After that Christmas party in 2007, I became slighty bolder whenever I crossed paths with her in school. I had the courage to wave to her as if we were friends for years... despite her looking away or pretending not to know me every single time.
In 2008, I turned 16. After having the chance to speak to Jang Eun Ha, I started to believe that... you know... just one day...one day she will like me. One day. It shall come! Since waving to her didn't work, I began to work hard and study everyday, believing that she will notice me if I do well. I also stopped chatting with girls and spent my time doing extra Mathematics problem sums instead. 
Indeed, I scored many As yet I still failed to top the class. I knew that if I wanted her attention, I had to at least be named in class because I topped something. But instead of me catching her attention, she always caught MY attention. She topped the class for many subjects, and I never understood how. She was always in school till the evening to serve the duty of a student councillor and she's often seen tutoring Park Chan Yeol and his clique. How would she ever get the time to study on her own?
That year, I lost all my 'girlfriends' and people actually started calling me a nerd. One time I bumped into Park Chan Yeol and scoffed at me. "Ay nerd! Finally decided to study after all your girlfriends left you? Seems like you haven't been growing much either. Oh yes... stop waving to Jang Eun Ha, loser. You're not getting a chance. She's mine." 
Still, I was grateful to meet study buddies that happened to be the sons of my dad's shareholder, Kim Min Seok and Do Kyung Soo. I guessed I was to busy noticing Jang Eun Ha that I never recalled that these 2 were the kids my mom forced me to make friends with every Christmas when I was still a tiny kid. 
"Hey Kim playboy, why did you suddenly want to study so hard?" Min Seok asked.
"Hey hey Kim Min Seok, I'm not that playboy anymore, alright. Remember that time I told you how Park Chan Yeol laughed at me?" I replied.
"Dude just punch him in the face." Kyung Soo joked.
"Bruh! Have you seen how tall that guy is? Jun Myeon is like a hobbit beside him." Min Seok laughed.
"Excuse me! You guys are no different!"
Just like that, the friendship of three 16 year old boys grew stronger and stronger in 2008.
They would even laugh at my secret obsession over Jang Eun Ha, yet they never showed or told anyone about it. I guess that was the kind of strong trust we had for each other. And the innocent little secrets 16 year olds would keep.
That 25 December in 2008, there was a school gathering at noon. There was catered lunch to celebrate Christmas and the top 10 students in each level of the year were awarded with hampers of brand new stationaries and note books. 
I remembered Min Seok and Kyung Soo being called on stage. And of course, not surprisingly, I was in 2nd place for my academic results in my cohort. I stood on stage proudly and also praying for Jang Eun Ha to notice me. Before I could comprehend, "1st place, Jang Eun Ha of class 2-1" was annonced by the emcee. She stood beside me, yet she never took notice of me. Not a single look. But I could remember her smile on that day. From the moment she walked up the stage, she was grinning from ear to ear. I wondered when I would ever get to see her smile like this to me.
At night, it was the annual Christmas party. That year I'm no longer sitting in a corner alone. Min Seok and Kyung Soo were by my side, eating and chatting with me. Then, Jang Eun Ha walked past our table with Park Chan Yeol. "Hey top scholar! Congrats!" I said as she passed. Just as I least expected it, she turned around and said, "Congrats to you too." As Park Chan Yeol glared at me and walked away. It wasn't the most sincere congrats, but I was extremely elated to hear her speak to me. Of course, my 2 friends were nudging me and giving me the look after they were gone. T'was a great Christmas.