Tap. Tap. Tap Tap Tap. Tap. Tap.

Jinki’s eyes were focused on his pen hitting the desk, his mind somewhere else from the classroom because of how boring the lecture was. Only 10 minutes in and he felt like ripping his hair out would be a more entertaining and interesting taker upper of his time than this stupid class his advisor told him would look good on his transcript. Then again this was his third class today and it was Monday. He really didn’t know why he did this to himself when he registered last semester. With a huge sigh he dropped his pen completely onto the table and looked around the room for something more interesting. 

There was a couple up in the corner playing grab hands, but he quickly moved his eyes from that. Next came a big soccer player on his phone thinking it wasn’t completely obvious that he was. Everyone knew that no one’s lap could be that interesting. There was two girls giggling about something they were reading on a note the boy behind them tossed to them when the professor’s back was turned. The professor probably couldn’t see the desk in front of him he was so old, so there wasn’t much need for subtlety.

He was just about to give up on finding something interesting when he saw Her. Her legs were crossed up on the seat so that her feet weren’t hanging down like the rest of class. She had a pen between her teeth and her head was in her left hand as she stared down at the middle of the lecture room. He didn’t want to stare and be that creepy guy that made women feel uncomfortable, but something about her made it almost impossible to look away. When the professor stepped away from the chalkboard he was writing on her head lifted from her hand, and the pen was withdrew from so she could write what he had been hiding before he moved. Her short platinum blonde hair was so bright and eye catching, he wondered how he was sure he had never seen her before. Jinki watched fascinated as it fell from behind her ear into her eyes. She finished writing whatever she was writing before pushing her hair behind her ear again and the pen was put back into , held between her teeth as her head moved back to her hand again.

With a sigh he took his attention from her. He figured no matter how boring the class was he should at least take some notes. Especially with that paper due next week that he hadn’t started on. Figures.

Time always moved slow in this class, but it seemed to move just a little bit faster with each time he glanced Her way. He noticed that she had a habit of pushing her glasses up the bridge of her nose each time they slid a little way down towards the tip, but that she always missed the frames and always touched the glass. He was so distracted he didn’t even notice that the professor had dismissed class until the students in the aisle below began to stand up and the girl across from him was blocked from his view. He hummed before flipping his notebook closed and sliding it into his backpack. The girl was gone before he could even think about getting the courage to go talk to her. With a shrug to himself he grabbed his cup of juice and headed to the library to wait for his last class to start in an hour.

Most of the library tables were taken, but he found one near the windows on the far side away from the entrance. He turned to pull out his advanced clinical psych case studies and when he happened to look up there she was sitting at the table next to his. She looked up and gave a soft friendly smile before returning to her work. He just slouched a little in his seat with a happy sigh. He tried not to focus so much on her because one hour of creep was enough for a person, plus these case studies were due next class and he really needed the extra credit points. He put his earbuds in and pushed shuffle to help him focus and not get so distracted.

When he packed away his things and stood to leave she wasn’t sitting at the table anymore.

—–

Wednesday he was fortunate to have both his first two classes canceled. He guessed that was a plus for having the same professor for multiple classes. His body still woke him up at 6 in the morning, but after making sure his alarm was set he went back to sleep for 3 more hours. Might as well use the break between the two to his advantage.

When he got to class his hair was bed hair central and he wasn’t completely sure if his sweats were exactly clean, but he made it there on time, and everyone deserved a bum day. He plopped into his seat and immediately dreaded not skipping this class too as soon as he saw the professor trying to work the projector to no success. However when he saw a flash of bright blonde from his right his dread wasn’t so present anymore. He wondered how someone could look so good in sweats and a hoodie, but somehow she was. His head was in his palm, causing his cheek to be squished up as he sighed. She had tiny pony tails and was the cutest thing, and he had the biggest crush ever on a girl he didn’t have a name for. Was he pathetic? Probably. Did he care? Nope.

He kind of wanted to use the remaining 5 minutes before class started to go ask if he could sit next to her in the seat he knew to be vacant, but then he remembered he looked like he just stepped out of bed and that it probably wasn’t the best first impression to a girl like that. So he doodled little poodles on the margin of his notebook and waited for the monotone hell that was his professor’s lecture to begin. The class period was spent doodling more poodles, but this time with pretty bows on them, taking quick glances at the girl across from him, and very little time was taken for actually paying attention and even less was used to write down what the professor had said.

He waited until most of the people were out of the classroom before he shouldered his backpack and made his way to the cafeteria. He was absolutely starving.

—-

Friday the professor starts the class by telling them he feels like no one is paying attention and are socializing the entire time, so starting Monday the entire class will have to move to a side of the room they weren’t on, surrounded by people they weren’t in the middle of before. Jinki was a little worried over himself when the first thought that came to his mind was that She would move from his direct gaze and he would no longer have her beauty to distract him from the lecture. He was either going to have to talk to her soon or lay in bed and never come out from sheer embarrassment. And he didn’t go to college for 2 years now just to flunk out because of embarrassment.

He told himself he would talk to her after class. That he would leave his stuff where it was and go over and at least ask her what her name was, but the moment the professor dismissed class his legs were being little hoes and not moving him toward her. She was gone before he even made a step. He smacked both his thighs hard with his palms, because damn them to hell.

—-

Monday couldn’t have come quicker it seemed. He felt as if he looked at his watch after his last class and drove home, and the the next morning was Monday again. At least he managed to finish that damn paper before the night before it was due. That was an improvement from last semester. His first class was all about personal motivation, which he felt like he had an empty tank of. The second was positive psychology, and he was positive he was going to nap during the break before his third class.

His alarm almost didn’t wake him up in time to get to class earlier to pick a new seat, but luckily couch land was only a 2 minute walk from his lecture hall. There were only two people in the classroom when he arrived, and they were as far from each other as they could be. After looking around the room once he decided the seat right before him was a good choice. Mainly because his feet hurt from work the night before and he didn’t want to walk more than he needed to. He didn’t pay attention to the people coming in, the poodle he’d been doodling on for a week straight needed more curls on it.

He knew the seat to the right and left of him were still vacant, until a bag hit his right elbow on accident. He looked up startled only for his breathing to stop. There she was, all big eyes and sweet voice saying, “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to hit you.”

“It-it’s okay!” He patted himself on the back for finding his voice.

She beamed at him as he gestured toward the seat. “Do you mind me sitting here?”

“No not at all! I was starting to think I smelled or something since no one was sitting next to me.” He wished a hole would open up and swallow him, but then she was giggling behind her hand in amusement.

“Believe me you don’t smell.” She went to get her things out of her bag, before she was scowling, “Drat.” When she looked up at him he really hoped that it didn’t look like he had been staring at her. “Do you have an extra pen? I must have left mine in my last class.”

“Uh,” He stumbled to find the words before he handed her the pen in his hand. “Yeah use this.”

Her smile was so big and thankful, “You’re a lifesaver.”

“Since I’m a lifesaver mind telling me who’s life I just saved with my pen?”

She was giggling as she held out her hand, “I’m Kim Junghee.”

Ah, Junghee. Such a cute little name for such a cute little woman. He mentally slapped himself to remember to introduce himself and to take her damn hand. What was it with his limbs honestly? Mutiny and ., “I’m Lee Jinki.”

“Oh wait, you’re cute library guy.” Her cheeks turned pink as she withdrew her hand from his and her eyes drifted away from his.

“You think I’m cute?” He blurted out, but before she could answer the professor greeted them loudly from the middle of the room.

It was when he went to pick up his pen he realized he just gave her his only pen. Totally worth it.

Problem with her sitting next to him was that his totally subtle glances at her couldn’t be so subtle anymore. Which . Totally.

Halfway through class he felt a hand on his arm and he tried to not completely malfunction when she leaned over to whisper, “I can’t believe you gave me your last pen! And I chewed on it by habit so please let me take you to the bookstore to buy you another one after this?”

“Sure.” He wasn’t completely sure what made him say that, but it certainly wasn’t his brain. That was short circuited. She looked completely relieved as she turned back in her seat correctly.

What was life honestly?

—–

After class she sat in her seat with her bag all packed waiting for him. It was a completely different turn of things, but he wasn’t about to say he minded. She beamed up at him once he finished zipping up his bag, “Ready to go?” With a nod Jinki shouldered his backpack and let Junghee go before him. He made sure to open the door for her though. His mama would whip him if he forgot his manners because of mental malfunctions. Once outside of the lecture hall she smiled over at him, “Maybe after we could go to the library and you could copy my notes? Since I had the only pen you had to take notes with.”

It took way too much for him to persuade himself that she wasn’t proposing a date, “That’s really sweet of you. Thank you.”

She was so tiny, so so tiny and he loved it. He could put his chin on the top of her head with his back curved. What a perfect little spoon. Wait. Maybe he shouldn’t think about spooning someone he just really met. His mind did it anyway. She picked up two pens and tossed them on the counter once they arrived at the bookstore. She rocked back and forth on her feet while she waited for the cashier to ring up the two items. Once they swiped her student ID, she smiled and thanked them before turning toward him. As they walked out of the doors she held the bag out for him to take. “One for the one I took, and the other for when I need to borrow one again and you’ll still have on to take notes with.”

He squinted at her, “Who says I’ll give you another?”

She hummed, “I have a feeling.”

For some reason a surge of courage bubbled in his tummy and his mouth was moving before his brain could say wait, this is a bad idea. “Junghee, instead of going to copy notes would you want to go get lunch with me? I’m starving.”

Junghee blinked at him, all cute behind her big glasses and fear of rejection was quickly overtaking any ounce of courage he had, but then she was blushing and smiling shyly as she asked, “Are you asking me on a date Jinki?”

“Uh,” He coughed to clear his throat and to gather himself before he gave her his most charming smile. “Yes. Yes I am.”

“Then I’m accepting.” She held out her bent arm with a smile, “Lead the way.”

Jinki was very proud of himself that his legs weren’t being little hoes as he took her arm and led her to the cafe on the corner who had the best croissant sandwiches in the city.

—–