I groaned. “Not again,” I hissed as I grabbed the countless mails I had. I walked towards the door to my crappy apartment and opened it. As soon as I did, I immediately sneezed.

How long was I gone again? Oh, yeah. Five days. Crap. This place collects dust too fast.

I sat on my little couch. My apartment isn’t that spacious, unlike Jiyong’s. Mine is very small. A family can’t live here. My living room consists of only a small couch and a crappy television. My kitchen contains a small counter with a gas stove. I only have a small dining table that can fit two people. My bedroom only consists of a small bed that can only fit me. And my comfort room… the toilet’s broken. And I only have a shower.

This is exactly the reason why I don’t want Jiyong to come to my place. I’m too embarrassed of my place. I couldn’t be compared to him. He’s rich, I’m poor. Here come my insecurities once again.

I picked up the mails I received since the day I left home. I read each return address and groaned more and more every time I read the same ones. This is so creepy. He had been sending me letters since… I can’t even remember. I don’t even want to waste my time reading each of them. Because, I read one of them before and it just made me angrier. This man… he’s just after one thing from me. And I don’t think I’m ready to give that to him just yet or maybe never. I have my own reason, you know.

I went to the trash can to throw them all, but I saw that it was already overflowing of the same letters. Time to take out the trash.

“Hello?” I greeted, groaning loudly to make sure whoever is calling me knows that I don’t like being disturbed this early morning.

“Baby?” Jiyong’s voice entered my ears.

I immediately sat up. This is a different story. “Ji?”

“Good morning,” he said, his voice cheerful.

“Morning,” I greeted back.

“I called to say that I can’t pick you up today,” he said. “And I don’t think we can see each other the whole day because you know, our schedules are in conflict.”

I groaned louder. “Why?!”

“I’m too busy this morning. Sorry, baby. I’ll make it up to you later. Just like yesterday, meet me at the music room.”

“Fine,” I said, defeated. “See you around.”

I was walking down the hall. I was already late but I didn’t even dare run. I’m not in the mood, since yesterday. And the last thing I want to witness now is my classmates laughing at me because of the incident yesterday. Omo~

I’ll ditch classes today then. Yes, that’s right. I’ll go home now.

But before I can even step backward and leave school, I stopped midway. “I have to meet Jiyong today after class.”

How can I kill time, then?

So, I decided to head towards the music room. “I wonder what Jiyong has on his sleeves today. Why does he want me to meet him on the music room?”

Before my hand could reach the knob, the door opened. I was met by a stunned Seungri. Since Jiyong and I got together, I already knew some of his friends. And this one right here is too stunned for his own sake.

“DARA NOONA!” he greeted too loudly. He raised his hand for a high-five.

JIYONG’S POV

“DARA NOONA!” Seungri’s pitchy voice filled the entire room. I immediately straightened up and looked towards the door. I signaled my other friends to go back up Seungri.

“Hey, Noona!” Seunghyun greeted.

“Noona, how are you?” Daesung greeted too.

These three. Funny how they became my friends just by pretending to be Daddy-Long-Legs. But, anyway, back to the matter on hand.

AIGOO~ DARA! WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?!

“Let me in,” I heard Dara’s cold voice said.

“Why?” Seunghyun asked.

“Go back to your room, don’t you have class?” Daesung asked.

“Is Jiyong inside?” she asked again.

“NOTHING’S GOING ON INSIDE. WE’RE NOT HIDING ANYTHING!” Seungri frantically said. Good job, Seungri. It won’t raise suspicion.

I saw Seunghyun hit Seungri on the head. There’s no way out. I know Dara will smell something fishy. And I can’t hide all of these. What shall I do now?

“Jiyong!” Dara shouted, as Seungri, Daesung, and Seunghyun tried all their best to block her way. But she was still pushing in. Good job, the boys are strong.

As for me, I don’t know what else to do. What shall I do? I’m trapped. So, I kneeled on the floor and prayed that she will give up and just leave.

“FINE!” Dara said. I heard her footsteps down the hall and I was happy that God immediately answered my prayer.

I looked ahead as the boys sighed in relief too. Daesung and Seungri leaned on the doorway while Seunghyun dropped to the floor.

“That was close,” Seungri said.

“Stupid!” Daesung said hitting Seungri on the head.

Running footsteps and all eyes were ahead. Uh-oh!

DARA’S POV

The music room… it was transformed into a very romantic place. It was all covered in pink. My favorite color. The ceiling was covered with pink balloons. The curtains were changed into pink ones too. My piano was painted pink too. The floor, it’s covered in pink rose petals. Then I looked up.

Jiyong was kneeling on the ground. His hands were clasped together as if in prayer. His face was that of horror. I stared at his friends; they were mirroring the same face as Jiyong’s.

Did I just…?

“Sur…prise?” Jiyong said, awkwardly stretching is arms to the sides, as if showing the place to me.

“It’s your fault!” Seunghyun said behind me.

“Ouch, stop it already!” Seungri complained.

“Did I just…” I trailed off. “What’s the occasion?”

“You forgot again,” he said, starting to stand up. He turned to the boys. “Where’s the banner?”

The three immediately scampered away and got something. They then held it up and I read the words.

“Happy 201^st Day, Baby,” Jiyong said, as I read it in my mind. He draped his hand on my shoulder and kissed me on the temple. “It was supposed to be 200^th day yesterday, but since you were put into detention, I wasn’t able to surprise you.”

“I forgot again,” I said, facing him, pouting.

“Ya! Don’t pout. There are other guys here,” he said.

“I forgot again,” I said, too frustrated with myself. Jiyong wrapped his arms on me and hugged me to his chest. I felt him swaying his other arms as if shooing the other boys. "I'm so sorry."

“It’s alright, I don’t mind,” he said, reassuring me, kissing my hair.

I looked up at him, my face tear-stricken. He wiped them off and kissed both of my cheeks.

“Happy 201^st Day,” I greeted.

“Happy 201^st Day,” he greeted back. And his head inclined to me now; but his lips only gently pressed on my own, finding a part there to the breath and let it flow back into me as my arms enclosed him.

“I love you,” he said.

“I love you, too.”

JIYONG’S POV

After all the surprises were done, after I sang for her while playing the piano, after eating a whole cake by ourselves, we were just lounging in the music room, choosing to ditch class. I was randomly pressing keys wile she was on the floor with a paper and a pencil on and. I wonder what she was doing. Lately, I always see him with a paper and a pencil.

“What are you scribbling?” I asked.

“I’m not scribbling,” she said.

I was waiting for her to say more, but she didn’t. So, I let her be, while I continued playing random piano pieces.

“What are you planning after we graduate, Ji?” she asked suddenly.

“Marry you,” I said.

She snapped her head to look up at me. I winked at her and she blushed. Cute.

“No, I mean, what course are you going to take?”

“Oh,” I nodded, as if that was just the only time I understood. “I plan on majoring on Music, because I know you’re going to take that too.”

A look of sadness passed by her face for a while.

“What’s wrong?” I asked, dropping myself beside her.

But she leaned away and id the paper she was holding. “I’m not taking Music.”

“But I thought you love playing the piano,” I said.

“I do,” she said, truthfully. “But, I have discovered something else.”

“Really? What?” I asked.

“It’s this,” she said as she took out a thick compilation of papers from her bag.

I stared at each of the drawings. They were portraits of me. Most of them were when I was sleeping. Some of them were when I was eating or reading a book. So that was what she was on to while she’s with a paper and a pencil. Then after some portraits of me, there were drawings of dresses – some long, some short.

“So, you’re going to take Fine Arts?”

“I’m not yet sure,” she said.

“Then, we won’t be classmates,” I said.

“Oh, yeah,” her face dropped.

DARA’S POV

I was sketching another set of dresses during our class. It was yet another boring subject and instead of sleeping and getting reprimanded, I preoccupied myself by sketching.

I sighed as I remembered my conversation with Jiyong yesterday. I want to experience having my boyfriend as my classmate, but, what can I do? I want to design clothes or just draw some portraits of people. It’s fun. What shall I choose, then?

I don’t care. Let fate do its work.

“Are you still awake, Ji?” I asked him. I was staring at the ceiling the whole night. I just can’t sleep.

“Mmm…” he said as he faced me and wrapped his arms on my waist. He pulled me closer to him and so I wrapped my arms around him too. I rested my head on his chest as his steady breathing comforted me. “Can’t sleep?” he asked as he planted a kiss on my temple.

I nodded. “Care to talk for a while?”

“What do you want to talk about?” he asked, with his husky voice.

“Do you believe in fate?” I asked.

“Before I answer that, tell me your thoughts on it,” he said.

“Well, I do believe in fate. If it wasn’t for fate, I wouldn’t have met you. If it wasn’t for fate, we will not be like this now. So, I am thankful to fate that it brought us together.”

He nodded. “I don’t believe in fate.”

I stared up at im. “Why?”

“Well, everything in this world happens by choice. We decide on what to choose – whether we choose to be happy or choose to be sulky – it all depends on our decisions.”

“So… you mean, our meeting wasn’t accidental?” I asked.

“Partly,” he said. “But it was MY choice to approach you when you were crying alone. It was MY choice to lend you my handkerchief and my shoulder for you to cry on.”

It made me pout. It’s too complicated. “But it was still fate that made you choose them,” I said.

“No, it wasn’t. It was my choice.”

“No, I still believe in fate,” I said, insisting. “It’s fate that brought us together.”

“Suit yourself,” he said. “Let’s sleep now.”

“So…” our homeroom teacher trailed off. He was distributing our exam slips. “The exam is going to be near and be prepared for the war, because this will determine whether you can step on to college or not.”

I felt excited, hearing his words. He then distributed the exam slips on my row. But then, when it was my turn, he just passed by me. Then wen he finished distributing the remaining slips, he went back in front.

I raised my hand. “Sir, why don’t I have an exam slip?”

“Meet me on my office and I’ll tell you why,” he said.

Omo~ did he ear about my sleep-talking incident last week? Will I get reprimanded because of it? Omona~

The bell rang signaling the last class is finished. I immediately stood up from my desk and went outside to meet our homeroom teacher. But on the way to his office, I met Jiyong.

“Oh, where are you going?” I asked.

“Class just finished and I was about to fetch you,” he said. “Let’s go to the music room?”

“I can’t. I have to meet our homeroom teacher.”

“Why?” he asked, sincerely worried. “Is there a problem?”

“I don’t know. But just a while ago, he was distributing our exam slips, but he didn’t give me. He told me to meet him after class. So I’m heading my way there.”

“I’ll accompany you then,” he insisted.

I tried refusing but he was already holding my hand and leading me the way.

“Sir?” I greeted the moment I stepped in. “Is there a problem?”

“Sit down,” he ordered. ”Do you have any idea why I called you here?” he asked in that very mysterious voice.

“Omo, Yang Sunseng-nim, I didn’t mean it to dream things like that. I swear I’m not a erted person or something of that sort.”

I was busy pleading to him that I didn’t notice Yang Sunseng-nim’s shocked face. Omo~ did I just reveal myself?

He cleared is throat, obviously uncomfortable with my outburst and confession. “I’m not talking about anything about you being a erted person or something of that sort. This is a more serious matter, Miss Park.”

“Oh,” I said, sinking further on my seat.

“You have to listen to me carefully, Miss Park,” he said carefully.

What the hell! He’s scaring the hell out of me. Just tell it to me!

“I can’t let you take the exam.”

WHAT?!

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*poster credits to --infinite