Ever since I’ve started university, I’ve been working as a student assistant. For three years running, I’ve been working in the library under the guidance of Mrs. Kim. Apparently, she’s the mother of Hyunjoong and up to now, I still wonder where Hyunjoong got his cockiness since Mrs. Kim is a far cry from being cocky.

I stacked the papers in an orderly manner when the devil himself appeared.

“I hope you were thinking about me.” I heard Hyunjoong asked which I blatantly ignored. It’s at that moment wherein I heard someone laugh. The kind of laugh which I’m familiar with and the only laugh I wanted to hear. So I found myself looking up and saw him behind Hyunjoong.

As usual, I just stared at him without any words uttered. I blink a few times and it seems I forgot to breathe for a few seconds. It was until Hyunjoong pinched my cheeks that I was able to recover from my usual shocked state.

“I never thought you would be that happy to see me.” Hyunjoong teased me with underlying meaning on his words.

I have a nagging feeling that Hyunjoong noticed my affection to his friend and that’s the reason why he often messed with me. With my fist clenched tightly under the table, I sighed and shrugged my shoulder as I said, “If that’s what you want to believe, so is it.”

“So you’re admitting that you like me? That you adore my handsome-ness?” Hyunjoong asked in an exaggerated manner that made the other students in the vicinity stare at us.

Oh well, with or without Hyunjoong’s drama antics, we are always getting stared at. It’s like the same case with Yoona but a little bit different. To start with, Hyunjoong and Seunghyun are two of the most popular students in the campus. As what other students described them, they are hot. Their words, not mine.

Even with his weirdness, Hyunjoong was definitely a looker in my own opinion. He’s the better athlete than Seunghyun since the latter was a bit lazy, I think. He was popular with the girls and boys at the same time. He was the one who often change his girls like he was changing his clothes. Can’t blame him, he got all the girls running around his palm. Though, I don’t see any girl hanging around him recently. He must be a little bit sick, if ever.

While the other guy Seunghyun, he’s the same but he excels more in academics. Professors and students often asked him for help. Unlike his best friend, he was more of the one-woman man type and the reason why Yoona was often envied by a lot because she was the lucky girl who caught the guy. And yes, I am one of those girls and I don’t bother denying it.

“I knew it. You just like me that much that you can’t even speak those words.” Hyunjoong added.

I rolled my eyes at him and stole a quick glance at Seunghyun as I said, “Right. I never thought you have an active imagination, Hyunjoong.”

Seunghyun laughed at my statement that made my heart do somersaults inside. I guess Hyunjoong saw my through my act which made his eyes squint like he was hurt or angered at my reaction. Here goes his weird thing again.

“Just when I’m around you.” Hyunjoong said as he leaned forward to close the gap between us. “Just only with you.”

I pushed him when I felt that my space has been threatened by his presence. I’m sure he would have refuted if not for him. He restrained Hyunjoong with just one hand and they stared at each other for a full minute as if they were assessing each other’s intention.

“Stop teasing her, Joong.” Seunghyun said with a hint of seriousness in his tone.

Hyunjoong looked at me before he shrugged his shoulders and left us alone. I saw him looking at his best friend disappointedly as he turned his attention back to me. I saw his lips formed an apologetic smile and I smiled back. His eyes grew big upon seeing the smile I’ve given.

Oh well, guilty as charged.

I don’t normally smile at anyone and it may have surprised him.

“You really should smile often.” Seunghyun said as soon as he recovered from the shock. Then he chuckled as if he remembered something, “This happened before? This kind of conversation?”

Shyly, I nodded and I can see the glint of embarrassment on his eyes.

“Well, I have a bit of a goldfish memory.” Seunghyun admitted with a flush of pink on his cheeks.

“Or it’s not that important.” I uttered under my breath.

“It’s not that.”  Seunghyun said as he stared at me intensely. It was too intense that my heart wanted to leap out of my ribcage as it was beating so fast for me. He bit his lower lip as he added, “I just have a lot on my plate.”

“I know. You always do.” I agreed as I turned my attention back to arranging the stack of papers on my table. “Ever since before.”

He smiled genuinely unlike the smile he used to give out to other people. He messed up my hair and said, “And you’re just here not asking a single question.” He shrugged his shoulders as he added, “As if you’re not interested a single thing about me. It’s kind of refreshing.”

“It’s not that I’m not interested. Rather, I just want to respect your own space.” I said which surprised him.

“You’ve never changed, Dar.” I heard him say.

“People change, Seunghyun. I’m not that important for you to notice any changes.” I said and went on to what I was doing. I can feel his stares even if I don’t look at him. I always knew if it was him who was looking at him. I’m that sensitive to him but no one knew, not even the guy himself.

“Tee-oh-pee!!” Hyunjoong yelled his alias over and over again.

“He won’t stop until you listened to him.” I muttered and I can feel his hesitation to go over. I have that nagging feeling that without Hyunjoong’s interference, I might be under a different circumstance.

He didn’t move a bit and I forced myself to look up and met his eyes.

“Go now. He’s a bit of a nuisance if he wanted to. Take it from the person who he often bothers.” I shooed him away.

He nodded and looked away. Then I thought I heard him whisper, “I’ll let you pass this time.”

I shrugged my shoulder to stop thinking those unwanted thoughts. Those words are just part of a disillusioned self and I should stop at that. For he belongs to my best friend and I’m no boyfriend stealer, that’s final.