It's been a few days since she pulled that brazen move in the fitting room and she hadn't yet seen her oppa. He's too busy finishing up his work commitments before his enlistment and truth be told, there were just too many pairs of watchful eyes around them. Each meet-up had to be carefully orchestrated like it's some covert mission, so yes, they hadn't seen each other in person for a few days, save for a few quick phone calls or texts where possible. No more video calls though. The memory of their latest exchange was still too fresh, too real and...too tempting.

She still had no idea what possessed her to do it that day but she had no regrets whatsoever. Why should she, when all she did was follow her heart? It helped that he had seemed different after that too. Softer, gentler. More attentive. Constantly checking in on her or randomly texting her sweet nothings. No wonder her sister had been such a strong advocate of the "seduction tactic", a term she apparently picked up from one of those trashy magazines she kept in the house. She had wryly shoved a pile of them to Ji hyun the other day, with a cryptic "you'll thank me", and since then she had been studying the materials religiously like it's her holy relationship manual. Not just the "seduction" bit, but also the date ideas, advice to "frequently asked questions" in relationship columns. She's so new to this romantic business, she eagerly soaked up every piece of information. Knowledge is power, right? Nobody could fault her for being the conscientious student she had always been, both in and out of school.

Speaking of school, she had to make a trip to the campus today to sort out some administrative arrangements. Earlier, she had taken a leave of absence to focus on Suspicious Partner. But now that the project was done and dusted, it's time to reassume her role as a full-time student. It's just as well, since Oppa will be toiling away in the army for the next 21 months. The time away from the public eye might be good for their relationship.

Though she's starting to regret showing up on campus without any disguise. She used to be able to come here fully made-up, still in her elaborate post-shoot get-up and nobody would bat an eyelid. But now, even dressed casually in a plain cotton blouse and jeans, she's getting all kinds of sideways glances and hushed whispers from people around her. What a difference the past 3 months had made. She didn't know if she should be thrilled or upset, because as much as she appreciated the increased visibility as an actress, she definitely had to be more conscious of her actions in public now.

Beyond the staring, what she found most peculiar were the admiring looks from the boys. While she barely registered as a blip on their radar just months before, she now had random guys coming to chat her up. Even that tall jock who's arguably the most decent looking guy in the class, appraised her with interest. She even had a boy approach her with a bouquet of roses, asking for her number. It's like they suddenly discovered she's female all along, and not that vague blob of a being that's taking up space in the classroom. She kind of missed being invisible.

When she consulted her sister about it later, she simply said, "Because you're in love". Like that means anything? Seeing her look of confusion, she elaborated, "Because people saw you as this little girl before. But now that you're in love, you suddenly exude this...feminine aura? So long story short, congratulations my dear sister. You've finally shed your ugly duckling feathers." Then with a placating pat on her cheek, she sauntered off, leaving Ji hyun to stew in her words.

She posed the same question to her boyfriend too, with an accompanying picture of the roses, but he didn't react as well.

Oppa: Who gave you this?

Hyunnie: My secret admirer :)

Oppa: Roses are prickly.

And that was it. Was he jealous? Was he just being matter-of-fact about roses being thorny? She didn't know how to read between the lines when it came to him. He's too much of a mystery. But that's fine, it kept things fresh, she thought optimistically. She's in such a good mood, nothin