Jang Geun Suk was running out of breath.

“We’re cutting it a bit close, don’t you think?”

“Complaining?” Yoo Rin asked keeping pace with Jang Geun Suk as they raced towards the school’s closing gate.

Jang Geun Suk gritted his teeth in frustration. It was the third time this week that Yoo Rin and he ended up running at full speed to a closing school gate.

“Ya! Sansenim! Wait for us!” a couple of juniors yelled.

The school bell sounded than the gate started closing. Yoo Rin glanced his way and grinned.

“See ya!”

Before his eyes Yoo Rin made a jump and landed lightly on top of the wall then disappeared.

“What the-“

Geun Suk stood staring at the closed gate like 10 other students with his mouth hanging open.

* * *

Jang Geun Suk crouched facing the wall with his both hands up. He was among the students punished for coming to school late. The teacher supervising the punishment would take no excuses. Occasionally he would poke a student with a stick if he so much as lowers his arms. As the bell for lunch sounded, the students inside the classroom started filing out. Geun Suk was annoyed.

“Jang.” Mr. Kyo addressed him.

Geun Suk stood up and turned. Bracing himself for another scolding or a poke from the wrched stick. Kyo motioned him
to leave. Geun Suk stared at the teacher puzzled. Usually the student caught late would end up stuck there until after 4th period.

“What are you still standing there for?”the teacher inquired fiercely. Then, he saw her. Han Yoo Rin, dolled up like a fashion plate tilting her head slightly from behind the Mr. Kyo. Geun Suk’s eyes widen.

“What the hell?!”

“Are you ok?”

“What happened?”

“Hmm?”

They were walking towards the cafeteria. Geun Suk almost bumped into a teacher because he couldn’t take his eyes off Yoo Rin. He bowed in apology.

“You.”

“Deh?”

Geun Suk gentured to Yoo Rin who transformed radically, the few hours she got to school. The braid was gone and her hair fell down her back like a waterfall styled a trimmed, the skirt of her uniform was 3 inches shorter. Changes. The thing that freaked him out was Yoo Rin was smiling…at everyone. The other students were noticing this too.

“Annoyong. Yoo Rin Sunbae.”

“Sunbae!”

“Yo! Han Yoo Rin!”

“Annoyong.” The girl in question greeted everyone pleasantly. Geun Suk stopped in his tracks. What was going on with Yoo Rin?

Yoo Rin stopped as well when she noticed Geun Suk wasn’t following her.

“Not hungry?”

Geun Suk stared at Yoo Rin and didn’t wonder why most if not all the student were noticing a change. Yoo Rin looked like an angel who dropped from heaven. Geun Suk couldn’t help but stare…with his mouth open.

“YA.” Yoo Rin inquired staring back. “You’re not ill are you?” Yoo Rin touched his forehead with the open palm of her hand.

Geun Suk grabbed her hand away from his forehead and held in firmly in his. Yoo Rin did not pull away instead she smiled at him.

“You seem fine. Let’s hurry before all the pasta’s gone.” Yoo Rin said pulling him towards the cafeteria. Geun Suk was dumb struck and so was the rest of the people at the cafeteria.

The noise from the cafeteria stopped abruptly as Geun Suk and Yoo Rin entered it hand in hand.

“Oi! Hon! Jan! I hope you saved me some pasta.” Yoo Rin yelled from across the room while pulling the Geun Suk towards their usual table. The cafeteria started buzzing with speculation.

“They’re really together.”

“Ya! I heard they spent the night together.”

“Rumors! This is Han Yoo Rin we’re talking about.”

“Ya! Who would have thought she’d turn out to be soo hot?”

“Yeah, a hot babe that can beat you to a pulp.”

Yoo Rin ignored the talk. Lee Jan made room for them on the table. Geun Suk reluctantly let go of her hand.

“Ya! Han Yoo Rin, what a make over.”Hyun said eying Yoo Rin with great appriciation. Choi gave elbowed him.

“Kamsahamida.”

“Popi did an excellent job.”Eun Hye said giving Popi a thumbs up.

“Unfortunately too good.”Popi remarked annoyed, “Say, you two” Pointing to Yoo Rin and Geun Suk. “Finally admitting that you’re dating?”

Silence. Geun Suk kept his expression passive as he turned to look at Yoo Rin. Her expression didn’t change.

“I’m starving.”Yoo Rin said pulling a piece of noodle from Eun Hye’s plate then popping it in then she offered a piece of noodle to Geun Suk who blinked but willingly opened his mouth as she fed him.

Stone silence.

Yoo Rin glanced at her friends’ startled expression. “Deh?”

“Now that says it all.”Popi said chuckling

The cafeteria exploded with chatter.

“They are dating.”

“Duh! I saw they jump from a two story house during the festival in their hanbok!”

“Do you think the rumors are true?”

“Ehhh?! That Geun Suk won Yoo Rin at the festival? Don’t be silly. We didn’t even
see them kiss at the awarding.”

“That’s because they both jumped from the 2nd floor of that Main House.”

“Eloped?”

“Babo! They’re both here, how could they have eloped?”

Geun Suk stood up suddenly and offered to get Yoo Rin her lunch, and grabbed Choi’s arm and pulled him with him.

“What is going on?”

“With what?”

“With this school! With Yoo Rin?! I was gone for a few hours and she looks like..like..”Geun Suk sputtered

“Like a girl from a magazine ad?”Choi asked helpfully.

“That’s it! She has never had interest in looking like fashion doll. What happened?”

“Ahh, that. It was actually Eun Hye’s idea.”

“I’m listening.”

“Yoo Rin is Popi’s project.”

“DEH?!”

* * *

Geun Suk returned to the table annoyed at Yoo Rin’s willingness to help Popi with her design project when she doesn’t even get along with Popi personally.

A personal favor for Eun Hye. Yoo Rin wears the dresses Popi designed for her fashion exhibit. It’s only for this week since the design class has Eun Hye and Popi in it. Eun Hye made and designed shoes, Popi the clothes they are a team and since Yoo Rin agreed to wear the shoes, it’ll be ideal for her to wear the clothes that goes with it.

For a girl who tries to avoid the limelight at all cost, Yoo Rin looked too comfortable in her new persona to Geun Suk’s annoyance. Boys from the other senior classes gathered at the door of their classroom to catch a glimpse of the new Yoo Rin. The teacher had to shoo them back to their own classes. During a joint health class, envelopes of various colors started to pile up on top of Yoo Rin’s desk. When Geun Suk clenched his fist and eyed boys from the other class fiercely.

Popi poked at the pile of letter. “Oooh, I haven’t seen this much a hoard since…well, I haven’t seen this much at all.”

Yoo Rin didn’t arrive with her class, she was called to the administrative office.

Silence.

Yoo Rin came in the class carrying a large bouquet of blue roses.

“Ya! Jang Geun Suk, you’re the man. Letters are nothing compared to that bouquet.” Jan said slapping Geun Suk on the back.

“Those aren’t from me.”

“Deh?” Jan and Hon said then both started tsking…

“Man, you better…”Lee Jan

“… stake your claim fast.”Lee Hon

Yoo Rin bowed to their teacher and took her seat between Lee Hon and Lee Jan.

“Nice flowers Yoo Rin.”Hon remarked then glancing at Geun Suk slyly

“Yeah, who’s it from?”Jan asked looking for a card.

Yoo Rin hugged the flowers to her then replied with one word. “Akira.”

The twins gasped.