Two years later. Eleventh grade.

Suzy did not enjoy first days back from summer break. It wasn’t anything against school itself. It was the people, the social pressure. During the summer, she felt normal, she felt like herself, and she could act however she liked. But at school, she felt the pressure to conform, and she would gradually slip into almost a different character. She sat in calculus class, trying to listen to the teacher, while her classmates around her chatted away, buzzing with gossip. She tried her best to tune them out, because the stuff they always gossip about was pointless and superficial. Girls squealing about cute clothing. Guys talking about cute girls they’d tap.

“Myungsoo”

Suzy blinked, then went back to listening to the teacher lecture.

“…Myungsoo!” Suzy was listening now. People didn’t usually talk about him. He was, after all, a shy, slightly awkward wallflower. She caught bits throughout the class.

“trainee?”

“…idol group!”

“Myungsoo…”

Suzy wasn’t stupid. Though she hated listening to and believing rumors, this one was curious. Would a company really recruit this reserved boy to be in an idol group? He is handsome, she thought, as she stopped by her locker. She heard more girls girling out behind her, and this time there was no teacher lecture to block out their voices.

“Did you notice him?”

“ Yeah, when did he become such a hotty?’

“I don’t know. And an idol too!”

“I never even knew he was in our class before…” They walked off.

Suzy was bothered, unsure why. It’s not like Myungsoo was hers. She just felt like she…knew him first. And…oh anyways. She was being childish. She walked off to find her friends, passing by his locker on the way. She secretly felt a twinge of disappointment when she didn’t see him there, only some other students trying to open their lockers. She practically skidded to a stop. She recognized the plaid backpack by his feet. It was Myungsoo. Except…he looked different. Not completely different, but he wasn’t wearing a plaid shirt for a start. His hair was also cut and swept to the side beautifully. And his face was more handsome than ever. His skin was even smoother than before…make-up?? His eyes looked more awake and even his posture – he was standing taller and more confident than she had seen him in the past. There was still that air of shyness, but it was slightly less than before. She caught herself gaping at his change, at his beauty that was always there but now more apparent than ever. Quickly, she stopped staring before he could notice and urged her feet to walk out of the hallway.

As the week went on, the gossiping only worsened. People buzzed about how hot he was, how handsome he was in that dark and mysterious way. Haha dark and mysterious…only Suzy knew about his clumsiness. Though it sort of bothered her, she watched in amusement as girls fell for his looks and talked about this dark mysteriousness he had. She even heard about daring girls approaching him and asking him out, only to be rejected. It made her wonder what would happen if she asked him. She dared not to think about it too much.