Jonghyun hadn’t meant to bump into Gwiboon. But he was glad he did.

Jonghyun walked towards his classroom nonchalantly, staring down at his phone intently as he texted his best friend Minho who was currently already seated in homeroom. Not bothering to look where he was going as he rounded the corner, he was unprepared when he suddenly collided with something, knocking it to the ground along with the electronic device in his hands.

Blinking in surprise, he was knocked out of his daze when a fiery voice began to lecture him about manners and eyesight and god knows what. Because it wasn’t the voice Jonghyun was concentrating on. It was the beautiful girl whom the voice belonged to. His eyes travelled over her face, taking in her gorgeous feline eyes and bow-shaped lips, thoughts of them captured with his own running through his mind before he shook his head fiercely to rid himself of the vision.

“-re you even listening to me, you stupid dino?! Who the do you think you are?” came her voice sharply, surprising Jonghyun greatly who was barely even paying attention to what she was saying.

“P-pardon?” he stuttered awkwardly, scolding himself mentally as he realised how stupid he sounded.

“Oh, so you can talk. You looked a bit like a lost dog for a second then, so I thought perhaps you were one,” she replied, dusting her skirt off as she stood up, towering slightly over the male.

“And a midget, too. What a surprise. I thought dinosaurs were meant to be tall,” she continued on, smirking slightly as Jonghyun’s face scrunched up in anger.

“Hey, what the ?! All I did was bump into you and now you’re having a full on go at me. I’m sorry, alright?” he apologized forcefully, crossing his arms and turning his head slightly with a pout.

“Besides…I’m not short,” he added as an afterthought, causing Gwiboon to laugh loudly.

“Whatever you say, di-“

“Jonghyun. My name is Jonghyun.” He interrupted, glaring slightly in her direction.

Gwiboon scoffed loudly, the smirk on her face only growing at his remark.

“Alright. I guess I’ll see you later…puppy Jjong,” said Gwiboon cheekily in farewell, walking off in the opposite direction.

Jonghyun blinked as she walked away, scowling angrily at where she had walked off to.

“I didn’t even get her name,” he mumbled angrily to himself, looking down at the ground to pick up his phone, only to see that it was gone.

“…”

“UGH!” he screamed to himself, causing the janitor across the hall to look at him oddly.

Jjong ignored the look and stormed down the hall towards his classroom, hoping he’d find the cat-like girl in the cafeteria later.

Jonghyun glanced at the clock in the room once again, sighing in relief as he realized there were only two more minutes of class left to go. He was anxious to head to the cafeteria for lunch, and surprisingly this time it wasn’t for the (not so fabulous) food.

As soon as the bell rang loudly through the speaker, Jonghyun stood up hurriedly and headed towards the other side of the hall, his tall, frog-like friend right in tow.

“Why are you in such a hurry, hyung?” the younger boy asked curiously, spinning a soccer ball on his finger casually as he followed behind.

“Some girl ing stole my phone. Can you believe it?!” the elder ranted, glaring at anyone who dared to look his way.

Minho snorted, rolling his eyes slightly at the other male.

“And how did she manage this?” he prompted, raising his eyebrow with an amused tone in his voice.

“Don’t you dare laugh at this, frog! Do I look like I know? It’s not like I ing gave it to her!” Jonghyun replied harshly, pushing the cafeteria doors open and strolling inside.

“I never laughed, hyung. Now, what does she look like?” Minho questioned, glancing around the room with ease because of his height.

“Cat-like eyes, bow shape lips-“

“You were looking at her lips.” the younger interrupted with a slight smirk.

“… off. She’s also slightly taller than me and-“

Jonghyun was interrupted once again as Minho snorted, before breaking out into slight laughter.

“SHUT UP, YOU FROG FACED FREAK!” yelled Jonghyun, a tick appearing on the side of his forehead.

Minho bit his lip to keep himself from laughing.

“Sorry, hyung. If it helps, I think I know who you’re talking about,” apologized the younger boy, smiling in satisfaction as Jonghyun’s eyes lit up.

“Really?! Who is it?” asked the shorter male curiously, looking up at Minho with wide eyes.

“Kim Gwiboon, second year. She’s in my drama class.” replied Minho, still spinning the soccer ball on his finger in boredom.

“Thank you, dear saviour. Where can I find her?” questioned Jonghyun, bouncing on the balls of his feet in excitement.

“Well…I’m pretty sure she hangs out in the dance room at lunch.” answered Minho, pointing down the hall back in the direction they came from.

“Let’s go then!” prompted Jonghyun, grabbing the taller’s jacket and pulling him down the hall eagerly.

Arriving at the dance room door, Jonghyun knocked politely, waiting patiently for someone to come and open it for them. It only took a few seconds before someone did greet them at the door, however it definitely was not Gwiboon.

“Hi!” the boy greeted cheerfully, giving them a small wave as beads of sweat trickled down his neck.

“Um, hi! I was wondering if there was someone named Gwiboon here?” greeted Jonghyun, smiling kindly at the young male.

“Yeah! Umma’s dancing right now, I’ll go get her. One sec!” he replied, running off into the studio to go find her.

Minho and Jonghyun looked at each other simultaneously, raising their brows slightly.

“Umma?”

The boy returned shortly, this time the girl from earlier following right behind him.

“Here they are, umma!” exclaimed Taemin, gesturing to Jonghyun and Minho cutely.

“Oh, hey Minho. And if it isn’t puppy Jjong! What brings you two here?” she questioned mischievously, smirking slightly as Jonghyun’s face turned red in annoyance.

“My phone?” replied Jjong, crossing his arms over his chest as he glared at her.

“I’ve no idea what you’re talking about,” she replied innocently, looking at her nails nonchalantly in pretend boredom.

Jonghyun growled lowly under his breath, flaring his nostrils slightly as his anger rose higher and higher.

“You know exactly what I’m talking about, Gwiboon.” he spoke darkly, glaring directly into her eyes.

This however, had no effect on Gwiboon who merely laughed and placed her hands on her hips in a diva-ish way.

“Fine. I’ll give you your phone back. Under one condition.” she answered, a strange glint appearing in her feline eyes.

Jonghyun sighed.

“I’m broke, you know.”

“I don’t want your ancient money, dino. I want a date.”

Jonghyun blinked once. Then twice. Then sputtered in disbelief as he stared at her in shock.

“A what?!”

“You heard me. Pick me up tonight at 7 and I’ll give you your phone back.” Gwiboon repeated, smiling mischievously as Jonghyun stood in astonishment.

“See you at seven, puppy Jjong.” was the last he heard before the door was slammed in their faces and a note was slipped under the door.

“…What the just happened?” queried Jonghyun after a few seconds of silence, looking up at Minho in confusion.

“You’ve just been blackmailed, my friend. Here’s her address,” the younger replied, picking the sheet up from the floor and handing it to his hyung.

Jonghyun took the paper from his hands and studied it in wonder, looking back up after a few more seconds had passed.

“I was just blackmailed by a girl.”

“Yeah, basically.”

Jonghyun frowned slightly before shrugging as a grin spread over his face.

“I was just blackmailed by a very pretty girl.” he repeated, holding the paper in his hands as though it were a lifeline.

“Indeed you were.” agreed Minho, now bouncing the soccer ball on his leg to keep himself entertained.

Jonghyun laughed softly before shaking his head in amazement.

“Well I suppose I’m not coming to soccer training tonight, if it’s okay with you?” he spoke, glancing at Minho for confirmation.

“Dude, soccer starts at 4:30, your date is at 7…”

“I need time to get ready, you idiot! I can’t go on a date with Gwiboon looking all sweaty and gross, can I?”

“Of course not, how could I forget?” Minho replied sarcastically, rolling his eyes just as the bell began to ring.

“See you later, hyung.” the younger spoke in farewell, already walking away with his soccer ball spinning on his finger in that same annoying manner as always.

Jonghyun gave a quick wave before he began to walk down the corridor to his classroom, smiling dazedly as he did so which earned him a few odd looks. However, Jonghyun couldn’t bring it in himself to care about their stares; because he was going on a date with Gwiboon, after all.

Jonghyun stood in front of the mirror, frowning at his reflection as he tried to make his hair sit right. Realistically however, as it seemed for Jonghyun, nothing was sitting right. He took a quick glance at his watch and furrowed his eyebrows even more at the time displayed.

‘6:00pm already, and I don’t even know how far away Gwiboon’s house is from here.’ he thought to himself, a feeling of worry seeping over him.

“Noona!” he called loudly through the walls, hoping strongly that his sister would be able to help him.

“What?!” came the call back a few seconds later, and Jonghyun nearly laughed at their strange way of communication.

“Come here, I need your help with clothes!” he replied, and it only took a few seconds before his bedroom door was opening and his older sister Songdam was poking her head through.

“How may I offer my assistance, young one?” she asked cornily, and Jonghyun had to resist the urge to roll his eyes. He needed her help desperately, after all.

“I have a date and I look like . You take it from here,” he responded, gesturing to his whole body as he spoke.

“Oooh, my little brother has a date. The years go by so fast,” she said excitedly, pretending to wipe away tears with fake reminiscence.

“Songdam, seriously. I’m picking her up in an hour and I have no idea how far her house is from here. Can’t you see I’m panicking right now?” he spoke seriously, biting his lip as his continuously swapped his weight from one leg to the other.

“Alright, sorry Hyun-ah. Let’s see what you’ve got then,” she apologized, walking over to his wardrobe to card through his clothing.

Jonghyun stood there awkwardly for a few minutes before all of a sudden a pair of black skinny jeans, a white tank top and a red button up were all thrown his way.

“Here, wear this. Girls love guys in skinny jeans. Oh, and wear your adidas high tops,” she informed him, dusting off her hands when she was finished as though it was hard work.

“And my hair?”

“Well, it normally looks pretty good anyway…but maybe just spike it up a little at the front.”

“Thank you so much, noona. Seriously…” he spoke, smiling slightly at Songdam who merely nodded her head in agreement.

“It’s no problem, Jonghyun. I mean, what would you do without me?” she responded, smirking lightly in satisfaction.

“Ugh, can you please just take a compliment humbly for once?” he questioned with an annoyed tone, taking off the t-shirt he currently had on and replacing it with the tank top.

“Nope. Humble isn’t in my vocabulary, sorry. Anyway, I’ll be off. Good luck, Hyun-ah!” she spoke, waving cheerfully as she walked out of the room and back across the corridor to her own.

Jonghyun got changed hurriedly before styling his hair to perfection and brushing his teeth, wanting to look his best despite the circumstances. He sprayed on some cologne hastily before slipping on his shoes and checking the time on his watch once again.

6:27pm

He sighed shakily whilst running his hand through his hair and walked down the stairs to the front door. Heading out towards his car, he hopped inside and checked himself in the reflection once more, popping a mint in his mouth as he did so. Jonghyun then took a look at the address in his hand and searched it up on Google Maps, nodding slightly to himself as it didn’t appear to be too far away.

‘It’s on the rich side of town,’ he thought offhandedly. 

As he drove to the destination, he sung quietly to himself, calming his nerves as his soothing voice floated around the small space. And after what seemed like not long enough, Jonghyun finally pulled up to the correct house, marvelling at its sheer size.

“Damn…” he spoke quietly, biting his lip nervously as he fixed strands of hands that had moved from their correct place.

Opening his car door, he stepped outside, walking up the path to the front door awkwardly. He wasn’t used to the wealth around this area, and didn’t quite feel like he belonged.

He took one last deep inhale before ringing the door bell, holding his breath as he waited for an answer.

Several seconds passed before he heard footsteps from the other side, and before he knew it the door was opening and Jonghyun was met with angel.

In reality however, it was Gwiboon standing in front of Jonghyun, looking at him kind eyes and a slight smile. Her feline eyes were complimented by a layer of eyeliner, and her red tinted hair was tied into a loose French braid.

“Wow,” Jonghyun whispered under his breath, smiling widely at her pure beauty.

“Hi, puppy Jjong!” she greeted happily, a stark contrast to the y personality she was displaying earlier at school.

“Hey, Gwiboon. You look really great,” he complimented, gesturing to her clothing which consisted of a denim mini-skirt and long sleeve black crop top.

“Thanks, you too…” she replied awkwardly, blushing slightly which caused Jonghyun’s jaw to drop in shock.

“The great Gwiboon blushing? Who are you and what have you done with my date?” he questioned jokingly, secretly enjoying this side of Gwiboon greatly.

“Yah! Shut up, you stupid dinosaur. I wasn’t blushing, get your eyes checked,” she defended, looking away slightly as her cheeks turned an even darker crimson.

Jonghyun laughed softly, his eyes squinting slightly shut as he did so.

“There she is.”

Gwiboon’s lips tilted at the end slightly, and Jonghyun nearly had a heart attack because of how stunningly beautiful she looked in that moment.

“Why did I never notice you at school before?” he spoke suddenly, tilting his head to the side cutely.

“Huh?”

“I mean…I’m pretty sure I would’ve noticed someone as beautiful as you before. Why do I never see you around?” he questioned, his compliment causing her face to flush once again.

“Um well, I spend a lot of time in the dance studio…and we don’t share any subjects.” she replied shyly, and Jonghyun had the strange urge to just kiss her right then and there. But he didn’t. Because that would be weird.

“Oh right. Well anyway, what did you want to do on this date? And I still want my phone back, by the way.” he spoke, taking her hand gently and guiding her out of the doorway, Gwiboon shutting the door behind herself gently.

“Well I was thinking we could go to the mall and then maybe get some coffee or something at a café…” the taller of the two suggested, staring down in shock at their entwined hands as they walked back towards Jonghyun’s car.

“Yeah, that sounds good,” Jonghyun agreed, grinning happily as he opened the car door for Gwiboon.

“Who knew puppies could be gentlemen?” joked Gwiboon, sliding into the car whilst Jonghyun did the same around the other side.

“I know right?” replied Jonghyun, shutting the door behind him before looking towards Gwiboon with his infamous puppy eyes.

Gwiboon mouth opened wide in surprise, before she broke into a fit of giggles which warmed Jonghyun’s heart.

“You really do look like a puppy, puppy Jjong!” she laughed, putting her seatbelt over her as did so.

“Well, you look like a cat, so yeah,” responded Jonghyun with pretend anger, failing greatly as his lips began to twitch up at the side.

“Good try, Jjong. A plus for effort,” she laughed, “Oh and we should probably go, the mall closes in two hours.”

“Two hours? Why are we going there for two hours?!” questioned Jonghyun, starting the car and pulling out of the driveway.

“What is the mall usually used for, ? We’re going shopping!”

Jonghyun blinked once. Then twice. And then groaned in his seat loudly.

“You’ve got to be kidding me!” he exclaimed, looking over at Gwiboon briefly via his peripheral vision.

“I’m dead set serious.” she replied, smirking slightly as Jonghyun’s face twisted up in distaste.

“Whatever. You can’t be worse than my mother.” He agreed after a while, not being able to see the evil smirk growing wider on Gwiboon’s face.

“We’ll see,” she muttered quietly, too low for Jonghyun’s ears to pick up on.

The rest of the car ride was made in a comfortable silence, the radio on lowly as Jonghyun sang along to practically every song. They pulled up at the mall in around 10 minutes, and as they walked inside the large complex, Jonghyun offered something that he would later regret.

“I could hold your bags for you, if you want? I probably won’t buy anything here.”

Because as it turned out, Gwiboon was indeed worse than his mother. A lot worse.

“Are we done yet?” he grumbled, scuffing his shoes along whilst his arms were being weighed down by the many shopping bags that covered them.

“Hmm…I think so. I was going to go to one more shop just around here but it’s a little expensive, so I think we should just head out for coffee now instead.” she replied, not paying attention as Jonghyun’s face lit up in relief.

“That sounds amazing right about now,” he replied with a grateful smile, feeling as though his arms were about to fall off.

“Do you know any good ones around here, Jjong?” she questioned using his newly found nickname, gaining a blush out of the older boy.

“Yeah, my friend Jinki owns one not too far from here actually,” he replied, the two of them heading towards the mall exit.

“Okay, let’s go there!” Gwiboon smiled happily, taking a look at Jonghyun’s hands which caused her eyes to open wide in shock.

“Ah! I’m sorry, I didn’t realise I bought so much,” she apologized hurriedly, taking a few of the bags away from him to carry herself.

“Oh, it’s fine, don’t worry! You can put them back if you want,” responded Jonghyun kindly, however secretly hoping she would keep holding just a few of them at least.

“No way am I letting you carry that many. Besides…” she began, giving Jonghyun a quick sideways glance with a shy look on her face.

“Neh?” he prompted, raising an eyebrow curiously.

“I kinda wanted to do this,” she finished nervously, reaching her hand out reluctantly to brush against Jonghyun’s.

His eyes widened in disbelief before a large grin spread over Jonghyun’s face, taking her hand in his and entwining their fingers. Gwiboon blushed cutely, ducking her head down into her chest, and Jonghyun was once again reminded at how different she was acting from before. They walked in comfortable silence to the café, enjoying the feeling of warmth the other’s hand provided, however not before placing their bags in Jonghyun’s car. The two soon reached their destination, and walked into ‘Spill the Beans’ with their hands still linked together. They strolled up to the register and looked down at the menu with their heads close together, neither being able to quite focus on the list of beverages whilst the other’s face was so close to their own.

“Hey, Jonghyun! Long time, no see bud!” greeted Onew from behind the counter, smiling that dazzling smile that lit up the atmosphere around him.

“Hey hyung! How’ve you been?” Jonghyun replied, smiling instantly upon seeing the older male.

“Yeah, pretty good. A little busy with work and everything but other than that everything’s been fine. I’d ask about you but I can see that you’ve been doing pretty well,” Jinki laughed, gesturing down to Gwiboon and Jonghyun’s interlaced fingers.

Jonghyun laughed awkwardly, using his other hand to scratch the back of his neck in embarrassment.

“Oh yeah, this is my date, Gwiboon. Gwi, this is my childhood friend, Jinki,” introduced Jonghyun, not noticing as he used the accidental nickname for Gwiboon.

“Yah! It’s Onew, not Jinki! Don’t mind him, ma’am,” corrected Onew, laughing nervously as Gwiboon raised an eyebrow.

“What, are you on the run or something?” she asked diva-ishly, causing Jonghyun to sweat drop.

“Uh, no. He just dislikes his name,” answered Jonghyun, rolling his eyes.

“Oh. Well, I suppose it happens to some of us.” she spoke, smiling kindly at Onew who seemed to be standing there quite awkwardly, observing the conversation before him.

“Anyway, let’s order,” suggested Jonghyun, looking at Gwiboon for confirmation.

“Sounds good. Um, I’ll have a caramel frappe,” she ordered, then looked at Jonghyun for him to do the same.

“Can I have a…Cappuccino, please?”

“Sure, it’ll be ready in a few,” replied Onew friendlily, putting their order into the cash register.

“That’ll be $8.40, please.”

Gwiboon reached towards her purse only to be stopped by Jonghyun, who placed a hand on her arm before reaching for his own wallet. Before Gwiboon could refuse, he handed the money to Jinki, smirking in her direction as she glared at him.

“I’m taking you on a date, so I should pay. Besides, I want to,” he explained, receiving the change as he did so.

Gwiboon rolled her eyes before looking back towards Onew, blinking a few times in shock as the clumsy boy seemingly tripped over nothing. Gasping, she looked over the counter to see him sprawled over the ground, worry seeping into her facial features whilst Jonghyun just laughed.

“Oh my gosh, are you alright? And stop laughing, you stupid dino!” she questioned, scolding Jonghyun as an afterthought.

“Nope, don’t worry about me. Happens all the time!” replied Onew from the ground, suddenly jumping up to appear without a scratch.

“Oh, um. Alrighty then…” said a surprised Gwiboon slowly, glancing at Jonghyun with raised eyebrows which merely gained a shrug out of the boy.

The two got their coffee within a few minutes, and sat down at a table with them by the corner of the room, using their cups as a source of warmth.

“So…I liked the nickname you gave me back then,” began Gwiboon, taking a sip from her cup whilst looking up at Jonghyun slyly.

“Huh?” questioned Jonghyun, tilting his head to the side much like a puppy.

“Just before…you called me ‘Gwi’,” replied Gwiboon, smirking slightly as crimson invaded Jjong’s cheeks.

“O-oh…sorry, I didn’t mean it,” he stuttered in apology, avoiding eye contact as he stared out the window beside them.

“I didn’t say I didn’t like it. Keep calling me that.”

Jonghyun’s head whipped back to face Gwiboon with a small smile fluttered on his face.

“Alright, Gwi. I will.” he laughed, taking a drink from his own cup.

The two stayed at the café for another hour talking about all kinds of things, but soon their beverages were finished and the café was closing, and they had no other choice but to leave. They walked out of the café doors and as soon as the cool air hit their skin, their hands were joining once again. They made the short trek back to Jonghyun’s car, and slid inside, fastening their seatbelts and warming up their hands.

“I suppose you want me to drop you back home then?” Jjong questioned, looking over at Gwiboon who yawning quietly into her hand.

“Nah, just keep me in your car for the night.” she replied sarcastically, rolling her eyes.

“Alright, I’ll chuck you a few blankets when we get back to my place. It might be a little cold.” he agreed seriously, playing along with her sarcasm.

“…I was being sarcastic,” she deadpanned, obviously not catching on.

“I know. I’ll drop you home, don’t worry.” he laughed to himself, starting the car and pulling onto the road.

“Turn the radio on,” Gwiboon demanded after a few silent seconds, gesturing to it with a flick of her hand.

“Gotcha,” he agreed, turning the dial with one hand, the other still on the steering wheel.

“Is there a reason why?” he asked as the music came on, glancing at Gwiboon through his peripheral vision.

“I want you to sing…you have a nice voice,” she complimented timidly, both of their faces turning crimson.

“Well…um thanks,” he responded, the silence between them becoming thicker as the time went on.

The song eventually changed to one Jjong liked, and he began to unconsciously sing the lyrics under his breath, eliciting a smile out of Gwiboon. He sung soothingly the rest of the way to her house, slowly drifting her to sleep as his captivating voice floated around the car. After a few more minutes he finally pulled up to her house, yawing loudly to himself whilst admiring Gwiboon’s beauty as she napped. So much had changed in this small day, yet he felt as though he had known Gwiboon his whole life. How had he never noticed her beautiful face and unique personality at school before? Leaning over his seat, he gently brushed a strand of hair out of her face, tucking it behind her ear.

“Gwiboonie,” he whispered. “Wake up, Gwi.”

Her eyes fluttered gently before they opened fully, looking at Jonghyun through half closed eyelids.

“Hm?” she mumbled, bringing her fist up to rub her eyes tiredly.

“We’re at your house now, Gwi,”

Gwiboon blinked a few times, tilting her head to the side slightly.

“Can you carry me inside, Jjongie?” she asked hoarsely, looking at him cutely with her cat-like eyes.

Jonghyun sighed. “Of course,” he replied, unbuckling his seatbelt and opening the car door.

He walked around to the other side, pulled the door open, unbuckled Gwiboon’s seatbelt and lifted her up bridle style.

“This is going to be awkward if your parents answer the door,” he muttered to himself, walking up the pathway to the front door.

“The key is in my purse,” she whispered into his chest, nuzzling her face into his t-shirt which caused shivers to run down his spine.

Jonghyun opened her purse which was slung over her body and pulled out a key, unlocking the front door and opening it as quietly as possible. He walked inside and looked back down towards Gwiboon, hoping that she could tell him where her room was from here.

“Up the stairs, first door on the left,” she whispered hoarsely, and Jonghyun set off up the stairs, hoping to god her parents didn’t wake up and think he was a .

He opened her bedroom door carefully, flicked the switch on and strolled over to her bed, lying her on it as gently as he could.

“Thanks, puppy Jjong,” Gwiboon muttered tiredly with her eyes still closed, grabbing his t-shirt and pulling him towards her to cuddle.

“Gwiboon, I can’t stay you know…I have to head home too,” he whispered, brushing her hair out of her eyes with his hand.

“Before you go…” she started, opening her eyes lightly so she could look at Jonghyun through the slits.

“Hmm?” he prompted, caressing her cheek softly.

“…Kiss me,” she finished, looking at Jonghyun with a desperate look on her face.

Jonghyun’s jaw dropped slightly in astonishment, not quite believing his ears.

“A-are you sure?” he questioned, running his finger down her cheek to hold her chin between his forefinger and thumb.

“Positive.” she confirmed, glancing at Jonghyun lips and pulling him closer by the collar of his shirt.

Jonghyun leaned forward slowly, eyes drifting to look at her bow lips as they began to slowly slip shut. He brushed his lips over hers experimentally and felt a jolt run through his body at the slight touch. Seeing as though she didn’t pull away, he leaned forward again, capturing her lips with his own in a sweet, slow, compassionate kiss. It only lasted a few seconds, but when he pulled away both of them were wearing the biggest grins on their faces, eyes glazed over in happiness.

“Wow,” they muttered simultaneously, smiling at each other stupidly.

“I should go,” whispered Jonghyun after a few seconds, however not moving an inch from his spot on the bed.

“I don’t want you to leave,” replied Gwiboon sadly, gripping his shirt like a lifeline.

“Gwiboonie…you never gave me my phone back,” complained Jonghyun, pouting cutely at the younger girl.

Gwiboon giggled mischievously, sliding herself under the blankets as she looked up at Jonghyun evilly.

“What?” he questioned seriously, tilting his head to the side as he looked at Gwiboon through a frown.

“Your phone is in your school bag,” she informed innocently, peeking up at Jonghyun over the blanket.

“Huh? No it’s not, you took it!” accused Jonghyun, crossing his arms over his chest as Gwiboon tried extra hard not to burst out laughing.

“I did take it. But I put it back in your school bag before lunch,” replied Gwiboon, biting her lip as Jonghyun raised an eyebrow.

“B-but…How?”

“After I left, I put my number in your phone and slipped it in your school bag when you were in English,” explained Gwiboon as though it was the simplest thing she had ever done. “End of story.”

“Wait, how did you know where my locker was?!” he asked confusedly, scratching is hair in wonder.

“Like I said, puppy Jjong - end of story. Now go bring my shopping bags in and let me sleep,” she answered, pulling her blankets up to under her chin and giving Jonghyun her best puppy dog eyes possible.

Jonghyun sighed in surrender, moving off her bed and walking to the bedroom door.

“I’ll be right back…and if you’re asleep, do you want me to lock the front door and leave it under your doormat?”

“That’d be nice,” spoke Gwiboon, once again overcome by sleepiness.

“Alright,” responded Jjong, moving out of the room, down the stairs and back out towards his car.

He got the shopping bags from the boot, and with a struggle, walked up the stairs as quietly as he could and back towards Gwiboon’s room. Walking inside, he dropped the bags by her door with a relieved exhale, before looking towards Gwiboon who seemed to be sleeping soundly. He smiled at her innocence prior to strolling up to her bed side and leaning down to peck her on the forehead.

“Night, Gwiboonie,” he whispered, and then made his way back through the house and out towards his car.

The drive home was a quiet one, with only the quiet sound of the radio drifting throughout the space, however the grin that was covering Jonghyun’s face didn’t fade through the whole trip. Pulling up into his driveway, he made his way into his house and trudged towards his room, the busy day’s events finally catching up to him. He flopped onto his soft double bed, and before his head even hit the pillow, he was asleep, adorning a lingering grin that stayed throughout the rest of the night.

The weekend went past quickly, with loads of homework to catch up on and jobs that had to be done. However, that didn’t mean that Jonghyun’s mind wasn’t elsewhere, most of the time his thoughts consisting of Gwiboon. It was strange. He had only known her for a day, yet he felt a connection with her that he had never felt with anyone else.

When Monday finally arrived, Jjong was ecstatic, strange considering the fact that he had to attend school. He woke up early and set off to school eagerly, arriving at his destination and walking straight to the dance room, hoping that Gwiboon was already there. He knocked on the door energetically, rocking back on his heels cutely as he waited. A few minutes passed and Jonghyun’s patience was running thin, but just as he was about to leave, the door opened to reveal the young boy who had answered last time.

“Hi! It’s you again,” he greeted cheerfully, a bright smile covering his innocent face.

“Hey…Oh sorry, I didn’t introduce myself last time. I’m Jonghyun,” replied the elder kindly.

“Nice to meet you, Jonghyun hyung! I’m Taemin,” spoke the boy, bowing slightly as Jonghyun did the same.

“Nice to meet you too, Taemin-ah. I was wondering…is Gwiboon here?” he questioned shyly, biting his lip nervously as a light blush grazed his cheeks.

“Umma? She should be here soon…” responded Taemin, the smile on his face not fading in the least.

“Ah, alright,” pouted Jonghyun, disappointed clouding over his features.

“Why, hyung? Oooh, lemme guess. Your date went well?” asked Taemin slyly, smirking at the elder with a knowing look.

Jonghyun blushed furiously, avoiding eye contact.

“I’ll take that as a yes, then.”

Jonghyun nodded awkwardly, smiling lightly at the mere thought of the date. All of a sudden, hands were covering his eyes from behind, causing Jonghyun to gasp in surprise.

“Wha-?!” he exclaimed, hands coming up to touch those over his eyes.

“Guess who,” came a voice from behind, and the smile that lit up Jonghyun’s face was inevitable.

“Gwiboon!” he cried happily, the hands being removed from his face immediately.

“Glad to know you remember me, dino.” smirked Gwiboon, just as Jonghyun spun around to capture her in a soft kiss.

“Yucky!” came the voice of Taemin, causing Jonghyun to pull away in laughter.

“YAH! Lee Taemin! Don’t interrupt your umma,” scolded Gwiboon, hitting the young boy over the head lightly which caused him to pout.

“Sorry, umma,” he apologized cutely, biting his lip as he looked at Gwiboon with puppy dog eyes.

“Don’t even try that, Tae,” sassed Gwiboon, rolling her eyes and looking back at Jonghyun.

“Hey, how was your weekend?” she spoke, her personality changing suddenly as her voice turned shy.

“Great, but it would have been a lot better if you were there,” replied Jjong cornily, a red tint staining Gwiboon’s cheeks.

“Don’t be cheesy, it’s making me cringe,” she sneered, causing Jonghyun to laugh out loud.

“You love it,” he spoke, smirking as Gwiboon screwed up her nose.

“Stop kidding yourself.”

“Your nose just grew.”

“Did not, jerk.”

Jonghyun laughed at her sassiness, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her into a hug. Blushing furiously, Gwiboon half-heartedly attempted to push him away, giving up easily and burying her face into his chest.

“I think I’m going to spew,” commented Taemin from the sidelines once again, Jonghyun’s head whipping to the side to glare at him.

However, just before he could begin to scold the younger male, the bell rang, interrupting the moment entirely.

Jonghyun and Gwiboon groaned, pulling apart with reluctance.

“I’ll see you later, okay Gwi?” asked Jonghyun, smiling sweetly up at his girlfriend.

“No, you’ll never see me again,” replied Gwiboon sarcastically, rolling her eyes as Jonghyun laughed.

“Bye, Gwiboonie!” spoke Jonghyun, giving her a small peck on the lips before turning to leave.

“Bye, puppy Jjong!” waved Gwiboon in reply, biting her lip in happiness.

They met up at lunch also, Minho trailing behind Jonghyun like usual as the elder blabbered on non-stop about his successful date with the beautiful girl. Arriving at the dance room after getting their lunch, they made their way inside, sitting against the wall as they watched Taemin and Gwiboon dance to an upbeat song. And boy, could they dance well. Both of their bodies moved stunningly, executing each and every move swiftly whilst breaking out into pops and locks of all types. Jonghyun in particular couldn’t keep his eyes off of Gwiboon, in the way her body rolled around each of the steps and her hair swung ily around her face.

When the two younger students finally realised that the two males were watching them, they turned the music off immediately and made their way over, both panting heavily with a sheen of sweat layering their foreheads.

“Puppy Jjong!” greeted Gwiboon enthusiastically, jogging up to Jonghyun to wrap him in a hug.

“Ew, your sweaty,” complained the shorter, wrapping his arms around her waist anyway.

“ it up, princess. You’re short as but you don’t see me complaining,” retorted Gwiboon, resting her head on top of Jjong’s as if just to prove her point.

Jonghyun growled lowly under his breath, pouting sadly at the joking insult.

“I’m not short, Gwiboon…I can’t help it if you’re just unnaturally tall,” responded Jonghyun with an annoyed tone, tilting his head up lightly to peck Gwiboon on the cheek.

“Says the boy who is friends with Minho. You’re short, yeobo, trust me.”

“Trust the girl who blackmailed me?” questioned Jonghyun with a raised brow, pulling back slightly to give Gwiboon a look.

“Don’t act like you didn’t like it,” she replied, rolling her eyes, causing Jonghyun to laugh lightly.

“Thank you,” he whispered sweetly, moving his mouth to rest next to her ear.

“For what?” Gwiboon asked confusedly, tingles running down her spine as he whispered quietly so close to her ear.

“For blackmailing me. If you hadn’t, I wouldn’t be so lucky as to have a girlfriend as beautiful as you,”

Gwiboon flushed red, burying her face into his shoulder as she laughed lightly.

“You mean you wouldn’t have a girlfriend at all?” she joked, poking Jonghyun’s cheek with her finger as he blew them up in anger.

“Don’t make up stories Gwi…Besides, why would I want someone other than you anyway?” he spoke cheesily, knowing that deep down Gwiboon enjoyed all the attention.

“I don’t know…I mean I’m perfect so I guess you’re right,” she replied with cheek, flicking her hair out of her face whilst rolling her eyes.

“I know,” he whispered in reply, Gwiboon’s sass totally backfiring as her face went as red as a tomato in embarrassment.

“Stop flirting, my son is here,” she scolded crudely, quite a contrast to the humorous smile that graced her lips.

“Ah actually, he and Minho left some time ago…just to let you know,” informed Jjong, laughing as Gwiboon’s eyes widened in horror and she spun around quickly to see for herself.

“No! That frog man is going to my baby,” she cried in dread, bringing her hand to cover in anxiousness.

Jonghyun laughed loudly, eyes screwing up into crescents as he held the wall for support.

“Frog man?” he laughed, wiping pretend tears from his eyes.

“Yes! His eyes are much too wide and he puts on this creepy smile all the time a-and oh dear god, he’s a e!” ranted Gwiboon, pacing around the room in nervousness.

Jonghyun laughed even harder, walking up to Gwiboon and wrapping her in a back hug.

“Calm down, jagiya,” he sung sweetly, “Minho isn’t all that bad.”

“What the is this now, a musical?” she questioned ily, however secretly enjoying the attention her boyfriend was giving her.

“You wish, girl,” replied Jonghyun, wrapping his arms around her tightly and swaying her from side to side.

“It’s only a good musical if I’m in it, so I suppose it wouldn’t be too bad,”

“I think I’m going to have to break up with you if your nose gets too big,” warned Jonghyun jokingly, tapping on it gently as Gwiboon wrinkled it up in distaste.

“Nice to know you care.”

“You’re welcome.”

The next week went by smoothly, Jonghyun having a blast at school despite the stacks of work that were constantly demanding his attention. Gwiboon, Jonghyun, Minho and Taemin had been spending their lunches together in the dance studio every day, all of them gradually becoming a tight bunch of friends whilst Jonghyun and Gwiboon strengthened their relationship and got to know more about each other.

It was a Tuesday, and Jonghyun was seated in history behind a group of gossiping girls, staring dully at the whiteboard as he waited for the teacher’s arrival. As he stared off into space however, something one of the girls said piqued his interest, head whipping towards them as he attempted to listen in on their conversation casually.

“-nd she always walks around like she owns the place, ing ,” complained one of them, rolling her eyes as the others all nodded their heads enthusiastically in agreement.

“I know right, like who the heck does she think she is? Just some loser who walks around in ty clothes with a y attitude. I don’t even know her name, and I don’t really want to know, to be honest.” added another, smirking slightly as all of them laughed with her.

“I think her name’s Gwibum? Or something? Gwiboon?”

Jonghyun blinked, clenching his fists angrily as they talked about his girlfriend. How dare they, those abhorrent ! Gwiboon was a better person than all of them combined, yet here they were putting her down so they could improve their own self esteem. Pathetic.

“Ew, yes, that’s the one. An ugly name for an ugly girl.”

Jonghyun snarled, having had enough of their shameless bullying.

“Excuse me,” he called, their heads turning around to look at him immediately, a few batting their eyelashes as Jonghyun internally puked.

“Neh?” questioned the blonde one, smiling at him cutely as she tilted her head innocently.

“I don’t know who you think you are, but I really ing don’t appreciate you talking about my girlfriend like that,” he continued, glaring at them harshly as their eyes widened in shock.

“Y-your girlfriend? But you’re so good looking!” one complained in astonishment, whilst the others sneered in disappointment and disgust.

“And so is Gwiboon. In fact, I think she’s the most beautiful girl at this school.” replied Jonghyun coolly, stating it as though it was a well-known fact of the world.

The girls scoffed, looking at Jonghyun like he was insane.

“Are you ing kidding me? Have you seen her makeup? And her hair? And clothes? Oh wait, I get it, you’re in it for the money…Don’t worry, you don’t need to stick up for her here, we won’t tell.” smirked a brunette, flicking her hair out of her face in an attempt to be y.

“Can you shut the up? I mean, the sheer tone of your voice is giving me a headache. I don’t get why you have to put down others to make your ty self feel better, but it only makes you even more repulsive. Gwiboon is 50 times the girl you will ever be, so if you don’t shut your dirty mouth right now, I will personally slap you so hard that you’ll never be able to speak again.” warned Jonghyun, standing up as he glared at them with intimidation.

“Got it?” he repeated, scowling at them harshly as they cowered at his gaze.

“Y-yeah. We’ve got it,” she stuttered in reply, pulling her friends back around to face the front of the classroom.

Jonghyun sighed, opening his books reluctantly as the teacher walked in, the class falling into silence immediately.

“Jonghyun, stop it! Where are we going?” laughed Gwiboon, Jonghyun leading the younger up the set of stairs with a large smile resting on his face.

“You’re gonna love it, Boonie, don’t worry!” he replied enthusiastically, linking their fingers together as they made their way up the last few steps to be faced with a door.

“Where even are we?” she questioned, looking at the door expectantly as she raised an eyebrow at her boyfriend.

“Trust me,” he encouraged, taking a key out of his pocket and pushing it into the lock.

“Jjongie! Where did you get that?” she exclaimed in surprise, just as the door clicked open to reveal the vast area of the school roof.

“Being friends with the right people has its benefits, I suppose,” he replied mischievously, walking out onto the roof with Gwiboon right in tow.

“Wow…it’s beautiful up here,” she commented with a gasp, looking out towards the large buildings which covered the city’s landscape.

“I know, right?” he agreed, wrapping his arms around her from behind and resting his chin on her shoulder.

“Why are you so amazing?” she asked softly, grabbing his hands and wrapping them around her stomach.

“Maybe because I have a girlfriend as perfect as you,” suggested Jonghyun with a light smile, kissing her shoulder blade gently as they stared off into the horizon.

“Probably…” she agreed, laughing lightly as she turned around to wrap her arms around Jonghyun’s neck, his hair into her hands.

“You are so beautiful, Gwi,” complimented Jonghyun, staring into her feline eyes lovingly as he brought one hand up from her waist and caressed her cheek softly.

“Tell me something I don’t know, Jjongie…” she replied, smiling lightly as she leaned into his embrace.

“Alright…”

“…”

“I love you.” he whispered, moving his hand down to hold her face between his forefinger and thumb, glancing briefly at her lips before moving his gaze back up to meet her’s.

Gwiboon’s eyes widened slightly, before a wide, gorgeous smile covered her face and her cheeks turned crimson.

“I love you too, puppy Jjong.” she replied, moving her face down to capture Jonghyun’s lips with her own, melding together as one as they moved gently against each other’s.

They pulled apart eventually when they began to lack air, resting their foreheads together as they stared at each other affectionately.

“Jonghyun?” asked Gwiboon shyly, brushing Jonghyun’s hair out of his eyes tenderly.

“Yeah, Boonie?”

“Be a loyal puppy and never leave me.”

 “Never.”