It was the day of the battle. Hyesun was heading home with L.Joe, Niel and Ricky by train. It was Hyesun’s idea to take the train so the other three had to agree with her. Apparently, L.Joe was annoyed with the presence of two ‘rascals’.

“Hyesunoona, do you think we can win the battle?” Ricky asked Hyesun as he grabbed her arm, pretending to ignore the fact that he had just interrupted the conversation between L.Joe and Hyesun.

“Why do you even ask the obvious? We obviously can win over those rubbish!” Niel smugly said.

Ricky narrowed his eyes at Niel, “In case if you don’t notice, I’m asking Hyesunoona, not you!”

Before Niel could fight back, L.Joe immediately butted in, “Alright, you two, I suppose this is your stop so might as well get off or do you want to miss the battle tonight?”

Niel gaped as he whacked Ricky’s head, “Oh, it’s already our stop?! You , because of you I don’t even realise it! What worse I might actually have to wait forever—”

Ricky rubbed his head and he was about to shout back before L.Joe had to interrupt once again, “Just get the hell off right now!”

Niel and Ricky quickly scurried off without furthering anything. Hyesun shook her head with a small smile seeing the two.

“So, you going tonight?” L.Joe took the chance to ask the girl.

Hyesun’s smile disappeared from her face hearing L.Joe’s question. She took quite some time to answer him, “I’m not sure yet.”

L.Joe looked disappointed but tried not to look obvious in her eyes, “Why? You got a date or something?”

Hyesun laughed at the word ‘date’, “Nah, I need permission from my cousin sister. She isn’t fond of me going to, well, you know places that won’t really do good.”

The lad nodded his head in understanding, “Oh, I got it. But I really hope you can make it tonight,” he said.

Hyesun smiled, “Hopefully.” Of course I should come. I’m really excited to see your face when your team loses tonight!

∞

That night, Hyesun came by herself. She secretly went to Teen Top who was watching the other team performing. With a smile, she carefully walked to L.Joe and poked his waist which got her a reflex action from L.Joe; he grabbed her hands which resulted her body to be pulled forwards since she wasn’t expecting that. Their bodies collided which sent chills to the girl’s body. And it was the same case for the boy as well.

“You came?” L.Joe asked, still not letting go of her.

“Don’t you like me here?” Hyesun teasingly asked.

“Of course I do. It gives me more energy to perform better than ever,” he playfully replied as he finally let go of her from his hold.

“Right...” the lass shortly retorted.

“Hey, Teen Top, you guys are up within a minute!” a guy appeared as he reminded Teen Top to get ready.

“Shoot. I feel nervous—oh! Hyesun is here too?” Changjo who looked anxious earlier suddenly had a shocked expression on his face.

“Whoa you came! I thought you’d miss our battle!” CAP gave a light smile to the girl.

“Of course I will. I’m so excited to watch you guys!” Hyesun chirped. There’s no way I’m missing the sight of Teen Top losing and looking like a complete group of losers!

“Teen Top, it’s you guys’ turn!” someone shouted from a close distance.

“Wish us luck, Hyesunoona!” Ricky said as Hyesun nodded her head with a smile on her face.

“I’m sure you’ll be so mesmerised by us later,” Niel confidently said which drew small laughter escaping Hyesun’s lips.

Teen Top then started to walk one by one to the stage. L.Joe was the last one to leave and before he left for the stage, he did something which made Hyesun’s heart went flip flop. He kissed her forehead, even though it was short but it managed to make Hyesun freeze in her spot.

“Watch me. Only me,” he told her before following his friends.

Hyesun, who was still frozen for his earlier gesture, only managed to nod her head once L.Joe was already on the stage together with all the Teen Top boys. She gulped as her eyes suddenly met someone’s from the other side of the crowd; L. He didn’t look pleased and clearly looked pissed. His sharp stare made Hyesun broke the eye-contact first because she knew he saw that little thing L.Joe did and he disliked it so much. Hell, dislike was an understatement. L loathed that, she could tell.

Ignoring L’s piercing stare on her, Hyesun remembered what L.Joe told her when her eyes landed on the stage.

Watch me. Only me.

Her eyes then unknowingly made their way to the one who was standing at the right side in front. The music started playing and Teen Top smoothly moved their bodies, following the rhythm. In that 3 minutes-long performance, her eyes were completely glued on L.Joe. And only him. Her sight just wouldn’t move away from looking at him, studying his every move and even smiling back at him when there was a few times where he would look at her and give her a smirk.

Teen Top’s performance was over and they received a crazy amount of applause from the crowd which amazed Hyesun since it was literally her first time seeing a battle live with her own two eyes. Funny thing she had never begged Kyungri this hard to go to the old battles where Infinite kept on bugging her to go but this time around, when she finally got to go to one, she went not fully because of Infinite, but it was because of something else; or should she say someone else?

Infinite was up next. Some of the boys stole glances at her to which she mouthed a ‘fighting’ and it made she happy to see them smiling despite her not being able to cheer for them loudly because she was there to side with Teen Top, without anyone knowing that she was actually a part of Infinite. She honestly felt bad but there was nothing she could do and she only hoped the boys would understand. I wish I could cheer for them openly without feeling guilty like this.

L.Joe went to Hyesun and stood right next to her, “So how was me?”

Hyesun, who was exchanging secret looks with L on stage, immediately turned to L.Joe, “You were good,” she briefly said.

The boy raised an eyebrow, “Just good?”

“Is this the cue where I’m supposed to say you looked smoking, handsome, freakishly awesome and stuffs, Mr. Lee?” Hyesun rolled her eyes at the boy.

“You know you mean what you said,” L.Joe flashed her a boyish grin.

“Totally not,” Hyesun stuck her tongue out at him, just like a kid before turning her attention back to the stage where Infinite had begun performing their routine.

“You look so interested in watching them. Can’t you see that they’re boring as hell?” L.Joe huffed when he looked on how Hyesun kept on looking back at the stage whenever he tried to lengthen their conversation.

Says the one who’s going to lose tonight. Instead of speaking out her mind, her lips turned into a playful smile, “That’s because you’re jealous, aren’t you? You just want me all just for yourself, right?” she cocked her head to the side and took his wrists in her palms.

L.Joe laughed, “You’re so clever—”

“Holy mother—! Did you see that?!” Chunji suddenly shrieked. But since the crowd was so noisy so no one heard him except for Teen Top and Hyesun.

“I so see what you see, bro,” Niel shortly said.

“What is it?” the clueless L.Joe asked his friends.

“Infinite freaking had a routine which looked like ours but not! Not one, but there’s a few if you watch closely!” Changjo angrily said.

“Damn it, how is this possible?! We tried our very best to come up with the hardest choreography ever existed but theirs look like ours and I hate to admit it but I know with those routines, they’ll be given more marks than us!” even though he was also angry, but CAP still explained it to the others.

“. I really don’t want to lose this one battle,” Ricky muttered.

It angered L.Joe to see how s acted as if they had lost when they hadn’t, “They haven’t announced the winner yet, can’t you guys stop making silly assumptions?!”

Chunji chuckled; which sounded cynical, “How long have we been in this scene, L.Joe? We can already tell by ourselves either we win or lose the battle. Screw everything, I’m going home!” he announced but before he could walk further, CAP forcefully grabbed his wrist to stop him.

“Don’t act like a loser, Chunji. We’re staying here until they announce which team wins even though we might lose. Face it like a man,” CAP’s deep voice was the only sound that they could hear at the moment.

Huffing in irritation, Chunji decided to stay there. His eyes then went to someone in their circle, particularly a girl. I know you have got to do something in this. You’re not escaping this, Jeon Hyesun.

∞

As expected that night, Infinite brought home the winner title. Teen Top was the 1^st runner up to which the boys weren’t feeling happy at all.

Before Infinite left the place, L.Joe could see how L’s eyes were directed onto a certain someone in his direction, but he knew so well it wasn’t him that L was looking at. It was her; Jeon Hyesun. He felt more pissed than ever to realise that.

L.Joe threw his body on the bed as he scoffed. Why the hell would he look at her that way?! I know that look of his! It was the same look that he usually had when he was with Suzy—no way! There’s no way I’m letting that happening! L can’t like Hyesun, no—he can’t fall in love with Hyesun!

The thought of L liking Hyesun made L.Joe felt restless. Stupidly, he didn’t question his action at all like why would it be his concern but well, we know better, aren’t we people?

L.Joe quickly took his phone on the table and dialled Hyesun’s number. He waited and waited but Hyesun didn’t answer. He tried again and it was still the same—she didn’t answer his call. The next time he tried, he couldn’t reach her at all because her phone was turned off.

Sitting on the floor while leaning his back on the bed, he threw his phone on the bed before frustratingly ran his fingers in his hair. 

∞

Meanwhile at the other side of Seoul, Infinite and Hyesun were celebrating their win. They were having a fun time together, tossing aside all the unnecessary thoughts and just enjoying their drinks.

“Cheers!” Hoya, who was already drunk at the moment, rose up his glass in the air.

“Cheers for the best choreographer in Korea! Lee Howon is the top of Korea!” Woohyun, who was slowly losing his sense giggled as he took another shot.

Only L, Hyesun and Dongwoo were completely sober. Dongwoo had no options but to stay sober because if he was also drunk, then there wouldn’t be anyone who could drive them home.

For L, he wasn’t really friendly with alcohol so he decided to just watch his best friends having fun drinking. And for Hyesun, besides the fact that she’s underage (even though she was forced by Sungjong since that boy is the same age as her), she wasn’t brave enough to be back home drunk because she knew Kyungri would surely do something that she couldn’t even imagine what that woman would do if she ever found out that her younger cousin was drunk.

Just then, her phone vibrated in her pocket. She thought it was Kyungri so she quickly took it out from his pocket but then she decided to ignore the call because it wasn’t Kyungri who called; it was L.Joe. She didn’t reject the call because she knew L.Joe might be suspicious of her if she did.

“Who’s that?” L asked when he saw she didn’t answer the call but just let her phone vibrated on the table.

“L.Joe,” she shortly answered before taking another sip of her iced lemon tea.

L didn’t further the subject because he was in no mood to talk about his nemesis. But he was slightly glad that she didn’t answer the call.

As Hyesun was about to take a bite of kimbap, her phone vibrated again. Glancing at the caller ID, she quickly ignored it and chewed her kimbap.

“Him again?” it was Dongwoo who asked.

Hyesun only nodded her head once as a reply to Dongwoo’s question.

“Just turn off your phone. Then he won’t be able to reach you,” L suggested. Even though it was only the second call from L.Joe, it already annoyed the hell out of L.

“You’re right!” after a few seconds, the call stopped and Hyesun quickly took the chance to turn off her phone, “Now I feel better.”

“What does that freak want from you?” Dongwoo asked but his eyes weren’t looking at Hyesun since he kept taking every food on the table onto his mouth.

“How would I know, duh?” the girl rolled her eyes as she took another sip of her non-alcoholic drink. She stared at the other boys who kept pouring down the beer into their glass with an annoyed face. She hadn’t been drinking in a while and she really wanted to get drunk but too bad, she couldn’t.

“Maybe he wants to talk about his loss and hopes for you to give him some comforting words so that he’ll feel better or things like that?” Dongwoo assumed.

Hyesun made a face, “In his dreams!”

∞

After their little celebration, L sent Hyesun home while Dongwoo had to throw all the 5 drunken males in front of their house. After bidding goodbye, they went separate ways.

In less than 30 minutes, they had arrived at Hyesun’s apartment buildings. Both of them hopped off L’s motorbike.

“Thanks for sending me home,” Hyesun smiled at L as she gave the helmet that she wore earlier to him.

“You know that has never been a trouble for me,” L chuckled as he helped her fix her messy hair.

“I know but I’ll still thank you every time,” the girl said.

“Alright then if you say so. One more thing, since we’ve won tonight, don’t you have anything to give me?” L raised one of his eyebrows at the female in front of him.

“Anything as in anything?” L nodded his head to her question and she thought about it for awhile. When she finally got it, she looked at him hesitantly, “You sure it can be anything?” to which L nodded once again.

“Then, close your eyes!” Hyesun told L.

“What? Are you going to perform some sort of magic?” L asked, bewildered.

“If I’m doing magic then I wouldn’t have told you to close your eyes! Now, do you want it or not? If you want it, then close your eyes quick!” she ordered the anticipating male.

At her order, L quickly shut both of his eyes close and smiled, showing his dimples. He waited for a few seconds and then, he felt something soft was pressed against his right cheek for less than five seconds. Shocked, he opened his eyes to ensure if he was dreaming or was it real.

There was a shade of pink on Hyesun’s cheeks. Even though the light was dimmed, L still could see her flaming cheeks.

“G-Goodnight, L!” Hyesun muttered as she was about to go before she felt L’s hand grabbing her wrist.

L quickly placed a light kiss on her forehead. He then looked at her, “Goodnight, princess.”

Hyesun didn’t know why but she couldn’t bear to look at L in the eyes at that moment. She pulled away from him and spun on her heels, running into the building while lightly slapping her cheeks numerous times.

Why am I feeling this way? L is my best friend! Right! Remember, Jeon Hyesun, Kim Myungsoo is your best friend! Stop and don’t even think about it! Heart, do you know that you’re torturing me this way?!