“You want…to go with me?” she repeated.

“Sure,” he confirmed, putting his hands on the pockets of his trousers. “I don’t have anything else to do anyway and there are a lot of things I want to ask you.”

Her brows furrowed. “Like what?”

He stepped toward her and grabbed her hand. “Aish, come on and let’s get going. You’ll be late for dinner if you would just stand there. We’ll talk about it on our way to the grocery.”

Her eyes widened in shock as he held her hand in his and casually walked out of the theater with her. It was a good thing the campus was nearly deserted as most of the students already left.

But they met some on their way out of the school’s gates and the girls who could identify Jonghyun raised their eyebrows curiously and threw an appraising look at Sunyoung.

She bowed her head as a pair of girls began to whisper to one another. She could almost guess what they were whispering about. What was this ordinary-looking, nerdy girl doing, holding hands with one of the most popular and wanted boys in the campus?

“Annyeong, Jonghyun oppa!” the girls greeted him, giggling.

“Why, hello, beauties,” he grinned at them, though he continued on his way with Sunyoung in tow.

“Omo, who’s that girl?”

“His new girlfriend? Is his taste deteriorating?”

“I look so much prettier than her.”

Sunyoung rolled her eyes as she heard the murmurs behind her back. Prettier? Those girls were dreaming. Sunyoung looked better than them even when her face wasn’t made up and theirs were. Suddenly, she wound her arm and entwined it with Jonghyun’s. Then she turned at the two girls and smirked.

You may think what you like. It doesn’t change the fact that I’m the girl he’s with right at the moment and not any of you.

They glared at her, annoyance evident on their faces.

Jonghyun looked down at her, his face concerned as she turned back around and stared ahead. He mistook Sunyoung’s sudden clinging to him as seeking comfort and sympathy from what the girls has just said about her.

“Ignore them. You are so much better than them, you know that don’t you?” he said, trying to comfort her. He had also heard the girls’ snide remarks and he worried that it might not do good to Sunyoung’s self-esteem, small as it is. He had observed her to be shy, timid and insecure and he couldn’t understand that because she is so talented.

“That’s not a problem at all, Jonghyun-ssi…” she grinned.

He smiled wider, happy that she was gradually coming out of her shell. “Good,” he patted her back.

As they went past the gate Jonghyun began to chuckle.

“There’s a grocery store within walking distance, right? I don’t have a ride since my sister is using our car right now,” he explained. “These days I just hitch a ride with Minho and I knew that boy has already left hours ago.”

“That’s okay,” Sunyoung answered, suddenly aware that her arm was still hooked with his. “We can walk, or take the bus,” she casually removed her arm from his and distanced herself from him.

He didn’t seem to notice her awkwardness and if he did he didn’t mention it.

“Minho was in a hurry this afternoon so that he could catch up with your friend. He was hoping he could give her a ride home,” he said after a few seconds of silence between them, his tone conversational.

So, does Jonghyun want to talk to her because of Minho? He wants to ask Sunyoung about Krystal? She felt disappointed, but immediately she told herself it was okay. At least he’s with her and he was talking to her.

Jonghyun eyed her as he continued talking. “Krystal told him that she will be staying to help a friend practice on singing. That friend was you, I suppose?”

She nodded.

“Minho offered to wait, but your friend insisted that he just go home. I think she was a little annoyed,” he paused, glancing at Sunyoung, waiting for her to counter what he just said about Krystal being annoyed.

But she didn’t. True, it was something that would annoy Krystal- a boy bugging her.

“I was wrong,” Jonghyun said when she didn’t react.

She turned confused eyes to him.

He frowned. “I thought she was a little annoyed, but seeing you at the theater alone this afternoon, I realized how Krystal has lied to Minho just so she could get away from him. It’s not hard to figure out that Krystal disliked Minho so much,” he concluded. He shook his head. “Poor dongsaeng. Might as well tell him to move on.”

Sunyoung shook her head adamantly. “No, no, you got it wrong. Krystal really was supposed to stay with me as I practice. But her sister asked her…rather ordered her to go shopping with her and of course she couldn’t say no.”

Jonghyun raised an eyebrow then smiled. “Oh, so that’s it. I shouldn’t have jumped to conclusions,” his smile disappeared and his brows furrowed once again. “Still, that doesn’t change the fact that she seems to dislike my friend.”

She frowned, too. “I guess? She dislikes not just Minho but all the boys that pay attention to her in general. She’s not exactly a man-hater or anything like that…just that, she’s not interested,” she explained honestly.

Jonghyun chuckled. “Seems like Minho has to work harder than we thought,” he grinned wickedly. “Ah, I’d love to see how that boy would try to win your friend.”

Sunyoung giggled. “Oh, she’ll soon come around, I hope. I sincerely like him for her. Minho is such a nice and good-looking guy.”

“You think so?”

She nodded.

He assisted her, cupping her elbow as they crossed the street. “How about me, Sunyoung-ssi? Do you find me nice and good-looking as well?”

She was caught off-guard by his question. She froze and turned shocked eyes to him. It was a good thing they already reached the other side of the street or she would have stopped right in the middle of the street until they got caught in the midst of traffic…which, really, would be both ridiculous and embarrassing.

He looked back at her, his grin mischievous. “Ah, look at you. You’re blushing,” he pinched her cheek lightly and she went redder.

“I’m just kidding, Sunyoung-ssi,” he said after a moment, his eyes dancing with mirth.

“Oh, but I do,” she blurted out.

“What?”

“I do think,” she looked down shyly and bit her lower lip. “You’re nice and good-looking,” she finished, her voice faint.

He smiled. He had often heard that said to him, and he would usually hear so much more praises and flattering words than what she had just said. But she said it to him so sincerely that it tugged at his heart. He didn’t know why he was genuinely flattered.

“Thank you.”

Sunyoung dared a glance at him as they went on walking. He was still grinning and somehow, the look on his face made her feel giddy. The ‘she wants to shout and sing and dance’ sort of giddy.

She couldn’t wait to tell Krystal about this day. This is her luckiest and best day ever. Maybe this would be a start of a friendship between her and Jonghyun, and who knows if he might see something in her that he could like? Who knows if he would fall in love with her the moment he gets to know her better?

Oh, that would be the day! You dream too much, Park Sunyoung. Get a grip of yourself.

But how can she help not thinking about the possibilities if she’s spending her afternoon with Kim Jonghyun like this? Besides, a girl can dream.

“Here we are…” Jonghyun said, stopping in his tracks. He then whipped his head and looked at Sunyoung with a puzzled expression as she continued past the grocery store with a small smile playing on her lips.

“Err…Sunyoung-ssi?”

Sunyoung stopped walking and turned around to where Jonghyun was standing. “I think the nearest store from here is a couple of blocks away and a little too far already.”

She blushed. She was too lost in her thoughts and daydreams to ever notice that they reached the grocery store.

“Oh…yes, I forgot, sorry,” she giggled awkwardly before stepping back toward Jonghyun.

He smiled. “That’s okay,” he opened the door to the store and stepped aside to let her pass.

“After you,” he gestured to the door with his hand and bowed.

Sunyoung giggled again, this time sounding a little high.

“So, why exactly are you practicing? Is there some contest you wish to join in?” Jonghyun asked Sunyoung as he followed her down an aisle.

She shook her head. “Well…it’s the drama club. I’ll be auditioning for the lead.”

He whistled. “Wow,” he said, if only to encourage her. The truth was that he never paid much attention to the drama club before. He could find no pretty girls there…well, except for Krystal Jung, but she just joined the club that year and she was actually off-limits to Jonghyun since Minho wants her for himself.

He studied Sunyoung’s profile as she stopped by a shelf full of eggs and pulled out a crate with a dozen eggs. He admits he didn’t really notice her until that time he heard her singing. She was too plain for his taste. But now as he stared at her he thinks she’s really cute, if only she would dress herself and present herself a little more differently.

He pursed his lips as she walked down the aisle toward the cashier holding the crate of eggs. “So, what is the drama club doing this time? I presume there’s some singing involved?”

She nodded. “We will be doing a musical this time. It would be the Phantom of the Opera.”

“Interesting,” he remarked, meaning it.

She turned to him. “It is? Really?”

“Yes,” he grinned at her.

Sunyoung bit her lower lip as she hesitated. But after a few seconds, she took a deep breath and boldly asked, “Do you want to watch?”

“Is the drama club also holding auditions for the other characters as well? Can anyone in the school join?” he asked.

She nodded in response, not really understanding why he asked that instead of answering her question. Maybe he was trying to avoid answering so that he will not hurt her feelings because his answer would be no?

“Well, then,” his grin went wider as he put his hands inside the pocket of his pants. “I think I’m not just going to watch it. I want to audition for the role of the phantom.”

Sunyoung’s eyes widened as she let out a gasp.

@_lovesepheni: I really love the poster you made, thank you very much, but I have no idea how to post it in my fanfic without the direct link. Can you help me again? :(