Dara caught his eye. She immediately looked away.

                Jiyong looked away too, focusing instead on the ring. “What are you talking about? She’s just my seatmate. I don’t even talk to her. Bom said she hasn’t fallen in love yet. Go on, maybe, you can change her.”

                “Really?” Taeyang ran close to him, excitedly. “Will you help me?”

                “I told you, we don’t talk to each other,” Jiyong tried to break free from their awkward position. Taeyang was almost hugging him, pleading with his small eyes. Suddenly, he succeeded.

                “Man, you’re such a no-help. Give me that ball,” he stole the ball from Jiyong. He acted as if he didn’t mean to throw the ball toward Bom and Dara.

                “Hey!” Jiyong tried to stop him.

                “Watch and learn, bro,” Taeyang mouthed while running towards Dara who picked up the ball in front of her. She handed the ball to Taeyang who was keeping his cool.

                “I’m sorry, miss. Did the ball hit you?” he asked.

                “Oh, no. I’m fine. The ball just landed perfectly in front of me so I picked it up,” Dara explained.

                “Good, then. Kamsahamnida.”

                They bowed to each other, and Taeyang left. He walked toward Jiyong with contentment on his face.

                “What’s up with that face? Nothing good even happened. It’s not like you exchanged your numbers,” Jiyong stubbornly said.

                But, Taeyang did not fall for his insults. “Man, she really does look like a goddess-slash-angel. Look at her baby face, her sparkling eyes, and her bright smile. God, I’m in love with her! I have got to ask her out.”

                Taeyang decided to turn back to ask her out already. But, he found the bleacher empty of them. Taeyang looked at Jiyong questioningly. Jiyong just shrugged and tried to stop his laughter.

                “Oh, what’s that?” Taeyang ran toward where they were sitting. Jiyong followed. “It’s a pocketbook,” he opened it and found her name written on the first page. “It’s hers, dude!” he pushed Jiyong.

                “Come on! Let’s continue practicing.” Jiyong pulled Taeyang.

                “Aye, aye, Captain!”

                Later, Bom came back, alone.

                “Bommie!” Taeyang greeted. “Where’s your pretty friend?” he asked, all smiles.

                “Dara? Oh, she went home. I walked her to the gate,” Bom squinted her eyes. “I smell something fishy. I guess someone fell for my best friend’s charms.”

                “Stop it!” Taeyang said. “Yeah, I like her.”

                They were annoying each other while walking home. Meanwhile,  Jiyong, as usual, is silent as if in deep thoughts.

                “What’s wrong, couz? Are you jealous?” Bom asked in a teasing tone.

                “What?! I thought you said you don’t like her!” Taeyang complained.

                “Yeah! I don’t like her. Everyone does, but I don’t,” Jiyong threw a glare on Bom. “Stop fooling around, Bom.”

                “Fine!” Bom folded her arms across her chest.

                Meanwhile…

                Dara arrived home. She was fixing her things when…

                “Omo! Where is it? Where is it?!?” she hauled all her things from her bag., even throwing everything out. “Where’s my book?! Aigoo, it’s lost.”

                Thinking she left it at the gymnasium, she went back to school. But finding out that it wasn’t there, she called Bom.

                “Bom! Is my book with you?” Dara asked immediately when Bom answered.

                “What? Your book’s lost?” Bom said.

                Taeyang looked at her, wide eyed. “Tell her, you haven’t seen it,” he said in a hushed voice.

                “Oh, I haven’t seen it. I’m sorry,” Bom said. They put their phones down, and Dara went home hopelessly.

                The next day…

                “Bom!” Dara said the moment she arrived at their classroom. Bom hugged her because she’s teary-eyed. She knows every book Dara owned is very important to her. “I lost my book.”

                Bom was comforting her when Taeyang entered the room uninvited. “Good Morning, Dara!” he shouted at the top of his voice.

                The girls in their classroom all stopped and followed their eyes on him until he reached Dara still hugging Bom. It seems Dara hasn’t heard him.

                He cleared his throat. “Good morning, Dara.”

                She turned her back to be face-to-face with Taeyang. She remembered his face but couldn’t quite place who he was. He let her remember him. “Oh! You were the one playing with Jiyong yesterday, right?”

                Taeyang nodded his head, showing his eye-smile. “Yes! That’s me. Wow, you remembered. I’m so happy,” Taeyang said. He stopped suddenly, remembering why he was here. “Oh, yeah! Is this yours?” Taeyang handed her the pocketbook she “lost”.

                Dara gasped. She smiled happily. “Oh my gosh. How could I thank you? Oh, oh. Let me treat you to lunch later. What do you think?”

                “That would be great,” Taeyang said, reflecting Dara’s happiness.

                “And… your name is…?” Dara said curiously.

                “Oh, yeah. I’m Taeyang. Jiyong’s best friend, Bom’s childhood friend,” he said.

                “Nice meeting you, Taeyang,” Dara said shaking his hand.

                The bell rang.