“Ya! Wait up!” Kikwang yelled at Hyosung.

Hyosung ignored him and got on her bike. Just when she was about to start cycling away, she noticed that her tire was flat. ‘Great, the tire just happened to be flat right now. Ugh!’ Hyosung thought.

Kikwang saw Hyosung getting down from her bike. “Whew, thanks for waiting,” Kikwang said. “You really shouldn’t go back home alone like this, it’s not safe you know,”

“Ceh, I wasn’t waiting for you,” replied Hyosung coldly, before walking away with her bike.

“H-hey, wait up,” Kikwang hurriedly undid the locks on his bike and rode it to catch up to her.

“Leave me alone!” Hyosung snapped. “Go and follow your IU that you like so much,”

“Well I can’t let you walk home by yourself now can I?” Kikwang replied.

“You seemed okay with it for the past week,”

“I didn’t know you were cycling home by yourself for the past week,” responded Kikwang.

“Then what about the others? What about Min? Soyeon? What about Seohyun? What about that IU girl that you were so obsessed with? It’s okay for you to let her walk alone?”

“What’s wrong with you today?” asked Kikwang. Hyosung just bit her lip in silence.

“Look, IU’s going back to her school, so it doesn’t really make sense for me to be sending her home now would it?” answered Kikwang. “As for the others, I’m taking you home because we live in the same neighborhood. You can’t expect me to send everyone home,”

“Fine, whatever, just stop following me,”

Kikwang continued to cycle slowly next to her.

“Ya! Weren’t you listening? I said stop following me,”

“I’m not, for your information, this is my way back home,”

“Then cycle faster!”

“No, I think I wanna enjoy the view a bit more,” Kikwang said with a smile.

Hyosung glared at him before deciding to give him the silent treatment.

“Ya, Hyosung, are you mad at someone?”

“…”

“Hyosung-ah, are you mad at someone?” Kikwang asked again.

“…”

“Ya, is that someone me?”

“…”

“You’re really not gonna talk eh?”

Hyosung continued walking with her bike in silence.

“Haih..” Kikwang let out a deep sigh. He continued to cycle in silence.

After a few minutes, Kikwang opened his mouth again. “Ya, Jeon Hyosung, wanna see something amazing?” he asked, looking smug.

Hyosung continued her silence.

“You know how some people can ride motorcycles, ‘no hands’?” Kikwang asked again, this time a grin plastered across his face.

Hyosung looked up at him worryingly.

“I can cycle, ‘no hands’,” Kikwang said smugly. “Wanna see?”

Hyosung opened to object, but thought otherwise. ‘He wouldn’t dare’, she thought.

“Silence is usually treated as a yes,” Kikwang joked. Then Kikwang released the handles and took out his phone from his pocket. “See, told you I could do it,” Kikwang said, his grin growing bigger. “I can even call someone while cycling, wanna see?”

Hyosung just glared at him in silence.

“Okay, since you said so,” Kikwang joked. He then dialed Yoseob’s number and called him. “Ya, Yoseob, did you go and meet Bongsun-ssi yet?” Kikwang said. “Why would you wanna go over to Min’s house?” he continued. “Hmm? Me? I’m with Hyosung right now. I’m taking her back home,” Kikwang answered. “Ya, don’t be back so late,” Kikwang said before finally hanging up.

“Aish, that kid, he’s always so unpredictable,” whined Kikwang while putting the phone in his pocket. “Anyway what do you think? Amazing right?” Kikwang asked Hyosung again.

Hyosung continued ignoring him.

“Well, I guess only a master like me can do this,” bragged Kikwang. “If I were to teach you this, it’d probably take you like sev-Woah, woah!” Kikwang said before losing control of his bike. The bike then continued wobbling and Kikwang fell hard on the pavement.

“Ouch!”

“Kikwang! Are you okay?!” Hyosung rushed over, her face full of worry.

“Agh, I think I broke my wrist,” Kikwang cried out as soon as he tried to pick himself up.

“Oh no, let me take a look,” concerned Hyosung. She grabbed his hand gently.

Kikwang looked up at her and gave her a sly smirk. “Hehe, gotcha,” he said brightly. “I knew that would work,”

Hyosung just stood there gaping in disbelief, not knowing whether to be amused or angry at him for doing something so stupid. “Are you crazy?! Ya! You could’ve really hurt yourself, you know,”

“Still, it worked didn’t it?” Kikwang continued to joke around. “Come on help me up,”

Hyosung held out her hand and helped Kikwang back to his feet. As soon as he stood up, she noticed that there was a red stain on one of his elbow.

“Kikwang, what’s that?” she asked, pointing at the red stain on his elbow.

“Hmm?” He wondered before looking over at his elbow. “Oh, this? It’s nothing, just some sauce that got spilled on me,” Kikwang replied brightly.

“That’s not sauce, let me take a look,” insisted Hyosung.

“N-no,” Kikwang panicked, pulling his arm away from her.

Hyosung glared at him for a moment before forcefully taking hold of his arm. She pulled the sleeves up past his elbow. “Oh my god…”. Kikwang himself was surprised by the sheer size of the wound.

Kikwang hurriedly pulled his arm away from her. “Look, it’s nothing, really!” insisted Kikwang.

“That is not nothing!” Hyosung exclaimed, referring to the huge gash on his right elbow. “We have to treat it quickly!” She continued, while panicking. Hyosung went for her bag, but her hands were trembling so much, that she kept fumbling the zipper.

“Hyosung..” Kikwang called her.

“J-just, stay put, I’ve got it,”

“Hyosung-ah..”

“Shut up! Shut up! Just-just stay there!” Hyosung yelled at him.

Kikwang grabbed her by her arms forcefully, and turned her over so that she was facing him. “Ya! Jeon Hyosung! Calm down!” Kikwang yelled. “Calm down, there’s no use panicking, okay? Relax, take a breath,” Kikwang said slowly calming her down. “Look, I’m a guy, so I’m used to these kinds of things. I’ll have it properly treated when I get back home okay? Besides, I don’t think you actually have a first aid kit in your bag, do you?” Kikwang said, ending it with a joke.

“N-no, I guess not,” Hyosung said slowly. Then, slowly, tears started forming at the corner of her eyes. The tears started flowing, and pretty soon she started sobbing.

“W-wait, why are you crying?” Kikwang asked.

“It’s j-just that.. just that, I can’t help but think that it’s my fault that this happened,” Hyosung said while sobbing. “That you got hurt so badly, it was en-entirely m-my fault..”

“What? Of course not.. I fell down on my own didn’t I?” Kikwang assured her.

“Yes it is! If I wasn’t so insistent on staying mad at you, you wouldn’t have to do something so stupid. Then you wouldn’t have hurt yourself so badly!” Hyosung said, before sobbing harder.

“Really? I don’t know, I think I would’ve done something stupid anyhow,” Kikwang joked.

“Ya! How could you still be joking at times like these?” Hyosung yelled at him.

“I guess I just lack common sense,” Kikwang said, smiling. “You know, you shouldn’t be beating yourself up. How were you supposed to know that things were gonna turn out like this. If you cry, that would make me feel even worse,”

Hyosung bit her lip and tried to stop her sobbing and tears.

“Ya, don’t cry, if you cry, than I’m going to cry too.. wu..wu..wu..” Kikwang , while pretending to cry.

Hyosung couldn’t help smiling at this. “Ya! You think that’s funny!” Hyosung yelled.

“Haha, fine, fine, I understand,” Kikwang said laughing. “Come to think of it, your crying face was pretty ugly,” Kikwang joked again.

“Ya!” Hyosung yelled at him, smiling slightly at the joke.

“Hahaha, okay, okay, I’ll stop,” Kikwang laughed. “See, that smile suits your face way better,”

Hyosung blushed slightly hearing his words. “Hey, Kikwang, we should at least wash the wound first, can’t let the germs infect it,”

Kikwang thought about it for a moment.

“Please..” pleaded Hyosung.

“Fine, fine, we’ll wash it first,” Kikwang said.

Hyosung took out a bottle of mineral water from her bag. “Okay, this might sting a bit,”

“Ya, ya, you sure this is safe?”

“Of course I’m sure this is safe,” Hyosung assured him. “Most of it, at least,”

“Ya!”

“I’m just joking, just joking,” laughed Hyosung. “Sheesh, after saying all those cool things, you sure act like a big baby,”

While Hyosung was busy pouring her mineral water on the wound, Kikwang asked her a question. “Hyosung, why were you angry at me earlier?”

“Hmm? N-nothing. No reason,”

“Well, I’d hate to know that I got hurt so badly for ‘nothing’,” he joked.

Hyosung remained quiet for a moment. “I just don’t like seeing you being so nice to people you just met,”

“Is this about IU-ssi?”

“No!” Hyosung said quickly. “Well, yes, and no..”

Kikwang looked at her questioningly.

“I mean it’s not just her, you’re too nice to everyone. With IU-ssi, you just met her, earlier today, and now you’re willing to rush over to a stage just for her,” Hyosung explained. “And then you were already planning on eating ice-cream with her, when you barely even know her,”

Kikwang just listened to her intently, not making a single sound to disturb her.

“And last week it was with Seohyun,” she continued. “She just helped you find your phone, and you’re already taking her home, on your bike,” whined Hyosung. “I mean, I know she’s a friend and all, but before that you barely even talked to her, and suddenly bringing her back home like that, it just seemed so sudden,”

Kikwang continued listening intently in silence.

“I just think you’re being too naive, and that you might be giving people the wrong impression,” Hyosung said. When she finished, she waited for Kikwang’s response. “Ya, say something,”

“Really? I don’t think being nice is a bad thing though..” Kikwang answered sarcastically.

“Fine, don’t listen to me,” annoyed Hyosung. “Who am I anyway, for you to be listening to me. I’m just some annoying busybody who doesn’t know when to stop meddling in other people’s business,”

“Oh? You got that one spot-on!” Kikwang joked.

“Ya!” Hyosung yelled while poking the wound on his elbow.

“Ah! Ah! Fine, fine! I understand,” Kikwang cried out slightly. “So I shouldn’t be nice to people I just met, right?”

“No.. I didn’t mean it like that. I mean, you can be nice, just don’t go overboard,”

“Haha, okay, okay, I understand,” Kikwang laughed. “From this day onwards, I’ll try not to go overboard when I meet new people,” Kikwang said. “But then, I guess I shouldn’t be handing out band-aids to someone I just met, either. Especially if that someone was the one who crashed into me without apologizing,” Kikwang joked again.

Hyosung pouted her lips while poking harder at the wound. “What did you say?”

“Ah! Okay! Okay! Stop!”

After properly washing the wound, they both continued their walk towards Hyosung’s house. After thinking for a while Hyosung opened to ask Kikwang.

“Hey, why did you care so much if I was mad at you,” asked Hyosung.

“Because, I’m one of those people who can’t stand having people hate me. It just makes me feel troubled,”

“Still, you didn’t need to do something so stupid and dangerous to make me feel better,” Hyosung added.

“Well, it’s better for me to hurt myself, than hurt those who are precious to me,” Kikwang responded.

She blinked. She blushed. She turned away. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means you’re a precious friend of mine, and hurting my friends are the last thing I wanna do in this world,” Kikwang responded simply.

“Ya, you think those cheesy lines are gonna change anything?” yelled Hyosung, still blushing madly.

“Haha, don’t worry there’s plenty more where that came from,” laughed Kikwang.

***

When they arrived in front of her house, Kikwang could see her dad waiting for her at the front door.

“Hey, that’s my dad, you should get out of here,” Hyosung whispered slowly.

“Why? What’s wrong?”

“He’s probably angry at me because I missed today’s tuition,” Hyosung explained. “He’d kill me if he knew I went back home with a guy,”

“Hmm.. It’s partly my fault you missed today’s tuition, let me explain to him,” Kikwang said.

“No! Just go!” insisted Hyosung.

Kikwang took his hands and plugged his ear while sticking out his tongue at Hyosung. He then walk boldly towards Hyosung’s dad.

“Ya! Kikwang, stop!” Hyosung whispered to stop him, but it was too late. By the time she caught up to him, he was already in front of her dad.

“Good evening, Mr. Jeon,” greeted Kikwang.

“Hmm? Who are you?” Mr. Jeon asked Kikwang.

“I’m a friend of your daughter,” Kikwang explained. “I just came to say that it was my fault that she missed today’s tuition. I know it sounds bad, but she was there to help me on my audition today,”

Hyosung just stood there silently, staring at her shoes.

Mr. Jeon looked at Kikwang carefully. “So you’re saying it’s your fault that she missed her tuitions?”

“Yes sir, but she did it for a good reason,”

Mr. Jeon stayed silent for a moment. “You’ve got guts kid, I’ll give you that,” said Mr. Jeon with a stern look on his face. “Hyosung, get in,” he said before going inside himself.

“Yes dad,” Hyosung answered before turning towards Kikwang. “Ya! What did we say about being too nice?!”

“You didn’t expect me to just leave you like that!” retorted Kikwang.

“Hyosung!” came Mr. Jeon’s voice from inside the house.

“Yes,” answered Hyosung. “You’re really too nice you know?” She said to Kikwang before entering her house.

Kikwang was just about to leave when Hyosung head popped out of the door. “Hey, thanks for standing up for me,”

“Don’t mention it,”

“What are you gonna tell your mom about the wound?” Hyosung asked.

Kikwang thought for a moment before answering, “At least it’s not dog poop,”