“It’s a girl.”

“No it’s a boy.”

“It’s a girl, you idiot!”

“Look, flat chest. Use your eyes.”

“Whatever it’s a girl.”

“You’re a moron and he probably can hear us. His eyebrows are twitching.”

“She probably can hear us. Why don’t you go and ask her?”

“Why me?”

“Because I said so.”

“Hey I’m older.”

“Whatever.”

Knowing it was worthless to argue anymore, Dongwoo got up stiffly and whistling casually, walked towards their object of interest. He was sitting on one of the chairs opposite to them and reading a book.

“Hi,” Dongwoo said, grinning widely.

The boy looked up and fixed Dongwoo with a hard stare. Immediately, he started feeling uncomfortable. He didn’t like people who looked like they meant business and this effeminate boy in front of him looked like he meant business well and thorough.

“Er…I was wondering, I mean my friend over there -” he jerked his thumb towards the back, where Hoya was sitting, pretending to look at the train timetable. “Yeah we were wondering if you were a boy or a girl?”

Now that he uttered it, the question sounded incredibly stupid and he wanted to dig a hole right there and bury his head in it. The things he did for Hoya…

“Umm…” the boy was simply staring at him as if he was a freak from the circus. He scratched his head and laughed uneasily.

Finally, what seemed like after half an hour, he spoke.

“Boy.”

Dongwoo had been fidgeting with his hand all this while and when he heard the boy speak he looked up.

“Thanks,” he said, giving him a toothy grin and marched up to Hoya with a victorious smile.

“He’s a boy!” he informed him.

“She’s lying,” Hoya said immediately.

“Hoya, how could you be so stubborn? There are things like pretty boys, you know,” Dongwoo said, lowering his voice. He had already been embarrassed in front of the boy and he didn’t want him to think he was totally gone.

“Look, I can bet she’s a girl,” Hoya continued obstinately.

They argued for a while and without knowing it, they had gotten pretty loud. They only stopped when they saw that the boy, or girl in Hoya’s case, they had been talking about was standing right in front of them.

“Is this a first or do you always investigate people’s gender?” he said sternly.

“We – we -” Dongwoo didn't know what to say. He was ashamed. Hoya however looked up at him innocently.

“I’m sorry but if you hadn’t been lying about your gender…”

“Who’s lying you idiot. I am a boy!  See here!” The boy had pulled out a card and now shoved it in front of Hoya’s face. It was his National ID card.

“Lee Sungjong?” Hoya said, studying the card carefully for 5minutes. Then he looked up suspiciously. “How do I know this is yours? Maybe you have a twin brother.”

“You stupid – whatever,” Sungjong seemed to force himself to calm down. “I don’t care what you think. I’m a boy, I attend Walls, an all-boys school for your information. But if you don’t want to believe that, suit yourself.”

The boy stalked off, head held high. Dongwoo shook his head.

“Hoya, how could you be so unreasonable? It’s so clear that he’s a boy,” Dongwoo said.

“I know,” Hoya said.

“What?” Dongwoo started. “How long have you known?”

“From the beginning of course,” Hoya said nonchalantly.

“Then - then what was all that for?”

Hoya turned to him with a smirk on his face.

“To get his name and number – he’s a boy I got the hots for.”

“How did you know he’ll show you his ID?”

“I didn’t, but I was pushing my luck. At least I would know his name and school.” Hoya flashed Dongwoo another brilliant smile and hastily typed down the number he had memorized from Sungjong’s card on his cellphone. Dongwoo stood, bewildered.

“But – that – I”

Hoya winked.

“Sorry D-man, you’ll always be a step behind me.”

What could Dongwoo say - Hoya was right after all.