What do I do? What do I do?

I panicked as I approached the living room. I could see the back of Youngjae's head as he calmly sat on the sofa, watching TV. Without making any noise, I sat down right beside him and watched as he glanced at me, blushed and whipped his head back. By then, I was having immense difficulty in swallowing a huge, immovable lump in my throat.

"Good morning," I heard a whisper from my right and a smile shyly played on my lips as I returned the greeting.

"Want some chips?" Youngjae muttered as he nudged an opened bag to me.

"Thanks," I said and took a couple before putting them in my mouth and making loud crunching sounds.

"Had a good sleep?"

I almost choked on my chips when I turned to find Youngjae staring at me. I swallowed them down and said, "Terrific."

He smiled and my heart stopped. I willed it to start beating and it did, only this time, it went into a series of frantic heartbeats.

"Me too," he said and turned back to the screen.

I played with my thumbs and hoped that I wouldn't seem too awkward in front of him. I still hadn't explained why I acted that way. But was it necessary to explain...? Of course it was! Who wouldn't want an explanation as to why a guy just kissed him randomly out of nowhere?

"Dae..."

I looked at him and had to refrain myself from letting my eyes wander to his lips.

"Yes?"

Youngjae bit his lower lip and it nearly drove me over the wall.

"About last night..."

I started to panic. He was going to mention why I did it. Did I have an answer? No I didn't. Maybe I did?

"Why?" he simply asked.

Why? Such a simple question yet it was proving extremely difficult to answer. I struggled to form a reason in my head as I watched Youngjae eyeing me questioningly. He wanted to know. Of course he did. And I needed to give him an answer... But before that, I needed to answer my own questions first. Was I... falling for him? I was confused and my mind was a mixture of muddled thoughts. It was a question I'd been delaying to answer. But I needed the answer to it now.

Something warm crawled onto my hand and a tingling sensation tickled my skin. I knew before looking down, what it was. Youngjae squeezed my hand and whispered, "You don't have to answer that if you don't want to, you know?"

There was something in his eyes. Sadness, maybe? The previous hopeful look they held had sunk down almost completely. I gulped. I needed to tell him the truth. He deserved it. And most of all, I needed to know the truth myself, to hear it in my own words.

"Youngjae... about yesterday... I have this feeling... That maybe I..." this was proving to be extremely difficult. Why couldn't I just spit it out?

"I... I..." what do I say? "Maybe... I think... Well not actually think but it's more of a feeling," I ended up blabbering.

"Well... It's just that I've been feeling this way for quite a while now and I think..." I had never done this before. But it was now or never. "I think I l-"

The front door swung open and the beautiful hand which enclosed my own retreated. My hand clenched up into fists and I turned to look, more like glare, at the intruder. Junhong headed over to me, his shirt was wet and he had a towel slung over his neck. He grabbed the end of it and ran it over his temple where beads of sweat were accumulated and grinned down at me.

"I'm done practicing," he said.

"Okay..." I said dully. All form of motivation to confess to Youngjae lost.

"You still owe me a movie date," he continued.

"I'm not allowed outside..."

"Aww come on hyung! I've seen you sneaking out numerous times! Why can't you do it one more time for me?" he smiled.

"Alright. Fine," I resigned to defeat.

"Great!" the smile on Junhong's face broadened. "I'll go change first. You wait here."

Junhong entered the room and left Youngjae and me alone in the living room. I turned Youngjae. It was too late to say anything now, far too late. Junhong came out a minute later and called me over. I got up and went to the front door, shooting Youngjae one last glance before disappearing out of the dorm.

---

"What movie would you like hyung?" Junhong asked as he scanned the list of movie names on the screen overhead.

I shrugged.

"Hyung."

"What?" I asked him irritably.

"Is there something wrong?" he looked at me concernedly.

I caught his eyes and said hastily, "No. Of course not. Why would you think so?"

"Because..." he said carefully. "You seemed a little preoccupied."

"Really?" I gave a small laugh. "It’s probably 'cause I'm tired..."

Junhong nodded in understanding. "Our schedules are getting tighter."

I let out the breath I didn't know I was holding as Junhong ate up my excuse. He purchased the tickets and we walked towards the cinema. Junhong's hand brushed against mine several times and I was only too conscious of it. In case he would do something like hold my hand, I brought it up to examine the ticket.

We sat down once we were inside the cinema. The movie started soon afterwards. Both of us were quiet, either engrossed in the movie or silenced by the awkward atmosphere. Neither of us moved throughout the whole movie except to shovel a handful of popcorn into our mouths. The two-hour-long movie ended and we got up, flexing our legs before leaving the cinema. Back at the ticket booths, Junhong turned to me and asked, "How was it?"

I assumed he was asking me about the movie so I grinned and replied, "It's was great."

Junhong nodded. Just then, someone approached us and said, "Hi Daehyun. What a coincidence bumping into you here."

I froze and I watched Junhong's eyes widen when he saw her. Ailee shot Junhong a smile which he didn't return. How did she always manage to bump into me at the most unexpected times? I groaned inwardly.

"Junhong ah, if you don't mind, I need to talk to Daehyun." Junhong didn't budge so Ailee added, "Privately.”

Junhong glanced at me and I nodded. His jaw dropped at my response and he stuttered, "B-but... Ailee..."

"Go, Junhong," I told him firmly.

He blinked. Apparently wondering why I had agreed to talk to Ailee. He turned slowly, not before bidding me goodbye and left us, walking away and giving occasional glances back.

"He doesn't seem to like me," Ailee said sadly.

"What do you want?" I asked her.

In response, Ailee dragged me to a secluded area, far from everyone.

"Daehyun, I just want to make everything clear because I'm so confused right now. I blame it to you because of what you said," she pointed a finger at my chest.

"Me?" I asked.

"Yes. You. What you said at the restaurant the other time. I tried to think everything over. It doesn't make sense. And the more I think about it, the more I think you're right."

I raised an eyebrow at her hysteric nature.

"But you can't be right. You just can't. Also, I don't know why I want to believe you. I just feel like... Urgh this is so annoying!" Ailee stomped her foot on the floor, her heels producing a deafening echo.

"What are you doing to me?" she glared accusingly at me.

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"You! You have a way with words! I think you can somehow twist and turn them so that people will believe you!"

"Huh?" I didn't get what she was trying to imply.

"I've seen that trick before! How you both always managed to charm me with your words! Saying stuff and making me believe you! You're too similar. How is it that you always make me doubt myself?"

"I don't understand," I said truthfully. Now I was seriously questioning this girl's sanity.

"You and he... are so alike! It's crazy," Ailee said mournfully. "It was like that with him too. He could say anything... and I would believe him. I never doubted him. I always believed he spoke the truth. And now, it's the same for you. I doubt myself, Daehyun. But why? Why do you have the same control over me as he did?"

I didn't know what to say at all. I could sort of comprehend what she was trying to say but I still couldn't fully grasp it. She made it sound like I was having some kind of super power. When I looked at Ailee's eyes which were full of pleading though, I knew she wasn't joking

"Too similar... Too similar... I think I'm going crazy. This is impossible. I can't be..." she looked up at me again. Her hair, which was previously in a tight bun, had strands sticking out now as she constantly messed it up unknowingly with her hands. "You look very much like him."

I gave her a small smile, one which probably looked like a grimace. I flinched as Ailee reached a hand out to touch my face. I grabbed her wrist and held her hand away before it could come in contact with my face.

"Are you... okay?" I was more concerned of her psychological wellbeing right then.

"I don't know," Ailee spluttered and uncertainty was splashed over her features. Her eyes started b up in tears and that's when I got frantic. It was always in these situations, when a girl started to cry, that I didn't know what to do at all.

"Ailee... Hey... Don't cry," I tried to console her but failed when she broke out into loud sobs.

"I don't know what to do, D-Daehyun. I'm so c-confused," she sobbed.

It felt guilty standing there without doing anything while she wept so I just pulled her into an awkward hug, patting her back and hoping that no one would walk in on us.

Ailee sobbed on my shoulder and I grimaced as she grabbed a fistful of clothing. I patiently stood there though, and waited until she was done before letting go of her and smoothing out my clothes.

"You feel better?" I asked cautiously.

Ailee nodded and she kept her head down. "I need to go to the ladies to... fix my makeup."

"O-okay...?" I said and she walked off.

I watched as she took hesitant steps, stopped for a while, thinking something over perhaps, and continued before stopping again.

This time, she turned and a weird look was etched on her face. She nervously played with her fingers and she looked at me before biting her lips in an indecisive manner.

"Daehyun?"

I just looked at her.

"I... I think I believe you," she said before hurrying out of sight.

---

"Junhong said you met Ailee," Youngjae said just as I entered the living room. He was in that same position he had been since I left him earlier that day.

Youngjae was still sitting on the couch, the TV was still on and there was still a bag of chips next to him.

"Er yeah," I said back and hoped he wouldn't question any further. I didn't feel like recounting what had happened.

"Well... I was worried you know. 'Cause he came back without you. I was even more worried when he said he left you with Ailee."

"Oh," was all I could say.

"It might sound silly of me to ask you, but why are you meeting her? Like I thought you guys weren't close...?"

I sat down next to him again.

"Well I didn't meet up with her on purpose. She just somehow found me in those places."

"You don't think she might be... stalking you, do you?" Youngjae asked.

"I don't think so," I laughed. "That's ridiculous."

"Yeah, I suppose so," Youngjae giggled nervously.

"What did she want with you today?" he asked a minute later.

"Erm..." I couldn't say what happened. Well, not all of it. "Well like uhm... she uh... she said she might... believe me?"

Youngjae nodded slowly. It was plain he knew I was disclosing something. He got up and stretched his arms. The way my heart started thumping when he looked so pure and angelic in the sunlight streaming in reminded me of what I had wanted to say to him earlier.

"Youngjae..."

"Yes?" he turned to me.

"Today... I never got the chance to explain to you..." I gave him a moment to backtrack his memory. "I wanted to say..." this was it. I took a deep breath. "That I like you. More... than just a friend."

Youngjae stared down at me, his eyes blinking profusely. I let a small smile slip onto my face as I watched him. Youngjae finally opened his mouth and whispered, "Its okay. You don't have to lie."

My heart dropped to the pit of my stomach and I watched, flabbergasted, as he went to the bedroom and shut the door behind him.