Summer paused outside the door, her hand hovering over the handle and she took a deep breath to try and calm her nerves and the wild thoughts chasing each other through her mind.  She had no time to waste however, as the moment her and Hanbin had arranged ticked away.  Besides, she had already spent five minutes pacing the hallway in anticipation.  How much more time did she need?  Gripping the handle firmly she pushed the door open and trundled through with the trolley.  Hanbin had clearly been keeping an eye out, because even as she was tucking the equipment against the wall he was moving to stop the music.

“Ah, cleaning noona is here!” Yunhyeong announced happily, waving at her and she couldn’t help but return it even as her brow creased with his next words.  “You’re a little early.”

“Nevermind, I think we need the break anyway,” Hanbin shrugged it off and like that began rounding the boys up, trying to rush them out even as Junhoe was trying to beat them.  He was yet to even glance her way and Summer stood awkwardly off to the side.  It was when he had bundled everything in his arms before Donghyuk had finished drinking half his water bottle that she realised she was going to have to make a move on the proverbial chess board.

“Junhoe!”  The calling of his name caused more than the subject to look over and the blonde made a jerking motion that she hoped conveyed her wish for him to stay.  Junhoe’s eyes stayed on her for a moment before he tried to walk off again.  By this time however Hanbin had collected Donghyuk and was giving Junhoe a look that made the boy falter and clearly stated that if he even so much as tried to leave the room he would be a dead man.  

Which was how Summer found herself in the room alone with Junhoe.  For several moments they merely stood there, the atmosphere thickening until finally the boy moved, dropping his stuff and pushing it to one side.  “What do you want?  Or did you come here just to stand there?”

“No, of course not.  I just.  You know I had everything I was going to say planned out in my head - I must have gone over it a thousand times.  But I’m terrible under pressure and I can’t actually remember anything,” she started, knowing that she was already rambling and it was clear he was waiting expectantly.  “I wanted to say I’m sorry.  For everything I said, well you know when.  I didn’t mean it and I know you apologised for wanting to report me… and for everything else as well.  I was just frustrated and angry and I didn’t think about what I was saying.  I didn’t mean to hurt you.  Please forgive me.”

And then she bowed a full ninety degrees.  She wasn’t sure whether Hanbin quite meant this when he suggested a formal apology, but she thought that just maybe this action might get through to him more than her words would.  After several moments she straightened and fought to drag her eyes from the ground and up to look at him.  It almost seemed like deja vu, Junhoe once again standing with a shocked expression plastered across his face and Summer couldn’t stop the flash of thought that she had broken him.  More concerning with his lack of any kind of response though, was the fact that she had no idea whether he would accept her apology.

“Um, Junhoe?”  Her prompting seemed to kick him into gear and he quickly rearranged his expression into something less readable, though he couldn’t seem to stop himself from on his bottom lip gently.

“Did Hanbin put you up to this?” he questioned and she immediately shook her head.  There was no way she was going to dob the leader in, but the boy was looking at her as if he didn’t believe and so she let out a sigh, reaching up to rub the back of her neck.

“He didn’t, but I may have roped him into helping me get you in the same vicinity as me,” she replied, settling for a half truth and hoping Hanbin would be sharp enough to go along with it if Junhoe brought it up.  For another moment or two he studied her carefully and then he nodded.  It took Summer several seconds to realise that this was his acceptance; his forgiveness and in a rush she felt the awkwardness and adrenaline drain from her.  

The strength of the reaction surprised her, especially when she found herself sinking slowly to the ground until she was simply sitting in the middle of the room.  There was a flash of something in Junhoe’s eyes and then he was mirroring her actions until he was sitting cross legged opposite her and Summer had to suppress the urge to giggle manically at the situation.  She refrained however, managing to keep her demeure serious.

“I also hope you realise I would never ask Bobby out.”

“Why not?”

“Because I don’t like him.  I mean he’s attractive and talented, but I don’t even know him.  As a person I mean,” she said and he nodded.  Silence reigned again as Junhoe toyed with his shoes and Summer tried to get her heartbeat under control.  And then the boy spoke.

“Is he still your phone background?”  It was a strange question, but she thought she could see a hint of amusement in his face.  It made her realise that she was already coming to read the more subtle displays of emotion that were frequent for the idol.

“Nope, it’s one of the temples we visited in Daegu.  See?” she answered, digging into her pocket and pulling out her phone to flash at him as proof.  Summer’s thoughts were still on his appearance however and almost as soon as the words were forming in her head they were spilling from her lips.  Which was irritating because they had crossed her mind regularly over the past few weeks and she never found herself speaking them.  “Why do you never smile around me?”

He froze with the question, though he looked confused and it struck her that maybe he didn’t realise.  She found herself needing to explain it all however, and shifted slightly so she was sitting more comfortably.  “The night of the concert at Daegu, I realised it was the first time I had seen you smile.  Is it because you don’t like me?”

“Don’t like-?  I never said I didn’t like you, I actually-” his response was stilted and when he cut himself off by biting down on his lip hard enough that he winced she felt a swooping in her stomach.  “I never realised I didn’t.  I guess I just get caught up trying to get a rise out of you.”

Summer let out a snort with his words, doubly amused by the fact that he seemed to gain some of his confidence back talking about their constant bashing of heads and she nodded.  “Yeah, these past few weeks have been boring.”

And then she got it.  It was small, but it was a smile and she pulled herself to her feet, holding out her hand.  Junhoe looked up at her, pausing for a moment before he allowed her to help him up and he was once more towering over her.

“You should get to work before you find smudges start appearing on the mirror,” he warned and she rolled her eyes.

“Please stop making out with your reflection Junhoe,” she said and this time he gave a true smile as he left.