No, he wasn’t curious. He didn’t even care about his name. Who cares about him? Not me, haha. That’s what Wonwoo thought the 15^th day when he and that boy stared at each other again during lunch time. It was already kind of a tradition, when he got to the cafeteria he would feel a pair of eyes on him and as he sits down he’d find them and stare at them. That pair of eyes always belonged to the same tall handsome boy, and it always ended with a victory for Wonwoo –which he secretly celebrated on his mind- and a smirk from the nameless boy.

Every day after classes he’d always see him at his locker, keeping some books or taking others, and he always felt those eyes on him and sensed the smirk he already pictured on his mind when he walked past him.

Honestly those two were the only moments of the day when he saw that boy, the other periods and free time he didn’t spot the boy anywhere. Maybe he’s in another year. I’m sure he’s older than me. Wonwoo thought as he walked past him the 16^th day since the entire thing started.

They finished school and now the four friends were walking to Jisoo’s place, to play Xbox. Wonwoo’s mum didn’t work till late today so he could hang out with his friends without worrying about his sister. Wonwoo wanted to ask his friends about that boy, ask them advice. But why would he need advice? No, he preferred not to know about him, the less he knew the better. Yes, that’s it.

They reached the house and they went straight to Jisoo’s bedroom, where the Xbox was. Soon the four of them were playing and having fun. After they finished playing Soonyoung decided to bring up the subject.

“So… did you talk to that boy yet?” he asked. Wonwoo didn’t want to know his name so he told his friends to call him ‘that boy’.

“No, and probably I never will”

“Why?” Jihoon said.

“Because” Wonwoo shrugged.

“He’s nice” Soonyoung said and Wonwoo glared at him.

“He’s a jerk” Wonwoo said “No, I don’t know him, but I know he’s a jerk”

“If you say so” Soonyoung said.

After a while Wonwoo glanced at his watch and jumped out of the bed taking his bag “I’m leaving”

“Why?” Jisoo asked.

“I just don’t want to leave my mum and sister alone that much” he said.

“They are fine, Wonwoo, you don’t have to worry” Soonyoung said.

“I do worry, Soonyoung, they are the only family I have left, ok? I can’t let anything happen to them”

“You live scared, you can’t continue like that, you’re constantly thinking about your sister, you’re obsessed”

“I’m just protecting her” Wonwoo said looking at his friend full of hate.

“And that’s ok, but you exaggerate everything”

“Exaggerate? You’re saying I’m exaggerating? Do you know how it feels to see your dad and best friend being shot in front of your eyes? Do you know that feeling? No, you don’t, so shut up because it’s scary as and yes, I live scared but I’m not scared because someone might shoot me I’m scared because someone might shoot my mum or sister when I’m not with them and if someday that happens I want to do anything to save them, even if dying it’s the only way to save them” Wonwoo said and he knew he was already crying, it was taking him too much to cry again. Jisoo and Jihoon looked down when they remembered their friend, who was now dead.

“I-I’m sorry, Wonwoo…” Soonyoung said quietly.

“I’m leaving” Wonwoo said again and got out of the house in no time, walking to his own.

During the walk home he cried, he knew before that once he started crying he wouldn’t be able to stop, and he was right, even when he reached home he didn’t stop crying. He pulled out his keys and opened the front door.

“Hello, honey” his mum said from the living room and he heard her walk to where her son was, but she ran to him when she spotted him with his eyes red and his cheeks wet “What’s wrong? Shh, it’s ok” she hugged him.

“I miss them so much, mum…” Wonwoo said and hugged her back.

“I know you do, Wonwoo, I know, but you have to move on” she said and he nodded.

“Are you ok?” he asked his mum.

“Of course, honey, we’re ok”

“Where’s Hanji?” he asked as he cleaned his face with his shirt sleeve.

“She’s in her bedroom”

“Ok” he nodded and went upstairs. First he went to his bedroom to drop his bag and take off his school uniform jacket and tie and then he went to his sister’s room. He knocked.

“Come in” she said and Wonwoo did so “Hello” she said from her bed; she was playing with her dolls “Oh, why are you crying? Did anything happen?”

“No, it’s ok, I’m fine” he said and he sat next to his sister. Then he hugged her.

“Is it because of dad and Doyoon?” she asked and Wonwoo didn’t say a word. He hugged his sister even tighter. She hugged him back and they stayed there for a few minutes until Wonwoo pulled away “Are you better now?” she asked and Wonwoo smiled.

“Yes, I am, thank you” he said and caressed her hair “How was school?”

“It was good”

“And that kid?” he asked and he made sure that his cheeks weren’t full of tears.

“We just talked” she said.

“You better just talk” Wonwoo said and she glared at him “If you like him that much you should introduce him to me”

“Not yet” she said.

“Hey, it’s not like you’re getting married” Wonwoo poked her cheek teasing her.

“What if I get married to him someday?” she said.

“What do you like about him though?” Wonwoo asked as he made himself comfortable in her sister’s bed, leaning his back against the wall.

“He’s the small version of you” she said and Wonwoo laughed.

“I see” he said and Hanji imitated her brother’s position “So you like him because he looks like me?”

“And his personality is similar to yours too” she said

“Oh” Wonwoo nodded.

“If you weren’t my brother and I was older I’d fall in love with you, Wonwoo” his sister said and Wonwoo laughed again, this time he pulled Hanji to her lap and hugged her.

“I’d fall in love with you too, if you were older of course” he said.

“Now, what about that boy?” she asked

“What boy?”

“The one you were staring at the other day”

“Oh, that boy” Wonwoo said “I don’t know… I don’t even know his name”

“Hmm, he seems nice” she said.

“He’s not”

“But-”

“Well, you were playing with your dolls, I’ll leave you alone so you can enjoy your time” Wonwoo said and he easily lifted his sister to put her to his side. He jumped out of the bed and Hanji grabbed his hand.

“Why don’t you want to tell me?” she whined.

“There’s nothing to tell” he said and she pouted. Wonwoo couldn’t help but laugh at her cuteness “You’re so cute, but now I have to do my homework, ok?”

“Ok” she said and Wonwoo leaned in to kiss her forehead.

Wonwoo headed to his bedroom and when he sat on his desk his phone started ringing. He picked it up.

“Hey” Soonyoung said on the other line.

“Hey” he replied.

“How are you?”

“I’m fine now” Wonwoo said. He wanted to say sorry to Soonyoung but he thought it was stupid to do so, but still he felt he needed to do it.

“I just wanted to make sure you were fine… I was worried”

“I’m sorry Soonyoung, I shouldn’t have talked to you like that… it’s just that all that stresses me out so much and I really need to forget about that, but I just-”

“Don’t worry, I get it, you don’t need to apologize, it was my fault”

“It was our fault. Let’s avoid that next time, ok?” Wonwoo said.

“Ok” Soonyoung smiled on the other side “We’re cool?”

“We’re cool”

It has been a month now since all the stares and looks started with that strange boy. Wonwoo took it as a habit already and he always ended up winning. Maybe he was the only one who thought of those stares as battles but it made him even more interested in that situations.

So as he thought when he entered the cafeteria he felt the boy’s eyes on him, he sat on his usual spot and stared back at him. The stare contest started as always, they would stay still until the other guy would give up but today it was different; that boy was smiling while he stared at him and after a few minutes he rested his chin on his hand, the look he was giving Wonwoo made the latter blush lightly. Oh , please tell me he didn’t notice, Wonwoo thought. He seemed more interested than usual and that made Wonwoo even more nervous. Finally he couldn’t stand it anymore and for the first time Wonwoo looked away first.

When the day at school ended at last Wonwoo said goodbye to his friends and walked to Hanji’s school to pick her up, as usual. He was almost reaching there and he saw his sister was already waiting for him, when she saw him she started running towards him, but unluckily she tripped and almost fell. A tall boy picked her up before she would fall to the ground and Wonwoo was not pleased when he saw who the boy was, it was that boy. He ran towards his sister.

“Hanji, you should be more careful” he said when he crouched down and checked if she was hurt anywhere.

“I’m fine, he took me before I could fall” she said and pointed at the nameless boy who was still holding her arm.

“Thank you, you can let go now, I’m her brother” Wonwoo said after he stood up and looked at the boy, and honestly he’s never been that close to the boy.

“No problem” he said as he let go her arm and his voice shocked Wonwoo. He hoped him to have a really deep voice, but he didn’t, he had a pretty normal yet y voice. Then he leaned in to be on the same eye level as Hanji “Be careful next time, ok?”

“Yes, I’ll be careful”

The boy straightened up and looked at Wonwoo again “See you around” he said with a gentle smile spread on his lips and Wonwoo found himself blushing again.

“Yeah, see you”

Wonwoo saw as the boy went straight to his motorbike and left the place. He didn’t say a word until there was no sight of him, but his sister didn’t say anything either.

“L-let’s go” Wonwoo said and took Hanji’s hand, pulling from it and heading home.

During the way home they didn’t say a word, they got home and quickly Hanji headed to her bedroom and stayed there, so Wonwoo only could go to his own. First he changed into more comfortable clothes and then he laid down on the bed and sighed. He closed his eyes and again he saw the boy’s sweet smile and he blushed again, he took a pillow and put it against his face.

“Why? What the hell? ing , I hate him so much” he mumbled and then he stood up and started pacing around his room cursing the boy non-stop.

He ended up sitting on his bed with crossed legs, his hair in a mess and pouting. He heard a knock on his door and it opened a bit, letting see Hanji’s little face. Wonwoo smiled as he fixed his hair with his hands a bit.

“Wonwoo…” she said quietly.

“Yes? Come in” he said and the little girl did so. He patted the empty space next to him on the bed and she climbed up to sit there “Tell me”

“I-I’m just bored and since you h-have the video games here I wanted to play… can I?” she asked.

“Of course” Wonwoo stood up and he his PS3, he put in Hanji’s favourite game and gave her the controller. Then he layed down on his bed facing the TV and she just kept sitting down as she rested her back against Wonwoo’s stomach.

Wonwoo let her play because she got tired of it really quickly so it wouldn’t hurt to wait about 30 minutes until she was done. So as Wonwoo thought Hanji didn’t want to play anymore after a bit less than 30 minutes and she put the controller in his place and turned off the TV. Then she layed down in front of Wonwoo facing him and he chuckled.

“Do you like him?” she asked and that really surprised Wonwoo.

“What? No, of course not”

“You blushed”

“So? I was hot, that’s all” he said and Hanji, obviously, didn’t believe him “Did you talk to Dongchan today?”

“Donghwan, and yes, I did talk to him” she said “I think he likes me back, but I’m not sure. I want to get to know him better before anything happens”

“Hey, aren’t you too young to think like that?” Wonwoo said and she shrugged.

“Maybe”

“What makes you think like that?” he asked.

“I thought he was cooler… more like you, but he isn’t”

“Of course not, it’s impossible to be as cool as me, I’m unique” he said teasing her.

“I know” she sighed and Wonwoo chuckled again.