It was obvious that they have been talking about me that early Wednesday morning, because as soon as I opened the door, Hyukjae and Siwon became unusually quiet. Even as I sat down across them on the dining table and picked on my breakfast plate, they kept their mouths shut.

Looking back, I don't remember having done them anything wrong. Thinking it was just silence issues, I shrugged it off and continued eating.

But then these guys had a plan all along. And I knew it as soon as Hyukjae stuck his thumb and pinky finger out and then placed his "telephone" against his ear. In an exaggeratingly high-pitched voice, he said, "Donghae oppa, why did you ask for my number and then not call me?" And then he puckered his lips, which I figured was a pout. But then his lips spread out into a wide grin. "But that's okay because you're going to eat with me again."

I laughed. "For the record, she doesn't sound like that and we all know it," I said.

Hyukjae elbowed Siwon. "See? I told you he likes her," he said while looking at me.

"I don't, okay?" I defended. "I barely know her."

"You barely know her?" Siwon repeated, his eyebrow arched suspiciously. I sighed. This was when his smart talk kicks in and I become a witness on trial. "You slept beside her on a bench in the park just after hours of knowing her. You bring her here and she brings you to her house. And I couldn't get a blink of sleep last night because my phone kept beeping with texts from this guy..." He gestured to Hyukjae. "...who tells me every detail of your late night conversations."

I alternate glances from Hyuk to SIwon. "What conversations?" And Hyukjae looked down at his hands in guilt. "You eavesdropped on our conversation last night?!" I half-shouted.

Hyukjae stood up. "I can't help but listen in, okay?" He had his hands up in surrender. "It was ten in the evening and you were like, 'What are you going to do tomorrow?' or 'What time is your first class?' And it was just so interesting and funny to live with Mister I-Lived-All-My-Life-For-The-Medical-Board-Exams for nearly seven years and now the girl with the boy's name comes along and you're acting like a normal person," he said. "I mean, these past few years, I was beginning to grow worried if you were having a gender crisis or whatever because the only girls that seem attractive to you are the girls that are lying on the metal table with their guts hanging out and now you're dating a normal, alive, not-cut-open girl with a boy's name."

I contemplated about his words for a while and scratched my head. "Okay, so I know her, but not long enough. So I'm not dating her."

"Oh come on, Hae," Siwon groaned. "You ate together, you slept together, you went to each other's houses, and you probably have gone second base with her and there's no denying that you like her. It's not about the length of time. That's just bull."

Now I was more confused and lost than ever. "Isn't second base for sports?"

Hyukjae smacked his own forehead. "I could forgive the fact that you never dated once in your life. But really? You don't know the base system? That's like, a gene essential for becoming a human being. It's like one plus one."

"So what's the base system?" I asked.

"French. Feel. Finger. ," Hyukjae said with a straight face.

I rolled my eyes. "I'm only going to start dating once I pass the board exams and—" The alarm I had set on my phone went off. "It's eight-thirty. I'm going to call her." And I stood up, advancing straight to my room and making sure to lock the door behind me. I collapsed on the bed with my phone pressed against my ear and my heartbeat erratic.

"I am so sleepy. I didn't know staying up until midnight was going to kick me in the the next morning and now I'm so tired," she greeted firsthand. Her voice sounded thick and it was like she was still buried under sheets in bed.

I smiled. "Okay, then I guess I'll just have to cut classes in the afternoon to talk to you."

"Oh God no," she said. "I don't want to get blamed by sick patients for being the reason why you didn't learn how to cut people open in a straight line. That'd be awful." And then she grew silent.

I cleared my throat. "Jihyuk, it's 8:32. You're going to be late."

She groaned. "I don't care about being late. If you're trying to wake me up, you have to try harder."

"Um, your students would be illiterate?" I said, but she only laughed on the other line. I tried again. "Uh, what was supposed to be your lesson for today?"

She pondered about it for a few moments. "The difference between the 'is' and 'are', I think."

"If you don't get up and get dressed, one of your students would grow up and become a doctor and he would put a sign outside his office saying, 'The doctor are in.'" I said calmly.

There was loud shuffling from where she was, like she fell out of bed. Literally. "Oh my gosh that is the worst case scenario. I'm going to the bathroom and I'm going to call you back and the children will know proper grammar." And then she hung up. And I didn't know how long I sat there with the biggest smile on my face and my back pressed against the headboard and my phone against my ear.

I snapped back into reality as soon as knocks sounded from outside my door. "Classes start in 10," Hyukjae reminded.

—

"You know," Siwon started as we walked past the security stationed by the campus exit. "I bet your brother would be ecstatic to meet her."

It was half past four in the afternoon and I haven't let go of my phone since I left the apartment. Jihyuk did say she would call me back, right? Or maybe I was groggy and I'd just imagined the last part of the conversation before she hung up on me. Long story short: my day wasn't as good as I had expected it to be — add to it Siwon mentioning my brother.

"He's not going to meet her," I said. "Why would I bring her to him?"

"Probably because he's the only family you have left and he has been paying for your schooling for the past, I don't know, seven years?" Hyukjae butted in. "And you are going to bring Jihyuk to your brother because he will want to meet her and he will like her but not as much and not even close to how you like her."

"I don't like—"

"See, the thing is, I got dressed on the way to school — like literally buttoning my polo while walking — and I forgot my phone. Really. That's true. Please believe me," Jihyuk said, appearing from behind. Even my friends were startled. There was something called 'greeting' and I think she should add it in her vocabulary if she didn't want me to have a heart attack by her sudden appearances.

"Your point is?" I asked.

She sighed, her lower lip jutting out and her eyes focused on her feet. "I'm sorry."

I smiled. "You have to buy me dinner so I could forgive you," I said.

She thought about it for a while before sighing and nodding. Hyukjae nudged me by my shoulder for luck before Jihyuk dragged me all the way to the nearest diner she could see, ordered everything on the menu, and strictly ordered me to eat when the food arrived. And then she folded her forearms on the table and rested her head on them and just watched me.

And I watched her back, unsure of everything. "You said you wanted me to buy you dinner," she said, picking up the chopsticks and began poking on the food. Trapping a portion of the food in between the sticks, she aimed the food in front of my mouth. "Eat." And that didn't leave me much choice but to open my mouth and do as she says.

After a while, she sets the chopsticks down and lets me eat by myself. "Am I forgiven now?" she asked, to which I just nodded. She sighed. "It's been a bad day. I don't know why." And then she gestured for the waiter to come over and bring us two bottles of soju. When the drinks came, she filled the shot glass to the brim and downed it in one gulp.

The alcohol took quick effect as her eyes seemed out of focus and she began slurring. "I was late for work and I forgot my phone and I didn't call you back and you got mad," Jihyuk said, hiccupping once in a while as she continued taking shots until the bottle was bone dry. There are times when it is perfectly reasonable and acceptable to kiss someone.

This was not one of those times.

"What happened to the dinner for me?" I asked, observing closely while she started to munch on the food that was meant for me. With flushed cheeks, she shushed me and filled a shot glass with alcohol before handing it to me. I declined. "I don't drink." She took the shot and winced as the liquid roughly hit the back of .

If that wasn't enough of a shock, I found myself running aimlessly under the rain while holding her hand a few hours later. I was supposed to be home, most probably reviewing my notes for the day. But here I was, dripping and having a great time. She was beautiful when dry and sober, but also when she's soaked and drunk.

I did not think: I will get sick.

I did not think: She will get sick.

I did not think: My bag and my books and my notes will get wet.

I did not think: I have classes tomorrow.

I did not think: She has work tomorrow.

We were standing in front of her house and she was laughing and I was laughing and we both forgot what the joke was...if there even was a joke in the first place. The rain has not yet stopped and I didn't want to go home. Not yet. And any possible trace of my day gone bad was erased. It was funny how one person could come and change everything. And there are times when it is perfectly acceptable and reasonable to kiss someone.

And this was one of those times.

She was explaining to me how she had forgotten to tell her pupils that their dismissal would be an hour earlier than usual and then I kissed her. Jihyuk stopped talking for a moment while I press my mouth against hers with my eyes closed. I pulled back and she continued talking like nothing happened. I kissed her again, a few seconds longer this time, but the same thing happened. It was like kissing a dead, cold fish. As she continued to talk, I kissed her again, making sure to hold her face on either side to keep her in place. When we separated, I was sure that this time worked. I wasn't even half an inch away from her face when she kissed me some more.

I was inexperienced and not even good at kissing, but she looked at me right after she pulled away. And I never wanted someone to look at me so much like she was the night sky and I was her one and only star. And I remembered twenty years ago in first grade having said I love you to a girl who kissed me on the cheek and told me I could be her boyfriend and then looked me in the eyes two minutes after and said we should break up. And almost a month ago, I remembered sitting across a girl whom I never thought I would meet in this lifetime. And this morning, I remembered having told my friends that I did not like Jung Jihyuk. And a second ago, I remembered kissing her and thinking I would never kiss anyone like I had kissed the girl with the boy's name.

Somewhere in between, I told her I love her and she smiled, probably because she knew all along.

***

[A/N] Yay two updates in a week :) I am so proud of myself lol. Comments are much appreciated!! ^^