Ahyoung wasn’t exactly the most popular girl in school nor was she a loser who only buried her nose into books. She liked to think she belonged among the normal – not here, not there, just right in the middle. She didn’t wear short skirts or own any colourful, branded accessories. She simply prepped herself up in the uniform and wore her hair in a ponytail. Not even a slight touch of make-up on her natural fresh face. She was pretty much a plain Jane, in comparison to the queen bee of the school – whose name she had forgotten to remember.

So one, couldn’t possibly believe or even understand why would someone as ridiculously good-looking, suave, charming, and not to mention those pretty dreamy eyes, like Kim Seokjin, would go for a simple nobody like Kim Ahyoung.

The first time he saw her was after an intense basketball match, in which Ahyoung had to write a report for the school newsletter and she was sitting on the benches, shoulders hunched as she hurried to cram all those words into her small, convenient notebook. Her pen was moving so fast scribbling and scratching out words, hands too busy and eyes too focused to even notice that the empty space next to her had been occupied.

“If you need an interview, I’d be glad to give you one.”

Ahyoung looked up startled, the pen flying out of her grasp and made a loud clanking sound as it hit the ground. Her warm, hazel orbs widened when she realised it was the captain of the school team staring back at her, with an amused glint etched in both of his eyes.

They were right…she thought. Those eyes are really dreamy…

“I’m sorry for scaring you,” he smiled apologetically, picking up her pen and gently putting it back between her fingers. “I noticed you were sitting here all alone, totally engrossed and oblivious to your surrounding – I just had to come up here and check if you were still breathing.” He finished with a grin – one which she couldn’t help but to return with a nervous laugh of her own.

“I’m fine,” she said. “It’s just me being a nerd. I need to finish this report soon so I’m just putting in everything I can remember from the game so I won’t miss out anything later.”

“Are you sure you don’t need an interview?” She shook her head. “Or a picture maybe?” He struck a pose. She laughed even harder. Which made him smile. “Okay then. Well if you need anything, just let me know, Reporter….?”

Ahyoung thought her cheeks were going to burst from so much laughing. “No! Don’t call me that. I’m just a normal student, like you.”

“A normal student like me has a name and I’m sure you do too,” he smiled knowingly.

She held his gaze for a moment long, unable to fathom why her heart was suddenly beating ten times faster or why she felt that she could easily get lost into those pair of mesmerizing eyes if she wasn’t careful enough.

Turned out she wasn’t…

“I’m Ahyoung. Kim Ahyoung.”

The corner of his lips curved up even wider as he said, “Nice to meet you, Ahyoung. I’m Seokjin. And did you say your surname is Kim?” At her nod, he continued, “Sweet. It’ll be easier if we were to ever get married someday, since you won’t have to change it.”

gaped open slightly at his nonchalant joke. Seeing her expression, he winked and gave her a small wave.

“I’ll see you around, Kim Ahyoung.”

< >

“Thanks for dinner tonight.”

Hongbin shoved both hands into his front pockets and shrugged as he walked her back to her apartment building. The two of them stopped at the front gate. He was trying to ignore his heavy heart about letting her leave even though he knew he’d see her again the next day at college.

“It’s nothing. You barely finished a plate anyway. Is everything okay?” he asked in concerned.

She was distracted, he could tell. Something was weighing on her mind, something which was troubling her. And he couldn’t help wondering if it had anything to do with the call she had ignored earlier.

“I’m okay,” she said with a tired smile. “I guess I’m just totally drained out from all those assignments. A nice hot bath and a long, needed sleep would do the trick.”

“Alright then. You sure you don’t me to walk you up?”

Ahyoung laughed a little. “I’ll be fine, Binnie.” He hated it when anyone else called him that but coming from her, it sounded just right and so affectionate. “Go home. You need your rest too.”

He wanted to kiss her. Not on the lips, just a light peck on the cheek but he didn’t want to appear too pushy or make her uncomfortable. So he simply reached out and squeezed her shoulder gently.

“Okay. But call me once you’re in, alright?”

“I will.”

“Goodnight, Ahyoung.”

“’Night.”

She glanced over her shoulder for the third time. There wasn’t anyone and the coast was clear, but somehow she couldn’t shrug off this nagging feeling like she was being followed.

Ahyoung quickened her pace and hurriedly fished out her apartment keys, before jabbing it into the keyhole. She turned to her left once again and when satisfied she was alone, she pushed open the door, stepped inside the 3-room apartment before slamming the door shut behind her.

She mentally calculated the days until her housemate would be back home from her trip. Minah said she’d be gone for about a week, and if counted right, she had three more days to go until her friend returned.

These few days, she felt irritably restless. Ever since he started calling her again, leaving desperate messages in her voicemail (which all pretty much said the same thing – begging her to come back home) she didn’t feel safe.

Weird. How that one person – who used to be her home, the place where she seek shelter and protection form, could actually turn out to be the same person she is afraid of now.

Simple…a voice in her head replied. He’s not the man you fell in love with. He’s not the same man who had promised to never hurt you. The man that you once knew is gone.

Her heart ached every time she thought of Seokjin. She wanted to cry, she wanted to scream, she wanted to hurt him like how he had caused her pain – but she couldn’t find it in her to retaliate. So she did the one thing she was capable of – run.

She ran, she left and she never looked back again.

But now, her past has started to look for her again and Ahyoung was genuinely afraid he would really find her.

She slipped into her bathrobe and the hot water. As she waited for the tub to fill, she heard the doorbell rang.

Realising that she had forgotten to call Hongbin like how she promised, she guessed it was just him being overly concerned and coming up to check on her.

Ahyoung tightened the robe around her and hurried to get the door.

“Lee Hongbin…” she started to say as she pulled it open. “You are seriously – “

But choked on her words and the smile faltered on her face as she came face to face with the one person she dreaded to see ever again. Even though he was looking completely distressed and terribly unkempt, there was no way she’d ever forget those pair of deep, intense eyes.

“Ahyoungie…” he smiled faintly. “Finally…”