Today was Valentines day and I was nervous. Very, very nervous. I had all the time in the world to prepare for this moment, seeing as the moment I saw Woojin my heart instantly fell out of its cage, but I guess no time in the universe could ever prepare me. 

"Oh, for crying out loud! I'm so clumsy." I muttered as I crouched down to grab the box of chocolates and letters I've scrounged the time to make. 

I saw Woojin and Donghyun by the lockers but it seemed as though my feet were glued in place and all the courage I've previously mustered were flushed down the toilet. I could feel all emotions running in my system, but my nervousness got to me the most. 

Woojin nodded his head in my direction, and I looked behind me to see if there was anyone of more importance than me that he acknowledged presence of. Upon realizing that he was really staring at me and the things I held in my hand, I knew that in that moment, that slow-mo moment, I can't do this. No matter how many times I have practiced how I would confess my feelings for him, it was such a shame that I could never put my plan into action. 

Sighing, I my heel heading to the other direction. 

Maybe not this time.

"So how did it-- I'm guessing you chickened out again considering you're looking like you're about to cry and you still have your, whatever thingamajig you've prepared for him." said Mina.

I just nodded in response. I really was about to cry. My eyes were stinging and my ears could hear every single thing. My senses took over my entire being. Mina enveloped me in a hug and patted my hair whilst saying the most comforting words she could ever give.

"I'm such a mess." I cried. 

"There, there." 

"Wow, this feels so comforting." I'm going to find someone who would pat my head the way Mina does.

A few hours later...

"Don't beat yourself up, Sohye. Maybe today is just not your day." Chungha said. 

"It's just that, whenever I have decided that I would confess, I just back away. I mean, I'm practically nobody and he's this super cool guy that everybody is friends with. Am I thinking this through too hard? You think I should just confess right now? Or-- Yes! That's just what I should do." I stood up from my seat and --

"Sohye, come quick!" Daehwi- another friend of mine who is also friends with Woojin, said.

I followed suit, hastily on our feet until he led me to the school's quadrangle where Woojin and a freshman student stood. A crowd has gathered around them already. Is she gonna do what I think she'll do? 

"Woojin-oppa..." she bowed down in front of him, "Please go out with me!" 

"Uh~" I saw Woojin scratch the back of his head

This isn't fair! Of course he's gonna say yes! You asked him in public. I mentally thought. 

My heart already dropped in anticipation with Woojin's answer, knowing him, there was no way he was gonna decline the girl's offer. He wouldn't want to embarrass her in front of a large number of people. And to think when I just re-gathered my courage to confess today...

"Uh~ You see, eomma doesn't allow me to date girls your age." He said.

Huh? Since when?

From my peripheral vision, I could see Donghyun and Youngmin, trying to cover up their laughs by coughing. Once I had eye contact with them, I glared in return as if to say that they should not mock the little girl. 

Donghyun whispered something to Youngmin and the latter nodded his head then laughed... again.

I sighed. Sometimes, men can be so annoying.

I tapped Daehwi on his shoulder and motioned to him that I'll be going back to the classroom.

[ T I M E  S K I P ]

"Sohye, can I borrow your notes? I forgot mine. I mean... if it's alright with you." Woojin said

"Uh... w-- w-hich one?" I stuttered

"Physics. Thank you." I gave him the notebook and our hands touched. 

Cliche, I know. But every type of physical contact that I would get from Woojin, I'll gladly accept. A few weeks had passed since I decided to confess, but did not go with it. Still, my feelings for Woojin did not falter. Not even the slightest bit. If possible, it grew into something even more than I could put to words. 

"I- If you, uhm.., need help with y-your academics or something, maybe, maybe I c-could help you?" I told him. 

He twisted in his seat to face me and had the widest smile on his face. 

Hold it there, heart. 

"For real? I'm having problems with Math and Physics, since you know they're both kind of hard and you have to do a lot of solving here and there... I mean, I get some of the parts, but when it's a different word problem I just don't know what to do." He rambled. 

"So cute." I muttered under my breath. 

"What was that?" 

"Nothing. I said nothing. So, when do you want to start our little tutoring session?" Oh, god. I must sound like someone clingy. Cringe.

"When are you free?" 

"Whenever you are." 

A grin spread across his face after hearing my reply. Do I have the same effect on you as you have on me? I mentally thought. 

"Yah! Woojin! Hurry up! You should never keep the food waiti-- oh, hi, Sohye! Wanna go grab lunch with us?" Donghyun said

I shook my head in reply and said, "No thanks. I'll wait for Mina and Chungha." 

"Sit with us then! We'll save you seats." 

Woojin stood up from his chair and walked towards his friends to head to the cafeteria, but not before turning back to face me and waving me a goodbye. For now. 

Moments after the boys left, Mina and Chungha appeared from the door with smiles on their faces.

"So did anything interesting happen?" Mina asked

"If you call, his friends saving us a seat with them as interesting, then I guess, yes. Something interesting did happen." 

The both of them released high-pitched squeals and a few slaps here and there. 

"He likes you!"

"You're too dense to see that his friends are setting the both of you up!" They said simultaneously.

I just blushed in my seat while lowering my head down so that my hair was partially covering my face. 

"What are we waiting for? We should never keep the food waiting. We should not keep Sohye's love waiting!" 

* * *

"Yah! Sohye, over here!" Youngmin shouted over the loudness of the students in the cafeteria.

Of course, the only vacant seat left was the one next to Woojin. Since my friends took the seats next to Daehwi and the one between Youngmin and Donghyun. So I had no other option but to lay my tray next to his and sat down. 

"Sohye and Woojin looks good together, right, guys?" Youngmin said

A chorus of 'yes' was replied. This in turn made me choke on my sandwich, nothing more appealing than choking in front of your crush -- note my sarcasm. Woojin immediately came to my aid by offering me his water and patting my back to calm me down.

I swear I was as red as a tomato from what just happened. Woojin, with a worried look on his face, asked me if I was okay.

"Yes. Uh--, Excuse me for a moment." 

I headed to the girls washroom and wet my face with water to calm myself down. You were choking back there, of course he'll help you. Don't feel so special. I dried myself up with my handkerchief and was surprised to see Woojin leaning against the wall outside, obviously waiting for me to finish.

"Sohye, uhm, sorry for my friends. They're quite crazy sometimes. You should've just said no when they asked you guys to eat with --" He went on and on, but I put my hand up and he immediately shut up.

"No, it's alright. I was just surprised. That's all. I mean it's not everyday that people tell me I look good with the person sitting beside me." I joked.

"You're beautiful, you know that? If anybody looked good between us, it would be you." Stop it. You're making my heart thump.

"Are you kidding me? You're like this someone who is friends with everybody and you're so famous and I'm like some nob--"

"You do know I like you, right?" 

In that moment, I swear that every single pin dropped could be heard from the quietness. I averted my gaze to anywhere but him, but it appeared as though he was the only one I could see and he was every where.

"It's not nice to play with other people's feelings, Woojin." 

"I swear I'm not playing."

And everyday since that day, Woojin has been glued to my side. Although a lot of his fangirls were giving me dirty looks for apparently 'stealing' him from them, Woojin assures me that none of them would touch me. His friends have been on my back too. If Woojin, himself, wasn't able to walk me home, either Daehwi, Donghyun or Youngmin would do it, or sometimes all of them would do it since we live a few blocks away from each other. Except that these past few days, Woojin has been so busy with his academic and clubs that it would lead to him not having time for me. Of course, I understand his case, and I don't know whatever it was between Woojin and I so I don't really have any right to complain to him. His friends have been reassuring me that Woojin still likes me and likes only me. But sometimes it would all get too much to the point that in classes that we have together, we don't even say a word. So I decided to talk to Woojin. 

"Woojin--" 

"Sohye! Whatever you have to say, we can talk about it later. I'm in a rush right now. I'm sorry!" And without any other words to say, he ran past me. 

"Okay. I get it." 

I walked to wherever my feet took me, and before I knew it, I was pushed to the ground by someone who was hot on their feet. A hand in front of me was offered and I looked up to see that it was Youngmin with a worried look on his face.

"Are you alright?" I took his hand and he helped me up while I nodded in reply

"Youngmin, what has Woojin been up to these days?" I asked him

"It's not something I can tell you, Sohye. You should just ask him."

"But I don't want to appear clingy when we're not even a couple." 

"Woojin will underst--" He was cut off by his phone vibrating in his pocket. He opened whatever it was and I saw that he was typing quickly. He got up on his feet and he looked down on me. I gave him a questioning look, and he said, "Woojin got in a fist fight with Samuel. Daehwi is freaking out right now since you know, he's kind of scared. He ha-- Just come with me!" 

Youngmin dragged me all the way up to the flight of stairs leading to the quadrangle, where a large crowd of people were gathered. Youngmin and I were being pushed and pulled with the number of students here. When we finally got a clear view of what was happening, I was pushed to the very front. And what I saw made my eyes brim with tears. 

There they were, Woojin, Samuel, and Daehwi plus Mina and Chungha, in the middle of the crowd, holding a banner with the words, 

"K I M  S O H Y E, WILL YOU BE MY GIRLFRIEND?" 

I dropped down to my knees, hiding my face in my palms, while sobbing. Call it over-acting or whatever, but I was so touched by his actions. Nobody has ever done something like this for me. I could feel someone's presence in front of me, and by the smell of his cologne, I was sure it was Woojin. I was more surprised when he pried my fingers away from my face, so he could see my tear-stained cheeks.

"They're tears of joy. Don't fret, Woojin." He laughed at me and we stood up, while he engulfed me in an embrace while patting my hair. In that short moment, I remembered the time when Mina patted my hair. It was so comforting that I promised myself I would find someone who would pat my head the way Mina does. And I think I just found him. We pulled away from each other and Woojin walked back to his previous position.

"Kim Sohye, if you could remember, I told you a few weeks back that I like you and that I will prove it to you." He bowed down slightly and continued, " Kim Sohye, if you will ask me how many times you've crossed my mind, I would say once because you never left. You're fun to be around. You're smart. You're different. You're perfect in an imperfect way. You have the best laugh. Of course, I like you. I like you because you're you. Do you like me enough to be my girlfriend,too?"

I walked up to him and bent down to his ear and whispered, 

"You only like me?" I said with fake disappointment, "Because I love you." 

He stood back up with shock written on his face but was replaced with the biggest grin on his face,when he saw me pouting. What a cutie.

"I love you, too, Sohye, but you haven't answered my question." He whined.

I pinched his cheeks, inching closer to him so that we were only inches apart and said, 

"I'd be honoured to be your girlfriend." 

And with that, he pulled me close to him, his face coming closer, every second an agonizing moment. I pulled his head down and once our lips connected, I knew that everything was worth it.