30.

The movie was good.

Just like how Dongwoon had guaranteed. The atmosphere was also good. Dongwoon didn’t mention the mediators like before as if he had learnt a lesson after a few times Min showed her annoyance.

But as they are on the way back to her home, Dongwoon receives a call and after hanging up, he tells his chauffer to turn around to go on the opposite direction. Min questions.

‘Why this way? I thought we were going back to my home?’

'Yup.’ Dongwoon smiles mysteriously. –‘We have another round. Our classmates are gathering.’

A few minutes later, the car pulls up in front of a small restaurant. As Min gets off the car, the noise from inside catches her ears and while she is still hesitant, Dongwoon gently grabs her wrist and pulls her with him. Flipping aside the curtain, Min is welcomed by such familiar faces. Hani – the class monitor – is sitting next to her boyfriend Minseok and exclaims merrily.

‘Yass, here comes our class’s kick- couple.’

‘What does it mean by kick- couple?’ – Minseok frowns at his girlfriend. –‘ That sounds gross.’

‘Isn’t that right?’ – Daeryeong, another member in Math team laughs. – ‘Son Dongwoon is the number student of our school and Min is the ace of our Math team, how else can they be but kick-?’

‘Oh come on guys’ – Another voice cuts off. –‘Can you just let they settle down properly first?’

Immediately, two chairs are pulled to their front. Min doesn’t hurry to settle down, instead, she rolls to eyes to look at the owner of that voice and frightens. No wonder it sounds too much familiar.

Who else but Jiyeon?

And Min just can’t resist herself to glance at Jiyeon’s side. Who else but Myungsoo sitting there. As naturally as nothing happens, which, she means, is that she is going there with Dongwoon’s accompanying.

But on her second thought, it’s not reasonable for him to care about that now. As she is busy glancing at Myungsoo, Jiyeon speaks up with a smile.

‘Take a seat, Min. You’re now no longer the newcomer, you are supposed to be open and friendly with us now.’

Min shifts her gaze to everyone sitting around the round table. From Jiyeon, to Myungsoo, Dongwoon, Hani, Minseok, Daeryeong and others. Sure, it has been long enough for Min not to be called a newcomer so there is no point that she is cautious with them. Yup, all of them, except for Jiyeon. Min just can’t stand the faking smile on her lips as well as those words which she can be sure not to be spoken from the bottom of Jiyeon’s heart.

‘We are classmates so you shouldn’t be that apart from us.’

How faking it is! But even though Min is screaming inside, she has to stop sighing and sits down next to Dongwoon while Hani reminds something Min doesn’t even know.

‘Today is Jiyeon’s birthday. Don’t let her down.’

‘Today’ – Dongwoon raises his voice as Min is still rolling her eyes. –‘is also Min’s birthday.’ – he looks at Min and then the others. –‘So you guys had better not let her down, either.’

Some people widen their eyes at the information. Of course, a part of them doesn’t know that and Min isn’t sure if Myungsoo belong to that part or not. Maybe yes as he shows a stiffing face as Hani nudges his elbow, asking.

‘Ya Kim Myungsoo, why didn’t you tell us about that? She’s your best friend.’

Yeah, best friend. Min sniffs. Right then, Jiyeon interrupts Hani.

‘Hey Hani, he’s my guy. You mustn’t do that in front of me.’

‘Oh come on.’ – Minseok tries to settle down. –‘Let’s eat. The food is getting cold.’

Min unwillingly picks up her chopticks and puts a piece of grilled pork into , chewing. No taste, ah no, there is a dim hint of bitterness. Obviiously not because of the meat, it’s because of how the guy sitting opposite to her across the table is trying to avoid her. How can he change that quickly? Well, now she can understand why he has never had close friends. Nobody wants to befriend with him as he always acts that ignorant.

They order some beers and even though Min can’t drink much, she keeps on drinking. It’s much better to drink than eat, much much better. Min drinks as much as she wants, until she gets drunk and her head falls on Dongwoon’s shoulder.

‘I want to go home.’ She says tiredly.

Everything is spinning around her regardless of her opening or closing her eyes. She just can hear Dongwoon excusing their classmates to leave the party to drive her home. And as she feels like being half-drag-haf-pull to the car, in a blink of second, she hears the familiar voice of Myungsoo – real or not?

‘Hey Son Dongwoon, is she…ok?’

Min tries to open her eyes and look through the car’s window but Dongwoon’s body has blocked the view. Dongwoon says.

‘You need not to worry. I can take care of her.’

‘So, I leave it to you.’

The moment Dongwoon turns around, Min sees the black colour of Myungsoo’s shirt. No one but he wears black at that table. But if it was truly Myungsoo…Min sighs. It’s true that he no longer needs her. Back to a few months ago, prior to the training camp, Myungsoo should have worried about her and volunteered to take her home. But now, he confided all in Dongwoon. Suddenly Min feels like it’s hurting her inside. Ultimately, the moment Myungsoo unintentionally (or intenationally) leaves her to go with Dongwoon and he goes back to Jiyeon, Min is too stunned to realize that her heart is missing a part. A blank part which is supposed to be for Myungsoo.

Dongwoon sits down next to her and closes the door.

‘Take a rest. It’s a long way home.’

Min tiredly fakes a smile. More or less she is thankful that Dongwoon has been with her for the whole night. But she doesn’t say it out. Instead, Dongwoon asks.

‘You must be sad, huh?’

‘About what?’

‘Your best guy friend seems to have abandoned you.’

Min tries to smirk as if she doesn’t care.

‘It’s none of your business, Son Dongwoon ah.’

‘But is it fine that I care?’

‘Forget it.’

Saying so, she turns her face to the other side and closes her eyes, attempts to erase all images about Myungsoo turning his back on her and walking inside the restaurant.

The car stops in front of Soyeon’s house and Dongwoon helps Min get out of the car. Stepping on the first step to the gate, Min turns around and wipes his hand off her shoulders.

‘You should go home now. Thanks a lot for tonight.’

‘You’re this drunk!’ – Dongwoon insists. –‘Just let me help you go inside.’

‘I’m fine. You’d better go home early or your parents would be worried. Go, I can take care of myself.’

Min tries to balance on her feet and lean against the gate, waves at him. Dongwoon throws her a worrying look and after a few seconds, he gets back on his car and drives away. Min gazes at the car until it’s completely gone and she collapses on the step. She can still smell beer in every breath she exhales. Min laughs weakly, wondering how her parents would react to know that their 17-year-old-good-daughter has got this drunk. And she thinks of Myungsoo. He must be sitting with Jiyeon at somewhere cozy, chatting happily without a thought about her. Sure, he has never considered her a real girl. Kim Myungsoo, you’re really a jerk!

Min curses at Myungsoo and from a corner of her eyes, she catches sight of him approaching and sitting down next to her in silence.

‘What are you doing here? Jiyeon needs you!’ Min mocks at him.

If she were sober, she would realize the truth. But she is really drunk and just can’t see that basic difference. That Myungsoo is glowing, which means he is not that one driving her nuts but instead, L.

L seems to be startled at her words but he still tries to be gentle with his mediator.

‘Min ah, it’s cold here. Let’s go inside.’

‘How can I get cold when I’m already cold inside?’

Min begins to spit out everything inside her heart. Usually, drunk people tend to say the truth but what matters here is Min is telling it to the wrong person. She looks around. Snow has gradually stopped falling. There’s snow today, which is supposed to be a special event and she is supposed to feel and experience something warm on her birthday but instead, her heart now is numb and frozen since clearly Myungsoo cares about Jiyeon, only Jiyeon while he can’t see that Min’s the only one that has been good to him ever since.

‘Myungsoo ah… Am I just a normal friend of yours? And there’s only Jiyeon to be special to you?’

‘You…’ – L hesitates.

‘You mean that I’m correct, right?’ – Min laughs bitterly. –‘Yeah, I knew it. Having feeling for someone who is crushing on someone else is really hard. Just can’t understand why I’m keeping an ember of faith on such an impossible thing like that. I truly don’t want to hurt myself but do I really have no chance with you?’

‘Stop it!’ – L cries, interrupting her. –‘I don’t want to listen to that.’

‘You don’t want to hear it? I like you, I really really like you Myungsoo ah! Do you know that?’

As she finishes her words, Min tilt her head to plant a kiss on his lips. Min does not know why she did it, she simply wants to tell the truth some time and that time should be at this moment. Yet it has never been on her mind that Myungsoo - instead of pushing her away - leans closer and reaches out his arms to pull her into his embrace. While on his embrace, Min does feel a familiar coldness but she just puts it down as the weather outside and goes on passionately with the kiss. It is her first kiss ever, she actively gives it to the one she has feeling for and the reply is just amazingly out of her expectation. That is all she needs to feel happy in the first snowing night of the winter this year.

'Why are you here Min?'

A motorbike stops in front of the gate and then comes Doojoon's voice, waking Min up from the heavenly feeling of the kiss and she hastily parts herself from Myungsoo's arns and lips.

'I....'

Min replies with embarrassment, feeling severe headache suddenly strikes her. It is absolutely awkward to be caught kissing a guy right in front of the house. But Doojoon does not seem to care about witnessing Min's kissing Myungsoo. He simply tells her.

'Let's go inside. It is not good to sit here alone in this cold weather.'

Right then it pops up from her mind a question. Alone? What does he mean by alone? Doesn't he see that Myungsoo is also here? Min looks up at him and queries.

'What do you mean by alone?'

'Oh come on' Doojoon turns off the signal light on his motorbike. 'Who else is here but you and me?'

'But Myung...'

Min is about to argue but as she glances to her side, she is horrified to realize the glow surrounding that person. That explains the coldness she felt. Because she kissed the wrong one. She kissed L, whom she has no special feeling for while that kiss was supposed to be for his twin brother Myungsoo!

So what was the point in his kissing her back?

Min stammers. 'No way!'

And she collapses on the ground, fainting.