Hesitantly, I looked through the eyepiece. I gasped in awe as I saw it. The ing Paramecium that I’ve been looking for one hour ago. It’s really awesome that I’m seeing it right now. It’s pink in colour. And the nucleus is in hot pink. I turned the pages of my sketchbook and started drawing the Paramecium. This is so amazing! It’s really hard to spot a single Paramecium in the High Power Objective.

          “Bye Sunny! See you later!” I heard my best friend Hyoyeon chuckled by the exit.

         Where is that ing Paramecium?!

         I looked up and found my partner staring at me. All the other students were gone now. Our instructor is right there, checking the other students’ works.

         “Let me.” My partner said and he shoo-ed me away. What the ?! I’ve been doing everything from the start and I will let him do it?

         I wanted to push him and get the microscope away from him and do it myself. This whole Zoology partner thingy is crazy! Even Hyoyeon got it first than me. Well, it’s not really fair that she became partners with one of the top students. What about me? I’m stuck with this incompetent fool!

         I stared at my partner as he does it. He looked intently at the specimen through the microscope. He’s really serious. Well, he’s always serious. I played awhile with my pen as I admired the angel in front of me. He’s always been my type. But I know that he doesn’t even like me. But I hate him anyway. Because he didn’t help me like what a partner is supposed to do.

         I straightened up when he moved away from the microscope with a sigh.

         “You found it?” I asked.

         “See for yourself.” He said.

         Hesitantly, I looked through the eyepiece. I gasped in awe as I saw it. The ing Paramecium that I’ve been looking for one hour ago. It’s really awesome that I’m seeing it right now. It’s pink in colour. And the nucleus is in hot pink. I turned the pages of my sketchbook and started drawing the Paramecium. This is so amazing! It’s really hard to spot a single Paramecium in the High Power Objective.

         Suddenly I heard someone clear his throat. I looked at him.

         “You could even say thank you.” He said.

         “Thank you.” I said. Then our professor came to us and checked our works. He gave us a B+ for this activity because it took us so long. But at least we passed.

          I took my things while my partner is already walking outside the laboratory.

         “Kris! Wait for me!” I shouted at him as I slung my backpack over my shoulder. He was already ten meters away from me. Seriously, he had real long legs.

         “Why?” he asked.

         “Let’s walk together!” I said.

         “Can’t you walk by yourself?”

         I didn’t reply. I don’t know what to say. I was taken aback. Tears started forming in my eyes. He’s so grumpy. And moody. I hate him. His words hurt. A lot. I hate him so much. I looked down so that he won’t see me crying. This is too embarrassing.

         “I don’t have all my time.” He said.

         “Sorry.” I said and we walked. Even though tears silently fell down my cheeks, I walked. And he walked with me. Even if I walked too slowly for him, he walked with me.

         Climbing down the stairs of the Main Building is creepy. And to walk with your tall, cold, handsome lab partner is even creepier. I know I should be thankful that Kris is here with me right now. I don’t know if I could take my courage and go downstairs all by myself. Since my friends already left me.

         When we got out of the Main Building, I sighed.

         “Thank you.” I told Kris.

         “Welcome.” He said.

         I stood there for a while, holding my cellphone. I was calling my friend Hyoyeon. I thought they are going to wait for me. But I guess not.

         “Hyoyeon-ah! Where are you? … Oh. You left already… Aigoo… Okay then. Bye.” I put my phone on my pocket. They left me.

         “They left you?” Kris asked. Then I realized that he’s been there all the time.

         “Yeah…” I said.

         Then, he held my hand. And he started walking through the Lover’s Lane.

         “Kris. It’s not really necessary. You can go now. I can go to the dorm by myself.” I said, trying to slow him down.

         “It’s all right. España, right?”

         I said nothing, but we walked. I can’t process my mind right now. Kris is holding my hand. And we’re walking through Lover’s Lane. Our University’s park. The lights were all lit. And other lovers were also dating around. I can’t help but blush. Kris isn’t really the type of person who would be so sweet to girls. Does he, in any way, like me, too?

         We walked silently holding hands while getting out of the University grounds, while climbing the overpass, while we walked to my dorm. When I was safely by the entrance to the dorm, that’s when he let go of me.

         “Kris, thank you.” I said.

         “Don’t think anything that will raise an issue. I only held your hand so that other people won’t look at you. Next time, don’t walk alone. Have someone to be with you. There are many fools around.” He said.

         “I understand.” I don’t understand. I gave him a pretentious smile. “I’ll go now. Take care.”

         He left. What a player.

         I climbed the stairs to our room. My roommates Hyoyeon and Jessica are already there. They said that they’re sorry that they left me. But I said that it’s all right. I told them that Kris was there to accompany me. They asked what happened and I told them everything from the founding of the Paramecium up to the scene downstairs, not telling them about the holding hands thing. I changed to my pyjamas and didn’t bother eating anything. I went to my bed and pulled up my covers.

         I couldn’t sleep at first. Because I’m really not in the mood to sleep. Besides, Hyo and Sica’s voices are all over the room, talking about Kris and I. Then I remembered what happened. Kris is such a gentleman after all. But I still don’t get him. He ing held my hand for a long time and he expects me not to think anything provocative?! I seriously hate that guy. He played on my feelings.

         I started to eavesdrop on what my girlfriends are spazzing about.

         “Ugh. Kris got to do better.” Hyo’s voice said.

         “Hahaha! But I think he’s doing well.” Jessica said.

         “But he didn’t even make a move!” Hyo said.

         “Yeah, that’s bad. I want them to end up together.” Sica said.

         “Yeah… But I still think he’s a cheap creeper.”

         “Yeah! Hahaha! I can’t actually believe that he took what we said. Delay her on finding the specimen. Hahaha! Very genius, Hyo!”

          “I know right. We’re going to make her fall in love with Kris in no time.” Hyo said.

         “Hahaha! I just can’t believe that after all these years; Kris is so head over heels on her.” Sica said.

         “So epic.”

         “Yeah… Epic.”