It’d been ten day’s since me and ilhoon had officially started dating for real. It had been great the first few days. I couldn’t believe ilhoon could be so sweet and kind. He was attentive, and thoughtful, he took me out to eat and to play. It was like a relationship should be, then the break for school was coming to an end. He became more distant and started acting like the way he was before. He never acknowledged we were dating to other people, and he even sometimes didn’t acknowledge me at all.

           “So…nothing has gotten better?” misun asked as she nibbled on her piece of cake. We were sitting at the café down the street from school since we had just applied for out fall semester classes.

           “Nae…I saw him up at the school earlier with a few of his friends, not btob friends though, anyway I waved to him and was going to go speak to him but he pretended he hadn’t seen me and walked off with his friends.” I said sulking. Misun was quiet a moment while she thought.

           “Maybe he really didn’t see you.” she said pointing her fork at me. I narrowed my eyes at her and she nodded looking down.  “yea…he definitely saw you…well have you guy’s fought at all?” I shook my head. “I don’t know…he’s so bipolar.”

           “Agreed.”

           “Let me see your class schedule.” She said holding out her hand as she changed subjects. I reached into my pocket and handed her the piece of paper. “Oh cool me you and hyunsik have art together.” she said happily. she continued looking as she ate more cake. “Oh.” She set the paper down on the table and stabbed the fork into it in one of my classes. I looked at her shocked.  “This is our window to spend time with ilhoon in public.” She said sneakily.

           “Huh…wae?”

           “Because, I saw his schedule the other day when I was with hyunsik, he has this class as well that’s a four hour class there sweetie, and I took it last semester. It’s a cake class and you’ll have plenty of leisure time to speak with classmates.” She said winking at me. I unstuck her fork from my paper picking it back up.

           “But…he’ll have to talk to me first.” I said sadly. “He doesn’t acknowledge me in public much less speak to me…I don’t know his problem.”

           “What do you mean, he acknowledges you in public all the time.” she said exasperated.

           “Not around school or anyone we may know.” I said sulking. There was a ding from the door and I and misun looked up to see ilhoon and a couple of his friends walk into the café. Our eyes locked momentarily before he turned and walked up to the counter with his friends. sighing I let my head drop.

           “Ouch.” Misun said apologetically.

           “Yea…hyunsik’s meeting you here right?” she nodded. “Them I’m going to head out.”

           “Aw don’t be like that, you shouldn’t avoid him nothing is ever going to be straightened out otherwise. “ I shrugged standing up.

           “I guess my thirty day curse was fast acting this time.” I said laughing bitterly. I scooped up my bag slipping it over my shoulders. “See you.” she gave me a small wave.  I tried to avoid ilhoon the best I could as I went to leave but the only way out happened to be past him so I tucked my head and tried to get by fast. He was at the counter now so hopefully he’d be too busy to notice me. I just passed him when I felt the strap of my bag move as I was yanked to a stop. I looked over my shoulder to see ilhoon was holding it tightly with one hand as he signed a paper receipt with the other before tucking his card back into his pocket.

           “What where you going to leave without saying hello?” he said finally acknowledging me. his friends stood a little to the side watching as they sipped on their coffees.

           “Uhh…” was my only response. He really was bipolar wasn’t he! He tugged the strap making me step forward. I tried to stay back from him a little so he tugged harder making me step forward again so I was almost pressed against him.

           “Such distance between a couple.” He said tsking.

           “OH we’re a couple now?” I blurted angrily. ilhoon laughed lightly looking down seeming embarrassed.  

           “Yea…I have been a little distance this past week huh.” He scratched the back of his neck looking up at me. “Mian.” I scoffed rolling my eyes.

           “A little distant, you’ve been acting like I don’t exist I was starting to wonder.” I said poking him. “And what, because you say sorry I’ll forgive you?” he shook his head biting his lip.

           “Ilhoon, your orders up.” the lady at the counter said.

           “Hold on...” he said keeping a hold of my bag strap so I couldn’t leave. “Here you go…happy birthday.” He said holding out the tiny box to me. I looked at it startled. I hadn’t ever told him when my birthday was…how did he know. “Mian, I wasn’t avoiding you or acting like you didn’t exist because I didn’t want to be around you…I was planning something and I thought if I got near you I’d spill the beans.”  I looked at him confused.

           “You avoided me for a week…to give me this? Not that it isn’t sweet and all.” I said clarifying. He laughed nodding.

           “Open it first hmm.” He said tapping my hand. I nodded and untied the ribbon opening the little box. Inside was a miniature cake, about the size of my hand delicately decorated with tiny flowers. Inside the lid of the box there was a note taped.

Happy birthday jagiya, mian for upsetting you this week but it took a lot of secretive planning to put this together, today is a present scavenger hunt just for you. at every clue you’ll get a present and this is clue number one. your awesome boyfriend holds the key to the next answer.       

I looked up to ilhoon shocked. he did all this for me? he was grinning as he watched me and I couldn’t lie there was a little blush on his cheeks…it was so cute.

           “You put something like this together for me?” he nodded.

           “What’s the fun in just giving you a present hmmm? I’ve got to make you work for it.” he said smirking. “So you better get started, you have a time limit.” He said pointing to clue number one. at the bottom of the paper 7 hours was written.

           “What…wae?” he shook his finger.

           “That’s not the clue I have to give to you.” he said laughing. “Here.” he held out a piece of paper to me. “Do you want you present?” I nodded. smiling he reached into the cake box with the fork and held out a tiny bite of cake to me.

           “What…you feeding me some cake is my present?” I said nervously.

           “Just eat it first.” Sighing I opened my mouth letting him put the cake in my mouth. I chewed it and swallowed down the delicious cake.

           “That was really good but-“ he cut me off by grabbed the back of my neck pulling me forward as he placed his lips against mine. he broke the kiss releasing me after a quick hug.

           “Happy birthday…now get going.” He said waving me away. he and his friends left the café leaving me and the next clue of my birthday scavenger hunt.