I ignored all of Joy's calls yesterday after my afternoon tutoring Seulgi, I know she's dying to know what happened, the twenty-something missed calls on my cellphone confirms this, so when I find her waiting for me and my little sister outside my house I'm not even one bit surprised.

She had to wake up really early to get here at this hour, talk about being desperate for some silly gossip, what is she expecting me to tell her? Whatever I can say to her would never justify her presence in front of me right now.

“You didn't answer any of my calls.” A very upset Joy says crossing her arms dramatically.

“I'm aware.”

“Why didn't you?” She switches to whining. “I want to know what happened yesterday.”

“Good morning, Joy.” Little Yeri says upset that the older girl is ignoring her.

“Sorry, kiddo.” She ruffles her hair making my sister's frown disappear in an instant. “Morning.”

“Let's walk her to school first, alright?”

Yeri immediately goes over to Joy and takes her hand, we walk in silence with Joy sending me curious gazes every once in a while, she's dying to run asking all the questions bottled up inside her since yesterday.

I hope she doesn't mention Seulgi's name in front of Yeri, my little sister loves her just like everyone else, she always goes to the games with a classmate and if she finds out she'll make me bring Seulgi home and that's the last thing I want at the moment, my neighbors seeing her at my house.

She doesn't even wait for us to start walking away after sending Yeri off before she starts her questioning.

“So? What happened?” She asks, no, more like she demands.

“Absolutely nothing.”

“You liar.”

“Why would anything happen?” Really, I don't understand what she expects.

“I...don't know.” She looks like she hasn't even considered the possibility.

“I'm sorry to disappoint you but nothing happened, we got there, she was annoying, we tried to study but she isn't really sharp, then we talked and we parted ways.” She exhales disappointed hearing my words.

“I guess I've been watching too many movies.”

“What did you thought it was going to happen anyway?”

“I've been thinking of what I do if I was you, I forgot you're devoid of any kind of fun personality.”

“You mean you forgot I don't have the hots for her like your desperate ?”

“That's another way to put it.” She agrees putting an arm around my shoulder. “At least tell me how's she like.”

“Persistent.” I say without thinking. “Very persistent.” She raises an eyebrow but says nothing about it.

“I woke up this early for nothing.” She whines clinging to me.

We walk to the school while I answer her every question about Seulgi's personality and looks in person, I'm still bothered by her little speech from yesterday, does she really think I'm that easy?

I'm not interested in being your friend either.

Ugh, who does she think she is? The way she said still has me angry, she said it like she's so sure she's going to get into my pants just because of who she is, I don't like douches and she's definitely one, who the hell says something like that to someone they just met? A douche that's who.

I mean what else could she possibly mean by that.

Speaking of the devil, she's at the entrance goofing around with her friends, maybe if I duck down my head and walk quickly I can pass unnoticed? It's worth a shot, I lower my head and adjust my glasses almost running up the stairs leaving a confused Joy behind.

“Irene!” Shoot. “Irene, wait up!” I try to walk faster but she's already in front of me wearing the smile I'm starting to hate with just one day of knowing her. “What's the hurry?”

“Hi, Seulgi.” I mutter. “Just trying to get to class.” She takes out her phone and checks the time knitting her eyebrows.

“This early?”

“Yeah, I need to...review something for class.” I try to walk away but she just follows me, clearly not taking a hint of my lack of interest in her.

“Anyway, we're still up for today's study session right?”

“Yeah, of course, it's mandatory for me to show up.”

“Good.” She replies cheerfully. “I'm looking forward to it.”

Ugh. “Yeah, sure.”

“I'll see you later then.”

“Sure.”

 “Have a nice day, Irene.”

“Ok.” She laughs softly and finally leaves me alone, I exhale in frustration plus relief and keep walking to my classroom even though as Seulgi said, it's too early for me to be there.

I get to my seat and once again I exhale frustrated, right, I'm going to see her every day until the school year ends, how annoying.

“Bae Irene, you filthy liar!” Joy calls me leaning on the door frame. “You told me 'nothing happened' yesterday.”

“I don't sound like that!” I say offended. “And I'm not lying, nothing happened.” From my side anyway.

“Then what was all that flirting about?” She says taking a seat next to me.

“That wasn't flirting, she was just...saying hi, you said yourself, she's really polite.”

“Mmm, you're right, She's nice, you should introduce us next time.” She doesn't press further, thank god. “Explain to me why we're here so early though.” Unfortunately, I have no answer for that.

+++

When I get to the library I find that once again I'm the only one here, I take my time arranging our seats and putting the lesson out, I'm sure today it'll be better I made it easier for her, despite what I might think of her personally I'm still responsible for her.

I make sure this time there's enough space between us, I can't have her all over me again today, it was pretty distracting. I take my seat and wait for her to arrive, maybe I just got here way too early.

For some reason I feel nervous, she makes me feel uncomfortable and I don't know why, it's not like I haven't had people interested in me before but she makes me feel awkward and uncomfortable, I don't even know how to talk to her.

My nervousness transforms into annoyance seeing the clock ticking in front of me, half an hour has passed and she's still not here, my image of this girl gets worse by the second, why she isn't here yet?

“Entitled jock.” I mutter under my breath, of course, she doesn't take other's time into account.

After an hour passed fumbling I stand up and start to pack my things, to think I was up until late at night trying to make these lessons easier just for her.

Peeking over the window and seeing the afternoon sun pisses me off even more, stupid Seulgi after saying she was looking forward to the lesson she does this, if I wasn't obligated to be here I'd have left a long time ago already.

I go through the hallways feeling a little disappointed that her promise of working hard was just to make me like her, despite everything else I really believed that, how foolish.

“Irene!” I look up and find Seulgi running towards me with all her might, I ignore her and keep walking. “Wait, Irene!” She pleads now walking backwards trying to stop me.

“You're an hour late, I'm leaving already.”

“I'm sorry, ok? I didn't want to make you wait.” She says with difficulty through her heavy breathing. “Hear me out please?”

“You could've told me you weren't coming this morning.”