In the blink of an eye, it was another day. Time seemed to move faster and somehow, approximately 168 hours had passed since then. It’s been a week and L.joe didn’t seems to make any progression, at all.

Everyday, he would repeat the same routine, again and again.

He would wake up extra early every morning, to wake her up. But, Hyemi would pull on her blanket and kept on sleeping, pretending like she didn’t hear him.

Sigh.

He would make sure that he got himself ready earlier than her, and wait for her at the gate. But, Hyemi would walk passed him, completely acting like she didn’t see him standing there at all.

Sigh.

He would try again when they were in class. He would, from time to time, tried to make small conversations with her. But, it was so obvious that he was mostly, talking to himself.

He tried, he failed. He tried, he failed.

Teen top would observe him everyday while shaking their heads. They would each, gave him an encourage pat on the back and L.joe would give them a small, tired smile in return.

The days would pass just like that and L.joe would keep on trying, trying and trying.

Until one day.

He was not sure whether luck was on his side, or God has seen how hard he’s been working, but seemed like his efforts had finally paid off. At least, that was what he thought.



--------



After class, Hyemi quickly put away all her books and stationeries in her bag. She picked up her bag and hurriedly rushed out of class, for she knew that L.joe would be trying to talk to her again today.

From the corner of her eyes, she could see L.joe opened his mouth to say something. So, she quicken her pace and quickly dashed out the door.

L.joe heaved an exaperasted sigh. He slammed his hands on the desk. Today too, He failed again. *Damn. Damn. Damn!*

He was in his own world, too annoyed and too frustrated to notice the small exchange of smirks between Chunji and CAP. They looked at L.joe and stifled their laughters.

CAP raised a brow, as if to say ‘now?’. Chunji smirked in return and nodded his head. *Uh-huh.* He took out a blue note book from his bag and approached L.joe. He then gave the latter a pat him on the back. “Dude, we will be going first. Just wait here, alright?”

L.joe snapped out of his own thoughts and whirled around to face Chunji. He gave him a bewildered look. “Huh? Aren’t we supposed to go together?” He questioned, utterly confused.

Chunji and CAP exchanged looks and gave him a knowing smile. “Here. Thanks me later.” He pushed the book towards L.joe and slowly walked away, with CAP following him closely from behind.

He took the book and stared at it curiously. He read the owner’s name. *Hyemi’s note book? Didn’t Miss Park collected it earlier? Wait. If she didn’t send it, she might have to-* “Yah, wait!” He hollered. Too bad, Chunji and CAP were already out of his sight.

*The heck?* He sighed. L.joe returned to his seat and sat down. He put the book on his desk and stared at it blankly. Even though his body was there, his mind wasn’t. 

He was thinking about a lot of things. Good and bad things, and rather than the positive thoughts, seemed like the negative ones were winning. They were running wildly in his mind.

*This is tiring. I feel like, everything is useless. Is her heart that cold? Or I’m the one who haven’t try hard enough? Maybe I should just give-*

*BAM!*

The door slammed opened and there she was, the girl in question, standing right in front of him.

L.joe placed a hand over his startled heart. *What the-* He lifted up his face and, “Agassi!?” His face brightened. She just need to stand there to wash his doubts away. Her presence alone had successfully drove all the bad thoughts away from his mind. He smiled at her. “What are you-“

“Where’s that guy?” Hyemi replied his unfinished question with another question.

L.joe was caught off guard. “Eh?” He blinked his eyes at her innoncently.

“That guy, Lee Chanhee.” She was fuming now. “That idiot left this stupid note in my bag. Thanks to him, I’ll have to attend detention tomorrow.” She threw the crumpled not on the ground and crossed her arms over her chest. L.joe picked it up and straightened it.

‘Thanks for the book! :D I’ll return it tomorrow. Promise! :P –Lee Chanhee, or please, call me Chunji.’

L.joe shook his head disapprovingly. *This guy….*

The blue note book on his desk somehow caught Hyemi’s attention. She narrowed her gaze. *Isn’t that…?* “Yah! That’s my book, isn’t it!? Why do you have it?!” She pointed a finger towards L.joe.

L.joe put up his hand in defense. “That… Err… Chunji gave it to me just now. I-I thought that you might return to take it back so I wait for you.” He smoothly made up the lie. “Since… you wouldn’t want to talk to me anyway…..” He whispered the last part, but loud enough for Hyemi to hear.

Hyemi rolled her eyes. She snatched the book and walked away, leaving him behind. L.joe’s eyes widened. He quickly slung his bag over his shoulder and followed her out.

“Agassi! Wait!” Hyemi could hear his voice behind her. She rolled her eyes. *Aishh… So much for trying to run away.*

“Agassi!” L.joe managed to catch up with her. He stopped right in front of her, and held out his hand, panting hard. “Wa-wait.”

Hyemi clucked her tongue and frowned. *What the heck?* However, her frown went deeper and deeper when she noticed the murmurs that came from the students nearby. She looked around and was overwhelmed when she realized that they were at the center of attentions.

“Yah! Stop following me! Everybody is looking!” Her eyes darted around and she sure looked nervous.

L.joe looked around also, and sure enough, their schoolmates were throwing them curious glances. “I see no big deal.” He shrugged.

Hyemi covered her face. “It’s embarrassing! Now people are going to think that we are… we are…”

“Dating?” L.joe smirked and he grinned when he saw how red her face had become. “Well, let them sit and stare. It’s not like we’re doing anything bad.” He inched his face closer to her. “Even if we’re dating, right?”

Hyemi could feel his hot breath on her face and that made her blushed so severely. She took a few steps backwards. “You’re so impossible! Just leave me alone!” She ignored him and tried to walk passed him.

However, L.joe was faster. He grabbed her hand and held on tight. “Yah! What are you doing!? Let go!” She struggled to break free from his iron grip. But, of course, that was futile because L.joe was obviously much stronger and much bigger than her.

“You’re going to leave me here?” He asked and pouted. Hyemi bit her lips and ignored his question, still trying to free her hands. “Let go!”

“You’re really, really going to leave me here?” He questioned again, his voice was dangerously low.

“Hell yeah! Don’t even try to follow me!” Surprisingly, L.joe dropped her hands and stared at her blankly.

Hyemi hmph-ed and turned around to go, when L.joe just suddenly……

“So, you’re really going to break it off with me now? After all that I’ve done?” He yelled, loud enough for every students, within a radius of 50 metres to hear.

Hyemi turned and looked at him with wide eyes. *What the hell is he planning to do!?*

L.joe hide the smile that was threathening to play on his lips and put on the pitiful look. His eyes were teary and his lips were trembling. “I come back for you. I leave everything in the state for you! So now, you’re saying that we’re over? Based on your own judgement?”

*What the heck what the heck what the heck!?* Hyemi stared at him with round eyes, too surprised to utter a word. Loud murmurs were coming from every students that were watching the live free drama.

L.joe kept going on and on, not at all intending to give a chance for Hyemi to say anything. “You said that the distance was not going to stop us, but what is happening to us now? We could talk it over but why are you saying that you want us to stop?” He lowered his gaze and stared at the ground.

*Wa-wait. Wait. Wait!* Hyemi looked around and sure enough, the students were giving her various looks. Some were shaking their head disapprovingly while some were frowning at her.

“Poor guy.”

“And he’s so handsome too!”

“Ice princess is just too cruel!”

L.joe lifted his gaze and stared straight into her eyes. “Am I… really no good?” She didn’t know why, but somehow, her heart clenched at how broken he looked. His eyes were dark and he looked so miserable.

*SNAP OUT OF IT!* Hyemi slapped her own face and sure enough, she had returned back to reality. She quickly clamped a hand over his mouth when she saw him opened his mouth to say something. She grabbed his hand with her free hand and quickly dragged him out of the school.

Once they were within a safe distance from others, she dropped his hand and glared daggers at him. “What. The. Heck. Was. That. For!?” She poked his chest with every words.

L.joe stifled his laughter. “Caught your attention now, don’t I?” He grinned.

Hyemi clenched her fist and her hands were shaking vigorously with anger. *The nerve of this guy!* “You….. you…..! This is all your fault! Now people would pay extra attentions to me! There goes my peaceful high school life!” She shrieked.

L.joe was taken aback by her anger. *Maybe I went just a little…. bit… too much?* “Okay, okay. I’m sorry, yeah? Please don’t get mad.” He looked so sorry and so sincere that Hyemi had actually began to calm down. “I’m so sorry. It’s because you wouldn’t talk to me….” He pouted like a child that had just been scold by his mother.

Hyemi was amused by his action, but she would never smiled at him. She glared at him, but she was not mad. At least, not for now.

“Err… Agassi…?”

Hyemi looked at him, hmph-ed, and walked away. She ignored him and left him behind.

L.joe let out a small smile and chased after her. He watched as she walked passed the rows of shops on the street. None seemed to catch her attentions and she was just walking straight forward.

Because there were a lot of people on the street, he almost lost sight of her. “Agassi! Wa-wait! I’m not familiar with this area!” A person bumped into him and he almost fell.

“Sorry.” The stranger muttered and walked away.

L.joe nodded and fixed the strap of his bag. He looked up and let his eyes wandered around, searching for her. The event only took less than 15 seconds but she was already nowhere in sight.

He sighed. *I lost her.* He looked around at the unfamiliar scenes in front of him. *Now, how do I get back?* He scratched his head and decided to just walked where his legs would bring him to.

A few girls who noticed him giggled as he passed them by. His ears turned red. *Hyemi… where are you…..* One girl actually dared to approach him and asked for his number.

“Hey, hottie. Wanna join us?” She batted her eyelashes in a supposedly, seductive manner and gestured towards her friends.

L.joe gulped. “Erm… no thanks…”

The girl pouted cutely. “Aww.. Come on! It will be fun!” She tried to touch his hand, but out of nowhere, a hand stopped her from doing so.

“I thought he said ‘no’?” Hyemi raised a brow daringly. She slapped the girl’s hand away and stood in front of L.joe.

*Hyemi….* His heart fluttered wildly in his chest. He was touched by her action.

“The heck? Who are you?” The girl pulled her hands and rubbed the sore spot where Hyemi had slapped. She placed her hands on her hips and stared boldly into Hyemi’s eyes.

Hyemi scoffed at her. *Should I laugh?* “Oh? I’m just a student passing by….” She smiled sweetly. “Though, this guy over here is actually MY butler. I’d feel troubled if you keep on pestering him like this.” Hyemi smirked at the girl.

The girl blushed and bit her lips, unable to retort to her remarks. Hyemi ignored the girl, grabbed L.joe’s hand and walked away with him.

 

--------



“Agass-“

“What are you!? A damsel in distress!? Geez! You’re so hopeless!” Hyemi roared, once she let go of his hand.

L.joe was startled. He blinked his eyes a few times. “No, but-“

“Don’t get the wrong idea, okay!? I was NOT trying to help you! That girl was just so annoying!” Hyemi exclaimed. Her face was slowly turning red, so, she hide her face behind her hands and walked away.

L.joe chuckled in amusement. He catched up to her and walked beside her. “I’m sorry. That was why you shouldn’t leave me. The ladies just can’t leave me alone.” Hyemi rolled her eyes. “Yeah, yeah. Whatever.”

They walked together in silence. It was eerily quiet but both of them were comfortable with it. L.joe was glad that she didn’t push him away and Hyemi was just glad that L.joe didn’t say anything.

They walked passed a bakery and L.joe noticed that Hyemi was no longer walking beside him. He stopped in his track and turned around. He saw her looking at the cupcakes through the clear glass. He smiled. “Wanna go inside?”

Hyemi looked at him and he saw her expression softened. “Mm..”

L.joe smiled and lead her inside the bakery. The sickly sweet smell of cooking cupcakes and freshly baked cakes filled the air. The bakery itself, was very adorable with pink and white decorations everywhere.

L.joe peeked at Hyemi from the corner of his eyes and was surprised to find that she was actually smiling.

Hyemi noticed his gaze on her and her smile was immediately wiped off her face. “What?” She raised a brow.

L.joe shook his head. “Nothing.” He lead her towards the table and pulled her chair. He gestured for her to sit down. Strangely, he and Hyemi felt like it was the most natural thing to do, eventhough she was just yelling at him a couple of hours ago.

“What would you like to eat, my lady?” He questioned. His eyes twinkled mischievously.

Hyemi chuckled and closed one eye. “What? Acting like a proper butler now, butler Joe?” She, herself, was surprised that she could naturally joked with him. L.joe was even much more surprised.

But, he smiled.

“What are you talking about? I always act like one.” He skillfully poured the milk tea into a cup and gently offered it to her.

“Yeah, sureee. Cupcakes, please.” She replied anyway.

L.joe smiled and went off to get her some cupcakes and breads for himself. He returned with a tray full of delicious-looking cupcakes and breads. He gave Hyemi her cupcakes and took a seat.

Hyemi took the cupcakes and ate it happily. L.joe watched her as she bit on to the cupcakes. *Cute.* He chuckled. He then let out a bitter smile. *I can’t believe that I’ve just thought on giving up.* He sighed.

“You know…” He heard her saying. “Hm?” L.joe looked at her with a gentle expression.

“You don’t have to be with me all the times. You’re my butler but that doesn’t mean that you have to do everything for me.” She said, without looking at him.

His face fell. “Agassi.” He called. Hyemi lifted her head up to look at him but he wasn’t looking at her. His gaze was outside, probably on the people that were passing by.

“I just wanna spend more time with you. What is so wrong with that?” He returned his gaze on her. His expression didn’t give anything away. Though, Hyemi could make out some of it. There were a mixture of loneliness and sadness.

Hyemi quickly looked down on her food. Somehow, she doesn’t want to look into his eyes, and she sure didn’t want L.joe to notice the rosy tint on her cheeks.

“Just do whatever you want.” She found herself saying.

L.joe smiled. “I will.” He whipped out his phone and send a text.

‘Thanks, dude. I owe you one.’



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A/N : Thanks, Ebru! :D For the beautiful poster! :) You guys should go check her works! She's so amazing! :D  ~ xExBxRxUx Cookie Shop ~
 

I posted this before. But, I still wanna post it again! xD