The next day school seemed to drag on forever.  My body hummed with energy just waiting to be released.  I could barely focus on my classes and when lunch finally arrived, all I wanted to do was see the track.  Bidding goodbye to Ara Cha, I headed out to the turf.  The days were still warm in early September a small breeze worked its tendril through my hair.  The wind brought a fresh smell and I breathed in deeply, savoring the scent.

I heard footsteps behind me and I whirled around, expecting to see Youngmin creeping up behind me.

I was wrong.

Instead were three boys who looked about my age or maybe a year older.  I couldn’t deny that I felt slightly disappointed.  Where was Youngmin?  He had been trying to get my attention all morning but I ignored him, still upset with his prying.  After a few class periods, he eventually stopped trying.  I sighed, wondering if I should just forgive him.  He really hadn’t done anything wrong.  To an outsider looking in, it was a normal enough question, but no one knew the story behind my name, except for my family.  And I would do everything in my power to keep it that way. 

As I was lost in my thoughts, the group of boys from earlier started to approach me, though I didn’t notice until they were right in front of me. 

“Hi,” one kid with light, wavy brown hair greeted.  He had a kind face and beautiful eyes.  “I’m Jeongmin.”

I nodded politely, not saying anything.

 “I’m Minwoo!” the smallest of the four jumped in my face.  Startled, I took a step back, staring at his happy, open face.  “Let’s be friends!”

I laughed inside at his forwardness.  He was cute in a bubbly sort of way.  Maybe not as cute as Youngmin, but adorable.

“My name is Hyunseong,” the last one said.  His chin was angled, but he had chubby cheeks. 

I bowed each in turn briefly.  “Hello, nice to meet you.  Jung Jin Haneul –imnida.”

The one named Minwoo nodded.  “I know, we are in the same class.” 

I blushed slightly, embarrassed that I hadn’t recognized him, not that I should have.  I didn’t really look at anyone in my class besides Ara Cha and Youngmin, and I only knew Kwangmin and Hyesoo because Kwangmin looked just like his twin and you couldn’t find Kwangmin without Hyesoo.  I sort of talked to the other people in the class, but I never really looked at their faces.  In fact, I barely made any eye contact whatsoever. 

“Mianhaeyo,” I apologized, looking at the ground.

“Don’t be,” he assured and I heard the bright smile in his voice.  “I really never got a chance to introduce myself before now and Youngmin was always stealing your attention.”  Before I could protest, he continued.  “Anyway, these other two, Jeongmin is a junior and Hyunseong is a senior.  One of our other friends, Donghyun, graduated already, but you would really like him I bet.  He’s really nice.”

I heard one of the others scoff, “Pft, yeah, when he’s not scolding us.”

Minwoo at first looked like he was going to defend his friend, but then thought differently.  “I guess you’re right.  He can be pretty stern and scary when he wants to be.  But I’m sure he wouldn’t be that way with you!”

This time I laughed aloud.  “I’m sure you’re right.”

Minwoo’s eyes grew really big.  “Uwah!  You’re really pretty when you smile!”

Blushing furiously, I looked away, hiding my embarrassment behind my long hair.  “Um, thank you.  I got to go now.  It was nice meeting you.”  Still without looking them in the eyes, I bowed quickly and began speedily walking away.

“Wait!”  Minwoo bounced in front of me.  “How about you hang out with us?  You’re all alone and it’s no fun to be by yourself.”

I thought about it and decided he was right.  It really wasn’t fun to be by oneself and I really wanted friends, didn’t I?  Besides, Minwoo had already made me laugh, which was actually quite hard to do.  I decided to take a chance.  Maybe I could even stop thinking about Youngmin for a while.  Although, that seemed impossible. 

Slowly, I nodded my head and Minwoo squealed in delight, hugging me and bouncing on his feet.  I instantly stiffened.  Luckily, it was over as soon as it had started and he let go, a goofy grin on his face.

“Perfect!  Come on, we’re headed back to the cafeteria.”  He took my hand and instead of pulling back like I’d usually do, I let him pull me back towards the school and the crowded cafeteria.

“You guys haven’t eaten yet?” I questioned.

“No,” this time, Hyungseong spoke up.  “We had to get Jeongmin’s shoes that he left yesterday.”

“Shoes?”

“Yeah,” Jeongmin scratched the back of his head, “I left my tennis shoes here yesterday after practice.”  It was only then that I noticed that he had a cinch bag.

“Practice?  What sport are you in?” I asked.

“Well, I’m in varsity track with these two,” he pointed to Minwoo and Hyunseong.

“Oh, really?” I wondered if they had seen me yesterday.  I hoped not.

“You were really cool yesterday,” Hyunseong said.  “Your time was really good, too.  Especially for the beginning of preseason.”

Well, so much for them not seeing.

Not knowing what to say, I simply thanked them.  I asked them what events they did and they all answered enthusiastically.

Minwoo started.  “I run sprints and hurtles.”

“I do pole vault,” replied Hyunseong.

“And I do triple jump, long jump, and hurtles,” Jeongmin finished.

I whistled.  “Wow, I can only run long distance.  I’m only doing the mile and two mile.”

“That’s impressive too,” Minwoo insisted.  “I don’t know how you people can run so fast for so long.  I’d just as soon let out all of my energy and speed for 100 or 200 meters.”

“I suppose to each his own, right?” I said.

Jeongmin laughed.  “Wow, you’re one of the only people who doesn’t defend their event to the death by saying it’s the best.  And then you don’t even argue to prove that you’re right.”

I shrugged nonchalantly.  “Fighting over something so trivial is stupid.  They are all equally difficult in their own way and require certain talents for each.  It’s not a matter of which event is better, it’s a matter of which athlete puts in the most heart.”

We stepped into the noisy cafeteria and I followed them to a table in the middle of the space.  I stiffened a few feet away, uncomfortable in such a visible spot.  Why couldn’t they have picked a corner table?  But a few others had already seen them and were beckoning them over.

“Hey guys,” Minwoo said cheerfully, “this is Jung Jin Haneul.” 

Upon seeing that I wasn’t beside him, he looked around and spotted me a bit a ways away.  He smiled reassuringly at me and took my hand again, gently pulling me forward.  Unable to resist that smile, I followed him to the table and sat in a chair between him and Jeongmin.  I looked around at all the handsome and pretty faces that were seated around the table.  I gulped.  This was where all the popular people sat, a place I definitely did not belong.  My eyes roamed around the table in a circle until they landed on a blonde figure just on the other side of Minwoo.  How had I not seen him?  Youngmin watched me from the corner of his eye and I copied his spying movement.  We stared at each other surreptitiously until someone asked Youngmin a question and he had to look at them to respond, breaking our subtle eye contact.

Free from his gaze, I looked down at the table.  It was easy to see who the most popular were.  Hyunseong, Jeongmin, Minwoo, and Youngmin were the most idolized.  I sighed, wanting to get away.

Minwoo must have heard me sigh because he looked at me questioningly.  “Are you okay?” he asked.

I nodded.  “Neh, I’m just…”  Just what?  Uncomfortable?  Nervous?  “I’m just tired is all.  It’s been a long, boring day.”

Minwoo nodded sympathetically.  “I understand, but you’re going to practice today, right?”

Smiling my fake smile, I said, “Of course.  Wouldn’t miss it for anything.”  That part was at least true.

Satisfied with my answer, the boy returned to the conversation.  I zoned off, ignoring the water bottle in front of me, pretending to listen and look like I belonged.  In all reality I was back at the track, wind blowing in my face, legs and arms pumping.

“…on the track.  It was incredible!”  Minwoo was saying.  I snapped back to the present at the word ‘track.’  Finally, something I could relate to.

“Really?” a pretty girl with light brown curls said.  She was staring at me with a critical eye.  “She doesn’t look like much.” 

Minwoo put a protective arm around my shoulders.  “You should see her run at practice today.  I’ll bet she could beat all of the girls, maybe most of the guys too.”

Blushing, I pushed Minwoo away.  “It was a good day yesterday.  I probably won’t be as fast today.  So no bets, ever.”

Minwoo and a couple of the others looked disappointed.  What exactly had I missed while spacing out?

“Anyway,” a boy spoke up, “I’m having a pool party at my house this tomorrow while it’s still warm outside.  You guys in?”

Excited chatter filled the table at the announcement.  As far as I knew, everyone agreed to go.  Minwoo looked at me expectantly.

“You’re going too, right?” he asked, his eyes big and round.  So cute.

“Um, I don’t think so.  I might have homework that I need to do instead.”  Pathetic excuse, I know, but I didn’t want to go to a party I didn’t belong at.

“What?  No!  You have all weekend to do homework!  Please go!  Please!”  He clasped his hands together, begging, his face even more hopeful.  I looked past his shoulder at another face, dark eyes looking at me through blonde bangs.  Those eyes stared back at mine as I desperately tried to organize my thoughts.

“Okay,” I obliged after a long moment. 

“Yay!”  Minwoo threw his arms around me, hugging me tightly.  I was surprised and could only sit still as he bounced in his seat excitedly, still embracing me.  Again, I looked past his shoulder at Youngmin.  A small smile crept to his face, lighting his eyes.  Before I knew it, I was smiling back.

The last bell went off, deafening me.  Quickly, I gathered my books as the teacher shouted out our homework.  I groaned –another assignment that I had to complete.  I quickly retrieved my bag from my locker along with my running things.  Slamming it closed, I rushed to the locker rooms to change.

Out on the track, I warmed up with the other athletes.  It was very similar to the way we did it when I was in America.  I didn’t feel uncomfortable at all and the other athletes were all very nice and friendly.  This was where I belonged.  

Practice was grueling, but by the end, I felt amazing.  I was pleased I could surpass the other girls and even surpass one or two of the lower varsity boys.  One thing did surprise me, though.  Youngmin and Kwangmin were both on varsity for the one mile, 800 meter dash, and 400 meter hurdles.  This made it more difficult to ignore Youngmin, but by the end of practice, I decided that I didn’t want to fight with him, especially since he didn’t know why we were fighting.  When all the events were done for the day, I made my way over to Youngmin who was talking with the other varsity boys. 

“Jin Haneul!”  Minwoo exclaimed.  Did that kid ever just talk?  Did he have to yell everything.

Smiling shyly, I gave him a small wave.  “Hi.”

“Did you come to talk to me?  Miss me that much?  Don’t feel embarrassed, most people do.”  He was talking really fast, I could barely keep up.

“Um, I just wanted to say good job today,” I lied.  “You did well.”  I turned to the others in the group.  “As did all of you.  Great job.”

They all gave me polite smiles and returned the compliment, including the ones I had passed.  One person caught my eye.  I turned my head slightly to look at Youngmin.  “Are you walking home today?” I asked nervously.

Staring at me with a blank expression, he nodded his head.  “Do you want to walk home together?” he responded.

I smiled a little.  “Yeah, I’ll be waiting outside the locker rooms.”  I bid farewell to the others and walked away.  Once my back faced them, my smile grew.  I picked up my bag and made my way over to the locker rooms to shower and change.

Youngmin found me outside sitting against the wall working on math homework.  My hair was still damp and I had changed into denim shorts and a plain blue T-shirt.  His shadow blocked the sunlight and I looked up at him.

“Are you ready?” he asked.  I couldn’t read the expression on his face.

I nodded and began packing my things.  Youngmin helped me and instead of complaining, I let him.  He grabbed my hand and pulled me up as I slung my bag over my shoulder.  I expected him to let go, but he gripped my hand as we walked down the street.  My heart pounded at the simple touch and I lightly took my hand out of his.  We walked in awkward silence for a block, neither of us saying a word.  Usually, I liked quiet, but it didn’t seem right with Youngmin.  Eventually, I couldn’t take it anymore.

“I’m sorry about yesterday.  I was rude and my behavior was uncalled for.  Please forgive me.”  I bit my lip, waiting for his response.  I kept my eyes on the sidewalk.

When he didn’t say anything, my stomach plummeted to the ground.  Finally, he answered.

“It’s okay, I forgive you.”  His reply was brief, but I smiled happily.  “Although, I still don’t fully understand why you got upset with me.”  My smile dropped.

“Um, that was my fault too,” I admitted.  “I was too sensitive.  You didn’t really do anything wrong.”  It was just that stupid question about my name that had me edgy.

“Oh, okay.” 

We continued walking quietly, but it was a companionable silence.  I suppose neither of us knew what to say.

“So,” he finally spoke up.  “You’re going to the pool party tomorrow?”

“Yeah, are you?”

He nodded.  “You’re new here, so you probably don’t know where Changjo lives right?  I shook my head.  “Okay, I’ll pick you up outside your place at 12:00.  Will you be ready at that time?”

(A/N: Changjo is from Teen Top)

I nodded.  “Yeah, I’ll be ready.”

He smiled briefly, but then it disappeared.  “So, you and Minwoo.  How did that happen?  I know he’s in our class, but I’ve never seen you talk to him.”

“Actually, I met him today at lunch.  I was out by the track when he, Hyunseong, and Jeongmin were walking by and introduced themselves.  Then Minwoo invited me to eat lunch with them.”  I paused, deciding on how to word my next sentence.  “He seems kind of…clingy.”

Youngmin laughed at my word choice.  “Maybe that’s why he doesn’t have a girlfriend.”

“Speaking of which,” I began.  Youngmin perked up, looking down at me curiously.  “Where were Kwangmin and Hyesoo?  I didn’t see them at lunch.”

“Oh,” Youngmin looked in front of us again.  “They were on the roof.  They go up there often so they can be alone.”

“I can see why.  It’s really secluded up there.”

“I guess that’s why I don’t like it so much.  I like to be with people and being so alone is boring.”

I shrugged, not replying.

“You like to be alone, right?” he asked.  “You don’t like crowded places.”

Again I shrugged, not giving a direct answer.  I looked up and saw my apartment.  “Thanks Youngmin for walking with me again.  I’ll see you tomorrow.”

I began to walk up the steps when Youngmin called me back.

“Jin!”  I half turned to look at him expectantly.  “Call me oppa.”  He gave me one of his cute, innocent smiles.

Pausing for just a brief second, I nodded, smiling with him.  “Okay, I’ll see you tomorrow oppa.”  Then I fled inside, confused by my burning cheeks.

New update! How did this one go? I know I keep asking questions on how my writing is, but I really do want to know what you guys think.  Please? Just one little comment from my very few readers, that's all I'm asking for.

And pool scene coming up ^_^ I'm excited for that one.