"Here you go!"

Junhee saw Dasom drop the journal on top of her desk. She stared at the notebook before looking back at Dasom, who kept smiling down at her. Scowling, she took the journal and hid it in her backpack.

"This is our last one, right?" Junhee asked.

"Yep! Write to your heart's content!" Dasom said in a cheery manner.

"What should I write?" she asked.

"Anything you want. Write what you want to see in the future," Dasom suggested. She glanced over at the empty desk next to Junhee. "Where's the tall boy?"

"Chanyeol? I'm not sure. I haven't seen him for a while," Junhee said. She let out a small sigh as she stared at the empty desk with a heavy heart. A small smile escaped Dasom's lips, but she tried to not show what was going on in her head.

"So, how long has he been gone?" Dasom asked.

"A few days. I haven't heard a thing from him," Junhee replied. She paused before looking at Dasom. "Dasom, what do you think about accepting someone's confession?"

Dasom's eyes glowed. "Someone confessed?"

"Well, Niel confessed to me. He said that he'd 'wait' for my answer, but in my mind, I already rejected him."

"Did you make that clear?"

"I did, but it seems like he wants me to think about it more 'properly' and left me before I could say that I was firm with my words."

Dasom scrunched her nose. "Oh, it's that kind of guy."

"Is it bad?"

"Well, personally, I can't those types of guys. They annoy me to the max. I mean, it's ridiculous when a guy can't take 'no' for an answer." Dasom slammed her hand against Junhee's desk, startling her. "Do you have feelings for him?" Junhee shook her head. "Then you better march up to him and clearly state that you are not interested."

Junhee blew a raspberry and crossed her arms. Just hearing about the steps she had to take seemed like a hassle.

"What happens if he really doesn't give up?" Junhee asked.

"I'll take care of him for you," Dasom said.

Junhee couldn't help but let out a small laugh. "Would you?"

"Of course! A guy should know to respect any women's decision, including yours!" Dasom exclaimed. She leaned closer. "If he really doesn't listen, then I'll bring Byunghun to teach him a lesson."

"But Byunghun needs his hands and legs for sports."

"But Taemin is so scrawny."

"Who's scrawny?"

The two girls looked up and saw Taemin frowning at them while Jieun, who stood besides him, giggled.

"We were just talking about you!" Dasom said, not even trying to hide the fact that she had called him scrawny. He scowled while Jieun happily took her seat. "Anyway, why are you here?"

"Actually, there's a guy who wants to talk to you," Taemin said, pointing at the front of the class.

All four turned and saw Niel standing at the door way with a blank face. However, once his eyes met Junhee's, he smiled charmingly and waved. Junhee, feeling a little heavy-hearted, forced a smile and gave him a small wave back.

"Ew, is that him? Creepy," Dasom muttered.

"But he's really sweet," Junhee said. "I just wish that we were friends. I'm not romantically interested in him."

"He needs to get a hint and move on," Dasom said. "You need to be firm and mean with guys like him."

"But he's a really good friend—"

"Junhee, that's what all guys want you to think," Dasom said, rolling her eyes, "but in the end, they're like wolves."

"Thanks for considering me to be a beast," Taemin said sarcastically.

"A scrawny beast," Dasom muttered.

Before Taemin had the chance to say anything, Dasom dashed away, leaving him completely dumbfounded. He scoffed and pointed at the direction she left while Jieun stifled a laugh. 

"Can you believe her?" Taemin cried out.

"Don't be so hard on her," Junhee said with a smile. She glanced at the door. "By the way, can you tell him to come later?"

"Sure." Taemin paused. "Is he bothering you by any chance?"

"The poor thing is going gaga over Junhee, and she can't figure out a nice way to let him down," Jieun informed him.

"Oh. That ."

"Is that all you can say?" Junhee asked, a little offended.

"What else should I say?"

"You should say that you're willing to beat him up with your scrawny little arms if he bothers her," Jieun teased.

"You guys are going to keep this up for the rest of the year, aren't you?" Taemin asked.

"This isn't going to die," Jieun agreed, nodding her head.

He sighed. "Well, I'll let him know. I hope you talk to him soon, though."

"I know," Junhee said. "I won't hesitate to reject him. I'll make it clear during lunch." Taemin nodded his head and left. As he turned away, Junhee's eyes glanced at the empty desk besides her. Her eyes softened as she muttered in a quiet voice, "I know…"

Chanyeol found himself in the art room all day, painting over the canvas with random colors. Before he knew it, school was already over and the sun began to set behind the orange clouds. The paint slathered on the canvas, overlapping or mixing with other colors. He was half-dazed and half-depressed, mainly because he kept thinking about what Niel had told him.

A confession, Chanyeol thought. He stopped painting, freezing with the brush touching the canvas. I never even thought about that.

He had expected that—during the days he had a crush on Jieun—she would naturally come to fall in love with him just like he did. He had always thought that with Junhee's help, he would achieve the romance that he had desired with Jieun. It was beyond his expectations that he would love Junhee later on. He wasn't sure when, but knowing that Junhee could possibly belong to some other man didn't mix with his emotions.

Besides, there was no reason for Junhee to reject Niel. He had something that Chanyeol could probably never have, and that was a share of interest in music. While Chanyeol did enjoy music time to time, he never actually got involved and tried to go deeper into the subject. Likewise, Junhee always seemed happier around Niel. Her face would always light up differently from whenever she was around him.

There was absolutely no reason for her to refuse Niel's confession. It was a subject that already had an answer that didn't need any further thoughts.

A sharp pain stabbed his chest. His fingers curled, clenching his shirt while he tried to swallow. Even gulping down his saliva hurt his throat.

Everything just hurts, he thought dully. He hung his head low and looked down at his feet. It just hurts.

"Oh." Chanyeol looked over his shoulder and saw Jieun enter the room. "You were here? Why didn't you go to class? Well, I need to grab some supplies for Hyunwoo, so I'll be gone soo—Are you crying?"

"H-Huh?" Chanyeol touched his cheeks, noticing that tears her streaming down his eyes. Embarrassed, he quickly wiped away the tears with his sleeves. "M-Me? Cry? Ha! That's absurd—"

"You know, Junhee is with Niel right now," Jieun said, giving him a small look. She noticed him tense up. "What are your thoughts on that?"

"T-Thoughts? Should I even have t-thoughts about this?" he asked nervously.

"I thought you liked her," she said. He kept quiet. She sighed. "I'm disappointed."

"That I didn't confess before him?" he asked.

"That you're still pitying yourself for doing nothing because you chose to do nothing," Jieun said.

His fingers curled up into a fist. "It's not that easy to confess…"

"'I love you.'"

He widened his eyes and stared at her. "W-What—"

"'I love you,'" she repeated. "Is it really hard to say those words?"

"Well, they're not just words—"

"It's just three words," she argued.

"But those three words carry so much feelings, so much emotions!" he exclaimed. "Carelessly waving those words towards someone is cruel!"

"It is, but you mean it, right? You would mean it if you said those words to Junhee, right?" she asked.

He looked away. "I'm perfectly fine with how things are right now."

"That's a huge lie."

"How would you know?"

"Because you wouldn't have cried," she pointed out. He remained extra quiet. "I know how much you love Junhee, Chanyeol. What's pulling you back?"

"…She might think I'm unloyal," he said quietly. "I mean, I basically told her that I liked you a lot and she still thinks that I like you."

"Why aren't you telling her that she's wrong?"

"She'll think that I waver too easily. Maybe I do, I don't know. I'm not very confident in myself," he admitted. "I mean, I tell her that I loved her best friend, and now I tell her that I love her? It's outrageous!"

"Love is always an outrageous thing," Jieun said. She grabbed the supplies she needed before smiling at him. "Isn't that what makes love something so precious? The outrageousness in love makes every relationship special."

Chanyeol paused, then broke into a small smile. "I'm glad that you were my first love, Jieun."

She laughed. "Too bad that I belong to Hyunwoo!"

The door opened. The two looked up and saw that Junhee was standing at the doorway. She stood at the doorway for a long time, staring at the two for quite some time.

Hold it, Junhee told herself as she analyzed the situation. Jieun and Chanyeol are in the same room. The vibe seems good. She could feel something tug her heart. Oh. I'm ruining a good moment between them.

Chanyeol, on the other hand, turned bright red and cleared his throat. "J-J-Junhee!"

She stared down at the floor before letting out a fake laugh. "Oh, sorry! I must be in the wrong room. I'll leave."

Before Junhee turned, Jieun called out her name: "Junhee!"

"H-Huh?"

"How did things go with Niel?" Jieun asked.

"O-O-Oh… I rejected him like I said," Junhee mumbled. Chanyeol left his shoulder become lighter. "He's disappointed so we're going to put some distance now…but he wished the best for my music…" She turned. "I-I'm leaving first, okay?"

With that, she dashed away, leaving the two alone in the art room.

Chanyeol let out a sigh of relief. He smiled a little, happy to know that Junhee had properly rejected Niel. Just as he was about to relax in his chair, Jieun made a small cough, catching his attention.

"You okay?" he asked.

"You know… She saw us alone in the art room," Jieun said slowly, looking elsewhere.

"So?"

"We were alone. We were laughing."

"What's your point?"

She let out a frustrated groan. "Look, if you saw Niel and Junhee alone and laughing in the music room, how would you feel?"

"That she is having a good time with him."

"Alright, now imagine that Junhee told you that she had a crush on Niel. Now how would you feel?"

"That there's something going on between her and him—" Chanyeol widened his eyes. "Oh."

He got up, ready to chase after her. However, Jieun stopped him by blocking his way at the door. He glared at her, ready to ask her why she was suddenly getting in his way. However, Jieun gave him a serious look.

"With how you are right now, I don't think I can leave Junhee with you," Jieun said honestly.

"Weren't you rooting for me?" he asked.

"If it's like that, then Junhee and I merely switched positions in your head. If you keep up with that kind of thought process, then there's no way that Junhee will be happy," Jieun pointed out. "What are you going to do different? What are you going to do to actually keep her happy?"

Chanyeol clenched his jaws. "I'll…I'll tell her how I feel!"

"Promise?"

"I promise. I swear my life on it."

Jieun smirked. She stepped aside and gave him a hard push out the door. Chanyeol looked at her for a few seconds before breaking into a small smile. Instead of saying another word, he turned around and ran off, hoping to find Junhee in time.

Ah… Junhee owes me big time, Jieun thought. As she turned away to walk in the opposite direction, her face lightened up when she saw Hyunwoo walking towards her. "Hyunwoo!"

"What took you so long?" he asked, scowling.

"You see, there was this poor kid who had a crush on me, and I—"

"Enough. I don't want to listen to it," he said. He stared at the supplies she was carrying before extending his hand. "Give me half."

Jieun felt her heart squeeze as she handed him half of the supplies. "You know, Hyunwoo, I really like it when you're jealous."

"…Shut up," he murmured, looking away. She giggled and walked besides him, heading back to the classroom.

How pathetic, Junhee thought. She heaved a sigh and leaned her back against the building. Then, she closed her eyes and stared at the reddened sky. I just hope Chanyeol isn't too angry at me for interrupting the mood. Her eyes softened. But if he was at school, then why didn't he go to class…?

"Did you get rejected?"

Junhee turned to her side and saw Niel walking towards her. "Oh, Niel. You didn't go home?"

"I'm not really in the mood to go home right away after being rejected by the girl I like," Niel said, chuckling.

"I'm sorry. You're a good kid, Niel," Junhee said, giving him a weak smile.

"I know, I know. I don't blame you, though. I kind of figured that I didn't have a chance," Niel told her. "I already knew that you liked Chanyeol."

She turned bright red. "H-H-How?"

"You start noticing these things, especially when it's about someone you like," Niel explained. "Anyway, I thought you were going to confess to Chanyeol right after rejecting me. Did that not go well?"

She weakly looked at the ground. "I saw him with my friend. The mood between them was really good, so I decided to just leave. I'm being foolish, aren't I?"

"Yeah," Niel said, not sugar-coating his words. "You really are a fool."

For not confessing, that is, he thought. I already know that Chanyeol really likes you.

"I'm beginning to doubt myself. Do I really want to like Chanyeol, or should I give up?" she wondered aloud.

"Naturally, I would tell you to give up and reconsider me," Niel said, "but I don't think you'd listen to that, right?"

Junhee chuckled. "Yep. That doesn't seem like a good idea to me."

"I figured," he said, smiling.

A second later, Chanyeol appeared from the corner of the building.

"Junhee!" he exclaimed, panting for air. Junhee widened her eyes.

"C-Chanyeol?" she stuttered.

"Junhee, I need to talk to you!" Chanyeol said eagerly.

Niel, sensing that something was going to happen, began to turn around. "Well, see you next time, Junhee."

Junhee turned to him for a brief second. "Oh, Niel—"

"I hope you continue to write music. I love your music the best," Niel said, smiling. He glanced at Chanyeol, who was glaring at him. Childish.

Niel turned around and began to walk away.

Junhee, feeling nervous with the idea of being alone with Chanyeol, tried to chase after him, but Chanyeol grabbed her wrist, preventing her from running away. Her heart began to race from the skin contact. She struggled a bit, but Chanyeol firmly held onto her.

"C-C-Chanyeol," she stuttered, turning bright red. "T-This isn't like you. Let me go. I-I need to talk to Niel—"

"No," Chanyeol said. "I'm not letting you go."

She could feel heat rise up to her cheeks. "W-What? Chanyeol, don't say something like that! You'll cause a misunderstanding—"

"I'm not trying to cause a misunderstanding."

"A-Are you mistaking me for Jieun by any chance?"

"No, I'm not," Chanyeol said, growing frustrated by the second. "I'm not going to let you go and chase after Niel."

Her legs felt weak. "W-Why? You like Ji—"

"Because I like you!"

His voice roared up to the sky, stating his confession loud and clear for the world to hear. Chanyeol panted as he tightened his grip around Junhee's wrist. Junhee stared at him with wide eyes, completely in disbelief. She was sure that he was only kidding around until she realized how red his cheeks were. She stood still, stunned, and only managed a small gulp as her cheeks burned with heated passion.

"I really…really like you," Chanyeol confessed.

"Y-You're lying," Junhee stuttered. "Y-You like J-J-Jieun—"

"No," he stated firmly. He looked straight into her eyes. "I like you. I like you, Junhee. I like Choi Junhee."

Junhee felt her knees buckle. Was this really happening? Was the guy she liked actually confessing to her? Was this reality?

"I-I don't believe you," she said, biting her tongue. "I mean, you really liked Jieun."

"I liked her," he admitted. He slowly loosened his grip around her wrist and cupped her hands instead. "But I have a change of heart. Actually, I've had a crush on you for a while, but I could never say anything because you always mentioned Jieun."

Junhee bit her bottom lip before she slapped his chest. Chanyeol let out a small chuckle while he rubbed the back of his head.

"i know, I know. I'm a jerk," he said. He widened his eyes when she threw her arms around his waist. "J-J-Junhee? You ok—"

"Yeah," Junhee said, cutting him off. She closed her eyes and squeezed him a bit tighter. "You definitely are a jerk."

Chanyeol laughed before embracing her. "I'm sorry. I'll try to be less jerk-ish."

Junhee buried her face in his chest. "You better."