I had made Howon promise that he would never ever tell a single person about me having a crush on Jongin sunbae because if he did, I can’t guarantee his safety around me. His head will not be the only thing rolling if he just as much as whisper to another soul about it. He promised me that he wouldn’t tell but he sure did tease me a lot about it.

Sadly for me, I don’t really see Jongin sunbae around often except at the football field because he was a year older and our classes are different. Sometimes I would see him at the hallways and he would flash a smile at me. That million-dollar smile that I admire so much, it has caused me to blush unconsciously every time he smiles at me. I mean, who wouldn’t? The hottest guy in school was smiling at me, the most average person on earth.

That was just how I spent my first year of high school. Secretly crushing on the most popular guy in school, which every other girl seemed to have a crush on as well. Nothing else special really happened in the first year of high school and everyday was pretty much the same. Just us bickering everyday while Sunggyu would help mediate the situation and Bomi just laughing at the sidelines. She sure knew how to handle Woohyun and Howon because the both of them had never messed with her before. I wonder what sort of magic she had in her that made those two so polite.

Anyways, before the second year started, Sunggyu had begun working again. This time, he told me to keep it a secret from the others because every time we met up during the holidays, Sunggyu would be working. I had to make up all sorts of excuses to prevent those nosy boys from asking too many questions. Only our dear Yoon Bomi trusted me that Sunggyu was busy and she didn’t question me at all.

“Yah, aren’t you my girlfriend, how come it sounds like you’re Sunggyu’s girlfriend now? Are you cheating on me with my best friend?!” Woohyun had faked a dramatic scene; gosh he is such a drama queen. As usual, I smacked him on the head and told him sternly that Sunggyu couldn’t make it. Period.

Our noisy winter break soon ended with us spending a whole lot of time at my place and sometimes Woohyun’s place. Howon and Sunggyu’s place were out of bounds for you-know-what reasons but surprisingly, Bomi has never invited us over to her place and I’ve always wondered how her place is like. She seemed like an average person, not super wealthy or super poor. She’s just like me, average. Therefore, I really wonder how her house would be like. Would it be similar to Woohyun’s and mine? Or something different? Plus, she had an older brother that neither of us had met before and we were all curious as to how he looks like. Although they guys kept blaming it on me, saying that I was the one who wanted to see how he looks like. I swear in all honesty, Howon and Woohyun are the most curious ones.

Speaking of average, your very average girl somehow had some sort of not-so-average luck in her second year of high school. Well, that luck lasted for a short while but I guess it was still better than nothing. Jongin sunbae was in his last year but somehow I saw him along the hallways more often than not. The best thing was, we even had small talks due to the basketball guys. Well, some of the basketball guys were in the same year as Jongin sunbae and I gradually got to know most of them. Yoon Doojoon was the captain of the basketball tam and he was the one who would never stop teasing me with Woohyun. Together with Yong Junhyung, the vice captain, they make a formidable duo but they’re both horrible people for their constant teasing. That was how Jongin sunbae thought I was dating Woohyun, because they were friends.

Basically, the basketball guys will be our topic of small talk and I really treasure those moments I actually get to see him and talk to him before I have to go for class. My heart beats rapidly whenever I’m around him and I’m pretty sure, I was harbouring the largest crush on him. His smile makes me blush and his gaze makes me squeal. Sometimes, I wonder how I’m able to even have small talk with him.

I soon figured out Jongin sunbae and his good friend, Oh Sehun’s timetable, which they would be at the lockers at a specific timing on Tuesdays. After my lesson ends at that timing, I would make a dash out of class to the locker area and wait for them to appear, as though it was by chance but actually I was desperate to meet Kim Jongin. Bomi had gotten used to me running away after class but she never asked why and I never told her either. Howon had it figured it out because he said my actions were really obvious that I like him.

“Yah, why don’t you just confess to him already.” Howon said as he popped out of nowhere.

“Ommo! Can you stop being such a ninja, my heart is about to pop right out of my rib cage when you scare me like that.” I held my hand to my chest to calm my beating heart. He really did give me a shock right there. “Besides, I don’t want him to know about it so why should I confess?”

“Well, he has a lot of girls surrounding him so he doesn’t lack suitors. If you don’t tell him soon, he might just start dating one of them.” Howon shrugged as he went down the hallway to meet Woohyun and Sunggyu. I stood there at my locker, contemplating about what he had said. It was true, Jongin sunbae had a lot of girls flocking around him. They were pretty as well, much prettier than I am anyways. I sighed as I looked at him and his bestie Oh Sehun head to the lockers. I might as well just give up.

“Oh! Yoojin!”

That familiar voice called out just as I was about to turn and leave. “Neh sunbae?”

“Are you heading to the bleachers to draw again this afternoon?” Jongin sunbae asked with a smile on his face. Oh Sehun was right behind him, giving me a smirk. I just nodded meekly in response to his question.

“I’ll see you there then.” He gave me his warm smile that could melt my heart in an instant and I felt the heat creeping up my cheeks as I smiled back shyly. “Oh and don’t forget your boyfriend’s water bottle.” He laughed as he walked down the hallway with his best friend.

The smile on my face faded immediately. “He’s not my boyfriend!” I shouted back at him just so he knows. I have to make it clear to Kim Jongin that Nam Woohyun is not my boyfriend and will never be. Seems like Yoon Doojoon and Yong Junhyung has influenced him to tease me as well. Aish, those two are such troublemakers.

“Who’s not your boyfriend?” Bomi asked as she hooked her arm through mine and the both of us walked to class together. I gave her a look, signaling to her that I don’t want to talk about this rumour anymore but Bomi could only smile. She is such a sweet girl.

For the rest of junior year, time seemed to pass really quickly. Even so, the five of us still hung out almost everyday and we would sometimes even have dinner at my place. My mom is a good cook and I can proudly say that my friends love my mother’s cooking too.

It was as though the year had passed too smoothly and everything was too perfect to be true. There’s always this saying that once you get too happy, life always finds a way to screw you up. Okay, it may not be a real saying but it’s probably true anyways. The year had almost been perfect, with me drawing several drawings in the art club that were recognized by the club president, Woohyun and Sunggyu’s basketball team had made it to the finals of their competition and had won, Howon was selected to participate in our school’s annual carnival to perform. The annual carnival was usually for seniors to perform and showcase their works but sometimes, really talented individuals get selected even if they aren’t seniors. Howon was one of those really talented ones. Bomi, I wasn’t too sure what she had been doing in her club but she seemed happy and I was happy for her too.

As I was saying, the year has been too perfect but there will always be something that screws up everybody’s happiness. The year was quickly ending and that also means that the seniors were graduating. Once Jongin sunbae graduates, I wont be able to see him anymore. I probably won’t even keep in touch with him because we didn’t even exchange numbers. The thought of it just made me sad because I want to still be able to have small talk with my crush along the hallways, even if it was just for awhile. It made me happy.

I was in my own room, sighing. The other person lying on my room floor kept flipping his comic and was annoyed at my constant release of air. “Stop sighing will you? You’ll get older easily.”

“Why can’t you just read your comic and ignore me.” I kicked his leg, seeing him sprawled out on the floor.

“Aish, Jung Yoojin! Can you be less violent?” He whined.

“Yah, Lee Howon, it’s not like you don’t have a home, so why are you always here?” It was true though, Howon would be hanging out in my room for almost five out of seven days in a week. He didn’t have a curfew and even if he did, he would break it anyways. There was just no stopping Lee Howon from doing what he wants to do.

“I like your house better anyways.” He said quietly and continued reading his comic. Sometimes, Howon would even stay over at my place and he would sleep in my room therefore, I have a mattress, pillow and blanket ready for him whenever he wants to. Even though we are teens now, my parents were okay with him sharing the same room as me. We grew up together and he’s stayed over so many times it doesn’t really bother my parents anymore. They love him like a son they never had and trusted him not to do anything funny. They would always tell Howon that he should tell them if I did anything to him. Like I would do anything to that piece of garbage.

“What’s up with the sighs?” Howon was still keeping his eyes on his comic book and I decided that I should tell him about what’s bothering me right? Because he’s the only one who knows.

I sat down on my floor with him and closed his comic book, getting his attention on me. “Kim Jongin is graduating soon. I won’t be able to see him anymore and I don’t even have his number.” I said pathetically. At that time, I didn’t think I was pathetic but looking back, gosh I was super pathetic.

Which is why Howon just laughed. Here I am worried about my future with my crush and he just laughed?! That little brat.

“You’re so funny Jinnie, which is why I forgive you for disrupting my reading.” He laughed and ruffled my hair. “This is why I said you should tell him.”

I stared at this maniac in my room. “You really think I should tell him?”

“Jin-ah,” Howon sat up from his sprawling position and put his large palms on my shoulders. “If he likes you too, then great, you guys can start dating and all but if he doesn’t, he’ll just graduate and you’ll never have to see him again. Isn’t this the right time to tell him?”

Slowly, this maniac in my room doesn’t seem like a maniac anymore. As his words started making sense in my head, Howon sounded like a genius instead. Why didn’t I think of this before? He was right, now was the perfect time to tell him because it was now or never.

Which was why I decided to pluck up my courage and confess to him just a week before his graduation. A week was enough to hide from him if he rejected me and made things awkward between us. Besides, I wasn’t really intending on telling him straight in the face, I had decided to write a letter to him instead, letting him know how I felt. That way, even I he doesn’t feel the same, I could still save myself from an embarrassment.

Besides just a simple letter, I had decided to bake him some cupcakes as well. It was meant to be an early graduation gift. I know my baking skills aren’t up there, as I said, I’m an average girl with very average skills, meaning I have yet to find something I’m really good at. But I’m pretty confident in my baking skills. Plus, Woohyun and Sunggyu were my lab rats since we were in middle school. Howon, on the other hand, has no liking for sweet stuff so he’s never really eaten my bakes before. His loss, not mine.

That day, I had packed a box of cupcakes nicely, together with a handwritten letter and was planning on giving it to Jongin sunbae as a form of ‘early graduation gift’. The letter was basically a love letter I’ve written for him. Thinking back, it was actually my first ever love letter. He should be honoured.

“Who are the cupcakes for?” Woohyun kept bugging me on the way to school because he wanted to know but luckily there was Howon, who thought of an excuse for me. “She decided to be grateful and baked some cupcakes for her friends. Wow, she finally got some sense in her hasn’t she?” Howon then dragged Woohyun into the school gates without even giving Woohyun a chance to speak. Sunggyu then walked next to me and stared at me with his eyebrow raised. He was waiting for me to actually clarify but I decided to avoid him as well. “Oh, would you look at the time, I promised to meet my friends before lessons. Bye Gyu!” And I ran off without looking back even though he called my name.

Bomi was nowhere to be seen and I had to give these cupcakes away before she came and throw me more questions.

Just then, from afar, came my Prince Charming. He walked with spring in his steps and he had this glow behind him. Maybe it was just me but he was glowing. As usual, his bestie followed behind him like a loyal servant and so I couldn’t even speak to him alone.

“Sunbaenim!” I quickly ran up to him and held up the box of cupcakes. My confession letter was placed in the box as well. “Here’s an early graduation gift!” I could feel myself blushing as I looked away from his face. I didn’t even dare meet eyes with Oh Sehun but I could hear him chuckle in the background.

My heart was beating so fast I thought I was going to have a heart attack when I felt my arms lighten. Looking up, I saw Jongin sunbae holding the box of cupcakes as he flashed me his usual charming smile that was so on point. “Thanks Yoojin.” He then walked away with Oh Sehun and I couldn’t even see where they went because I was frozen in place.

Kim Jongin sunbaenim just took my box of cupcakes! He took them! He’s going to be reading the letter! I was squealing internally in my head even though I was standing there frozen in place on the outside. It was like fireworks in my head. I couldn’t even hear the buzz surrounding me. One thing I know for sure was that, my heart was beating so fast it was popping out of my chest. I am so completely in love with Kim Jongin. 

Because I updated my other fic, I thought I should update this one too!! ^^ Here's a chapter about Yoojin's first crush! I think most of us has probably experienced this before. Crushing on the most popular guy in school just becuase he was the hottest, or coolest, or the most popular one. It was such a fantasy to be dating one of those guys hahahaha. We were probably really dumb and naive back then to even be crushing on those popular guys hahaha. We were young then, what do we know about love? 

Anyways, I hope you guys like this chapter and those Myungsoo stans please be patient, Myungsoo will definitely appear and have a huge part to play becuase he is one of the main characters. Just hang in there a little longer!!! 

Love you all for the generous support and love for this fic! I love my readers just as much too!!!