Wang Jackson wasn't a fool; he knew when one was sprouting nonsense and when not in most of the cases. You couldn't change it even if you made him sit down for hours, forcing him to listen as you babble all kinds of lies straight to his ears.

He was wise, so he could point out your academic mistakes within the sentences with ease. Maybe he'd even have a nice summary of them at the end of your little failed  convincing session.

Of course he wouldn't say it in a criticizing way, or mean anything sarcastic with it. His style just was correcting your sentences to be more believable and correct for further use. Maybe you could learn a thing or two in the way.

And let's face it, a man  with brains did attract, though many tried so hard to deny that. Jackson was one of those guys. He could easily swoon girls with his charm if  only the girls' would keep their eyes open. But he couldn't sway the  ones that felt they were way better than him with mere looks, since that would be a disgrace to fall for a nerd like him.

But just to warn you, he was really precise when it came to right terms and such, though he wouldn't say it against your face. He'd just listen to all the bragging and exaggerations silently with a collected face, but once he  got out, he would shake his head and maybe let out a small laugh at the impossibility of the stories he just heard.

He really wouldn't believe a word unless he chose to.

Naturally, none of those things listed above applied if you were his friend. In that case, he'd laugh at your face, make fun of you and call you dumb multiple times. He also loved to act like an idiot to embarrass you in all public places, mainly because he was always bored. Very endearing, wasn't it? Well, he was an total idiot in my opinion, but it was too often left out of the counts.

Nevertheless, I liked very much that idiot friend of mine, and I couldn't bear see him hurt or anywhere near sad. It disheartened me to see his baffled face after I  glanced at him to make sure he was okay. It could only mean that he let  my parents' words sink in. And I couldn't possibly let that happen, not when I was so unsure of everything. I could seriously need his support  if things took the wrong turn.

With a deep sigh, I dragged  him out of our house. Our departure was accompanied by my parents'  hollering laughter, which only made me frown. It was their fault I was  going to have a hard time with him, because Jackson wouldn't go easy on me now.

And how much I hated to be right.

"Jieun, are you pregnant?" He asked after we had made quite a way from the house. I frowned as the Hell began too soon for my taste.

"Seriously? Not even a hello?" I blurted out as it came to my mind first. Anything but this discussion, I'd even talk about math for once, voluntarily.

Jakson gave my answer a thought, meanwhile I mentally freaked out. "Right. I got a bit distracted by your parents. Good morning, Jieun," he wished  with a sweet, friendly smile.

"Good morning..." I muttered back, kicking a rock that happened to be on the way. "They were joking, you know," I stated, making him look at me. I didn't want his mind to get stuck in that for all day long, one of us was enough.

"Whatever." He shook it off. "Now, answer me," he demanded.

"They said it as a joke," I repeated, trying to avoid the subject. But as I said, Jackson was an intelligent person. And he could see talking about this subject made me uncomfortable, not to mention nervous.

"Sure, that was what they meant. So, are you?"

I  couldn't believe I was going through an argument about this with my best, also male gendered, friend like it'd be just another every day thing. Jackson was Jackson, he could take anything. But I couldn't. And his way of questioning me wasn't making me feel any better, I was agitated.

"It was a joke, okay?" I answered in a frustrated tone. Jackson flinched and only then I realized how loud my voice must've  been.

"Sorry..." I muttered. "My parents just tend to think of the worst when I only have an upset stomach."

"Nah,  it's okay. But are you feeling okay?" He asked worried, but he still took an cautious step back. I hit his shoulder slightly.

"First  you put me in an interrogation, and then you try to avoid me like I'd have an epidemic disease." I huffed. Seeing that he wasn't getting my point, I rolled my eyes and said, "jeez, I don't think it's contagious."

"Oh,  that's great then." He said. I could see him relax his muscles and I  frowned at him. Seriously? That scared of being sick? With yet another sigh, I continued walking forward. I thoughts we were done with all of  this, but then I could hear him stopping behind me.

I was reaching  the limit of my patience with him today, and I was starting to believe he was toying with me out of boredom. Not to mention I had to bear with  him for the rest of the day.

"What is it now?" I asked as I turned around to face him like a man. Or a woman with a baby in her uterus.

Jackson merely flinched, but soon he composed himself again. "By the way, has  your cup size grown?" He asked casually as if it was the most natural thing to ask from a woman. I almost fell as I missed my next step.

"WHAT?" I shouted out.

How  could he just ask that out of the blue like we weren't talking about my  body? I even saw him shamelessly using his thumb and the index finger of his right hand, measuring me and my body ratio with it.

"Are  you kidding me?" I asked as I tried to push the anger aside. It was just Jackson. I tried to convince myself that his sole comforting existence was enough of a reason to let him live, but it was really hard to stick  on that.

"Well, you can't deny it." He said matter of factly. Well, I couldn't. He was right about that.

But I couldn't help but to doubt, "how on earth would you notice that?"

Jackson froze and started turning slightly pink-ish from his face after my question. His ears especially, they were flaming red. I continued to stare at him with hawk like eyes, demanding an answer as the silence  slowly took over. If only I hadn't realized what his silence was for, it would've gone on longer. Somehow I just really liked that option, but I couldn't cover my shock.

"Oh my god. You have stared at my s!"

"N-No!" Jackson hurried to claim, maybe a bit too quickly if you asked me. "Y-your side profile.. When you're next to me, your side profile is bigger than before."

I let out a scoff as I crossed my arms. "That's the lamest excuse I have ever heard." I might not have been the  master of lies, but it didn't need a genius to tell that he was trying to improvise his way out. "You so have checked me out!"

"It's not a lie! I haven't... 'checked you out'."

"Oh, yes you have! You don't get that just from measuring with your  fingers!" I shouted. True, I had to defend myself on this case. He won  every other argument we had, and I sure as hell wasn't going to lose on this one.

First of all, he needed to know the starting measures before it'd be too obvious and easy to see with bare eyes. But to his defense, he had known me ever since I was a small child, so what he said about the whole side profile thing could be true. Not that he was bothered by it before. Still, I wasn't giving up.

"Jieun, I have  not stared at your s!" He shouted. I stared at him blankly as I tried to collect my thoughts again. Seeing him so defensive was rare, and it only meant one thing: I was on a right track.

"Oh dear... You think I believe you just because you shout back? You're just giving yourself away!"

"I-I..." Jackson was out of words. He knew himself that he was acting rather strangely at the moment.

"Like I'd believe someone like you." I stated and stuck out my tongue. It was the end of our discussion, and I won. Hah.

"Believe what?" A voice from my right said. Huh? Wasn't Jackson in front of me right now?

"Mark," Jackson spat coldly. I frowned at his childish behavior after he lost for once, and decided to turn to see the godly companion on my right.

"Hey."  I greeted nervously. I didn't dare to meet his eyes as I already felt my cheeks burning up, and sadly, an embarrassing small giggle escaped my  lips. I wanted to punch myself in the face right there. With a chair, perhaps. Metal chair with some small spikes that could end my life for good, so that I wouldn't have to meet Mark again after that.

Letting  that scene fly out of my mind, I took a deep breath before stealing a  glance of his perfection. My admiring had only one point, trying to absorb everything from him into my brains. It could make up my whole  day, maybe even week. He talked to me again for heaven's sake! I should've bought a lottery ticket.

I wasn't sure if the dreamy sigh actually left my mouth or not, but wow. Mark's hair was still a bit wet and messy, which indicated that he must've taken a shower earlier in the morning. He must be the type that let hair dry naturally, maybe that could be the reason why his hair was in such a good condition. But just imagining him using a towel to dry his hair, maybe even half ... Snap out of it, Jieun!

Anyway, he had a gray, tight T-shirt that gave the big picture of his upper body without it. And I sure loved it. Hey, abs and healthy, muscled hands? Fine by me. He was probably heading straight to the field to practice some new difficult football tricks and moves with the rest of the team.

As if to confirm my thoughts, the smell of sweat hung in the air. I deducted it came from the sport bag he was carrying in his hands, yet another evidence that told me he'd have a workout today. At least he knew how to sweat it out... But I doubted that the smell would ever leave that bag, not after making itself comfy like that. Wasn't his mom bothered by the smell or anything? Well, at least he wasn't smelling like that all the time, which shouldn't be taken as granted, proven by Daehyun.

After the successful first peek that gave me a lot, I decided to head for a second one. But as I glanced at Mark again, I oddly found him watching me with narrowed eyes. Dang it, was I caught? But I couldn't concentrate anymore as I saw the small pout formed on his lips, something he had probably done without realizing.

I was so lost in his cuteness and the useless fantasies taking over my thoughts, that I nearly missed when he spoke so suddenly.

"You didn't answer me." He reminded with a cute smile. He'd never stop being cute, not even when he'd get old.

"Answer what?" I asked in a daze, still having a daydream. Damn him and his perfection.

"What didn't you believe?" That I was pregnant. Wait, what? Oh, right. That thing as well. Right.

"Oh, well, it's nothing I guess," I said as I offered him a tense smile. Jackson smiled awkwardly after seeing it was exactly the same smile I usually gave him before beating him up, but at least Mark took it politely. I  guess. If only he'd leave us now, then Jackson would be dead meat by my hands. Not that I didn't like the change of him walking with me, I totally loved it.

"By the way," Mark started, making a small feeling of déjà vu get to me as a second long warning, "have you, uhh, grown?"

Jackson snickered in the background while I clenched my hands to fists. "Have you, perhaps, checked out my bosom as well?" I asked through gritted teeth, trying to keep the tense smile up. Mark seemed to finally realize that my smile was nowhere near friendly anymore.

"No!" He yelled again, just like Jackson earlier. Idiots, both of them. I motioned the reddened Mark to continue, maybe he'd have a better excuse to offer. "I just thought you were... taller. Hahaha, bye!" He shouted and ran off before I could catch him.

"Yah!" I screamed after, but he decided to ignore my calls.

He so had checked me out. Partly I was glad since he was my crush, but on the other hand, I tried hard to find a reason why I was the so called victim of the case. Jia was a lot hotter than a girl like me, not to  mention she was his girlfriend in real life. But even though how much I  tried to deny it, I was flushing in the deep shadows of red.

Mark talked to me. He walked with me, like, twenty meters. And he found me attractive?

"C'mon,  Jieun. We'll be late soon Oh, I brought more of that broccoli today, just in case you might want some." Jackson stated happily as he dragged me to the school grounds.

"Really? You have some extra for me?" I asked, touched by his effort.

"Yup! And it's going to be super good, I tasted some in the morning," he stated with a proud smirk.

I  almost decided to forgive him, but then I saw Jia running up to Mark, calling his name. Jia and running combined was a nightmare itself, the only thing missing was math. Those three could really take over the world.

But nothing could describe the feeling of public touching, which involved your crush and the person you hated. The word hate might hold too much emotion in it though, even as an acting student I felt like it. Maybe dislike was a better one to describe our relationship.

After  Mark hadn't responded to her calls, I received momentarily some foolish  hope that maybe, just maybe, I stood a chance. It was because of this  morning and the way I had totally been swooned by him again, I was sure  of it. Ah, but he also told me indirectly that he had checked me out.  Ha, I bet you didn't know that, Jia. But my victorious-slash-jealous  filled smirk flew out of the window the next moment I saw them kissing  in front of everybody.

Great. As if no one hated Jia enough before, they had to now put up with her smug attitude over this. I so hated my life.

The  moment their lips parted, Jia looked over and I could see from her smile that she was coming after me some day. Maybe not today, but one day if I'd hang around Mark again. Did I really have to fall for the most unapproachable person in the whole school, maybe even in the town?

Because of some hidden jealousy, Jackson was in trouble again.

- I passed math quite well this time, I think I deserve some time to relax now. Also, I feel like I don't know how to write anymore. The 5th draft of this chapter so bad, and I made this to cover it up. Is this any better? Well, it's not like you know the earlier ones.. Ah, and pancake (you'll recognize yourself, right dear?) I couldn't find your new line.............. So, could you find me instead or send a corrected id, if I received a wrong one? Thanks~