Chapter Ten: Change
(A/N: edited.)

Plain and ordinary. That is how I usually describe myself when being asked by people. I always tell myself I am nothing but a plain girl, a wallflower that sets herself apart from everyone. I was never noticed and I have been comfortable with that. The idea of someone taking notice of me was quite impossible in my opinion. Yes, I am pretty sure I am not ugly, no one is, but I don’t really have the enough wit and beauty to be a level to anyone’s liking. “This is a joke.” I told Eun Mi and In Hye whose eyes were gleaming at me. “You’re trying to play a prank on me again.”

“Hell no.” Eun Mi defensed, “Why would we even do that? We like pranks but not this kind.”

In Hye nodded. I sighed as I sat on my chair and took a hold of the rose. “Someone must have left this yesterday.”

 “Oh, come on.” In Hye giggled, pinching my cheeks as she pushed me to sit down on my chair. “Can you see how crisp the petals are? It looks like it was freshly picked from a garden, and look at the tag, it shouts Hye Soo in your face.” I looked at the stem and it was true, my name was pretty visible that In Hye and Eun Mi would read it afar. I looked around, trying to see if there are guilty faces who would look at me, but no one did- everyone was back to their own groups gossiping and playing around. Just like any other people, if you are not within their circle, you won’t get noticed unless you’re pretty, or you did something worth the attention. Not that I care about that, I care about who placed this rose on my table. “How do you feel?” In Hye asked. “How does it feel to have a secret admirer?”

“I don’t feel anything.” I told them, “I’m not even sure if he’s an admirer or what, he’s creepy for leaving this here. Having a secret admirer is something that I don't really fancy."

"A~ you got no jams." Eun Mi mocked. "Of all the people I knew, you are the only who doesn't find a secret admirer romantic."

"Secret admirer sounds like a stalker to me." I said, watching Jungkook as he entered the room cooly. He saw me then the rose I was holding. I gave him a slight smile, assured that this time he won't ignore it, after all we are partners for the competition.

He turned to me and said, "I can't attend to our practice later."

"Why?" Was all I got to say, his hyungs excused him from all their meetings and bro dates for the whole three weeks then why does he have to not attend? Not that I know where he always go or something.

"I have to go home early," he said.

I nodded, maybe they have a family dinner, which is nice. Family bondings will help him adjust and go back to his old persona. I looked back at the rose and lift it up to try and smell it, I don't really think roses have scent, because whenever I try to smell it there is nothing that I can smell. Is it because I have no sense of smell when it comes to flowers? "Hye Soo! Since Jungkook and you aren't going to practice today, maybe we should go to the mall and buy you something for the competition." In Hye suggested.

"Buy something this early?" I asked in a wary tone.

"Don't be dumb, we're going to transform you. You know, buy make up and try few dresses." Eun Mi said.

Of all the things they had to suggest, transforming me was the worst idea. Personally, I think nothing will really change to my face when I put make up. It will only give me darker eyelash and stuff, but I don't it makes me beautiful, at some point. Though I really enjoy putting make up and watching beauty tutorials on the internet.

"I have work." I excused.

"Jimin will got you covered." Eun Mi said confidently. "Come on, this is going to be fun." She then turned to Jungkook and asked, "Do you have to really stay at your house for a very long time? I think it would be best if the two of you should go together and try clothes."

"What's the sense of telling me he can't attend if you're going to ask him to still come over?" I said in a sarcastic tone, a little hesitant with the idea of this whole feminine thing and make Jungkook see the results. It's seriously embarrassing for me the idea of a man seeing your new look compared to your previous look.

Jungkook chuckled and said, "Hye Soo's right. Just pick for me and we'll see if it matches."

"Oh my, Jungkook smiled." In Hye said, fanning herself. "That was the cutest thing ever after a few years, I have to look away and think of my precious moments with Namjoon oppa."

We all laughed as she turned away from us. She's slightly over reacting but she did not when she said Jungkook's smile was the cutest thing ever.

...

I went to my locker before meeting In Hye and Eun Mi at dismissal and I saw something that I never thought I would see in my locker- a tulip. It was slightly tied on my locker's knob. This time, the unknown man got it right. Romantic or not, I have always fancied tulips because they are simply beautiful. Yes, rose may be a simple yet elegant flower, but for me a tulip is pure and simple. It looks plain but you have to appreciate it that way. It is very delicate, just how I can describe my inner self. I may look tough on the outside, fighting for everyone's good but deep inside I can be very fragile and needs care as well. I untied the ribbon, which has a small piece of paper rolled, and held it with care. I opened the piece of paper and I read what was written.

You're beautiful.

That was flattering but I still can't push away the fact that he is someone that I don't know, or if he is someone that I know, he still doesn't get my trust because his identity is unknown to me. I rolled the piece of paper and placed it in my pocket, hopefully I won't forget it and won't get included in my laundry. "Hey."

I turned to see Jungkook, standing a few feet away from me. He looked at the tulip in my grasp and the rose that was on my bag. His forehead slightly creased, "You received another one?"

I nodded, getting my attention back to my locker to get the books I needed for assignments. He leaned on the row of lockers beside mine and crossed his arm, "How do you feel about getting flowers?"

"What do you mean?" I asked, closing my locker. I took off my bag and was about to place it on the floor so that I can comfortably place the books in my bag when Jungkook held it. I looked at him and he shrugged. I looked back at my bag as I warily placed the book inside. I then placed the tulip beside the rose that was placed on my bag's pocket. I zipped my bag close and took it from him, "Thank you, aren't you going home yet?"

"You haven't answered my question." He told me. Placing my bag on my back, I started to walk, with him walking by my side.

"I think it's fine?" I answered. "I mean getting a flower is no big deal, at least for me. I never received flowers from someone."

"Really?" He blurted, "This is your first time?"

I nodded. He looked away as he placed his hands in his pockets, "That is why."

"What?" I turned to him.

"You seem to find it very weird to get a flower, more like you never looked excited with the idea of having an admirer."

"I am stuck between not liking the idea and unsure of what I should feel." I sighed, "It's not that we are close or something for me to tell you this, but I never felt something that would be compared to romance."

He chuckled in disbelief, "Are you telling me you never fell in love? Liked someone? Had a crush?"

"Does liking an idol count?" I asked him with the most innocent look I could ever give him, when his face frowned, I laughed at him, "Aren't we too young to like someone? I have a crush before but I never thought of him as someone as my potential boyfriend. I read books and watch romantic drama and movies, I feel happy watching them, imagining I am the female lead, but is it something that you would really feel when you like someone? Or when you fall in love, perhaps?"

"You would feel much more than that. Reality will always be better than imaginations." He said. Realizing that we were almost by the entrance gate where my friends were waiting, I smiled at him and said, "We just had the most awkward conversation, didn't we?"

He showed me his wide grin and nodded. "It's awkward because I'm a man and you're too innocent with those kind of things. You should know it by now, knowing that someone is starting to show their fondness over you."

I rolled my eyes, "Do I have to find it out? I think it would be better if he shows me. Real love can't be as easy as searching a word on the Internet. As you said, reality is beyond better than imagination."

We went quiet for a while as he stopped to look at me. Then he raked his hair with his hand, looking like he had a mental breakdown, "You sounded like you knew a lot about love at the moment."

"You started this conversation, you're disgusting." I told him in a mocking tone as we walked towards In Hye and Eun Mi.

"Now we know who took you so long." In Hye said, looking impatient.

"I told you we shouldn't really do this." I pouted, "We can always do this next time, or a week before the event."

Eun Mi and In Hye clung on my arms as they looked at Jungkook, "We'll bring her back to you tomorrow. Bye!"

"Hey, that doesn't sound nice!" I groaned as I tried to turn back and looked at Jungkook, who was watching us leave. He was smiling and gestured his hand for me to look in front. I followed and started chatting with the girls as we waited for a cab.

…

The first thing that we did was to go to the department store and head to the cosmetics section. These two girls were practically dragging me right now because I’ve no idea where and what to buy the best, though I have been here before and have bought my own stash of girl stuff. We arrived in the stall where they sell mineral cosmetics that is ‘really good for the skin’ as what I heard