Chapter 9 

The Sun's rays shined brightly as the 4 high school girls waited at the back parking outside, beside the Driver's Ed classroom, under the shade of old but elegant building. Bom had made plans to practice her driving with the help of Dongwook, of course, and she was nervous but mostly excited about it and the others decided to wait with her for the arrival of the senior.

They were all just chatting away and listened contently as Nana complained and whined  cutely about how Se-ho texted her non-stop and how he always tries to be by her side almost every minute. 

At least she was until she happened to see Ga-yeon from the corner of her eye, absentmindedly, taking selfies on her cell phone rather than listen to Nana which was surprising since they talked all the time in class. ( Nana talked while Ga-yeon listened.)

"Yah! Ga-yeon why aren't you listening to me?" Nana shouted with a pout as she hit the younger freshman on her arm, not that it caused any harm or damage to Ga-yeon since she stayed in the gym during half of her free time; the other half she spent with her friends.

Ga-yeon eyes widen as the impact and she gave Nana an apologetic and embarrassed smile. "I'm sorry Unnie. I got distracted. Please continue." She told her which caused Bom and Soo-hyun to laugh.

Even though Bom spent the majority of her time with the special bunch, including the boys, she still didn't think that she knew them well enough (well personally anyway) but she carefully watched their actions and the way they spoke and such so it gave her a better understanding of what their personality was like. 

Ga yeon, the youngest of the group, was mostly quiet but she spoke so well that it was hard to believe that she was just a freshman. It was almost as if Bom was talking to an adult. She also was very tough and built, being that it was her dream to be a famous professional fighter/martial artist. Minwoo had even told Bom about how they made her show off her talent and she ended up hurting most of the boys, including him. 

What surprised Bom the most was that even though the young girl took most of her class and spent time with Nana, she was the closest to Minwoo. He always seemed to look out for the tomboyish but cute freshmen and made sure that she was okay or wasn't left out by making conversation with her. 

That wasn't just a quality in him but it was one that all of the gang had. Everyone within the group cared about everyone else and made sure to look out for one another which was Bom really liked about them and she hoped that she would one day take in that quality so that she wouldn't cause trouble like she had done in the past. 

"So anyway, he kept texting me the whole night. He's even texting me right now!" 

"But Nana, you just said that you would text him to ask when Dongwook was coming to help Bom with her driver's lesson so that means that you just texted him first since this morning." Soo-hyun informed her with a laughing smirk. 

Nana eyes went to her phone, that had just started vibrating a second before, as she flipped her hair to the side and said " Yeah, but once he answered and I told him thanks he didn't have to reply back! He could have waited until he gets here with the rest of the boys."

"So, what you are implying is that you want to communicate with Seho-oppa face to face?"  Ga-yeon asked with curiously with a small smile on her innocent face as she looked up at her classmate.

"Yah!" Nana yelled once again, this time with pink cheeks, as the girls started laughing at Nana, who was trying not to throw a tantrum due to Soo-hyun and Ga-yeol's "lack of understanding." Feeling hopeless, she turned towards Bom. "What do you think Bom-unnie?"

"Of you and Seho-oppa?" She asked rhetorically and Nana nodded her head.

The 16-year old looked up at the light blue sky with a smile as she thought about her Se-ho and Nana as a couple. "I think you guys would be a good couple. Despite his seemingly obsessive ways, you can tell that he really cares about you." 

"I agree. Nana would like him too if it weren't for him being overweight." Ga-yeon confessed much to Nana's embarrassment.

Soo-hyun frowned and turned her head towards Nana in a swift movement once she heard The youngest girl's earlier statement and asked in a surprised voice. "Is that true, Nana?"

"Well..." Nana began to explain herself before closing and looking down at the dull concrete under her. 

Before Soo-hyun could scold Nana about the statement of Se-ho's weight which, unknowingly to Bom, was a touchy subject for the group, they're heard a familiar masculine voice call them.

They turned towards the corner of the building and saw four male figures walking towards them, one of them being Se-ho.

After the girls stood up from the concrete and got ready walk over to the boys, Bom slipped over beside Nana and rubbed her shoulder softly. "Despite his appearance, he's a great catch, Nana."
 
Nana looked over with a soft smile. "I know, Unnie."

"What's up girls?" Se-ho said casually as both groups met midway with soft smiles on their faces.

Soo-hyun shrugged with a smirk. "Just waiting with Bom for Dongwook-oppa to give her a driving lesson. Speaking of Oppa, where is he?" 

"Uh, something came up last minute so he wanted me to help Bom out today." Minwoo answered while looking straight at the junior before adding. "I hope you're okay with that."

Bom looked up at him and smiled. "Of course. When can we start?" 

Just when Minwoo was about to answer, he looked over to the sound of a car pulling up towards them and a smirk appeared on his face. "I guess we can start now." 

Everyone turned around to see Dongwook emerge from the driver's seat and run over to The group, specifically Bom and Minwoo. "Hey everyone."

Everyone greeted him warmly and started conversing among themselves.

 "I thought something came up?" Bom asked curiously as she looked up at him and analyzed his face. She noticed that he was not only captain of the basketball team and the senior class president but he was also the president of the student council, along with Kang-joon, Nana, and Soo-hyun and he was an assistant to a lot of the school's staff. He seemed to stretch himself thin and now she could see the aftereffect of it. 

Dongwook sighed tiredly. "Yeah. My coach wanted me to  help out with the middle school team and he wouldn't take no for an answer. I'm really sorry Bom." 

Bom shook her head with a small laugh. "It's alright oppa. I know you have a lot on your plate and I don't want to add another load."

"No, I volunteered to help you out this week so that's what I'm going to do starting tomorrow. As for today, Minwoo insisted that he can teach you so you're in good hands." Dongwook told her with a smile as he reached over and pulled out her hand as he asked "Are you ready to start driving?"

"As ready as I'll ever be." She answered as she felt the coolness of the car keys touch the  palm of her hand and the warm up his fingers as he put the keys in her hand.

 Bom felt her heart pound against her chest as she stared at Dongwook's face tired yet happy face. Just as she was about to ask him if he was okay, Minwoo interrupted.

"I think we should get started now, Bom." 

Startled by the sophomore's voice, Bom quickly grabbed the keys and moved them behind her back as she looked down at her shoes coyly, much to Dongwook's amusement. "Okay, Minwoo." She said and they both turned around and got inside the car.

As Bom started the car up and put her seatbelt on, Dongwook walked over and bent down to look at Minwoo through the window. "Take good car of her, Minwoo."  He said before leaning beside Bom's ear and whispering "Good luck Bommie." 

He patted the top of the car and stood back to watch as Minwoo gave Bom some instructions on what to do.

"Good luck Bom!" The everyone else shouted and they waved as Bom drove off towards the main road.

Bom sighed quietly as they waited patiently through bad traffic on their way back to the school. She had been driving for 30 minutes straight and so far she hadn't made any errors such as running a red light, or bumping into the tail end of other cars. 

Minwoo was a good teacher too; keeping a calm and collected demeanor and being patient with her if she didn't know how to do something in particular. He also kept the ride from being boring by telling jokes and playing question games with her. 'So far so good' she thought happily to herself.

"You know, Dongwook-hyung really felt bad for not being able to help you drive like he promised. He was really considering ditching Coach Lee." Minwoo confessed.

"Really?" Bom looked over at him with a surprised facial expression before saying "I'm glad he didn't...I wouldn't want him to get in trouble."

Minwoo then said "He would have but not much. Coach would forgive him." The younger boy then chuckled a bit before saying "Dongwook-hyung was real hesitant about letting me help you out too..."

Bom drove up slowly behind the car in front of her as she listened attentively to Minwoo. "Why would he hesitate?"

"He said didn't want to be jealous of you spending time with another boy, his younger friend especially...but I really think hyung just wanted to spend more time with you." He said softly as he read something off of his phone.

That last statement sent Bom's heart into a pounding rage and she slowly lifted her hand over her chest so that she could feel it. 'Why am I reacting like this?' She asked herself. This was the second time it happened today and the cause of it so far it was because of  Dongwook and Dongwook was just a friend. Or at least she thought so...

"If my instincts were correct...I think he may have a crush on you." Minwoo said as he leaned back in the seat with his eyes closed, smirking.

'What?' "No way. He doesn't have a crush on me." She says out of habit and laughs the idea off while shaking her head. "That's nonsense..."

As the traffic suddenly eases up, Minwoo shrugs casually as he says "Whatever you say, Park Bom. Do you remember how to get back to school?"

"Yeah, I do." She tells him quietly as she starts driving back to the school, still aware of her heart beating fast.

Bom and Ga-yeon walked in a comfortable silence as they made their way to their dorms. Soo-hyun and Nana had to work on some project for the student council so that it could get approved by Dr. Sora Lee so the other two decided to walk back to their dorms together.

They spent most of the walk talking about Ga-yeon's hobbies and for the first time in the young girls life, she felt at ease talking to Bom because she was actually interested in Ga-yeon's life, where as a regular person would be bored. It was nice to have someone who listened for once.

"How come you stay at the school on the weekends?" Bom asked curiously.

"My father..." Ga-yeon began before taking a deep breath and finishing. "He died when I was a little girl and my mom...she did not raise me well so...I have been raising myself. I have been here on a scholarship due to Principal Lee and Chef Shin's help."

Bom nodded silently before asking "Does everyone else know?" 

Ga-yeon shook her head quietly. "Only Nana, Minwoo, and Dongwook...Dongwook-Oppa was a big help too. He still is." 

The older girl nodded in agreement. "He has a way of making you feel...comfortable and cared for. He's very considerate and friendly."

"I agree. I really hope he meets a girl who is worthy of him and will not take advantage of him. He is a great guy." Ga-yeon states as they get closer to Bom's room.

'I hope so too Ga-yeon. He doesn't need someone with as much issues as me.' Bom thought to herself until her phone started vibrating. She slipped it out of her pocket and read the message on the screen.

Dongwook

Hey. I hope your driving lesson went well.
I wish I was there. I'll make it up to you 
tomorrow. :)

Her heart started beating triple time at his short but sweet message. She felt a smile sneak up on her face until something came in her mind. "Oh no." She let out softly, not knowing that Ga-yeon heard her.

"Are you okay, Bom-unnie?" The freshman asked worriedly as they stopped in front of Bom's door. 

Bom eyes widened a bit but she put a smile on her face as she looked at the younger girl. "I'm fine. You should go get some rest okay?" 

"Okay, I'll see you tomorrow unnie. Goodnight." She said and walked away.

"Goodnight." Bom said before retiring inside her room and laying softly on top of her bed after she dropped her bookbag and purse on the floor beside it. 

Her heart was still beating in that familiarly fast pace only softer this time. The teen slowly raised her hand towards her chest, wanting to see what it felt like again. The semi rapid rise and fall of it was enough to make her think 'so this is what it feels like to have a crush on someone?'

She sat up quickly at the thought with wide eyes, not sure if this was the real thing or if her mind was playing tricks on her. But she had never reacted like this to any male she had ever met in her lifetime. There was clearly enough evidence to support the theory. 

It was her uncontrollable heart beat that sounded at anything that was connected to him.

As she slowly laid back down, she grabbed her stuffed hippo and hugged it in a soft embrace as she thought about it more and more until finally she told herself rather than her stuffed-animal. "I think I might have a crush on Dongwook-oppa..."