[Ji Eun’s POV]

  I stare at the girl, nervously. Long brown hair covering the shoulders, dressed in a white sweater, a winter coat, a scarf, ear muffs, and leggings. Looking at the mirror, I imagine her going on a date. Is this how girls dress up when they go for a date?

I DON'T KNOW!!

  I look like a sausage wrapped up in a hot-dog bun with all these layers of clothing! But it’s cold, I can’t help it! Argh, why did I agree to the date in the first place! Wait, no, I didn’t actually agree... Maybe I can just stay at home and forgot about the whole thing!

   “That’s right!” I chirp happily to myself. Since he hasn’t come yet I can still make a quick getaway! And so, I exit Coffee Corner’s washroom.

   The Café is rather empty, with only a few customers. But no surprise there since it’s only 10am in the morning. I walk towards the door of the café, planning to leave, but there’s a nagging feeling inside me which tells me to stay.

   It would be rude to just reject him like that right? I chew my lower lip nervously. What if he becomes really upset? Should I just stay? I’ve always wondered how it’s like to go on a date… Speaking of which, why did he invite me to a date anyway? I barely know him! Don’t tell me, he… really likes me?! Thinking about that, there’s a stupid fluttery feeling in my stomach.

   An image abruptly comes to my mind. I imagine myself and him being all lovey-dovey, with him looking warmly into my eyes, saying, “Ji Eun, I…”

    No! EW. No no no… I shake my head at that thought. Ha, he? Likes? Me?

    Hahaha. You've got to admit that it's really quite funny. But then why else would he invite me on a date? Ah, my brain is aching with all the confusion…

   “EXCUSE ME MISS!” I jolt up in surprise when a loud voice breaks my reverie. “Oh, I’m so sorry!” I hurriedly apologize and get out of the way. I mentally hit myself for spacing out in front of the Café’s entrance.

   OKAY, I’ve decided! It’s best I leave! It’s so dangerous to go on a date with a guy you barely even know, what more, has stalked you before! I nod my head, convinced, and am about to leave. But the door is already pulled open from the other side before I can even reach the handle. I glance up, and come face to face with Pooface. A sinking feeling invades my heart. He’s dressed in a smart jacket over a T-shirt, and is wearing a beanie. His face immediately brightens up, but when he realizes I’m leaving, he frowns in confusion.

    He enters the café and drags me by the arm roughly to a table for four.

   “Haha, I’m not letting you get away!” he grins devilishly and I gape at him. He raises an eyebrow as he musters me from head to toe.

    “You look like a HOT DOG BUN!" he starts cracking up, "Hahaha, didn’t I ask you to dress up? Yah, aren’t you warm?”

     I knew it. It was such a bad idea to come. I fidget uncomfortably in my seat. Did I really look that bad?

   Suddenly he takes my hand in his, and it gently. I feel the hair on my arm stand, and I glare at him. “I was just kidding. You look beautiful in anything.” He says with a soft smile and winks. That leaves me frozen. Oh gosh, this is almost like a Korean drama or something. It’s so stupid, but I’m melting. Don’t judge me! He IS quite good looking!

  We stay like that for a while, with me slowly being hypnotized by his eyes. Unbeknownst to me, I would soon know the reason behind his sweet actions..

  “Oppa! What are you doing?!” A shrill voice abruptly says, and I cringe. But at least it brings me out of my frozen state.

   I look up to see a petite girl with beautiful skin and hair glaring at Pooface and me, with arms akimbo. I turn my gaze to Pooface, who looks taken aback.    

   “Ah..ah…L-luna” he stutters for a while, but then regains his composure. “Hi Luna! Meet my girlfriend, Ji Eun!” He beams happily and I could only gape (again) at him. GIRLFRIEND?! WHAT IN THE WORLD?!

   Luna glares daggers at me, and I quickly say, “No, no. I’m not his girlfriend. I don’t know what he’s-“ To which, Pooface clamps my mouth shut, and smiles an angelic smile at Luna. “You can join us if you want~” He says, gesturing to a seat beside him.

   “Oh, I sure will!” Luna says crisply and squeezes behind Pooface to go to the seat.

    ”Zico Oppa-aa~! I thought WE were finally going out on a date!” She whines in a familiar tone as she tugs at his arm. Now where have I heard that tone before?

    Pooface grins his “angelic smile” and says in a smooth voice, “Sorry, Luna. Actually today, I wanted to tell you that I have someone I like already.” Then he turns his gaze to me. WHAT?! It's a good thing I wasn't drinking anything otherwise I would very well have spit it in his face. No actually spitting water in Pooface's face isn't such a bad idea.

   I open my mouth to ask him what he was talking about but he interrupts me, “Ji Eun has just accepted me, and we’ve just started going out. Sorry Luna, but I can’t accept your feelings for me.” He even ends off his speech with a wink! I shudder. Did this guy knock his head or something? I turn to Luna, about to explain myself, but Pooface grabs my hands, gripping them tightly, and says in a creepy voice, “Isn’t that right, honey?” I my head to one side in confusion. His right eye, the one which Luna can’t see, winks a lot of times at me.

   And that’s when I finally get it.

   He wants me to play along so that Luna will get off his back! He asked me out on a date not because he likes me, but because he wanted to use me to reject Luna. I don’t know why, but I feel a bit disappointed. Haha. Maybe it’s because I was actually quite happy with the fact that a guy actually liked me, for the first time in my life.

   I might as well help him out. I’ll get the money for my camp fees anyway. And so I slap a smile onto my face, saying, “Yes, I love you so much, honey!” in a sickening sweet voice. OH HOW I FEEL LIKE SLAPPING MYSELF. Someone just bury me now! I can see Pooface trying to restrain his laughter, which just makes me even more annoyed. Luna looks shocked, and she suddenly throws a fit or tantrum,“What?! No! I don’t believe you! Zico oppa is mine!”

   “Luna ah… “ Pooface says gently, “It’s the truth.”

   “No! No! It isn’t!” She shakes her head repeatedly, and I get a bit nervous. She's scarily frantic. “Ah, I know! You guys are just acting right! Zico oppa has never told me about you!” She smiles creepily at me.

   “Erm…” Should I just tell her the truth? I don’t like lying anyway.

    Before I can say anything, Pooface interrupts me once again. “Hey, how can you say that! I love Ji Eun with all my heart, and that’s an unchanging fact! If you’re going to be like that, you can leave now!” He seems really angry. And that kind of shuts Luna up…

   “Honey,” he says sweetly to me, “Let’s order some food okay~”

    And so for the rest of the date, he fed me food, and I fed him food, even though I had to resist gagging. And we actually got to talk. Like, really talk. And surprisingly, Luna looked like she was interested to know more about me, too. She even asked lots of questions towards the end, which is really weird. But she doesn’t seem too bad. She seems quite nice, to be honest.

   “Bye Ji Eun!” Luna said, waving cheerfully. Talk about a 180 degrees change from the beginning! Not that I’m complaining or anything. “Bye~” I say back, and kick Pooface’s leg under the table. “Poo-I mean honey, aren’t you going to say bye?” He gives me a quick glare for kicking him and says a quick “bye” to Luna.

   When I made sure she had left, I turned to Pooface and said, “Well, I guess I’ll be leaving now.”

    “So soon?” He asks, a bit shocked.

    “She’s gone already. There’s no more purpose in continuing this, right?”

    He looks a bit lost, but then smirks, and says “coolly”, “Yup.. Thanks so much for your help! I knew I could count on you. Erm, bye then….” He gives an awkward quick wave.

    I guess that’s that. I put on my scarf, coat and ear muffs which I had taken off just now, and walk out of the café. My first date…. Is a fake one with a person who doesn’t like me. Oh no, I’m starting to really regret going on this.. AHHH, THERE GOES MY FIRST DATE! It was meant to be memorable, sweet, and most importantly, with TOP OPPA!! Why did I agree to this!

    “Ji Eun! Wait!” I halt in my tracks as I turn around to face the person calling me. It’s Pooface! What does he want? “Ji Eun!” he says panting as he finally reaches me. “Erm.. I… ah…” Why is he stuttering? I laugh. It’s funny because he’s always cocky and confident. He rolls his eyes at me laughing, and just shoves an envelope in my hands. “Look, no one’s perfect right.  My memory isn’t that good either. Anyway, bye. And thanks for your help!” he says with an uneasy expression and runs off to where he came from. What was that about? It's so rare to see him looking awkward.

     I look at the envelope’s contents on my way home. To my surprise, it’s an employee pass. “Coffee Corner. Lee Ji Eun.” Oh? I got the job!! I really got the job!! A smile creeps its way to my face and I end up skipping home. Yes! Assa!

   But then thinking about how Pooface actually didn’t like me gave me a tinge of disappointment, and slowed my feet down to a normal walking pace. Why am I even feeling disappointed? I laugh at myself.

     As I continue to walk in the chill breeze, I remember TOP Oppa. Or rather Plushie Boy. He didn’t come home yesterday. Looks like he’s really gone. Maybe I shouldn’t have told him to leave. Where could he go with no money, and a face that is exactly the same like a superstar’s? But then again, if it wasn’t true that he wanted to leave, he could’ve just asked to stay. But YET again, with that huge ego and pride of his, it would kill him just to ask me to let him stay again.

   Oh well. I guess it’s really goodbye… A huge wave of sadness overcomes me. I don’t know why. Maybe it’s because I really wanted to live with TOP, or just anyone who looked like TOP. It sort of fulfilled my fantasies of living with him. Or even interacting with him. Won’t you be sad if a hot guy stopped living with you? Better yet, one who looks like your idol?

   And then out of nowhere, I think of my parents. They haven’t been back for weeks. I miss them. It’s no use calling them because they would scold me for that. Ever since that incident, dad has never been the same again. Gambling. Fighting with Mom. Always away from home. And mom, always claiming that it’s better for her to be away so that I can be independent. Ha, what a joke. I know she’s trying to cover it up. She never wanted to be home, with me or dad….

   I wonder what they’re doing now..

   Why does it seem like everyone doesn’t like me? Is that why everyone left me? I miss Clara. And my parents. And even that Plushie guy.

   And for the millionth time this week, I feel very alone. 

[A/N]

Sorry for the very late update!!! >_< 

A Zico chapter.

Sorry, I promise there will be some TOP in the next chapter! Really! 

BYEEE Thanks so much for reading! I love you! :) 

-Notelights