“Why did I do that? Why? Why?” Piper lamented as she walked alongside Hyo Shin. “Am I crazy? Am I drunk? Did someone secretly drug me?”

“You were under stress and had to react quickly,” Hyo Shin rationalized. “I’m sure anyone else would have some something similar if they were in your situation.”

“I mean, I’ve practically done everything but confess,” she went on, ignoring him. “He’s going to eat me alive!”

“I sincerely doubt that,” He contended.

“Who is writing my life? I want them fired.” She muttered.

“Piper-ah, you need to calm down,” he urged. “If anything, Young Do is probably feeling as flustered as you are. I think you may have stolen his first kiss.”

“What?” She was astonished. “Seriously? Oh no, what do I do now? Why would you tell me that?”

He shook his head and laughed lightly as she continued to freak out beside him. She could be absolutely ridiculous sometimes.

“You’re just lucky your brother convinced Cha Eun Sang not to follow us.” Hyo Shin added.

She groaned out a wail, causing his chuckling to resume.

///

Young Do returned to the Zeus Hotel after he had hung out with Myung Soo; the snack shop they visited had dredged up some painful memories. It was where his mother had wanted to meet the day she left him, and he was late.

All the events of that day had compounded on each other, threatening to ruin the careful façade he had crafted for himself.

He stopped short as he saw a familiar blonde boy talking to one of the front desk employees. As he left, Young Do walked up and took his place.

“That guy, is he staying here?” Young Do asked the woman.

“Yes, sir.” She gave a small bow. “He is a guest here.”

“His name, it’s Ian something, right?” He pressed.

She checked the screen of her computer. “Ian Ainsley,” she confirmed.

Young Do pursed his lips, debating for a moment. “He’s not allowed to say here,” he informed her. “I don’t care what you have to do, but I want him removed from this hotel. If you can’t or won’t, you’ll be fired.”

He stalked off towards the elevators, leaving the poor woman stunned in his wake.

“Why the hell did I do that?” He mumbled to himself. “Why do I even care?”

///

In gym class, their first period of the day, Eun Sang and Piper sat with their backs against the wall. Given their moods, neither of them wanted to participate. Eun Sang had confessed that things had ended between her and Tan. Piper only gave her a half-truth – that she was still rattled by Ian showing up unexpectedly – since she didn’t want to add any more burdens on Eun Sang. The boy that Piper was falling for instead liked her best friend; she didn’t want her heartbroken friend to feel guilty over something she couldn’t control.

“Hey, Cha Eun Sang!” They heard Bo Na call, and looked up to see her jogging over.

Eun Sang’s eyes moved towards the direction of her friend’s voice and inadvertently locked with Tan’s, widening as they watched each other, and quickly shuffled to try to escape as Bo Na plopped down beside her.

“Hey, I was so surprised that you suddenly disappeared.” Bo Na remarked. “You even left without eating breakfast.”

“Thank you for yesterday.” Eun Sang told her as Bo Na sat down.

“Wait, did you not stay at home last night?” Piper asked, her questioned more pointed since she knew what Bo Na didn’t.

Eun Sang shook her head, “No, there were some difficulties.”

“Oh,” Piper mumbled, connecting the dots to why she and Tan had ended things. “But, why didn’t you call me? You know you could’ve stayed at my house.”

“You’ve done so much for me already,” Eun Sang gave a small, sad smile. “I didn’t want to take advantage of you.”

“So you took advantage of me?” Bo Na questioned, acting insulted.

“I’m paying you for staying the night, remember?” Eun Sang turned to her.

“Oh right, when will you give Chan Young’s picture?” Bo Na wondered.

“I will give it to you soon.” Eun Sang promised.

///

Piper holed herself up in the broadcasting room, distracting herself with her most recent mix.

“Are you going to hide from him forever?” Hyo Shin questioned, looking over at her with amusement.

“Yes I am,” she confirmed. “I am going to avoid him until hell freezes over.”

“That’s going to be hard since you have a lot of classes together,” he reminded her. He paused, deciding to change the subject for her sake. “You mentioned once you have a lot of USB sticks with music on them. Is it one song per stick, or do you have a collection of songs on each.”

She spun in her chair to face him, “Why do you ask?”

He shrugged, “Just curious.”

She thought for a moment. “There are some with one song on them and some with two or three.” She answered. “But why do you ask?”

“I just thought that it might be an interesting idea if you made a CD.” Hyo Shin remarked. “Besides, it might be a good distraction to keep you from thinking about – ”

“Don’t talk about it,” Piper held up a silencing finger. “But do you really think I should make a CD? I mean, who would I give it to?”

“Me, for one,” he told her. “And I know Eun Sang would want one as well. In fact, if we used your music in some of the broadcasts, I know of a lot of students that would want one.”

Piper mulled it over. It was certainly an interesting idea, and she definitely had enough songs to make a CD. There were just a few details that needed ironing out.

///

Young Do was sprawled along the couch of Myung Soo’s studio. As he googled Eun Sang, Myung Soo and Bo Na sifted through the pictures Myung Soo had taken at the class’ camping trip. Bo Na grabbed one of her sitting in a collapsible chair.

“What did you do to the pictures?” She demanded. “Do I look so fat?”

“The camera doesn’t lie.” Myung Soo replied.

“That’s why, give me the unedited pictures.” She insisted.

“Hey, you need to be fatter.” He argued. “Put on about 5 kg.”

“Do you think I would be fat if I put on 5 kg?” She wondered, clearly fishing for a compliment.

“Why are you whining when you know?” Myung Soo countered.

“The answer is set so all you have to do is answer. Is it that hard to say ‘Bo Na you’re so slim’?”

Myung Soo ignored her, grabbing another picture and tacking it to the board already covered in snapshots. As he looked over the photos he came across a telltale pattern—Young Do gazing at Eun Sang over and over again in every one of them.

“Woah!” He marveled.

“What?” Bo Na’s head snapped in his direction, stepping beside him to see what caused his amazement. Her eyes widened as she saw the same pattern. “Amazing!”

They looked at each other in awe before spinning around to face the boy on the couch.

“Hey, Choi Young Do!” Bo Na called.

“Do you really like Cha Eun Sang?” Myung Soo questioned.

“I guess so.” Young Do muttered, not looking away from his phone.

“Cha Eun Sang and Kim Tan have something going on and the whole school knows it.” Bo Na lectured. “Plus, you played a large part in that.”

Young Do sat up wordlessly, shutting off his phone and putting it on the speaker system to charge.

“Hey! The world is so wide, why would you try to find your first love at school?” Myung Soo interrogated as Young Do walked up to them.

“Oh my god!” Bo Na was astounded. “It’s your first love?”

Young Do didn’t answer, staring silently at the pictures of him gazing at Eun Sang. “So that’s how I look when I’m looking at Cha Eun Sang.” He paused, only for a second, as he took in the sight for just a moment longer. “I’m heading out first.”

He turned and grabbed his backpack, throwing it over his shoulder as he headed towards the door.

“Where are you going?” Myung Soo called after him. “First loves won’t come true. It’s already set by law.”

“Right,” Bo Na agreed. “Look at me and Tan.”

“Hey! Honestly, that’s not first love but unrequited love.” Myung Soo argued. “Objectively, you were the one who chased Tan.”

“Be it I chased or was the one being chased, who are you to objectively judge someone else’s first love?” Bo Na demanded.

Piper came bounding in the room, stopping short as she nearly crashed into Young Do on his way out. She blanched as she saw him, her chest constricting. He didn’t betray any emotion when he saw her, though she did notice that the impassive expression he did wear tightened upon her arrival.

“Piper-ah,” Myung Soo called out. “What are you doing here?”

Piper fumbled for a moment, trying to regain control of her tongue. “Myung Soo-ah,” she began, finally looking away from Young Do, “the pictures you took of me at camp – ones without aegyo – I need them.”

“Why?” He cocked his head to the side.

“I might – I mean, I haven’t actually decided if I will or not – maybe make an album of the mixes I made.” She told him, speaking rapidly. “Not to sell it or anything, but just to have it or give it to friends or something, and it’ll need an album cover. If I do make one, that is.”

“I’ve never noticed how much you ramble.” Young Do remarked, his expression shifting into mild interest.

Piper shifted awkwardly, clearing . “It happens.”

“I’ve got a couple; come here and pick which one you like.” Myung Soo waved her over. “Personally, I think they’re all good, especially since I’m the one that took them.”

Piper brushed past Young Do gingerly, walking to the table and observing the selection. She had to quickly cover a flinch when she was startled by Young Do as he reached over and pointed at one of the pictures. She hadn’t even heard him walk up.

“You should choose this one.” Young Do informed her.

“Are you sure?” Piper cleared again, attempting to rid herself of the awkwardness. “You don’t think it’s too girly?”

“No, it makes you look pretty.” He replied, turning and swiftly making his exit from the room.

Myung Soo and Bo Na gaped after him as Piper stood frozen. She drew in a steadying breath as she slapped on a fake grin.

“This one it is,” she decided, grabbing the picture and escaping the room before any questions could be asked.

///

Piper stared blankly at her computer screen. She had been going through mix after mix, trying to figure out which ones were the better ones and how to order them so they’d make a cohesive album. She had selected a few, but it wasn’t enough.

She groaned, sitting back in her chair, burnt out. She needed a distraction from her distraction.

As if on cue, Parker walked through the door with a bowl of popcorn and a couple of sodas, “I figured you could use a break.”

“Uh oh, you’re being nice,” Piper quirked a side of her lip. “That means you want something.”

Parker chuckled, setting the tray of food down on a clear space of her desk. “I just wanted to know if you were alright. You’ve seemed pretty out of it since…that incident.”

Piper mumbled an acknowledgement, but didn’t answer his question.

“So are you? Okay?” He pressed.

Piper sighed, “I don’t know. Everything’s just kinda…confusing.”

“Hyo Shin told me,” Parker confessed, sitting on the edge of her bed, “that you’ve started to like Choi Young Do.”

“That blabbermouth,” she groaned.

Parker was silent for a moment, “I’m not going to pretend like I understand – especially after everything that happened with Ian – but I’m not going to make you feel bad about it either.”

“I don’t even know why I like him,” she lamented. “He’s such an asshat. He does these things that make me wonder what’s going on in his head, and I hate that he does them. But then I see him when he drops the façade and lets his true emotions come out, and even if it’s just for a second I start to wonder if there’s a chance for him to become a better person. And then he turns right around and becomes an again.”

Her cheeks felt wet. She didn’t realize it, but somewhere during her confession she had started crying. Parker stood up from the bed and walked over to his sister and leaned over to wrap her in a hug.

“Hey,” he cooed, “stop stressing yourself out over him. If you keep stressing out, you’re gonna get acne.”

Piper laughed, her brother’s attempt to cheer her up having worked.

“Here’s another thing that’ll make you laugh,” Parker offered. “Dad wants to take us golfing tomorrow.”

“Golfing?” Piper repeated, chuckling as she wiped her cheeks. “Since when has dad – since when have any of us – gone golfing?”

Parker shrugged. “He said a friend suggested it to him; though who that friend is, I have no idea.”

Piper gave a small laugh, reaching over and grabbing gone of the sodas her brother had brought. “This will be interesting.”

///

It certainly was interesting. When they walked out of the main building to their waiting golf cart – complete with its own driver – Piper had to be stopped by her brother from turning around and running back into the building.

“Choi Young Do,” Pádraic called out warmly, catching the boy’s attention as he stood with three other men.

Upon closer inspection, she could see that one of the men was Kim Tan, the other two she could only assume were Young Do’s father and Tan’ brother.

As Young Do walked up to greet them, Parker leaned as inconspicuously as he could towards his sister. “Pip, I swear I didn’t know.”

“Hello, father,” Young Do bowed deeply to Pádraic. “I’m glad to see you were able to come out. I’m sorry we all won’t be able to golf together; today is doubling as a business meeting for my father.”

“That’s alright, son,” Pádraic slapped him congenially on the shoulder. “I appreciate the invite nonetheless. We should have you over for dinner sometime.”

“I would like that,” Young Do smiled coolly, and Piper almost died.

“Young Do,” the man Piper assumed to be his father walked up to them, and though he seemed casual Piper could see him seething under his skin. “What are you doing?”

“Hello, Choi Sajang-nim,” Piper and Parker bowed together.

“I’m Parker McPherson.” Parker introduced. “This is my father Pádraic and my twin sister Piper. Piper and I are classmates of Choi Young Do.”

“Ah, perhaps you and your sister can help him rise from his dreadful place in the class ranks,” President Choi attempted a joke.

“Standardized tests aren’t always the best indicator of intelligence, I’ve found,” Piper interjected, mentally kicking herself as soon as the words left .

President Choi surveyed her coldly. “Perhaps.” He turned to his son. “Young Do, our game,” he reminded him, turning to rejoin the Kim brothers.

“I’m going to quickly say hello to Tan,” Parker informed them, throwing pointed looks at his father.

“Ah, yes.” Pádraic quickly caught on. “I’m going to check our clubs; make sure everything is there.”

Young Do and Piper stood there awkwardly as Parker and Pádraic left.

“Why…did you call my father?” Piper wondered.

Young Do stood there, debating his answer. “You once said sincerity looks good on me, so I’ll be sincere. Today will be difficult for me; I wanted to see you.”

Piper was taken aback, unsure what his response meant. “Why didn’t you ask for us to bring Cha Eun Sang along?” She asked, trying to cover her nervousness and embarrassment. “I’m sure you want to see her, too.”

“I thought, for once, I should choose you first.” He informed her, carefully keeping his face impassive.

He turned and rejoined his father, leaving Piper still standing there. How did he expect her to act normally when he said something like that? Did he want her to start hyperventilating? Because that’s what she felt like she was about to do.

She mentally groaned. It was going to be a long day.

///

The next day at school, Piper walked Eun Sang to the broadcast room. Eun Sang had to be there for the club, Piper was going because she had a bone to pick with Hyo Shin. When they entered, they were surprised to see a mound of presents on the table.

“Wow, what is all this?” Eun Sang asked, looking at the gifts.

“The female junior’s offerings.” Bo Na explained, sifting through the presents. “The title being: ‘Congrats on the Gold Award. For Hyo Shin Sunbae’. He got an award at the Asian Young Film Awards.”

“Really? That’s amazing.” Eun Sang remarked.

“That jerk never even told me,” Piper muttered. “I mean, that’s big news.”

“Oh right, big news.” Bo Na exclaimed. “What I’m about to tell you, don’t be too surprised about.” She looked to Piper with narrowed eyes, “And you, don’t think about repeating it.”

“I promise,” Piper assured her warily.

“What is it?” Eun Sang questioned.

Bo Na leaned over, whispering exaggeratedly. “Choi Young Do likes you.”

“Really?” Eun Sang made a show of being surprised.

“Be quiet about it. Only Myung Soo and I know, so don’t let Young Do know you two know.” Bo Na ordered. “I’m only telling you because I thought you really should know. It’s really a secret, okay?”

“Okay.” The girls promised.

The door opened and Hyo Shin stepped through, his eyes falling on the three girls standing awkwardly in the room. “Were you talking bad about me?” He wondered. “It looks like you guys became friends by talking behind my back.”

Eun Sang gave a small smile, while Bo Na gave a small scoff. “I’m not that close with her.” Bo Na remarked.

“I should be talking bad about you,” Piper informed him, her arms crossed over her chest. “Because one: you’re terrible at keeping secrets, and two: you didn’t even tell me about this.”

He smiled sheepishly, flashing doe eyes at her “Sorry.”

“Nope.” She wagged her finger at him. “Ani, just because you give me those puppy dog eyes – ” He tilted his head to the side, saying nothing as he continued the ruse. Piper pursed her lips, knowing she’d been beaten. “I forgive you,” she spoke through gritted teeth.

One of the doors opened yet again, Tan walking through making a show of knocking on the unopened door. Eun Sang’s eyes widened, and Piper could feel her stiffen next to her.

“The broadcast room is off limits to unauthorized people.” Hyo Shin informed him.

“She’s here,” Tan pointed an accusing finger at Piper.

“I’ve authorized her,” Hyo Shin remarked. “You, I haven’t.”

“Is there anyone here I’m not connected to?” Tan quipped.

“Geez, he’s driving me crazy,” Bo Na muttered, leaning over to the other girls. “He meant for me to hear that.”

“Lee Bo Na, I heard everything you just said.” Tan informed her with a sigh, turning back to Hyo Shin. “Looking at the announcement board, you won some award.”

“I didn’t win it to make you come to the broadcast room.” Hyo Shin smirked.

Tan gave a small laugh. “Do you even know what you’re making? What genre is it? Horror? Scary films?” He pressed. “Friday the 13th, that kind of thing?”

“I’m always about dirty, dangerous, passionate love,” Hyo Shin snarked, causing Piper to laugh and quickly turn it into a cough. “Isn’t that more Cha Eun Sang’s taste?”

“What?” Eun Sang asked, not fully paying attention until her name was mentioned.

“You like stuff like that?” Bo Na questioned.

“Yes.” Eun Sang nodded. “Horror, Korean Horror, thriller, occult, splatter.”

“You even watch splatter?” Hyo Shin looked mildly repulsed.

Eun Sang gave a hesitant laugh. “My dream is to make a horror movie full of hopes and dreams.”

“But that aside...” Hyo Shin continued, singling out Eun Sang and Tan, “why are you two avoiding each other’s gazes?”

“Hey, you guys don’t need to do that for my sake!” Bo Na insisted.

‘Oh, what a world she lives in,’ Piper thought with a small smile.

“Since I’ve been caught, I should go. See ya.” Tan grinned, and turned towards the doors.

“Why did you even come here?” Hyo Shin wondered, stopping Tan in his tracks.

With his back to the rest of them, Tan spoke. “I just wanted to see someone.” Without another word, he left.

“Who? Me?” Hyo Shin called after him, knowing that wasn’t the case.

“He’s talking about me,” Bo Na asserted.

“I don’t think he’s talking about either of you,” Piper informed them, surreptitiously squeezing her friend’s wrist to comfort her.