Author’s Note: Until mentioned, the chapters will now all be from the past (before Jiae died).

Mino ran his fingers through his hair in frustration. He looked over at his best friends, Jiho and Jihoon (better known as P.O.), and saw that they were just as annoyed as he was. They were all going through their first writer’s block and not being able to write decent rap lyrics were messing with their head.

Jiho looked up from his notebook and met eyes with Mino, “Nothing?” Mino nodded and growled, “Maybe it’s because P.O. and I are about to start high school tomorrow. Maybe this is a sign that we should quit school and just stick to rapping.”

Jihoon laughed in his deep voice, “I wish but I’m pretty sure our parents would kill us.” Mino sighed for the thousandth time and tilted his head back.

“Speaking of starting high school, my little sister, is going to be in your class. Can you guys look after her and make sure nothing bad happens to her?” Jihoon and Mino nodded in agreement, not really paying attention to anything but the possible lyrics that they wrote in their heads.

Jiho grabbed his backpack and slung it over his shoulder, “I’ll see you guys tomorrow. I have to get going or else Jiseok hyung will have my head.” The two boys could hear Jiho saying goodbye to Jihoon’s mother as he left the Pyo’s home (Author’s Note: Jihoon/P.O.’s last name is Pyo).

“Don’t you have to leave, too?” Jihoon lazily looked over at Mino who was scowling at his notebook.

Mino looked at his watch and nodded, “I should. I’ll see tomorrow, bro.” Mino rushed out of his friend’s house and to his own, continuously coming up with lyrics that were awful and substandard.

Mino fixed his red, black, and white tie as he ran through the school gates as they were about to close. He doubled over to catch his breath and saw Jihoon laughing at him.

“Almost late on the first day, huh? You’re such a loser!” Mino glared at his best friend and quickly caught up with him as he made his way into the building.

Jihoon and Mino played around as they found their homeroom. They weren’t able to sit next to each other but were still close enough to where they could talk. The seats began to be filled in slowly and the room was a loud jungle.

The sound of the door opening abruptly caused the students to quiet down. Jiho walked in and looked around before he looked over his shoulder. He rolled his eyes and walked back towards the door.

Mino and Jihoon looked at each other in confusion. Why was their friend, who was supposed to be in a class a year above them, in their homeroom?

Jiho walked back in, dragging a pretty looking girl behind him. He let go of her wrist and let her follow him. She sat down in the desk right behind Mino before Jiho handed her one of the two backpacks he was carrying.

“Be good and listen to the teacher really well. Pay attention and don’t let anyone give you crap. Oppa will see you after each class, okay? I’ll stop by during lunch and we can eat together. Have fun on your first day, baby sister.” He gave her a brotherly kiss on the head before tousling her hair.

He looked at Mino and Jihoon with a serious expression before stepping out of the room, “Look after my little sister. If something happens to her under your watch, I’ll kill you.”

Mino and Jihoon looked at Jiae who was calmly getting her books and pencil case out. She froze for a moment before looking up. She brightly smiled at Mino as she stuck her hand out, “Hi, it’s nice to meet you” she stared at his nametag, “Song Minho.”

Hesitantly, he placed his hand in hers and shook it. He wondered if she really was Jiho’s sister. She looked softer expression-wise and she seemed friendlier unlike Jiho and his older brother.

Jiae turned towards Jihoon was sat in the desk in the next row. She greeted him just as cheerfully as she did with Mino. She went back to getting her things ready for class while the two friends looked at each other, not knowing how to react.

Just as Jiho had promised, he stopped by after every class to check up on Jiae. And when lunchtime rolled around, Jiho shooed Jiae’s desk partner away and sat next to his sister. Mino and Jihoon sat next to each other and watched Jiho turn into a cuddly brother. They had never seen their older friend act so adorably or sweet to anyone before.

“Did you make any friends yet?’Jiae shook her head with full cheeks. Jiho frowned and glowered at his friends. He looked back at Jiae who was still chewing, “These two aren’t your friends?” He pointed to Mino and Jihoon.

Jiae shrugged as she swallowed, “I’m not really sure. We introduced ourselves but that’s it. We haven’t had a chance to actually talk because of class.” Jiho looked at Mino, “I thought that you would at least be friends with Mino by now. You two sit so close to each other.” Jiho petted Jiae’s hair as she shoveled more food into .

She swallowed enough of the food in the talk without spitting, “Well, the day isn’t over yet. If he wants, we can probably be friends by the end of the school day. What about you, oppa? Have you made any new friends yet?”

Jiho scoffed, “I’m too cool to be friends with those losers in my class.” He flinched as Jiae lightly punched his arm.

“Don’t be mean. Be nice to your classmates or else I’m going to tell Jiseok oppa that you’re being a bully.” At the threat, Jiho muttered that he wouldn’t be mean anymore. Jiae smiled at her brother and then at Mino and Jihoon.

“My oppa is silly, isn’t he?” Mino knew that the two of them could be great friends. He had never met anyone, other than his parents and older brother, who could hit Jiho or have some sort of control over him. And from that moment on, in Mino’s eyes, she seemed like an awesome girl.

Mino saw more and more of Jiae after befriending her on the first day. She hung out with the three of them often but at other times, she was with her own friends. And every time he saw her, he found her more interesting and fascinating than the last time he saw her. It was weird to say the least because Jihoon saw her as a little sister while Mino just saw as something else. She wasn’t like a sister or friend. She was something different but he just didn’t know what.

It wasn’t until a snowy day where he realized that Jiae had captured more than just his attention.

Jiae and Mino had been assigned to work on an assignment together. They decided to stay after school and work on a majority of the assignment in the library. Other students, who had also decided to work in the library, left pair by pair and after a few hours, they were the only two left.

When they finished a good amount of the written portion, they decided to pack up and head home. The moment they stepped outside, they saw snowflakes drifting down ever so slowly. Mino chuckled as Jiae brightened up and excitedly tried to catch snow in the palms of her hands.

As the two of them walked home, which was in the same direction, they conversed and laughed. They joked around and shared a few secrets. It had been the first time they ever had a moment alone, just the two of them.

Mino watched her talked animatedly. He watched her laugh in such a carefree manner. He watched her slowly transform into a woman right before his eyes. His heart began to beat slowly and everything around him seemed to be moving in slow motion as she looked up at him with that charming smile of hers.

In that very moment, she had stolen his heart.

“Hey, do you want to go get something to eat? I’m kind of hungry.” She rubbed her stomach as she laughed.

Mino obliged and she led him to one of her hidden hideouts: a small, old-fashioned bread shop. The kind where older people used to hang out or have their blind dates. It was hidden away from all the modern cafés and stores.

They sat at a booth table as Mino looked around the place.

An older lady came by and asked for their order after greeting her long-time customer.

“They have the best green tea waffles here. I always get it. Do you want to try it?” Jiae reached into her backpack and pulled out a black marker.

“Sure.” He raised an eyebrow as she wrote on the table next to a bunch of black tick marks.

Mino and Jiae’s first “date”

2009.12.01

Mino blushed at the word “date”. He tried his best to distract himself, “What’s with those tick marks?”

Jiae grinned as she traced over them with her finger, “I drew those. I always sit at this table. I make a tick mark every time I come here. My best friend and I came here all of the time and marked on this exact table before she moved away.”

She looked at Mino and smiled, “You’re the first boy that I’ve brought here. So this can be our special little place and we can a have a bunch of “dates” here.” She chuckled as she used air quotes when she said “dates”.

Mino rubbed the back of his neck shyly at the offer but nodded nonetheless.

When their waffles came out, Jiae’s eyes began to sparkle. Mino stifled his laughter and Jiae looked at him in wonder.

“I’ve never met a girl who likes food as much as you do.”

Jiae’s ever-growing smile grew wider, “I love eating. If I could, I would eat all day long.”

Her smile made Mino smile just as wide. And he hoped that he could come back to the bread shop with her often.