You go to school the next day, still a little miffed about the situation from last night. You hope with all hopes that you won't see Jungwook, although that might be absurd considering he has the same lunch period as you. It's all you can do to keep yourself from getting livid, so as Daehyun sits by you at lunch, you attempt to plaster on a smile.

Your inattentiveness must have been obvious, because after a while Daehyun clears his throat purposefully and asks, "How was your job last night?"

You wish he had avoided the topic, but knowing Daehyun, he can't resist being concerned about you. "It was fine," you reply.

He watches your eyes suspiciously and continues, "Are you coming back today?"

You hadn't even thought about that. Because you had left early the previous day, you don't know whether Mr. Lee had wanted you to return. Is that what you should do? But wouldn't Jungwook be there, as well? You sigh heavily, an act that doesn't go unnoticed by Daehyun.

"What happened yesterday?"

"Nothing happened," you say too quickly, only to duck your head in embarrassment. What are you doing? Replying so tartly will only vindicate you. You need to calm down. Before you can say anything to make up for your rude behavior, however, the bell rings to signal the end of lunch.

Daehyun cleans up his mess and says, "I gotta run. I have to ask my teacher about something," and with that he hurriedly returns to class, leaving you alone as you slowly throw away your trash.

Following the tide of students as they exit the cafeteria, you approach your locker and input the combination. You open the door to get your books out when a small strip of white paper flutters to the ground. 

A note? Is this from the same person who had written you that quote a few days ago? You bend down to pick it up, carefully unfolding the creases to reveal the new message: "I've finally stopped running away from myself. Who else is there better to be?"

This only fuels yours impatience. What is this, a diary entry? Who the heck is leaving such ridiculous notes? Why are they so directly pointed at you? Annoyed and insulted in way you can't comprehend, you crumple it in your hand and shove it into your pocket, keeping it there until the day you decide to remember it again. 

After school, you rush for the clock shop. Daehyun probably expects you to be there, so you don't bother telling him where you're going. Trying to swallow down your pride, you pull open the old door and hear the now familiar sound of the bells chime your greeting.

Mr. Lee stands in front of the shelves, talking to a customer. As he looks up to see who has come in, his eyes light up. "There you are! Are you feeling better?"

You stare at him, befuddled. "Huh?"

"Jungwook told me you had a headache yesterday, so he let you leave early. You didn't have to come in if you're still not feeling well," he says as he pats the customer on the shoulder.

You furrow your brows. "Jungwook said that?"

"Yup," he says, but before you can grill him for more information, he's turned back to the customer. Just then the bells sound the appearance of yet another guest, and you turn around to face Jungwook, a seemingly permanent scowl on his face.

"What are you doing here?" He asks rudely.

Trying to hold back your fury, you respond, "I'm here to work."

"I thought I said you could leave," he says, brushing past you. You purse your lips and whirl around to face his retreating, apathetic back.

"I don't remember having a headache last night."

He  freezes, and you can't help but smile a little at having caught him off guard. He doesn't turn around, but his voice carries an inflection you can't identify as he asks, cautiously, "Excuse me?"

"I felt fine last night," you say, your voice carrying across the room. There's no ill-intent in your tone, but you are definitely fishing for information. Why did he bother to cover up your early leave if he openly states that he dislikes  you so much?

"Whatever," he says gruffly, going behind the counter and plopping his backpack on the floor. You follow him, but he makes no move to acknowledge you. Mr. Lee continues to animatedly talk to his guest, unaware of the tension that travels between you and Jungwook. 

"So what are we doing today?" You say, trying to be nice. He pulls his school work out of his tattered backpack and slams it on the counter, making you jump. He takes a brief moment to glare at you, and you notice that he has a thin scar running across his jawline. You've never noticed it before. You unconsciously reach out, but before you've noticed your overly familiar action, he pulls back, away from your touch. Feeling self-conscious, you fold your hands in your lap and look away.

"I'm doing homework," he says finally as he sits on the stool and starts flipping pages of his text book. "I don't know what you're doing."

You fiddle with your fingers, trying not to be hesitant in your actions. "I - "

"Jungwook!" Mr. Lee shouts. You both look up to see that the guest has left, and Mr. Lee is idly standing by the door, a huge grin on his face. "Jungwook," he repeats, "Did you teach her everything she needed to know yesterday?"

You open your mouth to reply that he, in fact, did not teach you anything, but before you can say that, Jungwook interrupts you and replies, "Yeah. She got the hang of it quick."

"That's good," Mr. Lee nods to himself. "I need to fix some watches, so I'll be in the workshop," he says off-handedly. He retreats to his office, shutting the door closed behind him, and leaves you and Jungwook somewhat alone in the front shop.

An uncertain silence invades the store, and you stand there, not knowing whether you have the right to pull out your homework, as well, or whether you should just wait for a customer. You don't want to go off in a storm of fury again like you had yesterday, so you decide to stay here, however uncertain it feels. There is one thing that bugs you, however, and after assuring yourself that you have the courage to ask, you speak up and clearly question, "Why'd you tell him I have a headache?"

For a moment, you think he won't reply, but he slowly closes his text book, a subtle message saying he's given you a portion of his attention. He still, however, doesn't turn around to face you. "You don't want to get in trouble your first day, do you?"

"No," you say, pondering this. "I don't. But I don't get ... it's not that, it's ... I thought you hated me."

He meets your eyes then, eyes filled with utter loneliness that it causes unspeakable emotions to recklessly stir inside your heart. With a voice so low that you fear you might not hear him, he replies, "I don't. I don't, actually. I never have."

There's something in the way he says it that turns your blood cold and your heart warm all at the same time. You're saved the action of replying when he turns away, closing the conversation and leaving you to gloss over what he's so quietly confessed.