”
Y/N didn’t even look up from her notes. “Unfortunately.”
Heeseung gasped softly. “Baby, that’s mean.”
Even Sunghoon nearly choked on his drink.
Y/N finally looked up slowly. “Don’t make it weird.”
“You made HIM soft,” Sunghoon accused.
Meanwhile Heeseung looked completely unashamed.
He flirted constantly now.
And unlike before, it wasn’t smooth anymore.
Then Y/N muttered quietly—
Heeseung almost fell out of his chair.
He became ridiculously affectionate too.
Always touching her somehow.
Resting his head on her shoulder.
Playing with her fingers during lectures.
Following her around campus like an oversized lost puppy.
One day she finally stopped walking and turned toward him flatly.
“Why are you behind me again?”
Heeseung blinked innocently. “I’m accompanying you.”
“You’ve accompanied me to three buildings already.”
“Kidding,” he laughed quickly when she smacked his arm.
But then he pouted dramatically.
“Because you’re annoying so much.”
“You’re lucky I’m in love with you.”
her ears turned slightly pink.
Heeseung noticed immediately and looked way too pleased with himself.
And suddenly the entire campus acted like society was collapsing.
Because apparently Lee Heeseung never got sick.
“Probably karma,” Y/N said while reading Jake’s text.
Jake: PLEASE HELP. HE’S DYING.
Sunghoon: He’s been whining for six hours.
Jay: We can’t take it anymore.
The Lee mansion was absurdly huge.
Y/N stood outside the gates looking unimpressed.
“Rich people are ridiculous,” she muttered.
A maid led her inside moments later.
The house looked expensive enough to buy several countries.
Before she could think more about it, loud whining echoed from upstairs.
“Heeseung, you are twenty-one years old.”
A maid opened the bedroom door.
Blanket wrapped around him dramatically.
The second Heeseung saw Y/N, his eyes widened.
His voice got quieter instantly.
And somehow that tiny reaction made something warm spread through her chest.
“Your friends threatened me.”
Y/N walked closer and pressed a hand to his forehead.
Heeseung immediately melted against her palm.
His eyes closed slightly.
“…cold hands,” he mumbled.
Y/N ignored the weird flip in her stomach.
Heeseung smiled weakly like she had handed him the universe.
That was when his parents entered.
His mother stopped immediately.
His father looked equally surprised.
Because apparently this was the first time in years their son willingly stayed home sick instead of disappearing somewhere.
And now there was a girl beside him.
A girl adjusting his blanket while he stared at her like she hung the moon.
His mother smiled softly.
Y/N stood awkwardly. “Hello.”
“We’ve heard a lot about you,” she said warmly.
Heeseung groaned dramatically into his pillow.
“Mom, don’t scare her away.”
His father raised an eyebrow. “Interesting. Usually you scare people away.”
Y/N accidentally snorted.
Heeseung looked offended.
“You’re supposed to defend me.”
The medicine battle lasted nearly thirty minutes.
“I’d rather pass away peacefully.”
Y/N stared at him blankly.
Then suddenly pinched his cheek.
“Take the medicine, baby.”
Even his parents looked shocked.
“You’re blushing while sick. Impressive.”
Heeseung buried half his face into the blanket.
His mother immediately looked emotional.
His father looked like he was witnessing a historical event.
Meanwhile Y/N tried not to smile.
His parents almost collapsed from shock.
Because Lee Heeseung had NEVER listened that quickly before.
After he recovered, Y/N never let him live it down.
“You cried over cough syrup.”
“You literally said your last words.”
“You held my hand like a Victorian child dying from tuberculosis.”
Heeseung whined loudly while following her across campus.
Then he suddenly wrapped his arms around her waist from behind.
Students nearby immediately stared.
Because this was still shocking to witness.
Heeseung rested his chin on her shoulder lazily.
“You still took care of me.”
Y/N tried to ignore how warm he felt.
“You would’ve survived without me.”
“Wouldn’t have wanted to.”
The thing that always made her heart betray her.
He started buying her little things too.
Not expensive flashy gifts.
A hoodie because she kept stealing his.
Books she casually mentioned once.
A tiny keychain shaped like a black cat because “it reminded me of your personality.”
“You’re saying I hiss at people?”
She laughed despite herself.
And Heeseung looked completely mesmerized hearing it.
Like her laughter was still the prettiest thing in the world to him.
Heeseung had been nervous for three days.
Jay nearly recorded it for blackmail.
“You changed so much it’s scary,” Jake admitted while helping him pick an outfit.
Heeseung frowned into the mirror. “Too much?”
“No,” Sunghoon sighed dramatically. “It’s disgusting but kinda sweet.”
The date itself was simple.
Y/N wore a dark oversized sweater and looked unfairly pretty without trying.
Heeseung genuinely forgot how to breathe for a second when he saw her.
Heeseung clutched his chest dramatically.
“You’ll actually kill me one day.”
Later that evening, while Heeseung ordered drinks at a café counter, a girl approached him.
“Hey,” she smiled. “You’re Heeseung, right?”
Heeseung blinked politely. “Uh, yeah.”
“I’ve seen you around campus a lot.”
“You should give me your number sometime.”
Before he could even answer—
The girl blinked awkwardly. “Oh.”
Y/N casually slid her hand into Heeseung’s.
The girl apologized quickly before leaving.
Heeseung stopped functioning.
His brain literally short-circuited.
Y/N looked at him. “Why are you staring?”
“No!” he said way too fast.
Then his entire face turned violently red.
Y/N stared for two seconds before bursting into laughter.
“Don’t laugh,” he groaned, covering his face.
“You’re blushing THIS hard?”
“You called me your boyfriend unexpectedly!”
Y/N rolled her eyes but her grip on his hand tightened slightly.
His expression softened instantly.
“But I’m your annoying boyfriend?”
Y/N looked away to hide her smile.
Heeseung genuinely looked like he might faint.
Then suddenly he grabbed her face carefully.
“Okay listen to me very seriously.”
“I don’t want anyone else.”
The teasing disappeared completely from Y/N’s face.
“So yeah,” he whispered. “We’re kinda stuck with each other now.”
For the first time in a long time—
that sounded perfect to both of them.
