The next day, Mina slung her backpack over her shoulders and adjusted the straps as she slid her feet into her shoes. “Okaa-san~ I’m going,” she called out to her mom as she turned the doorknob.

“See you after school, Mina.” Her mom waved. “Have a good day at school today.”

    Mina headed out of the apartment and made her way down to the first floor down the stairs. She gently tapped her left shoe against the last step to adjust it and glanced out the front door at the sky. She moved to walk out of the door when she heard:

    “Mina? Is that you?”

    She turned to see Mark making his way down the steps behind her. Mina felt her chest tighten seeing him and bowed her head slightly at him. He stepped off the last stair to the empty spot next to her.

Okay… I guess it didn’t go away overnight… great, she thought as her heart skipped a beat when Mark shot her a friendly smile.

    “Good morning,” he greeted. “You live here, too?” He casually slipped his hands into the pockets on his uniform blazer as he spoke.

    ‘Too?’ Mina thought as she nodded. “Yeah… Third floor.”

    “Ah, I’m on the second. 207,” Mark said as he gestured up the stairs using a quick nod as if pointing with his chin. “Are you taking the bus to school, or do you have a bike?”

    “I was actually planning on walking,” said Mina, her hands tightening around her backpack straps. Oh no… why does he have to live near me? she thought, her eyes following as Mark went over to the bike stand near the front door.

    “You can ride on the back of my bike if you want,” said Mark, unlocking the chain from his bike. “I don’t mind and I’d rather not let you walk to school by yourself. You might run into some weirdoes.” Mina didn’t know why, but she somehow had the impression that Mark was talking about Jackson when he emphasized on the word “weirdoes.”

“Um,” she started following Mark out onto the street, “I’d really hate to be a bother. I don’t mind walking. It’s not that far.”

    “No, really. I insist,” said Mark. He swung his leg over his bike and pat the backside of it for Mina to sit on. “Hop on.”

    Mina bit her bottom lip debating whether she really should but she did anyway. She sat on it with no further arguments and adjusted her seating until she was comfortable. “Thanks,” she whispered soft enough for Mark to hear as he rode off.

    A smile formed on Mark’s face that Mina didn’t see. “You can hold onto me if you need to.”

    Mina nodded slightly forgetting that Mark wasn’t looking at her. She put a hand to her chest feeling her heart thumping. Why is my heart being like this, she thought.

    Only five minutes later and they arrived at school. As they were passing through the gate, Mina noticed Momo and Sana walking up toward the school building. She yelled out to them and waved. Both Japanese girls stared at her as she hopped off of the back of Mark’s bike.

    “Ohayou! (Good morning!)” Mina greeted them happily.

    “Ohayou,” Sana said back.

    “You came to school with him?” Momo asked, her eyes on Mark as he locked his bike to the bike stand.

    Mina looked back at Mark and smiled softly. “Yeah. He gave me a ride.” She looked back at Momo and Sana. “Apparently, we live in the same building and he insisted that I ride with him.”

    “Heol…” Momo said. “Can I move in with you? I’ll sleep on the couch.”

    Both Mina and Sana giggled and the three girls made their way into the school building. Jaebum, who overheard and saw what happened, let out a breath. He placed his hands on his hips watching as Mark went into the school building. “What are you playing at?” He mumbled.

    “Who’s playing at what?” Jackson’s voice sounded.

    Jaebum jumped at the sudden sound of his friend’s voice and looked at him with wide eyes. “Yah. Don’t do that. Make a noise when you walk by. Damn, you nearly gave me a heart attack.”

    Jackson rolled his eyes. “Whatever. So, going back to my question. Who’s playing at what?”

    “I saw the new girl with Mark hyung,” Jaebum explained. “They live in the same building so she came with him. Apparently, he insisted she go with him.”

    Jackson clenched his jaw as he tensed up. “Is that so?”

 

At lunchtime, Mina was with Momo and Sana at the cafeteria. “So,” Sana said looking to Mina, “Anyone you like here yet?”

    Mina froze at the question. Her immediate thought went to how she felt every time she looked at Mark or Jackson in the eyes, how her heart fluttered every time she made eye contact with them. She lied shaking her head no.

    “Maybe ask me in a few days. I haven’t met a lot of people yet,” said Mina, picking at the food in her tray. “Besides, this is only my second day here. You think I like someone already?”

    Sana shrugged. “You could. Isn’t there anyone you have your eye on?” She nudged Mina gently with her elbow. “What about Mark oppa? Do you like him?”

    Mina pursed her lips together and puffed her cheeks up slightly as she shrugged. “I mean, he’s nice and all—”

    “And certainly very nice to look at,” Momo giggled. Sana laughed along with the other Japanese female. Mina only smiled a little. She sat quietly thinking about the conversation as well as how her heart acted whenever Mark was around. Could I like Mark oppa? Do I… like him? Mina thought.

    Out of nowhere, a hand shot over Mina and gripped onto her wrist forcing her up off the chair she was sitting in. She turned noticing Jackson was to blame. Mina felt her heart jump in her chest as she stared into Jackson’s eyes. They seemed to be filled with anger and something else Mina couldn’t quite decipher.

    “Yah, Jack—” Momo started only to be ignored by him as he dragged Mina away.

    Sana and Momo exchanged confused glances as their new friend was dragged out of the cafeteria.

    Jackson dragged her around the back of the building before letting her wrist go. Mina didn’t even fight him while she was being dragged away. Of course, one part of her wanted to scream and run away, but the other half wondered only about what was going to happen. Mina looked back into Jackson’s eyes noticing the anger still fuming in his eyes and the something else she noticed from before still lingered.

    “You,” said Jackson, “came to school with Mark, didn’t you?”

    Mina frowned. Could Jackson be jealous? Could it really be jealousy she noticed in his eyes? “What…Why do you ask?” Mina didn’t know what to say to him at all and those were the only words that came out before Jackson burst out.

    “Answer me!” he yelled making Mina flinch.

    She dropped her eyes to the ground as her fingers toyed with the bottom hem of her skirt. “I… I did. But I don’t understand why it’s even any of your concern.” Mina pried her eyes up from the ground and shot a glare to the boy in front of her. “Why do you care anyway?”

    Jackson grit his teeth. “You need to stay away from him,” he said, his hands clenching into tight fists. This made it clear to Mina that he, in fact, is jealous.

    Mina huffed out a breath and crossed her arms across her chest. “Look, if you like Mark oppa, I’ll be happy to step aside. I’d rather not get involved in someone else’s love life.”

    A deep frown formed on Jackson’s brow upon hearing this. “Wait, what?”

    “Aren’t you and Mark oppa like a thing?” Mina asked. “Or was I just imagining the between you two?”

    The frown stayed on Jackson’s face as he kept his gaze on Mina. What on Earth is this girl talking about? he thought.

    “Are you telling me to back off because you’re in love with him?” Mina continued. “Because I will.”

    Jackson blinked in confusion. “I…No, I don’t love—I’m not gay.”

    “Oh…” Mina paused leaving a short silence before continuing. “So, it’s a male dominance thing then, not a lover’s quarrel?”

    “Lover’s quarrel?” Jackson echoed. The frown on his face deepened every time a word came from Mina’s mouth.

    Mina shook her head suddenly feeling very awkward with what happened and waved a hand trying to rid the awkward tension that loomed in the air. “Nevermind. Just tell me why you want me to stay away from him.”

    Jackson opened his mouth to say “Because he’s no good for you” but his sentence was interrupted by the sound of Mark’s voice. “Bullying the new girl already, Jackson?”

    Mina noticed Jackson’s expression crinkle with pure annoyance hearing Mark. He shot a glare in Mark’s direction. “What do you want, Tuan?”

    Mark shrugged, moving next to Mina as he kept his hands in his pants pockets. “Mina wasn’t with Momo and Sana during lunch. It’s my job as class president to make sure my fellow classmates are all right. And, especially for Mina, that no idiot—more specifically, you—bullies her.” He slid one of his hands out of his pocket and placed it on Mina’s shoulder, turning his attention to her. “Are you okay?”

    “Yeah, I’m okay,” said Mina just as Jackson swatted Mark’s hand off of her shoulder and pushed Mark back against the wall. A soft groan came out of Mark’s slightly parted lips at the impact.

    “Keep your hands off of her.” Jackson threatened as he fisted Mark’s uniform in his hand, a low growl emitting from his throat.

    Mark rose an eyebrow, clicking his tongue in annoyance. “Or what?”

    He waited, keeping his eyes on Jackson. He waited for a reaction from the other; an insult, a slur, or a fist, but none came. Instead, Jackson let him go and walked off angrily. Mark watched as Jackson disappeared from sight and let out a heavy sigh as he smoothed out his uniform and fixed his tie.

    “Are you okay?” Mina asked him.

    Mark nodded as the school bell rang. “Let’s head to class.”

 

~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~

 

Mina walked down the hall of the school, heading to the dance club she joined. Music and dance were her two most important passions. Music club met during Mondays and Wednesdays. Dance club met during Tuesdays and Thursdays. Today was Thursday and her first day at the club.

    She stepped inside the room as she tied up her hair into a ponytail and set her bag aside. She began to stretch out, starting with her arms when a cheery voice called out to her. “Hey, Mina noona~”

    Mina glanced up to see the same boy who saved her from an accident yesterday, Yugyeom. A smile formed on Mina’s face. “Hey, you.”

    “Looks like we’ll be seeing each other a little more often now,” said Yugyeom, grinning. Mina nodded and scanned the other students in the club. Her eyes immediately landed on Jaebum who was talking to the instructor. Great, she thought. I hope he’s not going to be weird like Jackson oppa is…

    “Mina-chan~” she heard Momo’s voice chime. She shifted her gaze from Jaebum to her smiling friend next to her and smiled back at her. “Looks like we’re in the same club,” said Momo in a happy tone.

    Mina nodded. “Mmhm. I’m glad, in fact. At least I know two people here,” she said gesturing to Yugyeom who stood there watching the both of them. Obviously, he didn’t understand a word they had said to each other as they spoke in Japanese.

    Momo smiled, leaning over to whisper to Mina. “He’s kinda cute, right? Maybe you should date him.” Mina giggled and hit her friend’s arm softly. Momo smiled innocently before turning to Yugyeom. “Hello, I’m Momo.”

    Yugyeom smiled brightly. “I’m Yugyeom.”

    Momo leaned back over to Mina, whispering again in Japanese. “He’s got a cute smile, too. Put him on the top of your potential boyfriend list.” Mina laughed and nudged Momo gently with her shoulder as the other girl giggled.

 

“So, Mina noona,” said Yugyeom, looking to her. They were sitting on the floor taking a break after an hour of dancing. “When did you get into dancing?”

    Mina set down the water bottle she had been drinking from and folded her hands in her lap. “When I was five, when my family moved from Osaka to Busan, we lived fairly close to a contemporary dance academy. My mom signed me up because she wanted me to make friends. She didn’t want me to be lonely. Since then, dancing has been a huge part of my life.” Mina smiled thinking of her mom. “My mom is really a big reason for my music and dance passion. She’s my biggest supporter.”

    “What about your dad?” Momo asked.

    Mina fell quiet for a second. “My dad…He supports me too, but he was so busy back then, he could barely be there for my recitals and performances. Now, he’s really not able to anymore. He’s stuck in the hospital.”

    “Oh,” said Momo quietly. “Well, I hope he recovers soon.” Momo reached over holding Mina’s hand tightly. Mina smiled weakly and said nothing.

    “Alright, everyone,” the instructor sounded. “As a lot of you already know, the school talent show is coming up soon. I’m going to assign each one of you with a partner and you two will perform together at the talent show.”

    Mina tuned out the instructor as she called off names. She was too busy thinking about the hospital. The sterile environment she hated, the sound of the monitor beeping, her dad lying motionless in the hospital bed. Mina could feel tears welling in her eyes, but she quickly held them back and shook it off hearing her name called. “Mina, you’re paired with Yugyeom.”

    A smile spread on Yugyeom’s lips as he high-fived Mina.

    Good, someone I can handle, Mina thought.

    “That leaves… Momo and Jaebum. You two are the last pair,” the instructor said. Momo’s nose crinkled in disapproval but she said nothing as she looked over to Jaebum who didn’t really seem to care and showed no obvious change in emotion. “Club is over so, you all can leave when you want to. See you on Tuesday.”

    Mina looked to Momo who had a disappointed look on her face. “Why did I have to get paired with him?” she complained. Mina laughed mockingly as Momo groaned out loudly.

    “I’ll see you the next club meeting, Mina noona,” Yugyeom said, pulling his backpack on.

    Mina nodded to him. “Yeah, see you~” She waved to him as he walked out and turned over to Momo who was sulking by the wall. She went over to her friend. “Oh, come on. It can’t be that bad.”

    “You’re right,” said Momo. “It’s totally fine being paired with your ex. No biggy.”

    Mina frowned. “Ex? You dated him?”

    “It’s a long story…” Momo sighed, slinging on her bag. “I’ll tell you later. Right now, I’m going to go home and scream into my pillow.”

    Mina chuckled softly and gave Momo a small hug. “See you tomorrow.” She watched as Momo left the room and went over to her bag. She pulled it over her shoulders and turned to walk out to be stopped by Jaebum. They both shared an awkward stare for five seconds before Jaebum cleared his throat.

    “Listen, about Jackson. He told me what happened and I just wanted to apologize on his behalf,” Jaebum said, rubbing his neck. “He’s just very protective over what he thinks belongs to him.”

    “And he thinks that I belong to him?”

    Jaebum shrugged. “I don’t know. He’s weird. But, mainly because he hates Mark hyung and can’t stand him.”

    “I noticed,” said Mina. “They almost got into a fight right in front of me. What’s his deal anyway? Why does he hate Mark oppa so much?”

    “It’s complicated. I don’t quite understand it myself.” Jaebum slid his hands into his sweatpants pockets.

    “So it really isn’t because Jackson oppa likes Mark oppa?” Mina asked earning a laugh from Jaebum.

He shook his head. “If only it were that simple. Anyway, I’ll let you go now.”

    Mina bowed her head slightly and padded to the door and headed out of the club classroom. Jaebum sighed heavily as he watched Mina leave. When the door slid closed, Jaebum put a hand to his chest to feel it beating at a faster rhythm than usual. He remembered Mina’s smiling face as she danced and her laugh as she cracked jokes with Momo and Yugyeom during the club. He could feel it; he was developing feelings for her.

“Jackson’s going to kill me if he finds out…”