LOVE IS A DRUG THAT YOU CAN’T DENY

Episode 1 — The Inspector

The final bell hadn't even rung, but half the students in Class 3-A were already mentally outside the classroom.

Han Seo-jun was one of them.

He sat at the back near the window, his textbook open in front of him.

He wasn't reading it.

His phone was hidden between the pages.

Seo-jun: This BL drama is getting ridiculous.

He bit his lip to stop himself from laughing.

Another message appeared in the group chat.

Nok-hyun: You said that about the last five dramas.

Tae-min: Maybe because he watches the same plot every time.

Seo-jun: Enemies to lovers is a masterpiece.

Nok-hyun: You just like handsome men arguing.

Seo-jun: And?

Seo-jun covered his mouth.

A tiny laugh escaped.

The teacher stopped writing.

"Han Seo-jun."

Seo-jun immediately put his phone beneath the desk.

"Yes, sir?"

"Would you like to share the joke with the entire class?"

"No, sir."

"Then pay attention."

"Yes, sir."

The teacher turned back toward the board.

Seo-jun waited three seconds.

Then quietly opened his phone again.

Tae-min: Don't.

Nok-hyun: He's going to get caught.

Seo-jun: Relax. I'm a professional.

A shadow suddenly fell across his desk.

Seo-jun froze.

The classroom became strangely quiet.

He slowly looked up.

A tall man in a dark suit stood beside him.

Sharp eyes.

Perfectly neat black hair.

A school identification badge clipped to his jacket.

Seo-jun's stomach dropped.

Kang Min-jae.

The school's disciplinary inspector.

Seo-jun had heard stories about him.

He had suspended a student for fighting.

Caught three students sneaking out after curfew.

And once made an entire class stay after school because someone had written graffiti in the bathroom.

Seo-jun slowly closed his textbook.

Min-jae looked at him.

Then at the textbook.

Then back at him.

"Phone."

Seo-jun blinked.

"What phone?"

Someone in the back coughed to hide a laugh.

Min-jae extended his hand.

"The phone you're currently pretending doesn't exist."

Seo-jun smiled nervously.

"I don't have one."

Min-jae stared at him.

Seo-jun stared back.

Five seconds passed.

Ten.

Finally, Min-jae said calmly:

"Take it out."

Seo-jun sighed.

He pulled the phone from underneath the textbook and placed it in Min-jae's hand.

Min-jae glanced at the screen.

The BL drama was still paused.

His eyebrow moved slightly.

Seo-jun noticed.

"Don't judge me."

"I wasn't."

"You were."

"I was wondering why someone would voluntarily watch this."

The class exploded with suppressed laughter.

Seo-jun's eyes widened.

"Hey!"

Min-jae put the phone into his pocket.

"Stand up."

Seo-jun looked around.

"Me?"

Min-jae's expression didn't change.

"Unless there's another student sitting in your chair."

Seo-jun slowly stood.

Min-jae pointed toward the front of the classroom.

"Disciplinary desk."

Seo-jun's jaw dropped.

"Seriously?"

"You wanted to watch your phone instead of studying."

"I was studying."

"You were watching a romance drama."

"It's educational."

Min-jae stared at him.

Seo-jun smiled.

"...Emotionally educational?"

Someone laughed.

Min-jae rubbed his forehead.

"Disciplinary desk."

Seo-jun dragged himself toward the desk.

As he passed Min-jae, he whispered:

"I hate you."

Min-jae heard him.

"Good."

Seo-jun stopped.

He turned around.

"What?"

"You should remember that feeling."

Min-jae walked toward the teacher's desk.

Seo-jun stared after him.

Something about that man irritated him.

His voice.

His expression.

The way he acted like nothing could surprise him.

Seo-jun sat at the disciplinary desk.

His phone was gone.

His pride was gone.

And his peaceful afternoon was definitely gone.

---

At lunch, Seo-jun slammed his tray onto the table where Tae-min and Nok-hyun were sitting.

"I'm traumatized."

Nok-hyun looked up from his food.

"Inspector Kang?"

"Who else?"

Tae-min smiled.

"What happened?"

Seo-jun lowered his voice dramatically.

"He took my phone."

Nok-hyun gasped.

"The monster."

"And he insulted my drama."

Tae-min blinked.

"Did he actually insult it?"

"No."

Seo-jun paused.

"He asked why anyone would voluntarily watch it."

Nok-hyun put his chopsticks down.

"That's worse."

The three stared at each other.

Then Seo-jun whispered:

"I think he's my type."

Tae-min nearly choked.

Nok-hyun slapped the table.

"I KNEW IT."

"Keep your voice down!"

"You literally said you hate him!"

"I can hate someone and think they're handsome!"

Tae-min sighed.

"Please don't fall in love with the disciplinary inspector."

Seo-jun laughed.

"Relax. That would never happen."

None of them noticed the man standing several meters behind them.

Kang Min-jae had just entered the cafeteria.

And he had heard every word.

---

After school, Seo-jun was called to the nurse's office.

He immediately knew why.

His older sister worked there.

Han Seo-ah looked up from her paperwork as he entered.

She was twenty-five, calm, beautiful, and frighteningly observant.

"Sit."

Seo-jun sat.

"Why am I here?"

"Your teacher called."

Seo-jun looked away.

"About the phone?"

"About the phone."

"I was bored."

"You're eighteen, not eight."

"That's debatable."

Seo-ah sighed.

Then she noticed the disciplinary slip in his hand.

"Inspector Kang?"

Seo-jun groaned.

"Don't say his name."

Seo-ah smiled.

"Oh?"

"He's annoying."

"You've met him once."

"Once was enough."

Before Seo-ah could respond, someone knocked.

The door opened.

Kang Min-jae stepped inside.

Seo-jun immediately sat straight.

Min-jae looked at him.

Seo-jun looked away.

Seo-ah glanced between them.

"Do you two know each other?"

"Unfortunately," Seo-jun muttered.

Min-jae answered at the same time.

"Unfortunately."

Seo-ah raised an eyebrow.

Interesting.

Very interesting.

"Seo-jun, wait outside."

"What?"

"Go."

"But—"

"Now."

Seo-jun left.

The door closed.

Seo-ah turned toward Min-jae.

"He's troublesome."

"I noticed."

"But he's a good kid."

Min-jae was quiet.

Seo-ah smiled faintly.

"Don't judge him too quickly."

"I don't."

"Good."

Outside the door, Seo-jun pressed his ear against the wall.

He couldn't hear anything.

"What's taking so long?"

Suddenly the door opened.

Seo-jun stumbled forward.

Min-jae caught him by the wrist before he fell.

Their faces were inches apart.

Both froze.

Seo-jun's heart suddenly beat harder.

Min-jae's eyes dropped briefly to Seo-jun's lips.

Then returned to his eyes.

Neither spoke.

Seo-ah watched them from inside the room.

A tiny smile appeared on her face.

"Interesting."

Seo-jun immediately pulled his hand away.

"I wasn't listening!"

Min-jae calmly straightened his sleeve.

"I didn't ask."

Seo-jun's face turned red.

"I still hate you."

Min-jae looked at him.

"Good."

Then he walked away.

Seo-jun watched him disappear down the hallway.

His heart was still beating strangely.

He touched his chest.

"...What the hell?"

His phone suddenly buzzed.

It was the group chat.

Nok-hyun: Emergency.

Tae-min: What happened?

Nok-hyun: Yu-ri has our screenshots.

Seo-jun stopped breathing.

Another message appeared.

Nok-hyun: She said she's going to expose the group chat.

Seo-jun stared at the screen.

Then slowly whispered:

"Oh, we're dead."

At the end of the hallway, Min-jae stopped walking.

He had forgotten to return Seo-jun's phone.

He looked down at it.

The screen lit up.

A message appeared.

BL EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT

Min-jae stared at the group name.

For the first time that day...

his expression changed.

To be continued...