xxxxxx Eunmi sighed, taking the long route through Seoul Preparatory Academy. Due to the massive size of the academy (despite its relatively low student population), most students opted to use the main roads on bikes and scooters, so the side-paths were almost always deserted. And Eunmi needed the silence. She needed to think about what to do. After mulling over the situation for the past hour in the library, she had finally come to one conclusion – her state of affairs was much worse than she’d ever thought. Eunmi realized that she had a bit of a lying problem, but she never thought that it’d affect others so badly. All she ever wanted to do was to add some spice to her life, even if it was just a spice that others would perceive. Eunmi yearned for some excitement, and those lies were the closest she’d get to a life of drama.

xxxxxx Ah, but I totally screwed up, she thought, blankly following the winding road back to the dorms. Around her, there were probably more trees and foliage in within ten square yards than in most of Gangnam combined. Still, if Eunmi looked, she probably would be able to see the gymnasium’s lights still on through the greenery. There’s no way I can let her figure out that I lied. That would be the last straw. But how the heck do I get a boyfriend? I need Sunhye’s advice, but there’s no way I can ask her.

xxxxxx In fact, in her short time on this earth, Sunhye has had more boyfriends than Eunmi could count on all of her fingers and toes. It seemed like she was never single anymore, especially on Valentine’s Day. Eunmi sighed. It's impossible to compare us. Just ask all of those guys that chose her over me.

xxxxxx Lost in thought, Eunmi reached the dorm buildings much faster than she’d liked. And all she succeeded in was depress herself further. Taking out her cell phone, Eunmi glanced at the time. Ten thirty-four? How the heck did it already get so late? Walking a bit faster, Eunmi passed the first dormitory and headed towards the second, where her room was located. In all, there were three dorms on campus – one all-girl, one all-boy, and one alternating gender by floor. She resided in Dormitory B – the all-girl one – that was-

xxxxxx “Ah!”

xxxxxx Eunmi yelped out in fright as a firm hand came out of the shadows between the side of the building and the foliage. Grabbing her arm, it roughly dragged her into the darkness as another covered to stifle her screams.

xxxxxx Oh my God, I’m going to die, she thought fearfully, looking around frantically. Her eyes needed time to adjust from the light on the path, though, so she could barely see a thing. I’m going to be assaulted. Please, God! Please don’t let me die here!

xxxxxx “Shut up, I’m not going to hurt you.”

xxxxxx The voice that whispered in her ear sounded strangely familiar, and as her assailant loosened his grip on her, Eunmi managed to turn her head to see his face.

xxxxxx “Kim Myungsoo!” She yelled out in surprise, only to have his hand shoved down on again.

xxxxxx “Shhhh,” he said, looking around to see if anyone had noticed. But at ten thirty, there was hardly anyone left out. Curfew was at eleven, so everyone that intended on being on time was already inside.

xxxxxx Eunmi furrowed her eyebrows. In the cool evening air, she could feel the warmth of his body against her back and smell faint remnants of the cologne he’d applied that morning. Is this what a guy's body feels like? It's kind of...nice,  she found herself thinking. And then she came to her senses.

xxxxxx “Get off!” With all of the strength she could muster, Eunmi elbowed Myungsoo as hard as she could right in the gut. Unprepared for the counter attack, Myungsoo released her as he instead clutched at his stomach.

xxxxxx “Yah! That really hurt,” he managed to splutter out. After the fear that raged through her entire body, Eunmi couldn’t help but figure that he deserved the gut-wrenching pain.

xxxxxx “It was supposed to! Stay away from me,” she retorted, already beginning to hurry away. The last thing that she wanted to do was get trapped by him again. She had no idea what he could do and had no intention to find out.

xxxxxx “No, wait, you misunderstand me. I just wanted to swap the pictures we got,” Myungsoo called after her. His voice was faint, as he was still doubled over in pain. “I-I think our pictures got swapped today.”

xxxxxx Stopping, Eunmi turned to look at the guy. She wasn’t sure how to react. She wanted to run away from the guy, but those pictures… She needed them if she were to try and earn back Sunhye’s trust. And besides, Eunmi had no use for Myungsoo’s pictures. And so carefully making her way back to the hunched over Myungsoo, Eunmi observed him carefully. “If that’s what you wanted, then why couldn’t you have asked like a normal human being? There’s no need to try and abduct me.”

xxxxxx "I wasn't trying to abduct you," he said, coughing a few times. Maybe I hit him a little too hard. "Guys aren't supposed to be so close to the dorm, but I wasn't sure how else to find you. I don't want people to see me."

xxxxxx Thinking a bit, Eunmi couldn't help but see the truth in that. "Still..." She began, but stopped. There was no point in trying to argue that point anymore. Moving on, she said, "I do have your pictures, b-"

xxxxxx "Thank god," Myungsoo said, reaching into his back pocket and taking out the envelope he'd been given at the store.

xxxxxx "Wait, let me finish," Eunmi snapped. "The pictures are upstairs in my room. I dropped them off earlier before I went to the library." She rubbed the back of her head sheepishly.

xxxxxx "Wha-why would you do that?" Myungsoo asked, beginning to pace back and forth and ruffle his hair.

xxxxxx I swear, he's been more animated in the past few minutes than the past four years, Eunmi mused, unintentionally tuning him out.

xxxxxx "Yah! Pay attention!"

xxxxxx Eunmi jumped and looked back to Myungsoo, who now stood maybe half a step in front of her. He looked straight at her with a gaze so intense that she wanted to just shrink away. "I-I'm paying attention! Jeez."

xxxxxx Satisfied, Myungsoo reached out and ruffled the front of Eunmi's hair. "I have to have those pictures," he reiterated. "And no one can see them. Do you understand? Especially not...Choi Sunhye-ssi."

xxxxxx With a humph, Eunmi shook Myungsoo off of her and took a few steps back. "Okay, I get it," she said, getting a little tired of him. "I'll give it to you tomorrow morning. But seriously, I think you have a problem. You can't just stalk my best friend. It's weird, okay?"

xxxxxx Myungsoo gaped. "You looked at them?"

xxxxxx "Hell yeah I looked at them," Eunmi responded. "How else do you think that I knew that the pictures weren't mine?" Watching Myungsoo, she thought for a moment that he was pissed. Hey, it's not my fault, she thought indignantly. However, moments later, he just resumed his normal, expressionless look and began to walk towards her. Clenching her hands into fists, she prepared for a possible attack. But there was nothing.

xxxxxx Stopping so that they were shoulder-to-shoulder, Myungsoo muttered, "Just don't let anyone else see. I'll wait for you in the third music room before breakfast." Playing with the end of her hair one last time, Myungsoo picked his way carefully through the foliage and back toward his dorm, leaving Eunmi alone beside her dorm building.

xxxxxx "Gah, annoying person," she cried, hitting a fist against the residence hall's brick exterior. Ow, that hurt.

Another chapter is complete! Um, what do you guys think of the pacing? Slow? Fast? I'm just starting the story, but I don't know... Anyways, any feedback, suggestions, comments, etc. are welcome. I love my readers and will do my best to reply to every single one of them! Thanks and see ya next time! :)