Daisy played with the flyer on her hand a small smile escaping her lips while she looked from a not convinced Jinki, to a confused Jonghyun and ending on an excited Sang Hee.

“We have two months! Two months are enough for us to choose a song and for Jinki to practice it with our help.”

She seems so confident about his singing skills that Jinki didn’t even dare to open his mouth to give his opinion on the subject. Yes, he loved singing but he wasn’t sure he was good enough to win a singing contest. The last thing he wanted to do was disappoint Daisy, who was used to perfection. She always had perfect marks, her class annotations were perfect, her handwriting was always perfect, everything in her was perfection even if she couldn’t see it.

But he knew. He was the total opposite of her. He would study on the day before, his annotations lacked so much that sometimes he didn’t even do them, he was a walking imperfection, however she seemed to love him.

Daisy ignored the three pair of eyes on her, while she read the rules of the contest. Jinki moved on the bleachers uneasy.

Daisy stopped reading and pierced her lips together like she always did when she found a difficult equation to solve.

There was something wrong.

“Here says that we need a band.”

“Band? Like with instruments?” Sang Hee asked.

“Hum…yeah. Apparently this is a group contest…” Daisy seemed upset now, her desperate eyes searching for Jinki. She should have read everything before giving him false hope.

“It’s ok…” he said smiling beautifully as if she only said that there was no more chocolate cake left.

“I can play the bass.” Jonghyun announced suddenly raising his arm as if he was in school. “I’m on a band remember?” he swallowed “I also can sing.”

“GREAT!” Daisy eyes shine, hope returning to her, and Jinki sighed defeated.

“How many members we need?” he asked peeking at the flyer.

“From four to six members!” Daisy said showing him the piece of paper.

“Well we are four!” Sang Hee said bubbly making Jonghyun look at her with a weird expression.

“But we all need to do something on the band. Being cute doesn’t count!”

“YA!” Sang Hee pouted actually seeming offended with Jonghyun comment not realizing that he just called her cute.

“I can play the piano….well kinda!” Daisy said with a low voice turning everyone’s eyes to her.

“Kinda?” Jinki asked.

“I had classes when I was little. If I try really hard to practice I can.”

“I can teach you!” Jinki said starting to feel excited about it.

“I can help singing and with the costumes and makeup! And I’ll find fans for us. Cheerleading also counts right?!” Sang Hee said happily making Jonghyun elbow her painfully.

“You can play the triangle…”

“Hey! I’m not a kid!”

They bickered like two little kids flirting but Jinki wasn’t paying attention anymore. He was admiring Daisy who was reading the rest of the rules to herself, that mysterious beautiful sparkle on her eyes. She was excited about something else besides books, grades or school projects and only because of that Jinki wanted to do it.

He stood up and grabbed her hand on his making her look at him briefly before returning to the paper.

He tightened her hand on his and leaned closer to her ear. They probably wouldn’t win but…

“Lesson number 4: Doing things together is more fun.”

“I’m still not sure about this song!” Jinki complained once again and Daisy closed the lid of the piano that was on her living room collecting dust for years.

“It’s a very beautiful song that fits your voice well and also people will be surprised about how bold we are for singing something different.”

A few weeks before they reunited and decided on the name of the band – Stardust, that Jonghyun surprisingly seemed to like, and decided on the song, I am a Thousand Winds.

It was too sad, too slow but sounded heavenly on the piano. That was the problem, Jinki wasn’t sure it sounded heavenly with his voice.

Jinki sat by her side on the piano stretching his neck to peek outside the door at Daisy mom that was in the kitchen and had the task of keep an eye on him.

It frustrated him because he couldn’t touch Days, because he felt like a delinquent, because he couldn’t sing properly without feeling embarrassed.

Daisy started to play, her before hesitant moves were now bold and she was great playing it. So great he couldn’t take his eyes off from her.

“Don't stand at ray grave and weep

I am not there, I do not sleep”

He sang with a low voice, his eyes moving from Daisy to the kitchen door.

“I am sunlight on ripened grain

I am the gentle autumn rain”

Daisy stopped playing, the sound of the last note echoing on the room.

“Let’s go somewhere else.” She said standing up bravely looking at him.

“I’m sorry.” Jinki felt awful. “Maybe we should give up.”

“No!” Daisy ignored him completely and he frustrated watched her walk outside the room and inside the kitchen where her mom was.

He couldn’t hear what they talked about but soon Daisy was by his side grabbing her coat and asking him to go with her.

They walked back to the campus with her almost dragging Jinki. He tried several times asking her where they were going but gave after a while worried that she was upset with him.

They passed the library door and he looked at it confused wondering where they were going, until they end up at their hiding place surrounded by dusty books on the second floor.

“Ok. Let’s do it here!” she said taking her coat off and standing in front of him with her thin sleeveless blue shirt.

“What?” he blushed, his eyes wandering to her s. He wanted her but having like that with no warning or preparation…he didn’t even had condoms.

“What are you thinking!” she hit his head siting on the floor.

He followed her action sitting in front of her wondering what they were going to do there if not .

“Let’s practice here. I’ll hum the music and you sing. Then we can practice later all together, with the piano and San Hee pretending to sing and Jonghyun. Ok?”

Jinki nodded looking at the cold floor under his legs before starting to sing.

It felt different doing it with only her there watching him. It was as if he was back at the party singing to everyone, but his eyes set on her.

He stopped after a few seconds and shook his head.

“What’s wrong?” she asked confused.

“This is not the right song!” he paused his lips a huge beautiful smile spreading on his face, the one that he always gave her before biting his lower lip cutely. The one smile he had reserved for her…

And then he started to sing again. It wasn’t the song they choose it was another one, the one he sang at the party, his eyes set on her, The road to me.

“We can’t sing that one.” Daisy mumbled being ignored by him who leaned forward kissing her lips.

“It’s this one or none at all.”

Daisy frowned. That meant having to learn how to play that one in the piano, learn all from the start….

He kissed her again, kneeling in front of her, his hands moving to her face caressing her cheek and neck, not giving her space to breathe let alone speak.

She pushed him softly back in a way that their lips were only touching.

“Ok.”

“What’s this?” Jinki mumbled staring at the paper in his hand, the same he stole from Daisy who was by his side at the bleachers acting like a little girl who was caught with bad grades by her father.

“I didn’t do that good at Math this time.”

“THAT GOOD?” Jinki fumed looking at the sky as if he was counting to ten. It was weird to see him acting like that. “You did very bad Daisy.”

She stole the paper from his hand. “This wasn’t a real exam just a preparation for it. I’ll do good on the real one.”

“Preparation or not, this is not like you.”

“What is like me? Awesome good grades? I’m human and you know that I’m busy lately….”

She regretted the words immediately noticing his guilty eyes.

“No…I mean…I…should have studied more and watch less dramas and...”

“I know you are practicing really hard for the contest and it’s all my fault.”

“It isn’t! I really wanted to do it too. It’s a lesson remember? To make me smile….do things together!”

He looked at her from behind his light brown hair and she kissed his nose blushing deeply.

“I can tutor you more.” He offered pretending to ignore the fact that she kissed him.

“That’s a good idea. Hum….Tuesday also…”

“No. Everyday! Today after school come to my place. Let’s start today!”

He didn’t give her a time to answer and Daisy grabbed her bag uneasy. More time near him, alone with him, meant more time trying to resist her burning heart and desire for him. Sometimes the desire to be held by him was unbearable to her.

She hoped she would be able to survive all the tutoring lessons.

“Let me check!” Daisy moved her hand away from her notebook so Jinki could check her answers and she watched him carefully noticing how he frowned.

“You got them wrong again.”

“I tried.” She mumbled with no energy. Between classes, rehearsals, projects at college and tutoring she was dead tired. Lately Jinki was more like a manager or teacher than her boyfriend. Daisy couldn’t even remember the last time they held hands together. Their last kiss was hours ago and only because she almost asked for one.

She knew he was trying really hard to help her raise her grades but for once in her life she was more worried with something else, him.

“Let’s try again. I’m tired too!”

Daisy rose up and closed her notebook. “It’s over for today. I’m tired and you are tired so no point on keep studying.” Daisy swallowed feeling brave “Lately you act as if you are my dad. I already have one thank you. I need a boyfriend!”

She clearly seemed upset with him so his expression softened, he grabbed her hand and nodded his head.

“I’m sorry. Let’s try to do it in a different way.” he bit his lip “A more fun way.”

Daisy watched him curiously while he grabbed the book with the questions and sat on his bed. He knew why she was so upset. He also missed her, more than she thought. But he was serious about raising her grades, as serious as she was about making him win the contest.

“Sat here!” he asked patting the bed and Daisy sat by his side over the dark blue cover of his bed.

“Are you going to ask me the questions?”

“Yes, let’s try with questions with multiple choices first and if you get it right ill reward you.”

“Reward me?”

“Yes.”

Daisy nodded wondering if Jinki was going to give her some chocolate or candy as if she was a little kid.

He gave her a sheet of paper, a book and a pencil and Daisy used the book to put the paper over her lap.

“I’m ready!”

“Ok two minutes to solve it!” he said looking at the clock on his bedside table, and opening the book on the exercise he wanted her to solve.

“Wow that’s not enough…”

“It’s counting!” he sang making her grunt, the pencil moving quickly on the paper.

“Remember that I will reward you. You will like it…” he sang again like a tease and Daisy tried to concentrate.

“I’m done!” she said when there was still 20 second left for the time to end.

“GOOD!” he jumped eagerly to grab the sheet and she peeked at him waiting for the reward because she knew she got it.

“So?”  Daisy asked.

“So?! How come you got this wrong before?”

“I told you I’m tired. I couldn’t focus.”

“And you can now because…?” he asked.

Daisy didn’t answer and instead stretched her hand “Where is my reward?”

Jinki chuckled surprised with her reaction to his game. “I see…”

She moved her hand asking for the reward with a grin and Jinki moved on the bed, kneeling on it, his lips moving closer to her cheek that he kissed tenderly.

His face was still inches from Daisy and she looked at him blushing a little.

“That’s the reward!” he said clearing the confusion on her eyes.

He sat back on the bed and opened the book on another page.

“What do I get next?” she asked softly hiding her eyes from him.

“Hum…I wonder…maybe you can choose what you want from me…” he joked raising the book to show it to her but she placed a hand on it.

“Can I choose now?”

Her question surprised him a little and he smiled with a nod.

“Can you…kiss me…I mean...” she stuttered in embarrassment and he marveled at her cuteness.

“Kiss you?”

“I mean like the other day….”

“On the lips?” he asked his expression changing immediately.

She gulped realizing that the funny Jinki was being replaced by the aroused one.

“No…well that too… I mean…the other day here…” she moved her hand on the bed and he realized what she meant.

“You want to make out?” his eyes opened widely with the realization of what his Daisy asked him. She wanted him to make out with her. That was certainly an improvement of the older Daisy he met.

“If I get it right!” she looked away again “can we?”

“DAMN!” he scared her with his explosion and she didn’t have time to react when he threw the book away, moving on the bed, over her, his lips crushing against her, his hands holding her in place.

Daisy almost smiled against his lips realizing how needy he was of her like she was of him.

She answered to the kiss, closing her eyes and relaxing on his arms. He took the opportunity to lie her down on the bed, his lips moving from hers to her neck.

She moaned when his tongue caressed her skin, his lips at her skin, his hand moving quickly under her sweater.

This time she didn’t stop him and he hummed against her skin, his nose brushing on her skin upwards, his lips finding her again.

“Can I touch you?” he asked between kisses.

He was touching her already but she knew what he meant.

Daisy couldn’t face him, she couldn’t tell him that her body wanted him desperately. She was embarrassed so she closed her eyes and nodded softly.

It was enough for him to move.

His hands raised her sweater up and he caressed her skin, kissing her stomach, intensely, trying to reach every inch making Daisy breathing accelerate. Her skin was burning, actually everything was burning for her, but his lips felt wet on her skin. It was calming and at the same time the opposite of it.

He watched her, his hands moving her sweater upward even more, his hands finding her s that he carefully rubbed.

Daisy opened her eyes, fluttering them when she realized he was observing her while doing it.

She moved her hands to cover her face but he quickly grabbed them pulling them away from her red face.

“Why are you so embarrassed? We are not doing anything wrong.” He said pouting slightly.

“I know…I…I never did this…I’m sorry…” She seemed so lost that he tilted his head admiring her beauty, too lost in her and his feelings almost not hearing her words. “You probably were with other girls and…”

He kissed her, silencing her words, his nose rubbing against her, his lips stealing her breath. “Right now, only you are here with me.” He whispered kissing her more softly, his hands caressing her s again.

Daisy sighed when he moved from over her and she carefully sat on the bed observing him.

He touched his lips looking at her and then moved to kiss quickly.

“My mom is downstairs. I really want to make love with you Daisy, but I want to do it slowly, with no worries.”

She swallowed speechless. There was actually a man that wanted her that much?! Of course there were other guys at college who tried to date her and sleep with her, but it was just for them. Jinki was different right?!

He seemed to read her thoughts in her eyes because he hugged her awkwardly, laying his head against her shoulder.

“I know I’m not the dream like boyfriend and sometimes I seem like a nonsense but I want to do this right. I love you…”

“What are you talking about?” She pushed him away, maybe a little too strong because he caressed his arm with a painful expression. “You…” she mumbled the rest and he stared at her confused.

“I’m?”

She looked away clearly embarrassed and he chuckled “Tell me Daisy.”

“You…are perfect.”

She didn’t look at him but she knew he was smiling.

He jumped from the bed and kneeled in front of her, looking upwards at her face. Now she couldn’t hide behind her black hair anymore.

“You love me a lot don’t you?”

She didn’t answer so he caressed her thighs making her swallow nervous.

That was so funny for him, but more than that, it meant he was getting closer to her.

“Aren’t we sharing our feelings? I told you I love you Daisy and we both know that you love me too. Say it…please?” he asked cutely, kissing her hand and Daisy moved it away.

“You don’t need to do that!” she grunted smiling a little, enough to tell him that he won. “I love you….a lot” she said caressing his face awkwardly and he grinned, releasing a cute squeal before kissing her again.

Rehearsals and exam preparation became a daily routine for all four of them. So Jinki and Daisy started helping Jonghyun and Sang Hee studying. Surprisingly Sang Hee was  good at math and she started helping Jonghyun who didn’t seem to mind much.

It was during one of those group studying sessions that they heard about the school festival and Sang Hee suggested participating on it. They would be able to perform in front of a crowd and that way practice for the real contest.

At first Daisy didn’t seem to agree, she didn’t have the courage needed to perform in front of people she would have to see everyday but in the end love spoke louder and for Jinki, and their chance of winning the money he needed, she decided to do it.

That’s how they end up at the day of the school festival in a stage in front of all college, classmates, teachers, familiar faces they didn’t know the names and unknown people.

Jinki swallowed nervous grabbing the mic and glanced at Daisy that was hiding behind her black hair. He was nervous, not for him, but for her. Jonghyun was as confident as always grabbing his bass and Sang Hee was a few steps away from Jinki wearing a short dress, a side ponytail and a lot of makeup. She was a perfect copy of an idol and Jinki was thankful that she also changed his looks and Jonghyun. He also looked like a star, with denim pants ripped on his knees, a cool black shirt and a crazy hairstyle with his hair styled up. He actually looked cool.

Jonghyun was almost like his normal self, with his tight black denim pants, sleeveless white shirt and styled hair.

Daisy was more complicated. Sang Hee convinced her to wear a mini skirt but that was it. She didn’t do anything to her hair or wore makeup. She said she would do it at the contest not there.

Jinki smiled at Daisy knowing she was watching him behind her hair that covered her eyes.

He did seem so nervous that she felt bad for her lack in confidence.

“You can do it!” he mouthed with no sound giving her one of his bright smiles. “You look beautiful!”

Then he looked away at the crowd and Daisy had an epiphany.

More than the money and the contest there was something more important, Jinki and his dreams. Jinki was in front of a crowd ready to sing and it was meant to be.

She looked up, slightly brushing her hair away from her face just when the music started.

She played along, following Jonghyun and watching Sang Hee move her hips softly enjoying the music, but her eyes would always move to Jinki back while his voice filled the space around her.

In that moment, while her fingers moved on the piano, the movements she knew by heart, Daisy knew she was part of something bigger. She was there on the day Lee Jinki sang in front of hundreds of people for the first time. She knew that would be the first of many other performances and even though she felt that someday that path would make him trail away from her she was certain he would be happy.

She could feel it on his voice, on the way he sweetly sang “Saying "I love you" I should have waited more Now, how should I express my feelings?”

The performance ended with a big applause and all knew it was a success.

Daisy sniffled her tears and watched how Jinki hugged Jonghyun and high fived Sang Hee, his eyes on Diasy before he pulled her into a hug that turned into a more heated kiss backstage.

It tasted like mission accomplished, success and more than anything like destiny.

Winning at the festival had two sides to it. They all became more confident and bold making rehearsals a more fun experience; and all became popular in college.

Stardust was famous. Everyone was enjoying their new popularity. Everyone but Daisy that ignored the other students praises and observations.

More than anything she hated the new popularity Jinki won. After the party and his shameless performance on Jonghyun living room table his popularity increased but soon it was almost forgotten. However now she was sure it wouldn’t disappear that quickly. Suddenly everyone wanted him at their party, at their studying group, working on their project. Everyone wanted Jinki, including women. They would ambush Jinki on the halls to ask his phone number that he couldn’t decline because he was too polite, they would fight to have lunch at the bleachers making it almost impossible for Daisy to be there next to him, they would talk with him during classes break making Daisy stay away in a corner watching them…she was tired.

More than that, she was scared. Scared of losing him to one of those beautiful, social girls who were probably more experienced in bed than her and couldn’t give him what he probably wanted and never forced her to do, .

He was a gentleman waiting for the right moment, not wanting to pressure her and yet sometimes she only wanted him to choose the right moment. She wanted to know what it felt like to be in his arms longer, for him to touch her s like he did before, but this time to be more eager and touch her somewhere else, for him to kiss her until she was breathless. But Daisy didn’t knew how to put it down in words, how to tell him she wanted to have with him. Those girls weren’t afraid to tell him what they wanted and sometimes Daisy could hear them whispering things to Jinki, y and a little over the top things that he brushed away with a joke looking at her with a smile, as if reassuring her that he wasn’t listening. And that was what frustrated Daisy more than ever and she tried to ignore for the sake of the contest and her relationship with Jinki.

However the breaking point to Daisy tolerance came one day when she left to the bathroom and came back to her lunch spot, on the bleachers, next to Jinki, occupied by a red haired bimbo that had one of her hands on his thigh and was clearly purring y suggestions to him.

Daisy watched them for a few seconds trying to control her anger and ignore the hand on her boyfriend leg, not to mention her lunch forgotten a few steps away from the stupid woman. She probably took it away so she could sit by his side, Daisy side, next to Jinki.

He seemed uncomfortable, his hand taking the red haired girl hand away from his leg and he seemed to be dismissing her but she was persistent and his gentleman side wasn’t helping.

Daisy climbed the bleachers, all eyes on her, a few comments being made, students wondering what she was going to do to the girl who was hitting on her boyfriend and she stopped in front of the couple.

Jinki looked up at Daisy, confusion in his eyes wondering if she misunderstood that moment, but her deadly black eyes moved to the woman by his side.

“Move!” Daisy said dangerously as if she was talking with one of the guys who used to hit on her at the beginning of the year, before Lee Jinki entered her life and scared them all away.

“Excuse me?” the bimbo asked touching her chest and uncrossing her legs under her short miniskirt.

“You heard me. Move! “

The woman laughed “Listen to me…”

“No! You listen to me, that’s my spot, I was eating there before you came to flirt with my boyfriend. So move because I’m back!”

The red haired girl rose from the seat and Jinki rose with her noticing how things were getting serious.

“Calm down girls…” he tried to fix the situation but both ignored him. Daisy wasn’t backing away either and Jinki was surprised. She was actually scary when she was serious about something, and in this case someone, him.

“Stop hitting on my boyfriend. He loves me so give up!” Daisy growled making Jinki chuckle and the red haired girl steal a glance at him.

That moment was actually funny and seeing Daisy fight over him was precious.

Daisy sent him a stern look and he grabbed her by her elbow pulling her to him.

“She is right you know?” then he raised his voice so everyone could hear “We are in love with each other. I’m forever Daisy boyfriend…not even sorry!”

He turned to Daisy with his silly smile and she observed him in a daze wondering why this time she didn’t mind that he was showing affection for her in front of everyone, doing what he did before and she hated so much.

She smiled weakly actually liking the confession he made and he took the opportunity to kiss her in front of everyone. He closed his eyes prepared for the punch she would probably give him but nothing. Instead she placed her hands on his chest and answered back to the kiss.

Daisy was really in love with him.

Daisy closed her eyes in tiredness listening Jinki reading from his book. They were at the bleachers, at their usual place studying. It was evening already and the sun was beginning to set. Soon they wouldn’t be able to see anything and would have to go home, separate ways.

So as a pretext to stay together they were studying, none of them wanting to say goodbye.

Jinki soft voice lulled Daisy to sleepiness and she lost all her shyness, laying down her head on his lap, folding her legs as a kid, ready to sleep.

“Daisy?” Jinki asked stopping what he was doing and closing the book.

She moved her head and opened her eyes, turning her belly up so he could look at Jinki.

“Tomorrow….”

She knew what he wanted to say. It was in both of their minds and hearts. Tomorrow was the day of the contest, the decisive day. If they didn’t win, if it didn’t work out, Jinki wouldn’t have the money to pay the debts and probably would have to leave college. Daisy wasn’t stupid, she knew it would happen. He probably wouldn’t be able to keep playing the college student while his mom could be hurt by those monsters.

“We are going to win.” Daisy said surprising herself. She actually thought they would win because she saw Jinki at the festival. He was an artist; he had it in his blood. If they didn’t win it would be all their fault and not Jinki.

“We will find a way.” He was talking about something else, not the contest and Daisy nodded sleepy, brushing her eyes. “We should go home.” He announced before she closed her eyes again.

Like a blink of an eye, the hour of their performance arrived and Stardust was being called on stage again. This time Daisy dressed up and even wore makeup seeming like a copy of Sang Hee, the one responsible for her change.

Jinki couldn’t stop saying how cute she looked and Daisy would keep shushing him because she was nervous and couldn’t deal with his praise at the same time.

Once their name was heard Jinki grabbed Daisy hand and they climbed the stairs after Jonghyun and Sang Hee.

“Let’s just have fun!” Sang Hee said in a casual way that made all smile.

Daisy blinked when the lights over the stage blinded her. She walked to her piano trying to not look at the crowd and worse, at the judges.

Her eyes moved to Jinki back and how he looked like a professional singer, adjusting his microphone.

They would win and only looking at him and how the lights of the stage seemed to bless his existence was enough to make her gain her courage back.

As if he could listen to her thoughts he turned around and mouthed something to her.

“Lesson five: Together we are stronger.”

She smiled confidently at him before starting playing. 

Last chapter is the last one~

It will be uploaded pretty soon...

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