Kai and I weren’t on the best of terms. I was still pretty mad at him for being so rude in front of Hongbin and he didn’t apologize.

He never apologizes, it seems.

“Can you believe he did that?” I was asking Jackson. “He talked about my crying, splotchy face right in front of Hongbin. And the cuddling. Like what the hell was that about? It was the weirdest but jerkiest thing ever. Ugh I hate him so much!” I angrily ate my sandwich.

            Jackson practically snorted. “He is so obvious.”

            “Of being a jerk? I know.”

            “Noooooo,” Jackson said slowly. “So obvious that he’s jealous of Hongbin.”

             “Jealous?”

            “Jealous. Kai seems to not like the idea that you’re moving on from Taemin to a person that’s not him,” Jackson casually explained.

            “I don’t know what you’re talking about. He hates me.”

            Jackson shrugged. “Or so he says.”

            I’d taken Jackson’s words with a grain of salt, simply because I couldn’t fathom the idea of Kai ever being jealous of me being with somebody else. He was the one who wanted me to break free from Taemin, to move on. He’d never done anything to say that the person should be him. And besides, we hated each other.

            One day after school, after what seemed like a week since my fight with Kai, I was at my locker. Suddenly, my locker door was slammed shut.

            “What do you want?” I snapped.

            “You’re still angry with me?” Kai asked.

            “So you can tell.”

            I made a move to leave but Kai grabbed onto my arm. “Stop.”

            “Let go,” I said, trying to yank myself away from him. When he wouldn’t, I got frustrated. “Let GO!”

            “I’m sorry, okay?”

            “Huh?”

            “Hyemi I’m… not used to apologizing and I don’t do it often but I don’t like knowing that you’re mad at me.” His hand slowly drooped away from my arm.

            “Well,” I said. “Thanks, I guess.”

I was out on another date with Hongbin, this time to yet another fancy restaurant. I was getting kind of sick of them, and found myself craving the cheap but good ramen that a certain boy and I had together just weeks ago.

            The restaurant was packed, but Hongbin rest-assured that reservations have been made.

            “Wait out here, okay? I’ll go see what’s up,” Hongbin said as he left me outside to go into the restaurant and check up on things. I nodded and stayed put.

            The cold air, and this time of the night, suddenly became very familiar to me. Kai had always seemed to show up at this time, and I found myself keeping my eyes peeled for him.

            It was if he read my mind. His usual takeout bag was in hand.

            “Hey,” Kai said.

            “Hi.”

            “Where’s your date?”

            I nodded back at the restaurant. “Checking in on reservations.”

            “Oh. Nice.”

            “Yeah.”

            I was bouncing on my heels, waiting for Hongbin and wondering when he was going to come out.

            “It was nice seeing you,” I began to say. “But I have to go see what’s taking Hongbin so long.”

            It seemed to play out in slow motion. Me turning back, the two familiar but shrouded figures in black walking towards me, Kai grabbing the back of my head and spinning me back in a split second…

            …and him putting his lips on mine.

            I froze. Ideally, I’d pushed Kai off of me, probably slap him, then angrily ask him what the hell was he doing?

            But I didn’t do that. Instead, I was magnetically pulled to him, my rapidly beating heart threatening to jump out of my chest.

            The moment was stopped short however, when I was forcefully pulled out of Kai’s grasp.

            “What the hell,” Hongbin growled at Kai, “do you think you’re doing to my girl?!”

            I staggered back as Hongbin held me close to him with a tight grip.

            Kai scoffed, now growing offended. “Your girl? She doesn’t belong to you. And don’t worry. I was just messing with her.”

            Just messing with her.

            “I’ve heard the rumors,” Hongbin said. “Of you and her, you being her debutante and all. Not to mention you look so much like that ex-boyfriend of hers. But dream on, poor boy. You and Hyemi are in two completely different social circles. You will never be able to support her, you dirty mutt.”

            “HEY,” I shouted at Hongbin. “Don’t talk to him like that.”

            “But it’s true,” Hongbin insisted, trying to redeem himself. “Wasn’t he harassing you? You didn’t want to kiss him.”

            “You don’t know what I want,” I snarled. “And for your information, I’d kissed him back.”

            Hongbin chuckled. “Oh Hyemi, you’re so funny. Now, let’s get going, shall we? Our table is ready.”

            Hongbin didn’t leave room to argue as he wrapped an arm around me and dragged me away from Kai. I found myself looking back over my shoulder at the boy in the beanie, wondering what that kiss truly meant to him.