"Jessica sunbae?" Aiden whispered, shocked that the girl hugged him.

She didn't release him and his hands gradually made their way to her back. Yes, her back. He didn't have the courage to out them at her waist. Her back was slender, and warm. He was also pretty sure that she could feel his heartbeat. His heart was running a marathon.

He could feel the girl's tears seep onto his uniform. "Are you okay?" He asked after the longest time. That was when he plucked up the courage, that tool about ten minutes.

Almost immediately, she let go.

"Sorry." She wiped her tears with her hands. He gently pulled out his handkerchief from his pocket and gave it to her.

"It's okay." He reassured. "I'll count this as even."

She looked up at him, her eye still teary. "It's you again."

He nods.

"This is the third time, right? That we've bumped into each other."

He nods again.

"Do you have no words? Can you not speak?"

He opened his mouth, but a hoarse voice came out. "Yes."

She gave a small smile. "Are you intimidated by me?"

He doesn't respond.

"Don't be, I'm just a person whose graduating this year." She tapped his shoulder. She looks at her watch. "I will be leaving."

He bows.

"Could you please not tell anyone about this scene?" She looks at him expectedly. "I don't want people to know I cried."

Aiden gives a small nod.

"Thanks." Jessica bounds down the hallway, leaving a still confused Aiden.

He lightly touched his shoulder, where her face was leaning towards.

"I'm never washing this again." He mumbled and proceeded to walk back home.

Something that confused him was why she was crying. Did she get a back grade on a test? That would be impossible. She was a genius in all categories. Maybe a relative died? He shook his head. She didn't cry when her uncle died. How he knew that information was top secret. Or maybe, he felt his heart flutter at the thought, she fought with her boyfriend? Was it cruel for him to have felt happy at the last thought?

Aiden sighed as he closed his science textbook. He would never find out why she cried.

He lays down on his bed, closing his eyes and putting an arm over them.

In his dream he was at a park. It was sunny with no clouds present. He saw Jessica run to him with a warm smile. And he could feel himself rise and hug her. This was paradise. His smile was from ear to ear. And this time, his hands were at her waist. Aiden knew this was a dream. Jessica wouldn't want to hug a scrawny kid like him. She would prefer a guy like Donghae, who had a medium build. Someone who could care for her, physically and emotionally.

His happiness ended when his mother peeled open the blinds.

He was temporarily blinded by the sun's rays, so he to his stomach, only to have his mother slap his back.

"SON! Time for school!" She sang.

He groaned. "Five more minutes."

"I gave you seven." She replied, heading to the kitchen. "If you want breakfast, you better come."

At the word mentioning food, he bolted up. Food. He pulled on a shirt and tidied his hair.

As he stood up, he peered outside his window into the house next door. Jessica lived there. It must have been fate that led them to be neighbors. Every morning, Aiden would glance at her window, just to see her.

It may sound creepy that Aiden watches her, but that's all he can do with his feelings. He is too shy to talk to her confidently, and he's too weak to join the sports teams to share a hobby with her. Plus she was very intelligent, and he... wasn't.

Picking up his chopsticks, he sighed happily. He remembered the hug yesterday vividly.

His mother must have noticed, because she gave him a smile. "Did something good happen?"

He shook his head. "Nothing."

"Then why are you so happy?" She pinched his cheeks.

"Can I not be happy for no reason? Besides, it is almost... winter break." His excuse was weak. It didn't convince his mom.

"Uh huh." She watched him carefully as he bounded back to his room.

Aiden got ready for school in a comfortable manner. He took a warm shower and styled his hair with his wax. Then he put on his uniform while brushing his teeth.

A relaxing start to the day. He felt fresh and waved goodbye as he left the house.

Today seemed a bit surreal, because he also spotted Jessica leave her apartment. Aiden backed up to the wall, trying to hide himself.

He didn't want her to think he followed her, though he did not.

Taking a deep breath to calm his heart, which was erratic early this morning, he took a step forward. She didn't notice him.

He let out a unintentional sneeze as he pasted the apartment gardens and she turned around. Stupid flowers he cursed.

Aiden shrunk when she saw him.

What surprised him next was her waving at him. The wave that signalled, come here.

He looked around, no one else was there. His gaze went back to her, who was staring at him.

A bit slow, he pointed at himself and she nodded, smiling.

He walked, well ran, to her.

"Good morning, Aiden." She resumed walking. "I keep seeing you."

"G-g-good morning." He stammered.

"Going to school early, nice improvement. " She grinned.

"I woke up early." He replied, his hands in his pockets to hide his shaky fingers. "Do you always go to school this early, Je... Pre... sunbae?"

Her laugh resonates in the cold air. "Call me noona."

His heart feels like it does aerobics, her laugh set him frozen. "Jessica noona."

She patted his back. "Did you go home safely?"

His face becomes blank. Did she just ask if he went home okay? Was she concerned for him? His imaginations began going wild.

"Hello?" She nudges him.

That brings him back. "Y-yes, I came home safely."

"You should be careful, I heard that there are gangs beating up students that go home alone. Do you walk home with your friends?" She asked.

He shook his head. "We live in different directions."

She nodded in understanding. "Same here. Maybe we should walk to school and home together then."

"Excuse me?" He couldn't believe what he said.

"Oh wait, we end differently right?" She seems a bit down.

"I end late." He lied.

"Really? What club are you in? I leave campus around 6." She brushes a strand of hair.

"Uh. Uh." Think. THINK AIDEN. Henry was in the musical club. "I'm in the musical club."

"Really? I came to a few meetings. Why didn't I see you?" She frowns in deep thought.

"I haven't been going lately, I am going to start going again." He lied again. This lie was getting bigger and bigger each time Aiden opened his mouth.

"Setting yourself straight now, right?" She grinned.

He nods slowly.

"That's right. School is fun." She said with a thumbs up. She smiled at him and he blushed.

He looked around, more students from his school were appearing. They were all watching the two.

Aiden cleared his throat. "I have to go."

"Where?"

"Uh?" He scratched his head.

Suddenly she grabbed his ear. "Ditching is prohibited."

He yelped and followed her through the gates. "Ow. Ow. Ow!"

Jessica released him once they made it to the large buildings. "I better see you in PE, else, I know where you live."

Aiden bowed politely and headed to class. His fingers went up to his ear. It was burning fron Jessica's touch. He frowned. Did Jessica feel how hot his ear was? Did she find out that he liked her? Grudgingly, he sat down at his desk.

"Look who came early." Henry tussled Aiden's hair.

Aiden slapped his hand away. "I waxed it."

Henry nods with a smile. "Now you look like you got out of bed, mission success."

Aiden rolled his eyes. Looking at his left, he noticed his desk partner came in as well. She was a small petite girl. Her name was Eunjung.

She paid him no mind and opened her textbook. She seemed immersed in reading about the history of Korea.

He shrugged and laid his head on the desk. Learning math was easy, so he often slept in for it.

Unfortunately his teacher spotted him and threw a piece of chalk at him. It landed in his hair and he groaned. The class laughed.

"Aiden I suggest you pay attention." His teacher reprimanded. "It's about the derivatives of trig functions."

Aiden pulled the chalk out and threw it to the ground. Stupid teacher. He was close to meeting his dream Jessica and his teacher ruined his chance.

From the corner of his eye, he saw Eunjung giggle. Great, even a nerd was laughing at him.

He zoned out the next few periods. Aiden was anxious for lunch to start. He needed his daily dose of Jessica laughing.

As he got his lunch, he passed a group of girls giggling.

"Did you see president walk in with the delinquent?" They laughed. "He must have felt that they were friends. Little does he know, she hates kids like him!"

Aiden felt his face burn. He sat down and looked at his plate. Ailee nudged him. "Something wrong?"

Aiden shook his head and bit his burger quietly. Key and Ailee exchanged gazes. Something was obviously wrong.

Henry slapped his back. "I heard you walked to school with the ice princess?"

"What?" Key smiled at Aiden. "You little devil you!"

"Stop." Aiden shrugged off his friends. "So what if I walked to school with our school president?"

"Your progress is HUGE!"

"What progress?"

"You like her." Ailee whispers.

"So what? She has a boyfriend!" Aiden scowled. "Leave me alone." He stood up and walked out of the cafeteria. They frowned at each other when he left.

He ended up at the rooftop, his legs dangling off the building. It was wrong of him to blame his friends, he knew that. He...

To start, he wasn't the brightest child. He would consider himself normal, only good at math and English. But when his parents decided to move to Korea, he became a 'delinquent'. That wasn't his fault though. Most of these students from Korea were conditioned with additional classes after school, and had private tutors. He, on the other hand, barely studied.

And learning a whole new language wasn't easy. He was in classes with students younger than him. He begged his parents to put him in the right grade, and eventually they did.

In America, his cousin Victoria lived with her husband Nichkhun. She supported him going to Korea, it was for his benefit. And if he didn't want to go, she offered for him to live with them.

He came to Korea on his own accord. Gritting his teeth at the harsh words from his classmates, he threw a pebble.

He heard the doorknob rattle. Students were banned from coming up here during lunch. He quickly hid behind the doorway.

Two people came up. One was a male and the other a female. He could tell from their voices.

"Why are you always bothering me?" The boy snapped. "I told you, I'm not interested in you."

"Why are you like this, Donghae?" The girl said softly. Donghae? Does that mean the girl is Jessica? Aiden bit his finger to keep quiet.

"I'm done with you. Leave me alone!" Jessica yelps as she falls.

"Donghae wait!" She whimpered as he slammed the door. She twisted the knob, it was locked. She slammed the door. "Donghae!"

She collapsed at the door and Aiden could hear her cry. That bastard Donghae. Aiden gritted his teeth.

The bell rang, which was an indicator for students to go back to class. Aiden halted. Jessica was still there. And the door was locked.

He stood up quietly. He peered at the doorway, Jessica was sitting at the door.

Aiden took a deep breath and walked into her view.

She frowned. "Aiden? What are you doing up here?"

Aiden came over to her and crouched down. He felt his heart crumble into a thousand piece and reform wildly as he gently placed a kiss on Jessica.

Her eyes widened as Aiden pulled away. "Are you okay noona?"