As it turns out, Heechul's classmate has the song on loop. The bus has stopped for over three times already. They had paid and gotten their tickets. Finally, she turned the music off and turned to him.

Heechul tried his best to act and feel normal. But he was sure his heart suddenly sped up. She was the one sitting next to the window, so he didn't have any way to escape or what. Unless he was to get off at the next stop and ride another bus.

But it turns out that she was fixing her scarf. It got tangled up with the cord of her headphones.

After that, he could breathe normally again. She didn't put her headphones back on. She just looked out the window. It was a pretty sight. There was snow everywhere. Surely, Christmas was fast approaching. You could practically feel it even if you only stood out on the pavement.

Heechul looked at his watch. He had about an hour and a half until he gets off the bus. He didn't know about her. So, in a way, it was now or never.

Heechul cleared his throat for the umpteenth time.

"Hi." He said.

"Yes?" She answered.

Heechul lost himself in the dark brown eyes and the full eyelashes behind the round glasses. Deep, deep breaths, Kim Heechul. Deep breaths.

"I'm Heechul. We're classmates in Seoul University." Heechul held out his hand. Just one touch.

“Oh yeah, I remember you.” She said with a smile. “Hi, I’m Kathleen, but you can call me Kath.” She held out her hand and shook his.

“It’s a fairly big class, so it’s quite hard to be familiar with everyone.” Heechul replied.

“I know. I can’t even memorize the names yet. Except for my group mates for the term project. You?”

“Well, I’m good with my group, too. But the rest of the class, not so much.”

“I might suggest that we wear nametags, though.”

“We’ll look like kids!”

“I know! Really cute kids.” She laughed loudly. “Sorry. I just imagined the class acting like kids and all.”

“It’s fine. Laughter’s good for you anyway.”

“So I’ve heard.” Kath fixed her scarf again. “I hardly see you in school, though. Do you have a lot of vacant periods?”

“Hmm? Oh, not really. Sometimes I just forget what’s on my schedule.” Heechul admitted.

“Really? But it’s almost half of the semester already.” Kath stopped herself from laughing. Forgetting your schedule isn’t really much fun, especially if it concerns your majors. “Maybe you need someone to help you with that.”

“I know. I’ve asked Hangeng and Siwon to remind me, but sometimes they forget to do that.”

“Why not ask Ryeowook or Sungmin? They’re quite organized.”

“I haven’t really thought of asking them.” Heechul said with a laugh. “But I will, though. Thanks for the suggestion.”

“No problem.” Kath played with the cord of her headphones.

“So, you like Super Junior?”

“Like? I love them! Proud ELF, Heechul.” Kath said. And for further proof, she held up her I.D. Yup, sapphire blue key chains hung from it. “They’re pretty awesome.”

“I can see that. It’s just that I heard one of their songs playing on your phone earlier.”

“Oh my, that means the volume’s all the way up again. My brother will scold me when I get home.” Kath said with a pout. An adorable pout.

And then Heechul thought of how she’d look like if she did aegyo.

“You have a brother? Is he older than you?”

“Yup!” She answered cheerfully. “He picks on me a lot, but I know deep down, he loves me.”

“I bet you do a lot of aegyo to make peace with him.”

“As a matter of fact, I don’t. But if I have to, then yes, it happens.”

“Can I see?” Heechul asked innocently. But mentally, he was preparing himself to withstand whatever she could come up with.

So Kath put her hands up to her cheeks, pouted, and in her cute aegyo voice:

“Oppa~”

“Omo! You’re so cute! I’m sure your brother would never be able to resist you.” Heechul said happily. But his heart was doing cartwheels. She was too adorable.

“Thanks! At first it irritates him, but he likes it, so it’s a winning situation for me.” Kath said proudly. “Where’s your stop, by the way?”

“Just three more stops, why? Near the old temple.”

“Do you get off near the red-roofed supermarket near the fountain?”

“Right about there, yup.”

“Really? That’s cool, I get off there, too!”

“What a coincidence!” Heechul said with surprise. But who was he kidding, he watched her walk down that street lots of times. Twice a day for the past month, to be exact. “Really a coincidence.”

“So maybe we can ride the bus home together more often, right?”

“That’d be great.”

“Great!” Kath smiled widely at him.

Stop making my heart melt, Kath.

True to his word, three more stops and they were getting off of the bus. Heechul walked in a leisurely pace, but not really trailing behind Kath. She kept looking over to see if he was still with her. And then she stopped in front of a house with a small garden at the front.

“This is my house. It was fun talking with you, Heechul. I’ll see you in school, yeah?”

“Yeah. See you. Have a good rest.” Heechul said.

“Here, let me give you my number. That way, you can also ask me about the class schedule. We wouldn’t want you to fail due to absences, right?”

“Sure thing.” Heechul got out his phone and handed it to her. “Thanks, really.”

“You’re welcome.” Kath returned the phone to him. “Do you live nearby?”

“Yup. Just at the next street.”

“Good. Goodnight, then.” Kath waved at him and went inside her house.

Heechul heard faint sounds of bickering inside. Her brother must be home. Heechul could go home in peace now.

“I love bus rides!” Heechul said as he pumped his fist in the air.