She sighed. “Are you really sure about this? I don’t want to burden you with anything, you know.”

I shrugged it off and beamed. “Nah, it’ll be fine! You’ll be fine. I believe in you.”

She looked up at me one last time and exhaled. Her eyes looked straight ahead. “Let’s do this, then,” she nodded.

I chuckled. Cute.

It was already evening by that time. Right before school had ended, I heard Kim Sun asking the others about any nearby stores that needed part-timers and was immediately directed to me by Jong Suk, claiming that I ‘have many eyes and ears on part-time jobs at this area.’ When I casually reminded him of his frequent visits to the local beautician store, he waved it off with, ‘I visit and learn, but I don’t work there.’ Hence, I was left to suggest a number of part-time jobs that I knew was open at the moment.

I started off with the café that I previously worked at – the café that I first met with Kim Sun-shii – but she turned down the idea, saying she did not have enough patience to work in the food and beverage industry. As soon as she said that, almost half of my suggestions could not be used since most of them involved working at either fast food chains or other cafés. I thought it was admirable that she could be so honest with someone like me, one she barely knows, and yet there she was, clearly asking me to remember any other stores with a spot available that did not include waiting on people.

An idea came to mind. “Well, there’s only one place that I can think of right now, but…” I drifted off. It should be okay, right?

“What is it?” she asked, looking a tiny bit hopeful.

“It’s the same place I’m going to work at. In fact, I’m heading there for my first day of work right after my soccer practice,” was what I said. Should I tell her what the local kids gossip about that place? Would it even matter to her?

She slapped her hands on either sides of my forearm. Wah, she really is a bit strong for a girl! “Sounds perfect! With you there, at least I won’t be alone!” she cried, her face suddenly looking like she had struck the lottery. “Where’s the job at? It’s not a café, right?”

I hesitated, but tried to answer as best as I could. “Wellllllll… It’s a bookstore, and quite a trendy one too. It doesn’t only sell the usual kind of books, it also sells published works from the alternative scene and even some fanzines that the owner approves of. Plus, the owner has an open space with lots of comfortable beanbags and bulky sofas prepared.  That’s why a lot of the kids like to go there and just hang out; they want to see a different crowd that they could find nowhere else.”

Her eyes nearly bulged out with wonder of my story on the cafe. Her beaming smile became more magnified by the second. I could not help but adore that kind of simplicity. Don’t you dare pinch those chubby cheeks of hers, Young Kwang. Resist, resist! She almost sighed, “That place sounds so cool…”

But of course, someone had to come and snuff out that wonderful glitter in her eyes. That someone was Sung Joon, who snickered as he had his bag slung on one shoulder.

His snicker alone was enough to earn her curiosity as she turned to him and asked, “What’s wrong?”

He smirked. “You do not want to work there. Trust me, Sun-ah.”

She frowned. “Why are you so sure about it?”

I sighed as Sung Joon continued, “The owner is straight-out a wacko.”

Kim Sun-shii just coolly folded her arms over her chest. “You know I can’t take you seriously with that funny smirk on your face, right?”

I heard Woo Bin and Soo Hyuk snort at her comment. Jong Suk burst out laughing right away and had to cling onto Jae Hyun, who disguised his laugh with a cough. I myself had to hide my smile behind my hand.

Sung Joon pouted slightly, and tried his best to ignore the boys’ reactions. “The owner is very picky with the people she lets in her store. If she’s picky with her customers, how do you think she’d be with her workers?”

That certainly earned some shock on Kim Sun-shii’s face. “Are you serious?” She then looked at me for confirmation.

I sighed and nodded. “I’m still trying to figure out how the owner is easily giving me the job, too.”

“Aiiiishhhh, Young Kwang-ah! Why didn’t you tell me this sooner~? Why oh why, Young Kwang-ah~~~?!” she whined, and started to shake my body back and forth as if I were a ragdoll. Playing along, I let her do whatever she wanted and let myself be shaken back and forth.

I could only laugh as I apologized. “I did say that it’s going to be my first day, right? I was going to ask the owner, you know.”

“But Sung Joonie just said that the owner is a strange man!”

“The owner is a woman,” I corrected.

“Still! Urghhh! What am I going to doooo!” she carried on her fake tantrum as she started shaking me sideways instead.

From the corner of my eyes, I could see the boys starting to creep out of the class. Most possibly escaping from answering further questions from Kim Sun. I could see Woo Bin’s head bobbing up and down through the glass windows, with Jong Suk right behind him. Soo Hyuk just passed through the back entrance of the classroom, leaving Sung Joon the only one still trying to get out from the class. Jong Hyun was long gone, so he was out of the question.

Kim Sun-shii must have noticed my distraction and whirled around. “Yah!!! Where are you guys going?!”

Sung Joon yelped and stumbled at her sudden yell, but he quickly recovered and took off like his life depended on it. Soo Hyuk disappeared like the wind too. Kim Sun-shii released my arms and ran to the back entrance to shout at the boys, “Yah!!! This isn’t over! I’ll get you guys for this!!!”

I must have laughed harder than I thought as I watched her. My stomach was starting to ache, seriously! She is one force of nature, hehehe. I went back to my seat to get my bag and head to the soccer club’s locker room.

“Young Kwangie…” she called as she lazily sauntered over.

“Yeah?”

“What am I supposed to do while waiting for you to finish your club activities?” she asked. “Count how many goals you score? Watch your fan girls cheer and drool for you on the field? Nurse any one of them who faints at the sidelines?”

I chuckled and shook my head at her suggestions. “Nice of you trying to say that I’m handsome.”

She blinked as she focused her gaze at me. “But you are handsome, Young Kwangie.”

I could swear that my heart stopped when she said those words, and looking at me like that. And why does she keep calling me Young Kwangie? She’s not really helping my heart here! I cleared my throat, “Thanks.” Then, I walked out of the classroom.

I heard her quickly adjusting her pace so that she matched my steps. “Are you blushing, Young Kwangie?” I heard her ask.

“No,” I muttered.

She leaned her head closer to me before she laughed. That easy and infectious laugh of hers was quite addicting. “Yes, you are! Omagad, you’re blushing because I said you were good-looking! I can’t believe this!” she whispered in the midst of her wheezy laughing.

I nudged her in the elbow. I was too embarrassed to lift my head and look at her, so I just looked at the ground. “You can stop now. Why are you whispering, anyway?”

She covered with her hand as she tried to keep in some leftover giggles of hers. “I wouldn’t want to be caught teasing you too hard, or your fan girls will scratch my face off! Not to mention what it would do to poor little Myung Hee…” she trailed off.

Eh? “Myung Hee? As in, Park Myung Hee from our class? What about her?” I asked. I never really talked to that girl with two braids, but she was one of the quieter and more timid ones in class that I could make small talks with since we’ve been in the same class since our final year in middle school.

She then gave me a look, and sighed. She patted my arm. “Some day, you’ll grow up and I’ll tell you all about it, neh Young Kwangie?”

I frowned. “Why do I feel like I’m being talked down to by a little girl when I’m taller than you?”

“Who said that I’m talking down to you?” she rounded her eyes and started feigning innocence.

I chuckled. “I’ll let it go this one time,” I gestured at her with my forefinger.

She made the same gesture too. “Just this one time, then.”

Then, I walked her to the line up of boards where all the clubs and societies hang their notifications. “If you want to kill time, you can try looking for a club to join.”

She narrowed her eyes at me. “Why can’t we just look for the clubs that need people?”

“Because there’s way too many societies and I don’t have much time before my soccer club starts our activities…?” I casually answered her.

Her glare was more than enough to burn a hole through my face, but I kept my calm gaze on her till she sighed. “Fine,” she muttered begrudgingly, and looked up at the huge notice board, “tell me if you see any martial arts club have some spots open.”

“Martial arts?” I quickly scanned through the mass of papers posted on the board. “You sure you don’t want to join any musical clubs instead?” She had carried along a guitar with her the day before, after all.

She waved it away as her eyes never ran from looking around the board. “Nah, I need to balance myself. Playing music sticks to the weekends, and something sporty after school. Since I’ve never been the natural athlete, might as well pursue my love in martial arts.”

Not just anyone would use the words ‘my love in martial arts’. I grinned. “Let me guess, a black belt in Taekwondo?” It was a safe choice of martial arts, since almost every Korean knows it.

“And judo, too,” she added nonchalantly, “Soooooo, I’m gonna need a club that is either fit with things that I’m familiar with or something completely new…”

“What about this one?” I pointed to the freshest-looking piece of paper pasted on the board.

Kim Sun-shii took a look and her eyebrows twitched. “The MMA club?”

“Mm-hmm. See, there’s still plenty of slots to fill in,” I noticed.

“No one’s signed up, though.” She frowned even harder, “Doesn’t that mean nobody wants to be part of the club?”

“Nah,” I waved her worries away, “it’s probably because the club is still new. A 3rd year senior just had it established earlier this term, I think.”

Her eyes widened in both amazement and surprise. “Is he trying to scratch something off a bucket list or what