“Thank you.”  Jae Hee looked up at Jongup and smiled. They were now walking side by side towards her house.

Jongup bumped her shoulders. “You’re welcome.”

Jae Hee looked around her and suddenly stopped walking.

“Is there a problem?” Jongup asked.

She pointed at a cotton candy stall. “Cotton candy.”

Jongup laughed. Just now, he saw her eyes light up. “You want one?”

“Is it okay? It’ll only be for a moment.”

“Of course it’s okay.” Jongup told her, amusement in his voice.

Jae Hee ran towards the stall and bought a pink cotton candy. She waved at Jongup to come over.

“Is it good?”

Jae Hee nodded, laughing. She took a bite out of the cotton candy.

Jongup stared at Jae Hee’s glowing face, his heart hammering in his chest. She seemed so happy with that little sweet. He wanted to pinch her cheeks. But more importantly, he wanted to be close to her. He wanted to get lost in her eyes that seemes to show all the happiness he needed in his world. A force he couldn’t explain was pulling him towards her.

He leaned down, face to face with Jae Hee and bit at the cotton candy she was eating.

Jae Hee’s eyes widened at Jongup’s nearness, her heart thumping so loudly. It was like a thousand horses were passing by. She couldn’t breathe. Why was she feeling like this?

She stared at Jongup for a few seconds and pulled away. She cleared and walked ahead of him.

Jongup sighed and looked down. Not knowing what to do next, he followed her.

-----------------

“I’ll go inside now. Thank you again for helping me.”

Jae Hee was about to open the gate when her brother appeared in front of her.

“Aren’t you going to invite your friend in?” Woohyun asked.

Jae Hee glanced at Jongup. How typical of her brother to be meddlesome.

 “Would you like to join us for lunch?” Jae Hee asked Jongup.

“I have my friends waiting for me. Daehyun hyung’s mother told us that she’ll cook us lunch.” Jongup said hesitantly. He wanted to eat with Jae Hee, but it would be impolite to not join his friends for lunch.

 “It’s okay.” Jae Hee told him, a bit disappointed. Jae Hee waved at Jongup and entered the gate.

“I’m going to bet your one week’s worth of allowance that he’s the reason why you ditched us the last time.” Woohyun whispered near her ear.

Jae Hee jumped in surprise. He forgot her brother who was still standing beside the gate. “Yah, oppa!” She punched Woohyun’s shoulder.

“What was that for?”

“You’re annoying.”

Jae Hee stomped on Woohyun’s left foot and entered their house.

“Jae Hee’s boyfriend was here earlier, Omma.” Woohyun told their mother while they were eating lunch.

Jae Hee gave her brother a glare.

“Is that so? Why didn’t you let him meet us?” Mr. Nam asked his daughter.

“Oppa is lying, Appa. He’s just my friend.”

“You should’ve invited him still.” Mrs. Nam told Jae Hee.

“His friends were waiting for him, Omma. He said it’s impolite to keep them waiting. ” Jae Hee explained.

“Next time invite him to eat lunch, okay?”

“Ne, Omma.” Jae Hee smiled at her mother. Then, she stuck her tongue out to her brother.

 ----------------

Jongup looked at the sky, thinking about Jae Hee. What was she doing now? Was she reading books? She really liked books. What did she eat for lunch? Was she thinking of me too?

He smiled at his last thought. It would be nice if she thought of him too.

He smacked his head with the comic book he was holding. He sounded like an idiot. But he was a happy idiot.

He looked up at the sky and saw snowflakes falling. He help up his hand and smiled. Like these snowflakes, could it be that he’s falling for her too?

-----------------

 “Wake up!” Someone kicked Jae Hee and shove her to the wall. Still, she covered herself with her blanket and slept.

“Wake up!” This time, someone pulled away her blanket.

“Yah, Park Minhee, Park Chanmin. What are you two doing here this early?” Jae Hee mumbled, still not opening her eyes.

“It’s not early anymore. It’s almost noon.” Minhee said, sitting on Jae Hee’s bed. “Wake up.”

Jae Hee opened her eyes. Right, her friends weren’t early risers like her. But what were they doing here, waking up before noon? Usually they slept the whole day when it’s vacation. “What brought you here?” She asked.

“Go wash up. We’re going shopping.” Chanmin pulled Jae Hee from her bed.

“I don’t have money. Leave me alone.” Jae Hee buried herself on her blanket. But her friends weren’t going to give up. Not yet. They pulled her out of her bed and onto the floor.

“You’re going with us.” Minhee had her hands on her hips.

Jae Hee scratched her head and stood up. What could she do? These girls wouldn’t take no for an answer. “I’m not buying anything.”

An hour later they arrived at the shopping mall.

“Why must you drag me in here? I was peacefully sleeping back at my room.” Jae Hee asked her friends, yawning.

 “Should there be a reason?” Chanmin looked at Jae Hee.

Jae Hee rolled her eyes. How typical of them to leave the subject at that.

“Cha you’re going to buy a magazine right?” Minhee asked her sister. “You should go buy that now; there might not be a copy left.”

Chanmin need not need to be told twice. She ran to find the magazine Minhee was talking about.

“What magazine?” Jae Hee was puzzled why Chanmin would hurry if it was just a magazine.

“The one with B.A.P on the cover.” Minhee answered.

“B.A.P?” Jae Hee looked confused.

“You don’t remember?”

Jae Hee shook her head.

Minhee just shrugged. “It’s okay. You always forget this kind of stuff anyway.”

Jae Hee didn’t bother to argue with Minhee about her point. It was the truth anyway.

Minhee had already bought a dress (the reason why Jae Hee was forcefully pulled out from her bed on this glorious winter break) two hours later, and Chanmin had not come back yet.

“Where did she go?” Jae Hee asked Minhee. They were already inside a cafe in the mall, eating (and waiting for Chanmin).

“Maybe the magazine was too heavy?” Minhee asked innocently.

They both laughed until they saw Chanmin entering the café, carrying a magazine.

“This is the last one. I had to look around the mall for the store where it was sold and when I got there the line was so long.” Chanmin breathlessly explained, sitting on the chair beside Jae Hee.

“Jae Hee forgot about B.A.P.” Minhee informed Chamnin.

“You did?” Chanmin looked at Jae Hee like she was the biggest idiot in the world. “How could you?”

Jae Hee smiled at Chanmin guiltily. “I’ll get to know them again, give me the magazine.”

She randomly opened a page and was dumbstruck by what he saw. It was Jongup, looking so handsome, smiling at her through the page.

“Who is he?” She asked Chanmin, holding her breath. Please let it not be the Jongup I know, she thought.

“Moon Jongup.” Chanmin provided her the answer within the span of a heartbeat.

Jae Hee gulped. She couldn’t believe how much of a fool she has been.

 Moon Jongup.

 B.A.P

 That was why he looked so familiar when she first met him.  Why hadn’t she recognized him? He’s so popular; she should have known him instantly. She closed her eyes and inhaled.

“Jae, are you okay? You look pale.” Minhee asked her, concern in her voice.

Was she okay? She thought. It was like someone dropped a bomb in front of her and she was still reeling from the aftershock of the explosion. Jongup was a k-pop superstar and she hadn’t recognized him.

“I’m a bit dizzy. Could we go home now?”