The concert venue was jam packed with fans of all ages. Jae Hee, Minhee, and Chanmin had to squeeze themselves out of the crowd just to get to their respective seats.

So this was how popular B.A.P is, Jae Hee thought. She took a deep breath and scanned the place. Hundreds of people gathered here today just to witness six boys perform. Jae Hee smiled sadly. It only reminded her how she was just nobody compared to Jongup.

“It’s about to start.” Chanmin whispered.

The lights suddenly went out and a spotlight was shone on stage. The people around Jae Hee started screaming. Meanwhile, Jae Hee just sat there on her seat, paralyzed. B.A.P appeared on stage and started singing and dancing.

Hundreds of fans around her were shouting. But she only heard Jongup. Only saw Jongup. Now she realized where all these insecurities of hers were coming from.

She liked Jongup.

And she’s afraid of this feeling now that she knew how their lives were worlds apart.

An hour and a half later, the three of them were standing on a line to get B.A.P’s autograph on their posters.

“Must I line up too?” Jae Hee didn’t want to line up and get Jongup’s signature. She didn’t want him to see and recognize her. She didn’t want to face the reality that Jongup was beyond her reach and she was just a lowly fan.

“You should.” Minhee pushed her back to the line. “There are many people behind.” Minhee hissed. “I don’t want to get killed by these people just because I’m messing the line.”

“Must you over react?”

“Just get in the line already.” Minhee told Jae hee. “I’m already stuck here to get Jongup’s signature when all I ever wanted to see up close was Himchan.”

“Then go see him and leave me alone.” Jae Hee pushed Minhee aside.

“Yah!” Minhee clutched Jae Hee’s arms.

Jae Hee was getting nervous. Beads of sweat were forming on her forehead. She didn’t want to do this. “Min, I want to pee.” She glanced at Minhee.

“Nuh-uh.” Minhee pushed her forward. “It’s your turn.”

Jae Hee gulped. Was it her turn already? She turned around and put her poster in front of Jongup.

“What’s your name?” Jongup looked up and was surprised. “Jae Hee?”

Heads turned towards Jae Hee’s direction. Behind her, Minhee’s jaw fell. People started to murmur. B.A.P stared at her.

“Hello.” Jae Hee raised her right hand in greeting and ran away.

Jongup stood up. Jae Hee knew who he was. He wanted to run after her but his friends held him and pushed him to sit down.  Now, the only thing he could do was watch her run away. He looked up and saw Minhee with still open.

“You know Jae Hee?” Minhee stammered. Jae Hee would’ve wanted to see Minhee’s face right now. The expression written on it was priceless.

Jongup nodded. “You’re her friend?”

Chanmin seized Minhee’s elbow and dragged her out of the line. “Get a hold of yourself. We need to find Jae Hee, Min.” And the two of them started to run.

They found Jae Hee sitting at the bus stop. Chanmin sat beside her but Minhee stood in front of her.

“You know Jongup and you didn’t tell us!?” Minhee shouted.

Chanmin pulled Minhee to sit down but Minhee stood again.

“Why didn’t you tell us?! Answer me!”

Jae Hee looked up at Minhee, tears threatening to fall from her eyes. “Because I didn’t know Min. I didn’t know.” She sniffed. “The Jongup I knew watched me while I studied, helped me carry my things, ate ice cream with me. I didn’t know he was a superstar. Worst of all, I’m just insisting that I didn’t know when in fact, I just didn’t remember. I didn’t remember seeing him on a magazine looking so flawless.  Had I remembered.....”

Chanmin shushed her.

 Minhee sat down and hugged Jae Hee. “Was he the one who took you home the night I caught you?”

Jae Hee nodded. “He was.”

“Why are you crying?” Chanmin asked.

Jae Hee smiled sadly at Cha. “I like him. I like him. That was why I was crying.”

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

Jongup looked outside the window and saw snow falling. He really fell hard for Jae Hee. He realized that last night when she ran away from him. How hurt he was when what he had been dreading for weeks now, came true. He didn’t know how and why it had to be Jae Hee. But looking back, he smiled at the memory that only she had treated him with no pretense. What would he do to bring that back again?

“What are you going to do now? She already knew who really are.” Youngjae asked Jongup, bringing him to the present.

“That’s why you should’ve told her who you were in the first place.” Daehyun butted in.

“If I told her who I was, I may never have talked to her at all.” Jongup told Daehyun. His voice almost incomprehensible, Daehyun had to strain to hear what he was saying.

 “That’s true, considering that she ran like she saw a ghost when Jongup looked up last night.” Yongguk supported Jongup’s theory.

“But hyung, what would you really now?” It was Zelo’s turn to ask.

Jongup sat straight, looking seriously at his friends. “I’ll make her talk to me again.”

Daehyun laughed and patted Jongup’s shoulder. “That’s my boy, Jongup.”

“You really like her that much, doesn’t you?” Himchan asked, bringing them cups of hot chocolate. “You don’t need to nod. We know you that well. We’ll be going back to Seoul later. You should start your game plan already.”

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

Jae Hee looked outside the window and saw snow falling.  She smiled, looking at the horizon. How handsome Jongup had been last night. How he shone like a star. How pathetic she must have looked when she ran away. And despite all that, how she liked Jongup. That much was true. But she doesn’t know what to do with what she feels. She doesn’t even know how to look him in the eye now.

“Jae?” Minhee called her. “Earth to Nam Jae Hee.” Minhee pulled her away from the window and pushed her on the chair.

 “What are you going to do now?” Chanmin asked.

“What’s she going to do?” Minhee asked her sister, a bit surprised. “You make it sound that she’s his girlfriend when she’s not.”

Chanmin threw Minhee a look, as if saying, we know that but you don’t have to point it out you idiot!

Jae Hee chuckled. “Minhee’s right Cha. I’m not his girlfriend. We’re not that close either. Of course I’m going back to Seoul to study.” She sipped the hot chocolate Minhee passed her. “You’re getting really good at making this Min.” She complimented.

“That’s the only thing I can make. It’ll be a shame when I can’t make hot chocolate when I can’t even cook anything.” Minhee confessed.

Chanmin laughed. “I thought you bought the mixture on the store.”

Minhee slapped her sister on the shoulder. Jae Hee laughed at her friends.

“You’re laughing now Jae.” Minhee commented.

“Why? I can’t laugh anymore?” Jae Hee asked innocently.

“That’s right. We should laugh all we want. We have to enjoy the remaining days of our winter break.” Chanmin told them. “That’s right Jae, where are our presents?”

Jae Hee scoffed at Chanmin. “I’m not going to give it to both of you. The present you gave me brought me no good.”

“What?” Minhee looked incredulously at Jae Hee. “If we didn’t give it to you, we may not have known that the guy you liked was Moon Jongup.  MOON JONG-UP.” Minhee clearly enunciated each syllable.

Jae Hee kicked her friend on the shin. “You don’t have to rub it off!”

“I want to.” Minhee said, abruptly standing up. “Let’s go to the skating rink.” She announced.

“You don’t even have a sense of balance.” Jae Hee continued sipping her hot chocolate.

Chanmin coughed. “You’re the one who’s so clumsy. I bet my life you first met Jongup by tripping on him.”

Jae Hee put down the cup on the table and quickly stood up. “Let’s go skate.”

Minhee and Chanmin laughed. They didn’t need to be a genius to figure out what that meant.