(A/N: credit to the owner of the images.)

Song Mino. You idiot. Song Mino. You idiot. Song Mino. Why?

Areum bit her lower lip and mumbled a thanks to the waiter who served her shaved ice. She was running out of ideas for Mino. He got in trouble, again. 

By chance, she passed by this empty dessert store after arguing with him over the phone. She wouldn’t believe it. He would never ever harass a teacher. She was sure of it. But they just seemed to argue about the topic over and over again. 

“What’s a girl like you doing here alone?” 

She didn’t even notice someone had sat directly in front of her. “Areum?” 

Areum stared at the guy trying to match his face with a name. I know him. Who is he again? 

“Class president?” 

He smiled somewhat bitterly, “Just call me Junhoe.”

She cringed a little at the fact that she never seemed to remember his name no matter how many times he told her, let alone the amount of times she’d hear it every day at school since he was the class president. “Sorry,” she muttered looking down at her untouched shaved ice.  

“No need,” he smiled assuringly and then held out his hand. She looked at him questioningly and without asking he took the spoon from her. “You don’t look like you have much of an appetite. I’ll help you finish this goodness.”

The corner of her lips tugged into a grin. “Why thank you,” Areum remarked in a sarcastic tone. 

Junhoe smiled to himself. She thinks I’m funny. “You seem out of it today… Not excited for school tomorrow?” he asked devouring the dessert.

She heaved a sigh, “It’s the first day of our last semester at high school tomorrow and my friend got expelled. Today is the last day of our school break but he texted me yesterday saying that he was on the waiting list for our school, 132. Come on, that’s really not favorable, he must graduate this year.”  

“You could write those recommendation letters,” Junhoe suggested but she bit her lip and shook her head. 

“I already wrote one and that’s how he even got to be on the waiting list. I’m so worried right now…” Areum complained and grabbed a hold of the spoon again to feed herself some optimism.  

“I can write one and I can ask Hanbin to write one too. He’s school president if you forgot his name too. His letters are basically gold,” he continued to encourage her. 

To this news, her eyes widened. It could actually work. 

“Thanks so much!” she squealed in delight feeling the weight lifting from her shoulders. “And I remember Hanbin… Sorry about forgetting you name all the time.” 

Junhoe couldn’t wipe off his smug smile now and gestured his hand for the spoon to which she did not hesitate to give to him. 

“This shaved ice is an expression of my gratitude.” 

“A half-melted block of ice?” 

She shrugged nonchalantly. “Take it or leave it.” 

“Wow,” he scoffed. “This is new.” 

“Why?” 

“I thought you were more…” He drummed his fingers on the table. 

“Quiet? Timid?” She got that a lot. 

“Yep, but you’re actually quite y.” 

“You calling me a ?” she scoffed at the absurdity. They never talked and when they did he calls her a . Not that she was offended but still it was shocking. 

He let out a hearty laugh then proceeded to pick up the napkin. “Let’s be friends.” 

She nodded. “If you don’t find me boring, sure.”

“I assure you, you’re not boring. And…” his lips cracked into a playful smirk, “you know I’ve never been on a date with a girl before.” 

Where is this going?

“Junhoe, this is not a date.”

It would have been stupid of Junhoe to let this opportunity to slip by. “You know the recommendation letters?”

Seriously, where is this conversation going?

“What about all those other 131 students ahead of your friend? Is your friend that special?” 

There was a catch to what he was suggesting. 

“Promise me three dates. Anytime, any day, my call.” 

 There it is, the catch.

“I’m not very comfortable with that idea…” Areum admitted. She tried explaining to him about her discomfort with dating. “Junhoe, I’m being very serious right now. I can’t do it.” 

“Why?” he taunted. She huffed a sigh. His face was getting progressively more and more annoying. It’s like he was begging her to punch him. 

“I just don’t like it,” she managed to utter. 

He chuckled in content and shrugged, “Give me your number now and the deal is set. Three dates and you get two letters by tomorrow. One from me, the class president and one from Hanbin, school president.” 

It was definitely an effective plan to get Mino back into school. 

But a date? Song Mino, you’re never gonna hear the end of this. 

Areum glared at him and he rested his face on his palms looking disgustingly innocent. She never knew Junhoe was so -y if that was even a word. “If you do something intolerable, the deal is off.” 

He sat upright and smirked in victory as she begrudgingly recited her phone number. He ruffled her hair, “Don’t worry Areum. I won’t try anything. I promise.” 

She swatted his hand away. “Don’t touch me.” 

***

Literally, it was the first day of school and it was ruined when Areum saw his face first thing in the morning. Despite being a little sleep deprived, she had a good start to her day until she arrived at  her homeroom a few minutes earlier than usual and saw Junhoe cleaning the chalkboard. 

“Right… he’s class president,” she muttered to herself. 

“Morning babe,” Junhoe greeted with a weird trill to his voice and she rolled her eyes as she went straight to her seat. She felt somewhat deceived after discovering his true nature. “Babe?”

Areum face palmed herself, “Don’t call me that, please.”

There was no reply and she could clearly envision that smirk hanging at the corner of his lips at that very moment. Totally irritating. 

***

“Is he serious right now?” Areum blurted in frustration seeing an apple in her locker with a smiley face drawn on it with a black marker. 

‘Smile babe’ 

“What’s that?” Mina asked peering at it, “You’re so weird. Why are you drawing on food?” 

Areum explained to Mina briefly about her encounter with Junhoe and she immediately claimed that he liked her. But Areum fervently denied it. How can Mina possibly conjure such ridiculous accusations? 

It just doesn’t make sense. 

“Fine, what tells you that he doesn’t like you? He wants to date you. Don’t be so dense,” Mina raised a brow and honestly Areum was dumbfounded - but only for a moment. 

“He’s probably just joking