If I thought I could escape Luhan’s claws, I was wrong.

The boy had been nothing but a stubborn rat around me. Everywhere I went he seemed to know. He popped up anywhere, still convincing me to go on a date with him—at every given opportunity. Sometimes he even asked in the corridors, at broad daylight, and I’d find myself get embarrassed after being seen by the students and teachers in a dance to avoid him. Especially the teachers! Oh! They even thought we were courting that my cheeks heated up in insufferable embarrassment all because of the likes of Luhan.

Luhan, however, seemed pleased at all the attention he was getting. They were saying he was admirable for going out of his way to profess his feelings without getting embarrassed and I knew it was making him perk up in pride all the time. Boys these theys were not typically this bold and open. They most likely chose the more discreet way of courting—where they go down a dark corridor and do whatever things I couldn’t imagine without thinking of a label about their relationship with a girl! It was that terrible. I couldn’t imagine myself in the same secret relationship—if there was even going to be one.

But not in a million years. I doubted I would have one.

I hated and liked the feeling of being chased by him.

Liked it, because a part of me felt my heart racing at the attention he was giving. For somehow, I found myself looking at a very miniscule part of me that used to be a fan of fairytales, unicorns, princes and princesses and then made me realize—after such a long, long time—that after all I was still a girl. A girl that sometimes thought what it was like to love. What was it like to be loved?

But I mostly, hated it. Because he was causing me to be placed in a very tight spot, which somehow made me rise into a different level of fame—these days the girls sneer, glare and look me up and down probably wondering what the golden boy had seen in me. If they only knew, I was rather the most curious of them all.

It was still a question to me why Luhan, of all people, liked me. I didn’t get it. I just couldn’t find a reason why he would. It was very ridiculous. He and I were not close. The only link we had was Sehun and he wasn’t even a real link; for I was a fake.

“Why don’t you just say yes, Mimi? It’s just one day. I just need one day from you!” Luhan said, whining as I went around him, sweeping the floor of my classroom.

Today, I was left monitor of the class. I knew I was not the only one, Lisa was too, along with many others. But for some reason they had to be going somewhere together in an after school activity and I let them, not really wanting to argue, though I thought they were only ganging up on me. Secretly wanting to punish me since, I knew, they didn’t like me even from the beginning. I knew it just by noticing the way they looked at me with disdain sometimes.

Luhan came tumbling in the classroom, pouting, a few minutes ago. He grabbed a broom and swept dirt on the floor with me, trying to win my favor. But I was not caving in anytime soon. He could do everything, but I’d say nothing.

“Please?” He pouted again. Although, it was cute, I couldn’t dare say yes. His offer was just too suspicious. “It’s just a date! I just want to be alone with you for one day!” I made a face, looking at him incredulously. He must have realized the horror of what he just said that he waved his hands wildly in front of him, saying, “It’s not like what you’re thinking! I mean, I-I don’t take advantage of little girls. I just thought I want to know you better. Please?” He was twiddling strands of his hair in between his fingers. It was really cute.

I stopped, sighing. He looked up at me, eyes blazing with hope when for the first time I stopped what I was doing to look at him. He grinned, anticipating for me to give in. But I wasn’t. Not yet. Not ever.

“Why are you so eager to bring me to that ridiculous date, sunbaenim?” I breathed out, exhausted.

“Don’t say it’s ridiculous! It hurts me, you know.” I said a soft apology that he smiled about. His smiles were really lovely I could hardly stare for long, that even when he had it as he stood in front of me, I looked elsewhere.

Someone else could have fallen for his charm like this so easily. But I wasn’t.

“Why do you ask me, anyway, why I want to bring you to that date?” he asked, grinning.

I stepped back. He mimicked with a step forward. I was holding the broom in front of me with both hands atop the stick to make sure he kept his distance. It stood as a warning that if he attempted anything I was more than willing to hit him with it.

“Because…” I gulped, trying to escape his claws again. “It’s just suspicious. Suddenly o-out of the blue you say you li-like me and all. That’s j-just so—“

“How could it be suspicious?” He moved another step forward.

I stepped back another time, looking back at the chair behind me. “Be-because you barely know me.”

He bellowed in laughter, his eyes crinkling.

“What’s so funny,” I muttered, furrowing my eyebrows at him.

He shook his head, answering my question. “You’re just so innocent. It’s refreshing. I like that you are this kind of person. Is that not enough reason?” he said, observing me. I did my best not to meet his gaze, feeling my cheeks heat up again in utter embarrassment. “And so what if I barely know you? You managed to peak my interest and I like if I can get to know you better.”

“H-how could you say that?” I stammered, wanting to slap myself for answering weakly in front of him at almost every other opportunity. “I’m not that interesting. So maybe you can like somebody else. Go find someone else to play with. I don’t like this kind of game.”

He grinned again, stepping forward. I stepped back, this time, the back of my knees hitting the chair behind me. I felt cornered with nowhere to go. Why were we even doing this in the first place?

“You think so lowly of me, Mimi,” he said, donning a feigned frown on his face. “Why can’t you take me seriously? I like you.”

I shivered. The more he said it, the more I couldn’t believe him. Was this me giving myself signals that he was just really fooling around?

“Do you think that way because, maybe, you already like someone else?” My eyes widened. Fear gripped me as I looked back at Luhan and saw his knowing gaze penetrating mine with something I couldn’t fathom out.

“Is it the reason?” he said, leaning down and placing one of his hands on the table behind me. I bent back, as far away as I could from him, not wanting to be in an undesirable position with him.

“Do you already like someone?” he said, his breath hitting the side of my face.

I closed my eyes, only to find myself seeing a picture of Sehun in my mind. Why did his face cross my thoughts, even?

“Maybe Jongin?” I abruptly opened my eyes, feeling like wanting to defend myself for some reason, not wanting Luhan to get ahead of me.

I pushed him away, not being able to stand how near he was anymore as I said, “None of your business! It’s not even something you need to concern yourself with. Why are even being so—“ I was about to flee out the back door, but he took a strong grip of my wrist, hauling me back.

I came face to face with a smirking Luhan, his words tumbling out of his mouth without stop, making the color on my face drain at last when he dragged his words and said the name I didn’t expect from him.

“Or do you like…” he paused. “…Sehun?”

I couldn’t help but feel myself turn to stone, every coherent thought leaving me as he said Sehun’s name. How did he…? How could he…? I was too shaken I couldn’t respond and was not able to read the situation further. All I though at the very moment was how did Luhan know? I wasn’t that obvious, right? I shouldn’t be. Or was I that transparent?

“Sehun?”

Luhan kept repeating his name and all I could feel was emptiness filling my heart. A void was beginning to form inside me. I didn’t know why. How was I even going to answer him with a straight face? Without giving anything away?

“What brings you here, Sehun? Seol?”

I blinked at the mention of names. Sehun? Seol? Who—?

For all I thought I was imagining things, I was utterly mistaken. As soon as I whirled around, two faces greeted me—a familiar face and a stranger’s face. Sehun and Seol.

Eyes widening in utter embarrassment as soon as I noticed both their eyes going down even lower at the sight of Luhan’s hand clasped around my wrist, I pulled myself away from him harshly and stood at the side quietly.

Footsteps echoed in the silent classroom, a pair of well polished black shoes coming into view as I remained looking at the ground. Perhaps, this was Seol.

She bends down, trying to meet my gaze, causing me to gasp in surprise and stumble back. I knew I was going to trip on something and get myself in an embarrassing situation, but I felt a hand catch my back. I whipped my head to the side and realized Luhan was grinning as he caught me. He steadied me who was still out of my own wits and I felt him place an arm around my shoulders. I was so shaken to do anything logical that I couldn’t shrug his arm off. I thought it would be too rude or that I’d offend him in front of people he knew.

“Are you okay?” Seol asked, trying to talk to me.

I turned my attention to her, too fast, giving away how stupefied I still was. She furrowed her eyebrows at me in concern, but I nodded in reassurance.

“You look like all the colors on your face got drained. Are you sure you’re okay?” Seol asked, stepping forward, giving Luhan a stink eye and her gaze going back to me full with concern.

It was only then, as she came closer, that I managed to catch sight of the pin on her right collar signifying she was a senior just like Luhan. My eyes widened and immediately I bowed in respect.

“N-ne, sunbaenim.” I stammered.

“Oh my,” she said, her hands doing wide, unsure gestures as she tried to tell me to stop being too formal. “It’s not necessary to be so formal. I think you don’t have to, seeing that Luhan’s your friend, too.”

I raised my head, blinking at her. “You’re mistaken,” I was not able to filter my words this time. “He’s not a friend.”

“Oh?”

Sehun was just behind, watching all this unfold.

I was too busy watching Sehun behind her, wondering why he was with her—thinking whether she was someone he knew too or she was one of those girls he was flirting with—that I missed the opportunity to stop Luhan’s big mouth from spouting nonsense.

“Yes, I am not her friend,” he said, mischief in his voice as he pulled me closer to him. “But the person she likes.”

“What are you—“ I couldn’t help but sputter out in denial, trying to get him off me. “What are you telling her, Luhan sunbae—“

But he covered my mouth to stop me from saying any further, wrapping his arm around me from behind and resting his chin atop my shoulder. Seol’s expression was a cross of disbelief and something I couldn’t pinpoint when she watched the two of us. I was struggling to get away from Luhan’s claws, but she seemed not to notice the fight I was putting on.

Her eyes were suddenly the mirror of emptiness. “Is that so?” she said, her voice without the mirth it held before. “Does she really like you, Luhan? Or are you getting on with another joke?” Her lips quirked up to a—forced—smile.

“Am I?” he chuckled behind me, his acting nothing but flawless. “How come? When In fact I came here to ask her where she wanted to go to for our date. For sure you must have heard I asked her out.”

“Was that really serious?” Seol was the picture of utter cluelessness and something else. “Where you not just joking to annoy Sehun?”

“Sehun?” Luhan’s voice vibrated on my back and on the mention of Sehun’s name, I tensed. “Do I look like I am joking now?” he said, leaning his head on mine. “Why don’t you ask Sehun himself? He was witness to when I asked my Mimi out at lunch.”

I was a stone against him as I watched Sehun finally staring back at me with a hard expression on his face. His gaze only fell on Luhan as Seol slightly turned to look at him, asking for his confirmation. But Sehun didn’t budge nor did his expression soften. There was nothing but hatred in those eyes, his jaw set to a clench.

“Is it true, Sehun? Is your cousin not joking?” Seol was asking, her expression still bordering confusion and worry.

Only then, did Sehun snap. He looked down at her and nodded with a straight face. “He did.”

“See?” Luhan still sounded so amused. But Seol was not anymore smiling. “But why are you suddenly frowning, Vice President?” He lazily stared at her, his face still so close to mine that I strained my neck to make sure his skin didn’t get in contact with mine. I felt like it would be a crime if it did. “Don’t tell me you’re getting jealous with me flirting with her instead of you?”

My eyes widened, only realizing Seol was in fact a familiar stranger. She was indeed the Vice President of the studen council I’d often seen walking the corridors with a dignified expression on her face that made her seem like a strong person. But look