“Congratulations to the third years, you have finally graduated!”

Principle Park Jinyoung announced as the seniors all smiled for photos during this bittersweet moment. They were glad they finally finished high school but they were also going to miss this period of time.

“I still cannot believe besides Im Nayeon, the person who got into Seoul National University was Jackson Wang…” Jungyeon noted as she stood beside Sungjoon for photos, trying to hold her smile even as she gossiped.

“Well, he got a sports scholarship, that’s why,” I responded, “I heard with his fencing achievements, he could have gotten into Stanford if he applied overseas-”

“Okay, let’s stop here. I don’t want to feel any worse about myself,” Jungyeon said, cutting Sungjoon short.

“You are not too shabby yourself! You got into a college in Seoul and will be traveling abroad for a gap year. Sounds pretty solid to me,” I noted, “I am still waiting to hear back.”

“Well, who told you to change subjects at such a short notice,” Jungyeon stated, “But I am proud of you, Sungjoon, for trying to chase a dream at long last.”

“Yeah, my mum wasn’t too happy about me suddenly changing from law to literary arts but she seems to be slowly coming to terms with it. And I have a good feeling about this,” I grinned.

As the third years all begin filing off-stage, I tapped Jungyeon on the shoulder.

“Jungyeon-ah.”

She turned around and looked me in the eye.

“I don’t know what happened earlier this year but you stopped talking to me so much. I am glad we are talking more to each other again.”

The girl I knew since a young age paused for a moment, then broke into the smile I was all so familiar with when she was genuinely happy.

“I am too, Sungjoon. And we will see each other often, even after graduation.”

“Let’s do that.”

“Jimin-ah!”

Jimin was passing the bouquet she prepared to Jinyoung when Jackson called her.

“Can I have a word with you, before you go to the airport?”

Jimin looked at Jinyoung then at Yerin and Yugyeom beside her before nodding, “Yeah sure.”

“What do you want to talk about?” she asked as they found a quiet corner in the hallway.

Suddenly, Jackson found his palms dripping with sweat.
His heart was pounding like a malfunctioning speaker blasting rock music and he wondered if he should back out now.

Then he remembered Jungyeon’s encouragement and took a deep breath.

“So…actually…I’ve liked you for a while…”

Before Jimin could respond with most likely, “I like you too as a friend” Jackson immediately added, “…more, than a friend.”

Jimin’s eyes widened, uncertain of what to say.

“But, I am going to get over you,” Jackson continued, “You and Jinyoung are great together…I just feel like I needed to get this off my chest.”

Jackson looked away from Jimin, merely stealing glances from the edge of his vision to weigh Jimin’s reaction.
After what felt like the longest ten seconds, Jimin smiled.

“Well, I am glad to know more than one guy found me attractive,” Jimin chuckled, patting Jackson on his back, “And our boy has grown up.”

This reaction seemed to have calmed Jackson’s nerves.
“I grew up a long time ago!” he cried, fighting back, “But yeah…we are still friends so if Jinyoung messed with you, just let me and Bambam know!”

“I will, I will,” Jimin muttered, “Also, a piece of advice before I go, you babo!”

“Huh?”

“Next time you like a girl, tell her your feelings confidently and earlier. Not all girls can wait around like Yerin!”

“…Okay.”

“Everything good?”

The two noticed Jinyoung walking towards them from the other side of the hallway.

“Yep!” Jackson responded hastily, “I was just telling Jimin to let us know if you ever make her cry!”

“HA! More like I was giving you relationship advice!”

Jinyoung laughed as the two bickered, dragging them back to the assembly hall.

Little did anyone notice what was crossing Jimin’s mind.

2 Years Ago

“I don’t know what is going on between me and Youngji.”

Jimin sat across Jackson at a coffee shop after school, listening to the boy’s rant on his relationship. “Something just feels…missing.”

“Well…if it’s not working out, you should let her know,” Jimin explained, stirring her coffee, “You should not keep dragging on if it just hurts the both of you.”

“But it is not like I dislike her…” Jackson retorted.

“But you don’t like her enough, right?”

Jackson swallowed hard, “True…”

He then paid the bill and added, “Thanks, Jimin. You are the only person I can rely on during these situations.”

Jimin wondered why she felt warm inside at his comment.

1 Year Ago

“Junior sunbae asked me to go watch a movie with him.”

“He said it’s just a friendly hangout and I shouldn’t think too much..”

“What does that even mean? ¯\_(-,-)_/¯”

“Guys are straightforward…right? :3”

“Come on. Give me some advice.”

“You say you know all about this sort of stuff…or so you say -_-;”

“Like seriously what is this?!”

Jimin sighed and typed something before deleting it again.

“Should I go?”

Jimin was glad she agreed on Jinyoung’s date.
They’re really happy together.
But sometimes she wondered what...what would have happened if Jackson acted earlier.
That babo-

“Hey, they are announcing the results for the new student president!”

Bambam excitedly pointed towards the stage.
I knew he would care since he was part of the campaign team but he seemed to be in higher spirits than he usually even was in.

Principal Park Jinyoung once again graced the stage. “I have the results right here in this envelope in my hands.”

He slowly opened the envelope and paused awfully long to build suspense.
He then looked up at the audience and gave his signature smile.

“And the student president for next school year at Jinyoung High School is…”

Everyone looked with anticipation.
Jungyeon turned towards Nayeon who seemed strangely disinterested about the upcoming announcement.
Bambam and Jae were all clenching their fists. I even noticed Sana from afar looking on in anticipation.

“…PARK JIHYO!”

Just as my eyes met the girl in question, the assembly hall erupted into cheers.

Jihyo was quickly enveloped by the crowd, making it hard for me to see her but I was sure she was smiling as wide as she could, her eyes twinkling.
She high-fived those in her path and made her way onto stage.

“Thank you! Thank you! I still cannot believe I made it…” she spoke with her usual loud and confident voice, although it seemed to shake somewhat under the outpouring of emotions she must be feeling inside, “I would like to thank my parents for almost supporting my many interests, Jihyun and Jiyoon for being the best dongsaengs ever, my campaign team…oh god this is sounding an awful lot like a thank you-speech at MAMA awards, isn’t it?!”

The audience laughed at how adorably awkward Jihyo was being on stage.

“…anyways, thank you to everyone who helped me along the way…especially the boy who kept asking me for Maths help,” Jihyo went on before pausing.

I blinked at the mention of the last boy.

“I know you didn’t need Maths help at all. But during a time when I was bullied at school, and nobody would be friends with me, let alone vote for me to be student president…it was good knowing someone wanted to talk to me…for being me. Thank you.”

The crowd cheered again as Jihyo left stage, not knowing what she meant at the end besides it being some sort of sweet gesture.
Jungyeon nudged me as I sat deep in thought.

“Are you going to leave a girl hanging?”

“Huh?”

Jihyo was surrounded by a crowd of well-wishers in the hallway when I found her.

“Hey,” I said, ruffling my hair awkwardly.

“Hey,” she replied, her bright eyes making contact with mine.

“Free for a chat…?”

“GUYS! Sungjoon and Jihyo are speaking ALONE!” Jimin cried, “In a classroom right now!”

“Um…what?!” Chaeyoung noted.
She felt both a mixture of amusement and alarm and wondered why she was feeling both instead of only alarm.

“Um…shouldn’t we give them some…space?!” Dahyun suggested, earning nods from both Yugyeom and Yerin.

“Unless you are at the wrong place during the wrong time…” Tzuyu said, stealing a look at the direction of Mina and Sana, “There is really no reason to eavesdrop.”

“Wow, your Korean has improved a lot! You know how to say eavesdrop!” Jackson exclaimed.

“Because I actually study Korean instead of pulling pranks and other stupid things,” Tzuyu noted, with targeted glances at Jackson and Bambam.

“Okay, I take that back,” Jackson mumbled, “I missed when you did not speak that much Korean.”

“Well enough of this! I am going to check out this Jihyo-Sungjoon stuff. I live for this drama,” Bambam laughed, heading towards the classroom Jimin located.

“I don’t like this,” Mina muttered as Momo ate some cupcakes she saved from the graduation buffet.
She turned to Sana standing near her as they watched Bambam and Jimin acting excited in the hallway ahead of them, “Are you…okay?”

“It’s fine,” Sana replied with a smirk, “I am not that weak.”

“You did fall for some guy just because of lots of accidental skinship…” Momo began, earning a kick from Sana.

“If you want me to stop asking you what is happening between you and Mina,” Sana said, staring harshly at the girl eating loads, “Then. Stop. Pestering. Me.”

Mina giggled and Sana shot her a “I don’t even know what you see in Momo” look.

“Hey,” Jackson said, patting Jungyeon on the back, “Are you okay with this?”

“Uhuh,” the girl with short hair responded calmly.

“You made me go talk to Jimin. Are you not going to say anything to Sungjoon?”

“Nah, there’s nothing to say. I’m not like you. I don’t mope around during class and stuff over these things,” she laughed, “I don’t need to say it to the person to get over them.”

She followed Bambam and Jimin as they hurried to the classroom.

“Plus, won’t it be hilarious to tell Sungjoon years later in some reunion and make him feel bad? I can’t wait to see the look on his face when he finds out!”

“Thanks for mentioning me at the end of your acceptance speech.”

Jihyo blushed at this comment, “…well you deserved the mention…for helping me throughout these two years.”

“At first…I helped you mainly just because...I couldn’t stand the bullies. But over time I found out I wanted to help you, because it was you,” I stuttered, coughing a bit to regain my composure, “It would be a lie to say they didn’t like you.”

Jihyo looked as if she was about to say something but I continued, “…but I can’t commit to anything right now.”

I noticed the confusion I expected on Jihyo’s face but I had to be honest with her. “After what happened with Sana, I know I can’t just jump into a relationship again. I need to think things through…I care about you and I don’t want to hurt you.”

A more immature person who have probably lashed out at my response but Jihyo halted for a bit before nodding seriously at what I have just said.

I reached into my pocket, “So you know how in animes the boy gives the girl he likes the second button from the top of his jacket because it is the button closest to his heart?”

I pulled out half a button that I have cut at home earlier that day.
“I cannot give you a full button now and I don’t expect you to wait for me. You are a great girl and deserve great things. If I never have the chance to give you the other half of the button, I wish you can still have this half to remember the boy who asked you maths questions.”

“WHAT IS THIS ?”

We both turned around and saw Jungyeon, Jackson, Bambam, Jimin, Chaeyoung and Dahyun all peering through the classroom windows.
The voice came from Bambam who was frowning hard.

“Wait, is that it??” Jimin added, clearly unsatisfied with the show she was aiming to watch.

But what those guys thought did not matter.
Because Jihyo and I knew that our story was not ending there.

Holding half the button, Jihyo walked to the door and turned before she left saying, “I will see you again, sunbae.”