Bang Yongguk watched Kim Himchan grow up.

He noticed how she grew her short hair out into soft hazel-coloured stresses and how her cheeks lost their baby fat as she matured into a fine young lady. He was the one who sat by her bed and watched her twirl in front of her mirror as she beamed and asked if she should start wearing skirts instead of her usual jeans. He was the one who then made sure to scare off each and every male that had intentions of approaching her, and had them scurrying away after swearing to stay silent.

Yongguk was still the same old Yongguk, the one who was infamous for his gang activities and graffiti around the school compounds since high school. Teachers referred him to the 'lost case' in the staffrooms as they clicked their tongues at his pathetic grades. He was always the one seated at the back of the classroom, his legs propped up on his scratched-up table and his headphones placed over his ears even during lessons. His uniform shirt was always never tucked in, his tie hanging low along with his loose pants that weren’t even school pants. His father owned the college—that was the only reason why he still wasn’t kicked out yet.

To the student population, he had a heart of cold steel and would run over puppies with his gleaming jeep. Yongguk chuckled darkly at that remark, but he couldn’t deny that he wasn’t weak at the slightest. But he just had one weakness that no one knew about.

His childhood friend. His best friend.

Himchan.

He had always seen Himchan as a close friend—also the only one that was willing to talk to him way back in kindergarten. He was also certain she saw him as her best friend (judging by how unfazed she was to his bare chest). But puberty struck and hit him like a massive ball of wrecking doom as it brought along intense wet dreams of no one else but Himchan. It suddenly occurred to Yongguk that Himchan was a girl, and he couldn’t take his eyes off the front of her developing chest. Himchan smacked him hard at the back of his head.

It pained him, yet he liked to muse at the irony. He wasn’t supposed to fall head over heels in love with his best friend. It had been three years of him suppressing and denying his feelings but they just wouldn’t go away but instead grew stronger steadily.

 Yongguk was deep in thought as he left the showers after an exhausting afternoon of rugby, rubbing his hair dry as he tried to button the last few buttons of his shirt with a single hand. He had learnt that multitasking put his useless brain to good use—that way he didn’t have to think of Himchan around the clock. Yet, he absently reached into his bag to find his handphone. He hovered his finger over the number ‘1’ on his homescreen and it automatically directed the call to Himchan’s.

The wretch answered after a single ring.

“Yah, where are you?” Yongguk asked.

There was a cheeky giggle over the line as he strained his ears to pick up any potential background sounds. “Guess,” Himchan purred.

Yongguk rolled his eyes as he padded his way to the main hallway in his slippers. “Not in the mood to play your dumb games, Chanie.”

“You’re no fun at all.” She huffed over the line and he stifled a laugh as he turned around to face a seemingly-empty hallway.

“I know you’re there.” He said before Himchan stormed out from behind a locker and noisily made her way towards Yongguk, purposely swinging her bag at him. As always, he dodged skilfully and she huffed childishly. “To think I actually bothered to wait for an ungrateful bastard like you.”

Yongguk reached over to slip Himchan’s slingbag off her shoulder in hopes of making her the slightest happier. “How long have you been waiting?”

It seemed to work. Himchan glared at him before she flexed her shoulders. “An hour or so, I think. Youngjae accompanied me at the bleachers,” a sly smile abruptly crossed her pink lips before she peered over at him. “And you don’t always have to carry my bag for me; we’re already 18 for God’s sake.”

“But you’re still like a kid.” Yongguk flicked her on her forehead and watched as her pretty little face contorted in a wince. It felt so right, just them together without anyone around. Yongguk thought that he could watch Himchan talk and laugh for ages, admire how her long dark hair was tied into a side ponytail—the way he liked it to be.

Himchan hissed as she rubbed her forehead furiously and glared up at Yongguk. “If that leaves a mark, you’re done for!”

He had already started to walk and she had to jog to catch u