My mind went blank and I stared at the faces in front of me in complete bewilderment. 

…What exactly happened?

What did Taehyun just do?

What did my lips just touch?

It literally felt like I had gone crazy as my fleeting silent questions remained unanswered while only continuing to increase. I felt crazy, just like how crazy Taehyun was to pull that stunt. I couldn’t formulate a single clear thought or utter a word. What makes it worse is that I think I am behaving just like those female characters I watched in the dramas.

Eyes wide and speechless. 

And let’s not forget, harassed.

Mino was the same way, except he recovered far quicker than I did. “Excuse me.” He muttered before hurriedly getting to his feet to run away before I could clearly catch his red cheeks.

Where was he running off to? If I were him, I would have turned and socked Taehyun right in the face. 

But, I wasn’t.

Instead, I pressed my lips together, mentally urging my body to move. I needed to leave before I completely lose my mind and break down right in this very spot. “I’m heading home.” I jump to my feet, not bothering to say ‘bye’ or any of the like before slipping my shoes on and quickly making my way out the front door.

You have got to be kidding me. Where am I going? Is this the way home?

“Jiwoo!”

Believe me. I heard my name. I just didn’t want to stop.

“Hey!” Hanbin finally catches up and blocks me from continuing my way down the sidewalk. “Where are you going?”

“Home.” I retorted and tried to side step him but he moved in front of me again.

“Wait a minute.” He selfishly ignored how rushed I seem. “We need to talk about what happened back there.”

I just suffered a very traumatizing event back there, what is there to talk about? “It wasn’t clear enough for you?” I looked up at him pointedly. 

“Hell yeah it was.” He shot back. “Do you know what will happen now?”

What is going on here? Why do I feel like he was about to make this about himself? “Why don’t you enlighten me, Hanbin?”

“We’re the ones that are supposed to be dating.” He pointed between the two of us. “Mino is going to rub this kiss in my face.” 

And there it is. How did I know him so well to predict that he was going to make himself the center of the issue? Really. It’s unbelievable. It’s always a competition for him. But, for a moment, I did wish he would for once not react in such a way. For once, I wished Hanbin would act a little bit more understanding than his natural immature self. 

“Gee I’m sorry, Hanbin. That must be so hard for you.” Because my bad for being forced to kiss someone I had no intention of kissing. Sorry that even though they are my lips I didn’t have a choice in which pair of lips I wanted to touch them with.

“I’m glad you understand.” He responded, clearly ignoring my sarcasm. “Now, my turn.” He grabbed my face and moved his face closer.

It’s not happening for a second time. My hand flew up to cover his face. Was he out of his mind? “Let go of me.” I pushed against him but he only pulled harder.

“Would you stop? It’s just a freaking a kiss.” He grunted while trying to fight off my hands.

I don’t care what he thought. His lips were not getting anywhere near mine. “Hanbin, do you know millions of germs are exchanged with brief contact between lips?” I thought about the germs Mino and I were forced to share just moments before.

“You also get a lot of shared immunity too.” Hanbin doesn’t give up.

“I don’t need it.” 

“You don’t get to decide that.” Hanbin hurriedly grabs my chin with one of his hands and tries to push my hands away with his other. 

“My immune system said so.” I turned my head aside to loosen his grip. We both continued to struggle on the sidewalk – Hanbin refusing to let go and me refusing to let the nightmare happen again. “Hanbin, if you don’t let go, I will scream.” And if I have to, I will scream ual assault – because this is exactly what it is. “Let go of me!” 

All of a sudden, his hands leave my face and he places distance between the two of us.

“I’m kidding.” Hanbin scoffs. “I have limits too.”

For a second, I question that. 

My chest heaved up and down while I caught my breath from the physical exertion…or was it due to anger?

Yeah. It was anger.

I was seething.

“Would you relax?” He finally notices the state I’m in. “Breathe.” He stood a step forward and consciously I took a step back. He freezes due to his next thought. “Are you going to cry?”

“No.” I shot back. Who did he think I was? Never would I give him the satisfaction of seeing me in such a vulnerable state.

He places both of his hands in the air. “Alright.” 

No. No. ‘Alright’ and ‘kidding’ is not going to be enough. And, I realized something else. “This is all your fault.”

“What?”

“You could have just let me gone home but no, I had to go to Taehyun’s house where I was forced to do something I never wanted to do!” I shouted at him. 

“I tried to stop it.” 

“Not hard enough.” I shot back. “You keep getting me involved in all of these situations and I’m sick of it.” Yes, this is me that was pushed beyond the breaking point. “Never again will I listen to you and never again will I let you force me into doing anything again.” I always bail him out yet he is so incompetent that he can’t even do the same.

“Would you calm down?” His words showed me he has yet to understand the seriousness of this conversation. 

Well, that would require empathy – something we already knew Hanbin never had.

“Hanbin, does it kill you to be considerate of others?” Because what other reason is there? “Does it physically hurt you to just once think of what you’re putting me through?” Did he not see what this forced kiss did to me? 

I waited for an answer but all I received was a blank look from the boy in front of me.