For: summerdust

Partner: Block B's Zico

Feel free to request again~

"Come on, Zico. That girl was totally checking you out!"

Zico sighed and set his backpack down on the table. "Who wouldn't check me out?" He smirked.

Joyce rolled her eyes. "Of course. I forgot how conceited you were."

Zico frowned. "I am not conceited. Just a little arrogant."

Joyce raised a brow, "And that's better in what way?"

Zico rolled his eyes and opened the math textbook. "Are you going to tutor me, or nah?"

Joyce chuckled and leaned forward to look at the section. "Okay, so this whole chapter is about optimization and related rates."

Zico rested his chin on the palm of his hand and gazed at her concentrated face. He mentally traced her face with a glint of adoration in his eyes. The way her eyelashes naturally curled to compliment her hazel brown eyes, her tall nose bridge that held all her freckles, her pink lips that resembled cherries. All of this made his heart flutter.

"...is the area in this situation?"

Zico soflty gazed at her until she flicked him on the forehead. "Ow!" He pouted and rubbed his forehead.

Joyce sighed, "Are you going to pay attention, or not? This is why you're failing all of your classes." With a shake of her head, she immediately went back to explaining the concepts, occasionally glancing back at him to make sure he was listening.

The next day, they were sitting on the grass area near the girls' dormitory with bubble tea in their hands.

"Ooh! What about her?" Joyce pointed to a girl who was wearing a mini skirt and high heels. Zico grimaced. "No."

"Her?" She pointed to a girl with a messy bun and sweats, lazily dragging her flip flops along the ground. Zico made a face, "Nope."

Joyce looked around and spotted a petite, pretty girl with long brown locks. "Her?" Zico shook his head. "Nope."

Joyce sighed. "If you reject all the girls out there in the world, you're never going to get a girlfriend! You're going to die alone!"

It's because I'm waiting for a girl to like me back. Zico frowned, "Look who's talking! You say no to every boy who has the hots for you! You're going to die alone too." He stuck his tongue out at her. He suddenly thought of an idea and smiled, leaning closer to her face.

"Why don't we just marry each other? I mean, you reject every boy who approaches you and no girl catches my eye." He wiggled his eyebrows. "We should just be togethe- Ow!" Zico rubbed his head and glared at her.

Joyce rolled her eyes. "Think before you talk, Zico. We're never going to be together." She turned away to hide her disappointed face.

Zico's smile faltered. He slowly went back and sat down. He knew the reason they couldn't be together, but a boy can still dream, right?

Zico walked across the campus to the girls' dormitory to return Joyce's calculator to her. On the way, he passed by her group of friends who were at a table, chit-chatting about who knows what. But as he got closer, his eyebrows furrowed.

"It's a hopeless love. I mean, they're step-siblings by law now. They can never be together." The friend with the braces sighed, and another one spoke up, "I don't get it. I mean she likes him! She should just confess."

"What did you just say?"

The friends all looked up and gasped when they saw Zico standing over them. "H-Hey, Zico. Are you looking for-"

"Joyce. You guys were talking about Joyce, right?"

They all gulped. "Aha, funny story."

Zico quickly walked down the hallway of the fourth floor of the girls' dormitory. Other girls gasped and whispered as he literally fast-walked down the hall.

"Aren't boys not allowed in here?"

"How did he even get in?"

Zico ignored their comments and didn't stop until he was at the end of the hall, in front of room 421.

His breathing was ragged. He knocked on the door, impatiently waiting for Joyce to answer.

"Kate? I thought you'd be back by- Zico?!" Joyce's jaws dropped as Zico walked past her into the dorm. "Oh my gosh, Zico! What are you doing here? If the administraters find out you'll-"

"Why didn't you tell me?"

Joyce furrowed her brows. "Why didn't I tell you what?"

Zico's breathes finally went back to normal. He stood right in front of her and searched her eyes. "You like me."

Joyce's breath hitched and she was at a loss of words. Zico sighed. "Why didn't you tell me that you liked me?"

"I-I..."

"Since when?"

Joyce looked away. "Since high school."

Zico closed his eyes and flared his nostrils. "And you didn't tell me? When were you planning on telling me?" He held her shoulders.

"Never." She barely whispered it loud enough for him to hear. Zico scoffed, "Why-"

"Because we can't be together!" Joyce's eyes were welled up with tears when she looked into his eyes. Zico's grip on her shoulders loosened as he staggered backwards.

"I was planning on telling you after we graduated high school. But then my mom said that she's marrying your dad and....And she looked so happy. She was finally genuinely smiling again and. And I just didn't know what to do anymore."

Zico looked at her with an expression that was unreadable.

Joyce suddenly felt humiliated. She wasn't in front of a crowd, just Zico, her best friend. But she was embarrassed. She felt pathetic.

She opened again to speak but was cut off. Zico swiftly brought her into his arms and gently squeezed her. His voice was calm. "Who said that we can't be together?"

Joyce could only wait for him to continue. "Who said that we can't be together just because our parents are married to each other? No one will care. I like you, Joyce Lee. And I'm not letting our parents' marriage come between us."

He slightly leaned back to look into her eyes. His eyes were soft, gentle. "Do you know how long I've felt the same way?"

Joyce's heart fluttered as he leaned in and pressed his full lips on hers. She immediately melted into the kiss and wrapped her arms around his neck. Zico pulled away, breathing ragged again. He smiled and curled a loose strand of hair behind her ear, admiring her beauty.

"Heck, I'll even sign papers to leave my family line to be with you."

Joyce laughed and sniffled. "I love you, Woo Zico."

Zico smiled back and pecked her nose. "I love you more."