AWWW YEAAAAHHHHH... I'M BAAAAACK!!! Sorry for the hiatus :(( But school is over which means more updates!

            My right back pocket started buzzing away. Thank you, whoever you are…

            “Uh… Sunggyu, I’m gonna need my right hand,” I told him as he was looking for a restaurant.

            “Waaaaeeee? Your left hand is free,” he pouted.

            I’m pretty sure that if anyone comes up to me and says that Sunggyu is younger than me, I’d believe them.

            I rolled my eyes at him, “Because my phone has been buzzing and I can’t reach it with my left hand.”

            “Oh, okay. I’ll go ask the waitress for a table. Meet me inside?” He asked me.

            I nodded, “Sure. Let me just take this call.”

            I was already taking a step away from the entrance of the restaurant when I felt something pull me back—more specifically a someone.

            Sunggyu pulled me closer to him and he bent forward as if he was going to whisper something, but I couldn’t understand what.

            Okay, what the hell just happened, and what the hell did he just say?

            He pulled away, just slightly, so that I could see his amused expression.

            What’s so damn funny?

            I raised an eyebrow at him, waiting for an explanation; but he just smiled at me and entered the restaurant.

            What the---

            BUZZ!

            Oh yeah, my phone.

            “EUNJI! ODIYA?” The caller shouted at me as soon as I hit the answer button.

            “Woah! HIMCHAN, lower it down a notch. You almost made me deaf!” I shouted back at my best friend.

            “Miahn… I just got so excited. I thought I saw you in Gangnam today, and since I’m in Gangnam too, I thought we could hang out… since it’s been such a loooong time,” I heard him say with what sounded like a smile.

            “I’m actually with a tutor friend who’s giving me tips for my exam tomorrow. Miahn… We can hang out after my exam tomorrow though,” I mindlessly said.

            “Sure, I’ll pick you up at school. Good luck!” He said before hanging up.

            I can’t believe I just lied to Himchan.

            I can’t believe I just lied to my best friend.

            I can’t believe I just lied to the one person that always had my back.

            Scratch that. I can believe it. I just did it. Now I’m going to have to live with it.

            I put my cellphone back into my back pocket and started heading back to the restaurant.

            Maybe the fact that I lied to Himchan about being with Sunggyu means something… Since I’ve always told Himchan everything important, maybe subconsciously, I’m not gonna let things go any further with Sunggyu.

            I side-stepped a couple of girls in front of me to get to the restaurant, but they followed my moves, making me stop to take a good look at them.

            “So, who are you?” Stranger number 1 asked me pointedly.

            Lady, I am not in the mood.

            I tried to avoid them again, but the other one pushed me.

            I scoffed at the both of them, not giving them what they want: an answer.

            “Who are you and why are you with INFINITE’s Sunggyu-oppa?” The ‘pusher’ screeched at me. Screeched.

            Sunggyu-oppa? Really?

            I entertained the thought of physically putting the both of these delusional girls in their place.

            PROS: I’ll feel better.

            CONS: It’ll create a scandal. I’ll be public enemy number one. It will be all over the internet. Hoon will find out.

            I took a deep breath in.

            You’re not angry at them; you’re angry at yourself. You’re angry at yourself because you lied to your best friend.

            They’re just annoying and annoying people do not need physical confrontation.

            I managed a smile, “I’m sorry. Can I help you with anything?”

            “Yeah, we saw you with Sunggyu-oppa!” One of them shouted at me. Shouted.

            That’s 2 counts of assault right there. Physical and verbal.

            “So?” I asked them, keeping my composure.

            They’re jaws slackened just a fraction because of my indifference.

            “It’s not any of your business who I’m with. And I am under no obligation to tell you who I am and who I am with,” I told them calmly.

            It took them a while to process what I had just told them.

            Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Sunggyu exiting the restaurant. It took him less than a second to make sense of the situation. He started moving towards me, but I smiled at him and subtly shook my head.

            I can handle this.

            I want to handle this.

            Like I’m gonna let a couple of delusional girls mess with me.

            He hesitantly went back into the restaurant, but not before shooting me a concerned expression.

            “Because… Because we’re his fans! We’re obligated to know who he’s dating!” They shouted at me.

            It’s getting tiring distinguishing one from the other, so they are now one entity.

            “Well, you know. I’m also obligated to do something, actually. I’m obligated to report a case of assault once it has happened to the police. And I’m sure pushing and shouting at someone is a kind of assault as much as I’m sure that the people here will be able to corroborate my story and I’m pretty sure those CCTV cameras aren’t there for decorative purposes,” I whispered to the both of them with a smile.

            Their eyes began to water.

            Oh, mother of--- has no one heard of the saying, “Don’t dish it out, if you can’t take it?”

            Who knew fans could be like this? They seriously make me want to pull my hair out!

            Christ, I’m pretty sure I could be punished for making a complete stranger cry too, huh? But I really didn’t mean it...aish! Sometimes, I hate that I have a conscience.

            I took another deep breath.

            “Look, I’m sorry. It’s been a crappy day, and the way you guys accused me was just really rude, so I exploded. I never meant to threaten you guys. I just wanted to teach you a lesson. You don’t pry into other people’s lives so rudely. And you don’t confront anyone the way you did to me. Had you asked me decently, by rules of mutual respect, I would’ve been inclined to answer any question decently,” I explained.

            “You understand?” I asked them.

            They silently nodded.

            “Good. Let’s start over. Hi, I’m Eunji,” I introduced myself properly.

            “I’m Hyuna,” the ‘pusher’ said.

            “I’m Sohee,” the ‘shouter’ said.

            “It’s nice to meet you. I have another friend inside. Would you like to meet him?” I asked them.

            They smiled at me and gave me a shy nod.

            I inwardly sighed.

            Why is it so hard to teach people manners? Did they skip Common Sense 101 during elementary and high school?

            As we entered the restaurant, Hyuna suddenly spoke up, “You know, Eunji-unnie, you’re pretty bad-.”

            … okay…?

            “Yeah! You’re kind of awesome too!” Sohee added.

            “Uhmm… thank you, I guess,” I replied.

            “I wouldn’t mind if you dated our Sunggyu-oppa,” Hyuna commented.

            Our Sunggyu-oppa?

            “Me neither! God only knows there are worse people than Hyuna and me out there. And I think you’ve got just the right amount of spunk to put them in their place,” Sohee finished.

            “I… We… We’re not--” I stuttered right before reaching Sunggyu’s table.

            No coherent words were able to come out of my mouth. It’s official. I think I’m going crazy.

            I was just given approval to be Sunggyu’s girlfriend by two random strangers.

            I seriously do not know how to feel about that.

            “Uh, Eunji… Who are your friends?” Sunggyu snapped me out of my mental debate.

            Why’d he say friends instead of just ‘friends’?

            Oh yeah, he saw me talking with them outside.

            “Oh! Uhmm… This one’s Sohee and that’s her friend Hyuna. They’re your fans,” I informed Sunggyu.

            His expression immediately changed—his eye smile felt like he was mocking the two girls.

            “It was nice meeting you,” I heard Hyuna say.

            “We have to go now. We’re meeting our friends,” Sohee explained.

            “Do you want a photo?” Sunggyu offered, but I could see it was only out of politeness.

            The two of them looked at me as if asking for my permission, but before I could even change the expression on my face, they declined his offer.

            “Annyong, unnie! Fighting!” They both whispered to me as they left.

            … okay…?

            “Are you okay?” Sunggyu asked me as soon as I sat down, and as soon as Hyuna and Sohee were out of earshot.

            Does he really think I’m that fragile? I can handle a couple of delusional girls.

            “Give me some credit. You should’ve seen them outside. I almost made them cry when I gave them a crash course on basic societal manner,” I shared proudly.

            The concern in his eyes didn’t leave, “I wasn’t asking about them. I was asking about you.”

            “I’m fine, they weren’t that bad. Plus, they’re on your team anyway,” I tried to reassure him as I scanned the menu.

            “Huh? What do you mean they’re on ‘my team’?” He asked.

            I put down the menu, looked at him straight in the eyes and leaned closer to him, “Before we entered the restaurant, they gave me their seal of approval for dating you.”

            The concern left his eyes and in came shock, and then...cockiness?

            He leaned back and smiled a charming smile. I could feel something fluttering in my stomach and I wanted it to go away.

            What is this?

            “Would you look at that, my fans want me to date you. It’s a sign, Eunji. We’re meant to be,” he gave me a smug look before looking back at the menu in front of him.

            I let out a conscious laugh. Why was I suddenly conscious? I swear to God, every nerve cell in my body was on red alert but why---

            Just as he said it, I realized that after a long time, I allowed myself to want something again…

            … him.