C H A P T E R 2
Step One

“Alright, lesson ended here. See you tomorrow,” Mrs. Kim said as soon as the school bell is ringing. Sulli sighed, and then she cleaned up her desk while Sehun approached her. “Mind to accompany me?” Sulli looked up at Sehun and raised her eyebrows, asking for more details from Sehun.

Sehun grinned, “I mean, since you are the class president and I’m the new student here, mind to accompany me walk around this school?” Sulli clench her lips, and smiled. “I’m so sorry, but I need to—“

“Just for once,” Sehun pleased. Sulli sighed and stood up. “Just for once, right?” Sulli answers make Sehun smiled. He nods, as he followed Sulli that walked out from the class.

Sehun walked beside Sulli with smiles on his face. “So, where are we going right now?” Sulli glanced at Sehun, “You asked me to accompany you to walk around this school, right? So we are going to walk around this school. Not much.”

“Mind to explain to me what is this room?” Sehun pointed at a door which they passed by, tried to make Sulli answers his question, but once again, he failed. “Can’t you see the board above the door which explain what room is this?” He looked up and there’s a board explain that it was the broadcasting room. Sehun feels really dumb right now.

Sulli scoffed, “Silly.”

***

“Sulli-ah!” Soojung shouted and she approached her best friend that is standing in front of her class with big grin on her face. Sulli frowned. “What happened with your face?”

Soojung put on a mysterious smile, and she leaned her face closer, “Don’t you know what just happened?” Sulli raise her eyebrows, means she asked what just happened. But then Soojung’s eye catched Sehun who stood beside Sulli. “Who is he?”

Sulli shruged and she walked inside her classroom, leave Soojung that look at Sehun with confused looks. Sehun smiled and he bowed, “Hi, I’m Oh Sehun.”

“Uh- hi, I’m Jung Soojung. Backwards Soojung, forwards Soojung. Nice to meet you,” Soojung smiles. She is different from Sulli, Sehun thought. Sehun put on his best smile, then noded. “Sure, nice to meet you too, Soojung.”

Soojung only smiled, then walked inside Sulli’s classroom and approached Sulli’s desk, which is following by Sehun. Sehun sit on his seat, and listen to Soojung’s carefully, silently. Without her knowing.

“Do you know what just happened?” Soojung asked once again. Sulli lay her chin on her palm, pretending listen to what Soojung wanna say. “What?”

“There’s a new student at my class. He looks damn hot and handsome! I think he is the one that Hyeri and Suzy meant before. And really, no jokes, he is really hot!”

Sulli look at Soojung with her confused look, and snorted, “Okay, so... It’s all that made you being like this? Grinning like idiot?”

“No. Of course not,” Soojung answered as she shook head. “Then...?”

“He is really kind, and warm-hearted. Really different from those kingkas on dramas. Ah, his name is Kim Jongin, in case if you really curious about him!” Soojung explained with shining eyes. Sulli choked. “I don’t curious about him at all, Soo—“ “I bet you’ll!” Soojung grinned.

Sulli didn’t say anything, all she did is stand up and walked away. “Yah! Choi Sulli! Where are you going?!” Soojung shouted and followed Sulli behind.

Jongin... You did better than me, huh?

***

Sulli walked inside her house. She took off her shoes and socks, after that, she walked to the kitchen. As usual, her house is always empty whenever she come after school. She sighed and opened the refrigerator to take a glass of water, when her phone suddenly rang.

“Hello?” “Sulli?” A husky voice heard from the other line, that makes Sulli frowned. She peeked at her phone’s screen, and it shows that the number that calling her that time is unfamiliar for her. “Err, who is this?” A chuckle heard from the other party, which makes Sulli wonders, who is this? How could he knows her number?

“Sehun.” And Sulli released a sigh. Why is this man always clinging on her? Oh, not always. But for today, on his first day on school, Sehun always clinged on Sulli and followed her wherever she go, which makes Sulli feel frustrated and it annoys her. And the other problem is, how can this man know her number?

“How did you know my phone number?” Sulli asked. With a very cold voice. Once again, Sehun chuckled there. “It’s a secret, Sulli-ah.”

Who the hell is this man? How come he talked with me in informal language? Sulli thought.

Sulli tuts, “What is your problem, Sehun-ssi? Because I’m very busy now, and I don’t have much time to take my time just for answer your phone.”

Sulli could hear Sehun sighed there. “I just want to get closer with you. Can’t I?” Sulli rolled her eyes. “And, I asked you to do a favor for me.” “What again?”

“Can you please accompany me walk around Seoul? Since I’m from London, and I just moved here not too long time ago.” Sulli could feel Sehun grinned there, but Sulli didn’t mind it. “I thought that you are a Seoul person?” Sulli answered.

“As I said, I moved to London since I was 10 and moved to Korea again just a month ago,” Sehun explained. “I guess you never tell me about that?”

Sehun laughed, “Exactly. So you still remember all things that I told you, right?”

She sighed, This man is really weird.

“I’m sorry but I can’t. I’m too busy, and I’m working too. So, you may ask Soojung to do that favor for you, Oh Sehun-ssi,” Sulli answered. “B-but—“

Sulli ended the line as soon as possible, she doesn’t want to hear to Sehun’s explain anymore. It makes her want to vomit. Sehun already talked to her for around 367 words today, while Sulli only talked to him 50 words today. Isn’t it a big twist?

***

Sehun smirked looking at his phone screen. He feels really satisfied with himself. Isn’t he really smart to know Sulli’s phone number? He waited in front of the school gate this afternoon after school, waiting for Soojung, and then asked her Sulli’s phone number. He feels like he is even more genius than Sulli now.

“You’re not going to eat?” Hayoung, Sehun’s younger sister, peeked inside Sehun’s room through his room’s door. Sehun grinned, “Hayoung-ah! Guess what did I do today?”

He jumped off from his bed, and skipped happily towards Hayoung. “Err, you just entered your new school?” Sehun shakes head while grins like idiot. “Err, what?”

Sehun leaned closer to Hayoung, “It’s a secret.” Sehun laughed, then pushed Hayoung’s face out from his room. “Go away,” he said then close his room’s door. He could hear Hayoung is nagging in front of his room but he doesn’t care about it. All he thinks about right now is he surely want to know Sulli more. And of course, like his first plan.

This is only one step. I really need to make her fall for me.

***

Sulli walked inside a coffee shop at the intersection of Apgujeong, and greeted everyone there with her adorable smile. She walked inside the cafe’s pantry when suddenly someone patted her shoulder which made her turned around. She smiled as soon as she saw that person. “You’re here already?”

That person laughed, then he nodded. “How stupid you are. You moved to my school and you didn’t tell me? Silly!” Sulli laughed then knock his head. “Oh my godness, stop knocking my head, will you? You always knocked my head whenever we met, don’t you miss this handsome boy?”

“Miss you my ,” Sulli scoffed, and she ignored her long-lost friend. Why did she call him long-lost friend? This friend went to London 5 years ago, and now he came back already. Sulli feels disappointed. Not because he came back, but because he didn’t tell him that he moved to school that she attends too. “Yah, don’t mad.”

“I’m not mad, Kim Jongin. Go away, you. I need to back to work,” Sulli sticks out her tongue then walked away.

“How are you doing?” Jongin said while helping Sulli cleaned up the dishes. “As you see, I’m doing well. And still pretty as usual. And still smart as usual. I’m still not changing,” Sulli said while shrugged and smiled cheekily. Jongin laughed. “Indeed.”

Jongin is the son of the coffee shop owner where Sulli works. Jongin and Sulli have been become friends since 8 years ago. They both know each other well. “You know Soojung, right?” Sulli talked. Jongin nodded, “She is my new classmate. She is really warm.”

Sulli chuckled, “I think you have a fan already. She talked about you during break time today, and all I saw is she becomes really excited talking about you.” Sulli still remembered Soojung’s face expression when she told Sulli about the new student, that is unexpected, Sulli’s close friend.

“Uh, really? You both know each other?” Sulli tuts while nudged Jongin’s head with her index finger. “Silly. She is my best friend at school.” Jongin became blank for a while, then he laughed in embarassed. “I’m sorry, I don’t know about that.”

“Treat her well, huh? I think she turned like you,” Sulli smiled then back to her work, cleaned the dishes. Jongin only smiled slightly, then look at Sulli’s face. “Why are you looking at me like that?” Sulli asked, insecure.

Jongin sniffed, then he turned away and leaned himself against the wall. “It doesn’t seem like I’m gonna eat you raw, right?” Jongin put on his best grin.

You become prettier, Choi Sulli.

***

Sulli walked alone that morning. She feels really unwell. She overworked yesterday and stayed up late studying last night. But still she forced herself to go to school. She tightened her jacket. She knows that it was pretty cold that time, since this morning the snow just fell. Which makes her feels even unwell.

She walked in silence when suddenly a sport car stopped beside her, that makes her flinched. Sulli stopped her steps, then peeked inside the car, when Sehun’s face appear as soon as the window opened. “Hi there, Sulli-ah!”

Pretends not to look at him, Sulli straighten up her body then walked faster, didn’t pay any attention to Sehun that followed her with his yellow sport car. “Yah, Choi Sulli!” Sehun yelled. But still, Sulli looked down, and walked even faster. “You don’t want me to drive you to school?”

Didn’t answer, Sulli tightened her jacket and covered her face with scarf. Sehun sighed, “I’m going! Bye!” Sehun yelled. He closed his car’s window and he drove the car fast. “That brat, he surely need to know that this is Seoul, not London,” Sulli mumbled.

***

She walked into her locker and greeted everyone she knows on her way, when suddenly she saw a shilouette of a tall and blonde-hair guy stood in front of her locker and grinned widely at her. She rolled her eyes then walked through her locker, pretended not to see him. Because she feels annoys whenever she looked at that guy.

“How are you today? Feel well? Why did you ignore me this morning? Or did you not recognize me? I was—“ Sulli glared into Sehun with squinty eyes, “Shut up.”

Sehun frowned. He could see Sulli’s eyebags and her pale face. “Are you sick?” Didn’t answer, Sulli opened her locker and took out her English book and her pink binder, because it was the first lesson that morning. She shuts her locker and walked fast while Sehun followed behind her.

Sulli stopped her steps. She turned her body so she could face Sehun. “Can you please, like hell, stop following me?” Sehun grinned widely, “No. Do you still remember what Mrs. Kim said? She asked you to treat me well, aight?”

“Yeah whatever did she say, but I’m tired and you annoy me! You followed me wherever I go. You keep talked nonsense and it annoys me! I hate it. Note that,” Sulli said with cold tone then turned away.

“I won’t stop until you like me,” Sehun said, slowly. But Sulli could hear him and she turned her body with frowns on her forehead. “What?”

“I won’t stop until you like me,” he smiled. Sulli chuckled, “Are you insane or something? What the hell are you thinking about? Listen, I don’t have any interest with you, okay.”

Sehun putted his hands inside his pocket, then walked closer to Sulli. Sulli stepped backwards but her body hitted the wall so she couldn’t go anywhere. Sehun walked towards Sulli. Closer, closer, and he bowed his head slightly so his head and hers are at the same height now. Sulli could feel Sehun’s breath, and she held her breath then clench her fists.

What? What the hell is he doing? Is he crazy? Is he gonna... kiss me? Uh, no. I won’t let him steal my first kiss, Sulli thought. Her brain command her body to push him, and then slap him on the face because Sulli already thought that this was a ual harrasment. But her body didn’t do anything that her brain command.

“Listen, Choi Sulli.” He whispered, very close until Sulli could feel his breath swept into her red cheek. “I will make you like me. Like every girls do. You will fall for me, and beg for my love like they do.”

Sulli opened her eyes, and she looked up at Sehun that smirked at her. Sulli pushed his body hard. She smiled, fake smile. “You wish.”

She walked away from the spot where Sehun stood up, left Sehun there. Sehun smirked.

Just you wait, Choi Sulli.

***

To Be Continued...