Wonwoo was walking left to right in an uneasy pace. It has been minutes and Sujeong still isn’t getting out of the cubicle..and what makes it more frustrating is that he cannot go inside a female restroom. He has been trying to call out her name but he can only hear sobs in return. This is it. He thought. Here goes nothing.

Wonwoo checked from left to right, peeked inside and when he saw no traces of anyone, he invaded the restroom.

“Sujeong, this is Wonwoo. Wonwoo is here. Open the door” he knocked, “Sujeong….please”

Soon enough, he heard the door click unlock. He opened the door gently, not wanting to scare her. She was sitting on the floor, hugging her knees.

“What are you doing? Get up! You’ll soil your gown” He grabbed her and helped her get up, “Let’s go back”

“No” she shrugged him off..

He noticed the tear stain on his cheeks that made the foundation come off her. Realizing she really must have been crying a lot, he hugged her, “Please don’t give me to Seungcheol, please, please”

“Shh, I won’t…..I won’t” he rubbed her back trying to comfort her as he held her chin, “Do you wanna go home?”

She nodded.

Seeing her at a vulnerable state, Wonwoo wasted no time and brought her to his car. And soon, arrived at the dorms.

“Are you staying here?” Sujeong asked as she sat on her bed.

“I promised grandpa I’ll be home soon, I’m sorry” he looked at her with eyes of sympathy.

“I see” she bit her lip, “I-I probably look ugly right now, don’t I?”

“You know you never looked ugly to me”

Silence enveloped the room so Wonwoo had decided it’s time for him to leave.

“Are you sure you’re not going home? I heard the whole class are.” He asked as he held the door, “Will you be okay?”

“Of course, you should worry about yourself” Wonwoo bit his lip. The fact that Sujeong chose Seungcheol over him was painful but seeing her crying because of that guy and being able to do nothing, it was hell.

He nodded and when he was about to go out, she added, “Do you have a can of beer in your room?”

Wonwoo turned around and was about to decline but Sujeong looked so helpless, “Please…I-I just wanna divert my thoughts” He can only sigh.

***

“Mingyu~” Yeseul muttered as she squeezed his free hand, “Hey~”

“Mm?” he asked.

“You’re not talking” she said with a little pout, “Tell me if you’re sleepy. We can stop the car and sleep, I’ll wait for you”

But he only shook his head.

“Are you tired?”

He shook his head again for the nth time. He kept on being silent but he is not even hinting…. Yeseul was not buying it so the whole ride was silent until they reached Yeseul’s house.

“If you’re really not going to say anything, I’m leaving now, bye.” And when Yeseul was about to open the car door, Mingyu pulled her by her arm and wrapped her in a hug, “Just why do you have to hug him?”

“So that’s it. Finally” Yeseul chuckled and explained, “Well, we made up, I think it’s just proper to give him a hug? Don’t be so jealous”

“It’s not proper when you have a boyfriend” he complained as they pulled away, “And I’m not jealous, I’m just….curious why you hugged. That’s it”

“Let’s just say I believe you” she laughed, “Good night now, see you tomorrow” Yeseul was about to open the door when Mingyu clicked the child lock button.

“What the heck?”

But Mingyu only laughed at her surprised face, “I love you” he muttered.

“I know I love you too but Mingyu it’s freaking 1am, let’s go ho—h-Hey! Mingyu! What are you doing?!!” Yeseul shrieked when Mingyu cornered her with his biceps, “You’ll have to know who you belong to” he mumbled.

“Oh my god, Atleast not in front of our house!!”

“Oh?” Mingyu smirked, “So if I just drive down the road and park beside a tree, we can—Ouch ouch! I’m just joking” he was laughing his of while he was shielding Yeseul’s hits.

“I hate you! I hate you! You ert!”

“Ah-stop! Stop!” he raised his hands in surrender, “I’m sorryyy”

“Open the door!” she shouted, totally pissed, “Now!”

****

“Did he really leave?” Dani whispered to herself as she went back to the prom hall. She noticed the number of people inside has already subsided and the face she’s been looking for is already nowhere to be found.

“Excuse me, have you seen Choi Hansol?” she approached a man but the man just shrugged. She was about to walk away when the girl beside the man asked, “Choi Hansol? You mean Vernon?” she nodded, “I think he already left”

“Oh….okay…thank you” she bowed as she got out of the hall once again. She brought her phone out from her pocket and sighed, “This is my last resort”

Ring Ring

Her heartbeat almost stopped when she heard his voice.

“Dani?”

She’s certain she’s right this time.

“Where are you?”

****

What could possibly describe what Sujeong is feeling? After Wonwoo had left, she had been unconsciously staring at the door, just feeling her heart shatter and fall into pieces.

Few minutes later, she decided to take some canned beers Wonwoo had brought and some that she and the girls had in store. She knows there are rules – that they would only drink it together, but they would just probably excuse her for this.

She started drinking one can and mumbled to herself, “I should’ve drank back there too” she sighed, “Would have been less painful”

One and a half can after, she was already feeling suffocated so she went out of their room and stood on the hallway. It was quiet, given that everyone is probably on their way to their real home. The hallway actually comforted her. There, she is alone and also away from people – people who can hurt her.

Two cans are already lying empty on the ground and the third can, she was already holding. The whole time, she was only staring at the starry sky, as she talked to herself in her mind.

“Sujeong…” a voice came from behind her that made her turn around.

And as she saw who it was, her tears started flowing again.

“Are…are you crying because of me?” He asked but the girl only sobbed.

He finally noticed the cans lying on the ground and so he picked it up.

“I hate you” Sujeong hit his back, “How could you tell me almost everyday that you like me and then…” she tried to swallow her sobs as he straightened up, “and then…when it’s time for me to like you back, you already gave up? Why like me in the first place?” She hit his chest consecutively.

Seungcheol grabbed her hands, stopping her from hitting him again. His other hand held her face and wiped her tears as he stared into her moist eyes. “You like me too?”

“Are you that oblivious?”

“I’m not…it’s just that I don’t want to get my hopes up too high. Sujeong, I did not give up. I still like you..”

“Ahh~” She faked a laugh, “That’s why you went to prom with another girl”

“You went to prom with Wonwoo!” He said in gritted teeth.

“That was because he knew you’re going to prom with another girl!”

“What?” his eyebrows furrowed, “The day that I was about to ask you to prom, the whole school was talking about how you two are going to prom, how you went to school together, how perfect you two are! What would that make me if I still ask you to go with me if everyone already knows you’re going with Wonwoo? I had no choice! It hurts seeing you getting lovey-dovey with him”

“Weren’t you lovey-dovey with Minkyung too?” Her forehead wrinkled as Seungcheol started smiling.

“You’re jealous~” Seungcheol couldn’t contain his smile, “Wooh!! Finally!!”

“That doesn’t change the fact that you---“ Seungcheol cut her as he leaned in for a long kiss.

Sujeong almost shrieked in surprise, partly because of the kiss, partly because of the first snow, but his warmth made her calm down. It made her feel a different kind of way.

“I finally got you” Seungcheol whispered into her lips as he leaned in for another one. He tasted her alcohol but that only made him want more.

****

“I said where are you?” Dani asked once again while looking around the venue, sort of hoping he’s still somewhere near or if not, atleast have her meet Mingyu and Yeseul. She knew it isn’t easy to travel wearing a gown like this.

“Why are you asking me?”

“Just tell me! Quick!”

“The midnight market? Why?” He asked completely weirded out.

“The midnight market?!” Dani exclaimed, “O-okay….Stay there”

“What?” Vernon asked. He doesn’t understand what the hell is happening, “Are you drunk?”

She cackled as she heard the most confused voice in the whole world, probably, “Don’t worry, I’m not” She ran towards the nearest bathroom. It’s a good thing her gown is an improvised one, it can be turned into a cocktail dress if she would just remove the lower part.

But this doesn’t mean she doesn’t need to bring it with her. She could only imagine herself riding the bus. Oh, the embarrassment.

But she also knows whatever small sacrifice she’ll be doing right now, her future self would thank the today’s Dani.

After transforming her gown into a cocktail dress, she rushed to the nearest bus stop. The night seems to be on her side, as there aren’t a lot of people and a bus has already found its way there. She wasted no time and rode the vehicle,  the nervousness and excitement with her.

Soon after, she had finally arrived.

Ring Ring

Her phone rang. She answered it right away and talked even before Vernon can, “I’m here! I’m here! Where are you exactly?”

“Just what are you up to?”

“Shhhh I’m the one asking a question! Where are you? Quick! It’s so cold outside!”

“Behind you..” She heard his voice, this time, much closer and felt something envelop her. She turned around and looked at him in awe.

Just seeing her like this made him smile.

“H-hey, it’s cold” She removed the coat that Vernon hung on her, “I have my thick gown with me” she laughed.

“Are you sure?” she nodded as he wore his coat again and then it started snowing.

“Oh! The first snow”

“You’re freezing. Let’s go inside. We could just watch it from there.” Vernon tugged her inside a small café as they sat near the window. “What made you come here?” he asked.

She noticed the two cups of coffee on their table, “You should already know by now! Me coming here and talking a lot like this is such a big hint”

“Well, I’m not sure” He shrugged, “But I’m just hoping that you’d…you know…say you already fell in love with me” he smirked.

Dani shyly nodded her head as he grabbed the cup of coffee.

Vernon grabbed the cup from her and whined, “Hey, what’s that nod supposed to mean?”

Dani sighed, “Do I really have to say it?”

“Of course” he smirked.

“I….finallyrealizedthatiloveyou…”

“What?”

“Ahh” she groaned, “I said I finally realized that I love you!” Her cheeks tinted pink when she had realized she had said this a bit louder, making the other tables look at them. Vernon laughed at her cuteness as he pinched her now pink cheeks.

Dani pouted and added, “I’m sorry I had to think of this a lot.”

“Hey, it’s okay. I thought of this a lot too” he assured her, “How and when did you realize by the way?...Hey! Do you…perhaps…already know that you like me when I was talking to you just a while ago? When I was on the verge of crying?!”

“You were on the verge of crying?” Dani chuckled.

“Wow thanks for laughing. That sure helped a lot with the embarrassment I’m feeling right now” he retorted.

“Hey, I only realized it when I was with Jihoon an hour after we talked.” Dani pucked her lips, “When Jihoon kissed me, I….I could only think of you”

“You kissed him?!”

Dani was flustered at his question. It was a slip of the tongue, “He kissed me!”

“Did you respond?!” he was becoming all serious.

“I…I thought if I did, I wouldn’t be thinking of---“ It was too late to explain, Vernon had already made its way onto her lips.