Nineteen

One week passed by in a flash.

After that stupid sports festival incident where Hyukjae um… well… um… kissed me, I locked myself up in my bedroom for about 3 days, in depression. It was only when Taeyang comforted me, and told me that the kiss wasn’t a big deal, what mattered most was that my feelings for Jiyong didn’t change – did I manage to come out of the bedroom. Jiyong didn’t really talk to me, but I guessed it was because he was tired and all that after the festival. After all, he was the one who was cheering the most. I couldn’t really blame him… yeah, how did it matter to him if some guy came and kissed me? It probably didn’t matter at all. I was very hurt and upset, but I didn’t say anything and everything went pretty okay.

But still, I feel contaminated.

I lost my first kiss, to a blonde idiot.

Then, I tried to avoid Hyukjae whenever possible. Finally one day, he confronted me, and this was how the conversation went;

“Jinhee!” I heard that voice behind me, and I instinctively ran for my life. No! I didn’t want to face him! Not after what he did to me!

“Wait, for a minute will you?!” he said, his voice constrained. I stopped and looked back at him suspiciously.

“What?” I asked in a sinister voice.

“Look Jinhee, I’m sorry.” He sighed and hung his head. “I… shouldn’t have done that. I’m really sorry okay? Forgive me?”

I lost all determination after seeing his puppy dog eyes. I sighed in frustration and said, “Okay. If anyone asks anything about it, YOU have to explain. Understand? I’ll forget about it.”

He smiled in relief. “Thanks a lot… I mean… yeah, thanks.” And then he walked along with me to class.

“Uh… wait,” he said suddenly and stopped me just before entering class. “You remember what I asked you?”

I stared at him, perplexed, before understanding.

“If we win the sports festival… go out with me.”

When he saw realization dawning my face, he looked at me with a very sincere expression. I sighed and ran my hand through my hair.

“Look… we’ll talk after school okay?”

“Okay.”

“Hyukjae… I’m… I’m really sorry.” I said and hung my head low. He looked dejected.

“I kinda guessed you wouldn’t.” he laughed mildly. I was hurt by the pained expression on his face.

“You know, I’ve liked you for two years now. During our first year, I really liked you, but we hardly got to even talk. And honestly, you were… pretty scary,” he shook his head grinning.

I cocked an eyebrow and let him continue.

“But then, everyone told me of the fact that you… you live with Big Bang and I… well…” he trailed off. I nodded my head slightly.

“Hyukjae, I have a confession to make.”

“What?”

“I… I like Jiyong.” I said and shuffled my feet nervously.

“J-Jiyong? You mean… Kwon Jiyong, or G-dragon?” his eyes went wide. A small expression of shock donned his face. I nodded, not meeting his eyes. I hadn’t really told anyone else except Hana, and now I really hoped he wouldn’t spread this.

“A-and does he like you?” he asked, and though it was hurtful and kinda… how do you say… painful? I shook my head. “No.”

For a while there was complete silence, before he took a deep breath, and then said. “Well, if you really like him, then I’ll support you. Because if you’re happy, then I am too.”

Those words he said, with such sincerity made me feel as if I it was a miracle had happened, that I got to be friends with a guy like Lee Hyukjae.

“After all, even if you liked me back, we can’t get married,” he said, grinning, while I stood there, stunned. “Because we have the same last name!” he laughed.

And that’s what happened.

Then Mir, Seungho and Sanghyun came, stayed over for the weekend and went. It turned out they were really big fan boys, and they couldn’t really tell anyone about that. They were very happy, we took pictures and all, and they all became pretty good friends. Top even told them to come visit frequently, and the three nerds were so happy, I could actually see them floating in the air.

“I’m going!” I said, pulling my shoes on. Seungri appeared, as usual gave me a bear hug and sent me off, whining that he wouldn’t see me for a whole day. I rolled my eyes.

Seriously Seungri, if you’re going to be so clingy with your future girlfriend, then she’d most likely run away.

At school, Hana, I and three quarters of the others in Class B slept through the entire morning and afternoon sessions of boring classes. Then when it was time to go home, Hana reminded me.

“Jinhee-ah, you said you’d treat me to mochi!” she pouted. I remembered my promise, and fished around in my bag to see if I had some money. Then I looked up and smiled sheepishly. I had none. Why? Because I jus