Passing Time, 10 years ago

"The love alarm was the top searched word today!"

"Did you get it?"

"Of course!"

"Why'd you get it? No one would like you anyway."

"Today is the day you die."

"Come on, ring!"

"Ha. In your dreams."

"Will it ring better in the class or in the hallway?"

"It doesn't ring depending on where you are, you idiot."

All anyone can talk about is the Love Alarm.

"Daebak. Everyone's talking about the Love Alarm." I murmur to Yoona.

"You know, this is the only app that has no manual." `she says.

"What? Then how do you know how to use it?"

"Look. Someone anonymous on the internet is posting tips on how to use it.

The only official thing known about the Love Alarm app is that if someone attracted to you comes within 10 meters, your phone will ring.

This person looks at things that people wrote on the internet about the Love alarm and came up with a few conclusions.

First, attraction means a dating attraction, not a friendship attracttion."

I laugh. "It's so cool that the app can see the difference."

"I know, right?

The love alarm also makes sure the person likes you for real.

Like if someone was only using you for money.

The app wouldn't ring."

"I can see why the app would help."

"Also, this is really obvious, but if a lot of people are around you, you can't really know who made yours ring."

"Yeah, I know."

"But get this. If you stick together with your friends, there's no wawy for your crush to know if you like him."

"Oh, so that's why so many girls and boys have been with their friends all day!"

"Yeah. I guess even though they want to know who likes them, they don't want people to know who they like."

I'm about to reply to Yoona when Junhyung waves at me from across the hallway.

"Ji-Eun!" He yells.

"Oh, uh, hi, Junhyung." I smile at him.

"I wish you had a smartphone. Then we could ring each others' alarm." He says.

I freeze, but plaster a smile on my face.

"Yeah, totally. I... kinda have to go. Sorry." I walk faster.

I know it's horrible, but my only thought is that I'm glad I don't have a smartphone.

I don't think I could ring Junhyung's alarm.

I like him.

I do.

But...

As a friend.

I don't know...has 

I bang my head with my book.

Yoona bursts out laughing.

"You okay?" Yoona asks me.

"Yeah." I smile sheepishly.

Sunmi walks past us, then looks at me and asks "Ji-Eun, do you have the Love Alarm app?"

"No, why?"

"Oh, because Junhyung's rang. I was just wondering if it was you who rang it."

His alarm rang?

Same time, downstairs hallway

"Suzy, how many times has your Love Alarm rang?" Min asks.

"Hmmm? Oh, I don't know. I turned it off because the noise was bothering me." Suzy answers nonchalanty.

"Lucky. You have everything. Looks, body, boys..." Fei stares enviously.

Suzy smiles.

RING!

A love alarm rings.

'Finally.' Suzy thinks and looks down at her phone.

Nothing's there.

"Oh my god, mine rang!" Jia squeals.

'No way.' Suzy thinks.

'No way in hell that hers rung.'

Suzy looks around.

'There are so many boys.'

But...

'Mine hasn't even rung once.'

RING! RING! RING! RING! RING! RING! RING! RING! RING! RING! RING! RING!RING! RING!

"Oh my god, 16 rings!"

"IT'S THEM!" A girl squeals.

"Oh my god!"

"L is so hot."

"L.Joe is hotter."

"No, Sungjong is the HOTTEST."

"No effin way that any of them are hotter than Myungsoo oppa."

Upstairs hallway again

"Why is it so loud?" I wonder.

"Guess what, guys?" Seohyun runs down the stairs, her eyes shining.

"What?"

"The princes arrived!"

"The whats?"

Yoona looks at me like I'm stupid.

"The princes. Infinite. Teen top. Ring a bell?"

"Oh,  yeah. The models."

"No, not the models, the model. Singular."

"Huh?"

"L is the only model. The others are hot, but not that hot."

I scoff.

"Oh, come on. How hot can they be?"

Seohyun looks wounded.

"HAVE YOU SEEN THEM?"

I shake my head.

Yoona whips out her phone.

'Kim Myung Soo' she types.

Then she shoves her phone in my face.

My breath stops.

The first time I've seen his picture.

I know I won't forget t.

Ever.

...

I was climbing down the stairs, looking at Yoona's phone.

Myungsoo was climbing up.

The phone wouldn't stop ringing.

I looked up.

The same face that was on the screen...

Was now right next to me.

And his eyes?

They looked at me...

Like he'd seen me before...

With a strange intensity.

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