My mind seemed to wander. Our principle was up on the stage, blabbering on and on about how we have been taking advantage of everything and she started to lecture us about how we don't care about the environment. Knowing we weren't going to listen to her, she got out a bull horn and threatened us.

"From now on, you guys are going to recycle your crap. Don't let us do it for you. Throw away your trash instead of leaving it on the floor." She paused while examining the crowd. "Or else." Noticing the slightly intimidated looks on our faces, she smirked. "Understand?" She said, almost yelling.

"Yes. Understand." Everyone in the auditorium repeated in a monotone voice. The principle smiled triumphantly and strutted off the stage, pulling our soccer coach (whom she happens to have a crush on) with her. As she left the auditorium, the students dispersed and the room erupted with chatter.

I looked around the room, noticing the disgusted faces of girls that were talking about how the principle overreacted. Me, I was just sitting down on the folded chairs that were laid out in a row. I was gripping a gift I bought for Jonghyun tightly, afraid it would fall and then break. My eyes seemed to search for him, but there was no sign of him being there. "Where is he?" I asked myself, furrowing my brows in frustration.

"Where is who?" I turned around in my seat, startled to find Krystal standing behind me with her arms folded across her chest. I shrugged and turned back around, continuing to search for Jonghyun. "If you're looking for Jonghyun," Krystal went on, "I saw him with the vice principle. So was GD. The VP found out about their fight, so they're getting punished." I turned to Krystal in surprise, immediatey standing up from my seat.

"What?! They're in his office right now?" I yelled, my eyes getting wide and my cheeks burning red. She seemed taken aback by my sudden outburst but nodded hesitantly. "." I groaned, still clutching the gift. Forgetting about Krystal, I ran out of the auditorium and to the principal’s office to find Jonghyun.

When I turned the corner of the principal’s office, I immediately stopped walking and hid. I crouched down slightly and peeked, afraid of getting caught. In front of the office were Jonghyun and GD standing with their arms to their sides. To their right were GD’s friends, probably waiting for their turn to be punished. I glanced at the principle. He had several wrinkles on his forehead, and he wore a suit with a stain on the sleeve. I noticed something in his hand. Is that a belt?! I thought as my heart began to race.

"No!" I gasped as I witnessed my teacher whip both Jonghyun and GD. Thankfully he didn't hear me or else I would have gotten that same punishment for eavesdropping. Jonghyun winced in pain as the belt collided with his bottom. He clutched his fists in agony, trying his best to stay calm and not beat up our own principle

After several more whips, the beating finally stopped. "If I see you two getting into more fights, there's more of this! You get it?!" He yelled, automatically turning red. I puffed my cheeks out in an attempt to hide my uncontrollable laughter. He looks so funny when he's angry. His eyes burst out of his head.

I was snapped out of my thoughts when I suddenly heard footsteps coming my way. Immediately, I stood up and turned around, shutting my eyes closed. "Hey." I heard a voice behind me, making me suddenly nervous.

"Hi..." I stuttered, turning around to face him. My eyes widened as I faced Jonghyun who was still gripping onto his rear. "Here!" I suddenly squeaked, extending my arms that held the perfectly wrapped gift in front of him.

My eyes stayed glued to the floor as I heard him chuckle slightly. "Thanks Key." He said, acknowledging the gift and shaking it near his ear. "What is it?" He joked as he placed the gift inside his backpack.

I only giggled, considering I was at a loss for words. "Uhh..." was all I was able to stutter. "Bye!" I exclaimed, my hands starting to get sweaty. Without waiting for his reply, although I could sense his confusion, I dashed in the other direction. I ran to my parked motorbike that was set behind the school, having it being secured by a stern chain. I glanced back, feeling eyes pressed onto my shaking figure. Ignoring the stares, I climbed onto my bike and started to drive to who knows where.

I was finally snapped back into reality when I heard incessant honks coming from behind me. "Get out of my way!" A stranger yelled with an expression that displayed rage. I turned to him as he drove passed me, immediately sticking out his middle finger from his scrolled down window. I shunned everyone that seemed to yelling at me and went to the sidewalk that had a dazzling view of the beach. A smile appeared on my features as I suddenly remembered why I was so happy. "HE KNOWS MY NAME!" I squealed, jumping up and down like a little school girl. "HE KNOWS MY NAME!" I kept screaming; up until several pedestrians started to hurl their trash toward me.

"Shut up, will you?" They yelled, annoyed with my exploding excitement. I dodged their constant yelling and giggled slightly, hopping back onto my motorbike. I left the exquisite landscape and drove home, feeling undoubtedly pleased.

---

“Oh my gosh!” Krystal exclaims, coming through our restaurant door. I was already seated at a table in the far corner, accompanied by Seunghyun and Taemin who were also curious as to what Krystal was so excited about.     

“What, what?” Taemin joked, feigning his excitement. In response, Krystal shot us three a menacing glare, causing us to immediately shut our mouths and wait for her reply.

She sighed as she walked toward us, almost regretting coming inside the restaurant in the first place. “I had something to show you guys, but since you guys are being es about it, then I guess I won’t show it to you.” Assuming we were going to disagree, she smirked arrogantly and leaned back in her chair, kicking her feet up on the one in front of her. Taemin, Seunghyun, and I looked at each other, wondering if we were all sharing the same thoughts. To her dismay, the three of us shrugged in unison, disregarding her sudden news.

“Fine.” I stated before taking a sip of my icy cold smoothie, escorted by dozens of miniature tapioca balls. Krystal pouted, feeling defeated.

She crossed her arms over her chest and looked at us skeptically, followed by a frustrated sigh. “Okay, I’ll tell you.” She removed her feet from the seat in front of her and revealed what she was hiding, although only I realized she was looking at me, making it seem as if she was foreshadowing something. “It’s a book!” She hollered, making the rest of the customers in the restaurant turn their heads to face us, the source of the commotion.

“Oh my gosh, a book?!” I teased, my sentence filled with sarcasm. Krystal looked at me, annoyed, and shoved it into my face. Taemin and Seunghyun’s eyes lightened up as they read the cover. “10 Ways to Catch Someone’s Eye.”

I narrowed my eyes as I studied the book carefully, noticing familiar aspects. “I’ve seen this before…” I whispered to myself as Krystal pulled the book away, flipping through pages and scanning all of them.

“My friend found it. I was with him, but I didn’t look at it until now.” She continued to smile brightly as she flipped through the pages, the wind brushing against her skin. “It was near your house though.” It was only then when she finally looked up from the useless book and tossed it toward me.

I hesitantly grabbed it and studied the cover once more. I flipped it to the first page and noticed a name at the top right corner. Property of Amber. My eyes widened and a light bulb flashed inside my head. “Now I remember!” I looked up from the book to find Seunghyun and Taemin fighting to get it in their reach. “It’s Amber’s. She gave it to me for some unknown reason and I didn’t want it, so I just threw it out the window.” I chuckled slightly as I handed it to Taemin before standing up from my seat.

“Where are you going, umma?” Taemin asked, showing off multiple aegyo that makes everyone squeal, no matter who the person is. I laughed slightly as I ruffled his hair before sliding through the chair and table, freeing myself.

I was already halfway up the stairs to my room when I replied back. “I just need to get a book from my room. I’ll be back down.” Taemin nodded and smiled at my answer, seeming relieved. It was only a matter of minutes when I appeared in their sight once again. Seunghyun glanced at the book I was holding and scoffed. “What?” I asked, hastily pulling the book toward my chest.

“You’re trying to get 1st in the exam?” I nodded wistfully, causing both Taemin and Krystal to snicker silently, assuming I didn’t hear. What’s so shocking about that?! I yelled mentally. “Come on Key. We all know you’re not going to get 1st.” Seunghyun stood up from his seat and strutted toward me, snatching the book from my dainty hands.

“What?” I said, nearly yelling. “I miss my dad. This is the only way I can see him!” Pushing passed him, I stomped to the extra seats surrounding my 3 friends. Taemin and Seunghyun both scooted over to Krystal who was reading her book. “Hmmph.” I huffed, plopping onto the seat below me.

Why are they reading that anyway? It’s not going to work. Just as those thoughts processed in my mind, I heard the front door opening. I lifted my head from my study book and overheard a group of friends talking. “Dude, yeah. He asked me out!” One girl squeaked, her voice already starting to annoy me.

“How did you make him fall for you?!” Her friend asked with slightly ajar. Taemin’s eyes rose from the book and were now glued to the same scene I was listening to. He slightly gasped and neared himself closer to Krystal.

“That’s our book!” He whispered, although it was so loud I thought they heard it. I turned my head slightly; peeking at the book she was holding, only to figure out that Taemin was right.

The girl nudged the book in her friends’ direction as they directed themselves toward an empty table. “I followed all the things they said in the book and it worked!” She squealed, sighing dreamily as she thought of the guy she was infatuated with. She and her friends continued to talk non-stop about the incident, making me rethink the idea of following the steps in that book. Maybe it’ll work. It doesn’t hurt to try…

I grew tired of the girls’ chatter and directed my attention toward the book that my 3 friends seemed so intrigued about. Throwing the idea away from my mind, I continued to study for the exam, testing and quizzing myself gradually.

---

That night, my head was still hitting my studies as the rest of my friends were continuously scanning through each page of their book. “The first method,” Taemin started to read out what it said. I couldn’t help but eavesdrop, “Go to the place where you can see many stars in the sky. Then, use your finger to draw lines connecting the stars, writing the abbreviation of your man.” His voice soon trailed off and all I could hear was pushing, shoving, and the screeching of chairs scratching against my hardwood floor.

“Move out of my way!” Krystal yelled, pushing the two guys away from her. She waddled toward my open window and looked up at the night sky, smiling at the sight of the dozens of stars above her. Taemin and Seunghyun approached from behind her, amazed at the same view. They simultaneously raised their arms and proceeded to draw imaginary lines with their fingers, writing their crushes’ name in the open air.

“Key umma, come join us!” Taemin squealed, causing me to look back at them. I shook my head slightly and motioned toward my book and note paper. He deciphered my message and acknowledged it. He stood up and politely excused himself, “I’m going to do this at my house. I’ll see you guys tomorrow.” He flashed us a peace sign and strolled down the stairs, waving to us as he soon disappeared.

“We’ll be going too.” Seunghyun and Krystal announced as they leaned back inside, closing my window. “We’ll see you later.” They followed Taemin’s footsteps and continued to walk down the stairs. As soon as I heard the front door close, I rushed to the window, opening it once more.

I sighed softly, grasping the beautiful sight of the twinkling lights. This saddened me. Considering I had to study my off in order to visit my father in America, I couldn’t really enjoy overlooking views like this anymore. I couldn’t hang out with my friends as much and I couldn’t certainly see Jonghyun as much as I did. A smile crept onto my lips as I thought about him, images of him replaying in my mind. I raised my hands slightly; high enough to ‘touch’ the stars. Reminiscing what the book said, I traced the stars, forming an invisible “KJ.”

Jonghyun’s POV:

“Pass it over here!” I called out to my friends, hollering for the soccer ball that my friend was dribbling around with his feet. He turned his head as he saw me wave my arms around, dodging several tackles my friends were throwing me. “ers.” My friend got a clear view and kicked the ball toward me. Noticing the distance between the goal, which happened to be just a pair of backpacks set a few feet across from each other, I pointed to a various spot in an attempt to distract my opponents. “Dude, what is that?” Just like I expected, my opponents and even a couple of my own team mates looked at the spot I was pointing at. I took that as an opportunity to shoot it in the goal which, of course, was a success.

“Hey!” My competitors yelled in unison as they all heard the sound of my foot colliding with the ball. I smirked as I gained several praises from my friends, immediately walking over to me with their hands held high, signaling a high five.

After the several handshakes with my team mates, I heard a voice behind me. “Jonghyun!” I turned around slightly startled, as a man approached me, feasibly in his mid-40’s or so. He had a silly grin on his face as he witnessed the friendly game between my friends and I. I unintentionally looked at him up and down, studying him carefully. His clothes were simple; just a pair of khakis, a navy blue collared shirt, and slippers. His hands were behind his back, making me assume he was waiting for the right time to reveal something to me. I don’t even know this guy. What does he want? I thought to myself as he began to speak. “Jonghyun…” He repeated my name once more, flashing a warm smile.

“Hello.” I bowed in a 90 degree angle, showing my manners automatically. “Is there something you need?” I sort of questioned him, wondering why he knew my name even though I just met him at that moment.

He nodded excessively and finally unearthed what he was shielding. My eyes widened as I saw a poster of a new art museum exhibit that was opening in just a few weeks. That wasn’t what caught my attention though. My eyes widened as I noticed the familiar picture spread across the poster. “Is that mine?” I gasped slightly, my nimble fingers touching the picture softly.

“Excuse me?” I heard the man talk, shattering my disordered thoughts. “Did you say something?” Without peeling my eyes off the poster, I shook my head slowly. “Well, I saw this picture and I absolutely loved it! You’re a talented photographer!” He complimented me numerous times, causing me to blush furiously at the fact that someone actually adores what I do.

“Thank you.” I replied, although it came out as a slight whisper. He seemed amused by my nervousness, so he placed a hand on my shoulder to relax me.

He shrugged and removed the picture from my view; it now being by his sides. “Look, there’s a contest that’s going on. I just wanted to see if you were interested. You’re actually really talented.” I denied at first, afraid of rejection and failure. After several minutes of him just constantly persuading me, I finally ceased and agreed to do the contest. “Great!” He handed me the poster and ran off, jumping in joy. Why is he so happy about it?

---

Key’s POV:

I plopped down on the cafeteria table where my 3 friends were already seated. In my hands were my lunch that was filled with food my mother prepared and the study guide I need in order to visit my father. “Why do you look so strange today?” Krystal asked, just as I was about to study my review book.

I tilted my head as I figured out what she meant by that. As I snapped the lid off of my lunch container, I understood what she meant. "Oh, this?" I asked, pointing to the metal braces inside my mouth. "My doctor said I have to wear it. Doesn't it look cool though?" I smiled brightly at them before digging my spoon into my meal.

"Cool? You think that's cool? Not really." Krystal scoffed in my face before she took a gulp of her fountain drink. I pouted as I watched her smile, satisfied with herself. Taemin and Seunghyun were beside us, reading the second method that came inside the book.

"We're doing the second method. It came from the Mayans." Seunghyun tossed the book toward me, letting it slam onto the table. "You have to be able to control your mind, then look at your crush and control his mind." Upon hearing this, I scoffed loudly, causing my three friends to look at me with disgust.

"Do you honestly think that's going to work?" I asked, slightly annoyed that they're believing such nonsense. They nodded excitedly, but Taemin's mind seemed elsewhere. His gaze was on the new foreign exchange that just moved in from America. I narrowed my eyes, noticing Taemin mouthing some words.

"Eat..." He breathed heavily, his eyes still focused on his crush. "Eat." I rolled my eyes at him and continued to take a bite out of my nearly cold meal. "Yes!" Taemin screamed from beside me, making me choke on the rice that I was chewing on. Krystal jumped up in surprise and slapped him for making her do so.

"Why'd you scream?" She asked as she placed a hand over a chest, right where her heart is, checking to see how fast it was beating.

Taemin nodded in the guy's direction. "His name's Onew. I did that 2nd method on him. It worked! I made him eat!" He exclaimed, clapping his hands like a little kid that won candy.

"He ate because he's eating, stupid." Krystal chuckled at Taemin's foolishness, but we all thought it was adorable. Taemin pouted and scooped up another spoonful of food and stuffed it into his mouth; he didn't bother to say anything else.

Krystal, Seunghyun, and Taemin continued to talk about the book while my eyes roamed around the full cafeteria. A smile appeared on my plump lips as I found Jonghyun's back facing toward me. He was at the table a couple feet away; he was with his friends and several girls that were gawking all over him. It was only then when I remembered the 2nd method that Seunghyun was talking about. I shrugged to myself while thinking, I guess I can try it. I leaned forward slightly as I cleared my mind and began to speak softly. "Turn... Turn... Turn..." I repeated.

Jonghyun's POV:

I was peeling off the skin of my chicken when my friend that was sitting across from me tapped me on my shoulder. "Hey, look over there." He whispered as he pointed to a spot behind me. Confused, I hesitantly turned around and noticed a guy staring at me. It's Key, isn't it? I pondered to myself. As I looked at him, his eyes widened and the small smile that appeared on his lips formed into a big grin. I shot him a warm smile before turning back to my friend.

"Yah!" I yelled when I finally turned my body only to find my friend chewing on the skin of my chicken that I successfully peeled off. I laughed at him as I pushed his head, making him drop my food. "Get your own food." I muttered before stuffing it into my mouth. As I chewed, I could still sense eyes on the back of my head. I didn't seem confused; I already knew who those pairs of eyes belong to.

Key's POV:

"He turned around!" I unconsciously squealed aloud, making my friends look at me skeptically.

Krystal stood up from her seat and leaned forward, her face only inches away from mine. "If you thought this book was so stupid, why have you been following the steps? Huh?" From beside me, I could sense Taemin and Seunghyun smirk triumphantly. I slouched, feeling defeated and ultimately intimidated. "You know what?" Her know-it-all voice startled me, causing me to look up apprehensively.

"What?" I asked, although it came out as a mere whisper. She took her seat once again before twirling her fork in between her index and middle finger. She stared down at me while I just sat there awkwardly, confused as to what she had in mind.

"We're going to help you get Jonghyun." My cheeks immediately began to burn and the palms of my hand started to get clammy and sweaty.

I wiped my hands on my jeans before standing up. "How did you know I like Jonghyun?"

"It's obvious."

I stepped back in response, accidentally hitting my chair behind me. I was so embarrassed it was as if I shriveled into a raisin. Her bluntness caught me off guard, but not only that... I never knew my crush on Jonghyun was that noticeable. I figured I hid it rather well. The three of them smiled at me, anticipating my answer. To be honest, I wasn't sure I wanted to go through with it. What if it doesn't work? Why would I want to change for someone? What if he likes me back, but then I end up hating who I become? What if something bad happens? What if -- "Key?" Taemin interrupted my thoughts, waving his arms in front of my face to get my attention.

"Yah!" I pushed his arms away and nodded slowly. "Fine, whatever. I'll do it." I agreed, although part of me was still uncertain about the decision. You're going to regret this Key, I dissed myself mentally before rolling my eyes at the three excited friends and leaving their sight immediately.

The rest of this week consisted of following the rest of the steps in that book. "The 3rd method..." Taemin smiled happily before flipping through several pages to find the one he was looking for, "It says... Take gifts to the guy you like but be anonymous. It will leave him surprised and he will anticipate more from you. Make sure it is something that he would like." He looked up and slowly nodded, approving of the step.

I scrunched up my face at the idea but before I could protest, I was already getting dragged down the vacant street and into the pricey store. "Hurry up, Key!" They yelled a numerous amount of times, but I leaned back, making it harder for them to pull me.

I unwillingly stepped into the store and scrunched my face up when I glanced at the prices. "Since we're teenagers and we're broke, we'll find something cheap." Taemin and Krystal immediately grabbed each of my hands while Seunghyun leaned back on the door frame entrance while popping his gum in an annoying manner.

"Seunghyun, help!" I yelped as I felt their nails dig deeper into my skin. Instead of answering my pleads, he kicked himself off the wall and followed us, laughing menacingly on our journey there. "Seunghyun!" I continuously stomped my feet as I attempted to pull my arm away from their firm grip.

After multiple agonizing hours of finding a special gift that had a decent price, we gave up and went to the average grocery store near my house. "He likes ice cream." I suggest once we stepped inside. Considering we had no money left, they agreed and proceeded to drag me over to the frozen aisle section of the store. "How about this?" I opened up the fridge and grabbed a box of ice cream. As I studied the box, I noticed similar details to the one that I've witnessed him eat before. "We'll get this!" I exclaimed as I already began to dig through my pockets for cash.

"Fine. Whatever." Krystal shrugged carelessly as she pulled out a wad of cash and walked over toward a mountain of stuffed bears. "Give this to him too." She grabbed a brown teddy bear that was holding a red, stuffed heart in the middle. I caught the bear with one hand and we all sauntered over to the cashier.

The cashier's eyes brightened as she examined the gifts. "Is this for someone special?" She asked as she placed the items in a grocery bag. I nodded politely and took the bag from her before bowing and bidding goodbye. "I hope everything turns out well!" We heard her call out to us when we were a few steps away from the door. By the end of the day, our hands were filled with shopping bags for the guys and/or girls we intended to give them to.

"You guys are weird." I joked once we were already on our way back to my house. The atmosphere soon changed once I bumped into Krystal that froze in her place. "Krystal, what's wro--" Before I could finish my sentence, I peeked from behind her and noticed Jonghyun leaning against the wall, staring at us with a funny expression. , the gifts! Without acknowledging my friends, I dashed in the other direction, taking the gifts I bought with me. As I distanced myself further from them, I turned back and witnessed my friends running away from him too, causing me to giggle hysterically.

---

“Let’s give the gifts to him now since he’s playing soccer!” Seunghyun grabbed the ice cream that we preserved in the freezer and pulled us along with him toward his motorbike. Thankfully, it was out of Jonghyun’s sight. It was in the back of the school, just across from the field where he was playing. “He’s coming back soon. We have to go!” Seunghyun dropped the ice cream on top of his motorbike but held onto it for a couple of seconds to make sure it was balanced. Once we were sure it was going to stay, Seunghyun and Krystal dragged both Taemin and I to behind the wall and patiently awaited Jonghyun’s arrival.

It was only 15 minutes after we left the ice cream and we were already getting relentless. “When is he coming?!” Taemin would often yell, causing the rest of us to get annoyed. It was only a matter of seconds after Taemin said then when Jonghyun finally showed up, having several sweat beads drip down the side of his head.

“What’s this?” Jonghyun said to himself after spotting the ice cream on his motorbike seat. The 4 of us peeked over the wall and spied on him, curiosity taking over. We all watched as he picked up the ice cream, but it was nothing that we expected. As soon as it was elevated, melted dessert spilled out of the box, resembling pudding. “What the heck?” Jonghyun muttered, displeasure was evident in his features.

“I think we forgot to consider something.” I turned around to Krystal who was pursing her lips, thinking deeply about something. Taemin and Seunghyun also turned around, disappointed at what they just saw. Krystal avoided our gaze as she pointed up at the sky. “The weather.”

I shut my eyes closed in frustration, finally remembering the temperature. “80 degrees. , I forgot.” My eyes wandered over to Jonghyun yet again who was still examining the melted dessert. “I guess we’ll have to try again.” This time, I thought, I’ll actually make sure our plan doesn’t backfire.

Several days later, we were scanning through the book again. “You want to give him mangoes? How is that romantic?” Krystal scoffed at me, her eyes still glued to the page that contained many examples of items that were considered ‘romantic’.

“He likes mangoes!” I defended, stomping my left food hard on the concrete. Before any of my friends could interfere, we heard whistles and hooting coming from beside us.

“Dang Jonghyun, get some!” There was a crowd that was formed around something, although we weren’t sure what it was. Jonghyun was at the end of the circle, apparently confused as well. Just as the person made its way to Jonghyun, the crowd dispersed into two separate lines, making it easier for the person to get through. When the crowd finally revealed who the person was, I couldn’t help but get instantly filled with jealousy. Who is she?

“That’s Shin Sekyung, the new girl.” Krystal stated behind me, pointing her out to my friends. I glared at her discreetly, although part of me wished she noticed it so she could back off. She had a silly grin on her face with her cheeks red from all the attention she was gaining. Her hands were shaking as she shyly shoved a mango cake in Jonghyun’s direction.

The circle of our peers soon disappeared, leaving Jonghyun and ‘Sekyung’ to their personal business. “It’s a mango cake. I made it myself.” She flipped her hair arrogantly and smirked deviously.  As he received the dessert, he smiled warmly at her; a smile that can make any girl, or guy for that matter, melt.

“Thank you. It looks delicious.” Just as Jonghyun turned around, he heard a strident yell. “Are you okay?” He immediately ran to her side as he watched her trip. She giggled nervously, but the 4 of us that were behind the wall knew it was intentional.

She pushed her hair out of her face and smiled, “I’m okay.” She bowed slightly before turning away and skipping off to her next destination.

“Ugh, that girl,” Taemin groaned. “We totally lost to her.” 

Sorry this chapter was slightly boring! I'll try to make it up to you. (: 
Thanks for reading <3 
Sorry for the lack of updates!
~Nikki <3 saranghae!