I hurried over to where Soojin was waiting for me, clasping two tickets in my hands. I presented them to her with a sparkle in my eyes. She raised an eyebrow and plucked one from my hand.

                “This is unusual. What are you so excited for?” she asked, scanning the slip. We were standing in front of the local university on a sunny Sunday afternoon, trying to take advantage of the good weather. College students passed by us, carrying on their weekend.

                “An astrophysicist I admire is giving a lecture here next week. They were only letting a few people outside the department et in, and I got chosen!”

                Soojin made a face. “Only you would get all hyped-up for something so…educational.”

                I ignored her lack of enthusiasm. “You’ll come with me, right? Seeing this person here is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!”

                She looked at the ticket again and frowned. “It’s next Saturday? I have a piano competition.”

                My shoulders fell. I didn’t want the ticket to go to waste, but I didn’t know anyone else that would humor me and accompany me like Soojin would.

                Sensing my predicament, Soojin presented an idea with a sly smile. “Why don’t you ask Seungcheol?”

                This again? “He’s probably busy. Plus, he would be bored to death at something like this.”

                Soojin gave me back the ticket and linked her arm with mine. “I think you’re underestimating him. In any case, don’t you think it’s about time you started to repay him for all the things he’s done for you?”

                I considered this. I supposed she was right, but at the same time I was put off by Seungcheol’s recent behavior. When we saw each other at school, he seemed awkward or avoided me altogether. He walked me home as usual on the days we met on the bus, but he was uncharacteristically quiet. A strange mixture of sadness and irritation bubbled in me as I recounted all the times he dodged my gaze.

                Soojin poked me, and I realized I had gone silent, lost in thought. “Well?”

                “I guess I’ll ask him,” I muttered. Soojin laughed brightly and then moved to stand in front of me, grasping both my hands.

                “Let’s buy a present for him while we’re at it!”

                “A present?” My eyes shot to the bracelet around my wrist and I felt heat rising to my face. I couldn’t fathom myself doing something so embarrassing. I was already mortified enough when I gave him the lunch I made for him, but the thought of giving him something more permanent was too much to handle.

                “Stop fretting!” Soojin exclaimed. I never ceased to be creeped out by her ability to read my mind. “I’ll help you pick it out. Let’s go!”

                And so on Monday, I stood in the hallway outside the classroom, looking down at the ticket for the lecture. The pocket of my blazer was heavy with the necklace Soojin had pushed me into buying after she caught me admiring its small star pendant in the accessories shop. I thought it was a bit too dainty for someone like Seungcheol, but Soojin won the argument, as per usual.

                “Mikyung, for this—”

                I jumped and quickly stuffed the ticket in my pocket along with the necklace as I swiveled to look at Doyoon. He was holding an English textbook in his hands and gave me a strange look.

                “What are you doing?”

                “Nothing. What is it?”

                He pointed to a paragraph on the page. “For this part, are they saying that the development was good?”

                English was the single subject that I was better than Doyoon in. I explained the passage to him and he nodded thoughtfully. When I finished, I looked up and saw Seungcheol over Doyoon’s shoulder. He flinched and turned away quickly.

                “I’ll be right back,” I told Doyoon hurriedly before running to catch up with Seungcheol.

                “Mimi. Hi,” said Seungcheol nervously as I stepped in front of him.

                “What’s the matter with you?” To my horror and confusion, I felt myself getting slightly choked up. Why the hell am I so upset?

                It must have registered on my face, because Seungcheol’s expression instantly softened.

                “Sorry. I’ve just been feeling a bit out of it lately.”

                I sensed it was something more than that, but I decided to drop it. I pulled the ticket from my pocket and held it out to him.

                “I have an extra ticket to a lecture this Saturday. It might be boring for you but I’d like it if someone came with me,” I said cautiously.

                Seungcheol looked a bit taken aback. “You want me to go with you?”

                I pressed my lips together. “Yes, I want you to go with me.”

                His face lit up. It looked as if he was about to hug me, but thought against it at the last moment. My heart beat wildly in my chest.

                “I’ll definitely come,” he promised.

                “Okay,” I said, trying to mask my relief. I handed the ticket to him. “I’ll meet you at the doors, then.”

                I walked away quickly, feeling like I was about to combust.

-x-

                Seungcheol was waiting for me as I walked up to the auditorium. He smiled and waved. I hadn’t seen him since Monday, and I thought I had mellowed out by now, but laying eyes on him again made my head fill anew with jumbled thoughts.

                “Let’s go inside,” I said, grasping his arm. His muscles tensed under my fingertips and he looked over at me in surprise. I snatched my hand away as if touching him had burned me and screamed internally.

                Why did I do that? I had been overtaken by an impulse to touch him, but his reaction made me want to cut my hand off for its rash decision. I couldn’t meet his eyes and hurried in before him. I chalked up my recent behavior to my excitement over seeing an astrophysicist that I had admired for a long time. Now that the day was finally here, I was doing all kinds of crazy things.

                Seungcheol and I sat down in our seats. I instantly recognized the man at the podium setting up.

                “Oh my gosh, it’s him!” I exclaimed. Seungcheol and I locked eyes and he laughed softly. I clamped my hand over my mouth. I let myself slip and talked to him like I would have talked to Soojin.

                The lecture started shortly after everyone took their seats. I listened intently, mystified by the images of stars and galaxies. Ever so often, I would glance over at Seungcheol. He wasn’t asleep, which was a relief, but something told me he also wasn’t paying full attention. I wondered if it was just my imagination that I saw his eyes quickly flick away from me and back to the stage every time I looked at him.

                After an hour, the lecture concluded and people began filing out of the auditorium. The astrophysicist, however, lingered on stage and some brave people walked up to him to ask questions.

                “Mimi.” Seungcheol’s voice startled me. “You should go talk to him.”

                I bit my lip. “No. I’m just a high schooler. He would probably think I’m dumb.”

                “You? Dumb? Impossible. You’re Kim Mikyung!” he reassured me. I felt his hand on my back giving me a gentle nudge forward. I looked back at him, still hesitant. “Go. I’ll wait for you outside.”

                I spent 20 minutes talking with the scientist, and emerged from the auditorium feeling exhilarated. I had been so nervous because I rarely used English outside of the classroom, but he was very warm and friendly. He discussed parts of the lecture with me that I had found most interesting, and ended our conversation by encouraging me to apply for the astrology program at the university he went to, saying I would be a good match.

                I spotted Seungcheol waiting at the side of the building. He hadn’t noticed me yet, and I spent a few moments looking at him from a distance. With each passing day, I felt like I had more things I had to thank him for. But more than being grateful, I could sense something else in the way I saw him. Before, just the thought of him yelling my name and pestering me at all times of the day annoyed me. I was programmed to think that because he was in Class D, he was unmotivated and dense. But even though I had harbored those feelings of superiority towards him, he treated me kindly and did so much for me. I felt myself slowly changing, and a large part was due to him.

                A thought occurred to me then, one that I had been contemplating for some time now.

                Do I like Choi Seungcheol?

                I reached into the pocket of my jeans and felt the necklace nestled there. I had resolved to give it to him as thanks after the lecture. Now seemed to be the time.

                Gathering my courage, I started to walk towards him. He caught sight of me and smiled, but then his phone began to ring. He answered it.

                “Yes,” I heard him say as I drew closer. “But can’t I— Okay. I understand. I’ll go there now.”

                “What’s wrong?” I asked, my fingers tightening over the necklace in my hand. Judging by the look on his face, it wasn’t good news.

                “I’m really sorry, Mimi. I have to go.”

                “Oh. Okay. Is everything alright?”

                “Yeah, it’s just…my manager called. I need to be back at the office immediately.”

                “You should go then. I can get home by myself.”

                Seungcheol looked torn. “I’m so sorry.”

                “Don’t apologize.” I smiled so he could be at ease.

                “Thank you for bringing me today. I had fun.”

                I nodded. All the things I had wanted to tell him died on my tongue.

                “I’ll try and call you later,” he said before finally turning and heading off.

                I slipped the necklace back into my pocket and looked up at the sky, which was beginning to darken. I didn’t cry, but there was a lump in my throat and an ache in my heart that I couldn’t shake off.