The alarm sound waking me up. I stretched my arms lazily, really want to go back sleeping, but I had to come to school. I looked around my room. Where’s Taeyong? Maybe he moved back to my brother’s room last night? Or maybe he just woke up earlier than me.

I took a bath, not too long, I never took a bath for too long. I decided to not tie my long wavy hair today because I just washed my hair. I remember hadn’t washed my hair yesterday, so I did it this morning.

After wearing my school uniform, I ran downstairs. I heard laughter from the kitchen.

“Ahjuma? You came earlier?”

My maid turned her head at me and smiled, “So Hyun, Taeyong is a really good cook. He didn’t let me help him.”

I nodded. “Yeah, he is.” I walked closer to them. “What did you make?” I asked Taeyong.

“It’s for lunch. The breakfast is there, on the dining table.” Taeyong answered without looking at me.

I nodded, then went to grab my breakfast. There’s tuna sandwich, boiled egg, milk, strawberry juices, and strawberry cheesecake.

“Wow! You made strawberry cheesecake!” I squealed, happy because it’s one of my favorite cakes. “Mmm, yummy. How could you make this cake, Taeyong? What time did you wake up? 5?”

“4.”

I chocked. “REALLY?” Wow! Taeyong really had put a lot of effort to make these delicious foods.

Taeyong ignored me. He just focused cooking for our lunch later.

My maid giggled. “I’m happy you have a good boyfriend like Taeyong.”

I laughed. “He is not my boyfriend, Ahjuma!”

“But…”

“Ahjuma, could you help me wash this carrot?” Taeyong cut off.

I frowned. It’s understandable my maid thought that Taeyong is my boyfriend, because she saw him in my home since before I waking up, and also cooking for me.

I decided to not debate her further, just continue ate the luxurious breakfast. Honestly, Taeyong’s cooking is more delicious than my maid’s cooking.

<3 <3 <3 <3 <3

I had this feeling that Taeyong was trying avoiding me. Usually, he talked to me while looking at my eyes directly, but since this morning he had been avoiding my stare. Sure, he answered my questions, but he never looked at my face properly.

At first, I thought he wants to concentrate driving, so he never took a glance at me even for just once during our way to school. But, when we walked together from the parking lot to our school building too… Taeyong kept avoiding my eyes.

“Did you perhaps make any mistake to me?” I start interrogating him. This is not the usual Lee Taeyong! He looked… tense. Too tense. As if he was trying to hide something from me.

Taeyong shook his head. He walked faster. I catch him up.

“Maybe you broke anything at my home?”

“No.”

“Then why?”

“Nothing.” Taeyong answered my questions coldly.

“Oh! So Hyun! Taeyong!” Yuta waved his hand to us, grinning widely. Taeyong walked passing him after giving him a small nod. Yuta turned his head at Taeyong, frowning.

“Wow, Yuta, you came early.” I snickered. Yuta usually came to school right before the gate closed.

Yuta chuckled. “My motorcycle is being repaired, so I had no choice except going earlier with my dad.”

I nodded.

“Anyway, I could smell your favorite shampoo from Taeyong’s hair.”

“What? That jerk! He used my shampoo again?”

So that’s why he had been avoiding me since this morning? Because he used my shampoo without my permission?

Yuta giggled. “Taeyong slept over at your home?”

Yuta is really quick! He is dangerous!

I shook my head, laughing nervously. “No…no. I mean… he must be using the same shampoo as me.”

Yuta smiled ear to ear, seemed like didn’t buy my words. “Oh, come on! We both know that your shampoo is just being sold in Netherlands. The strawberry scent is unique too, it’s different with the one sold in this country. You got it from your brother.”

“Yuta, everyone can get the shampoo, from the online shop, or anywhere. Please, don’t assume anything!” I answered him too fast.

“Alright.” Yuta grinned. He put his arm around my shoulder. “Let’s go to class!”

I glanced at him. He looked too happy. I don’t know why.

<3 <3 <3 <3 <3

Taeyong didn’t join us having lunch at the cafeteria. He said he had to practice dancing. I can’t help but kept thinking Taeyong just searching for excuses, so he didn’t have to facing me.

Jhonny’s presence made our lunch brighter. He told us a lot of funny jokes. My friends liked him a lot, even Taeil Oppa who usually quiet now talked a lot, responding to Jhonny’s funny stories. Hansol had been accepted too in my circle. I know, it’s hard to resist Hansol’s cute charms, even Ten grew closer to him faster than to Jhonny. Ten had a soft spot for someone who has a lot of aegyo. But my friends seemed like had not accepted Taeyong yet. Nobody asked for him. If Jhonny didn’t have lunch with us even for just once, they would ask for him, but they did not do the same for Taeyong.

I sighed. I know Taeyong might be looked cold and intimidating outside. I know I also had misunderstood him a lot in the past. I thought he was just an arrogant jerk. But once you had known him better, he was not that bad. In Japanese term, we could say that Taeyong is… “tsundere”.

I hope my friends could see Taeyong’s good side too. Taeyong might be not as funny as Jhonny, not as cute as Hansol, not as warm as Ten, not as kind as Taeil, not as loyal as Yuta, and not as lovable as Jaehyun, but he is ok.

It had been twice Taeyong did not join us having lunch, even though he still brought me bento. So, this time, I followed him to the dance club room.

“What’s your problem?”

“What?” Taeyong looked at me on the mirror. He did the stretching, warming up before dancing.

“Why are you avoiding me?”

“I’m not.”

“Then, are you avoiding my friends? You don’t like them?”

Taeyong turned his head, looking straight into my eyes. “Look, I’m not avoiding anyone, ok?”

I sighed. “There’s something off. What happened?”

Taeyong didn’t answer my question. Maybe he still didn’t trust me enough to spill out his problems. I sighed again. “You know, if you need a shoulder to cry on, I’ll be there. You’re my friend. You said so yourself.”

Taeyong was just staring deeply into my eyes, as if he wants to tell me something by his gaze, but I didn’t understand. His gaze was full of complicated things.

<3 <3 <3 <3 <3

On Sunday afternoon, right before I’m going to have lunch (actually it’s breakfast for me), Yuta came over to my home. But this time he didn’t bring drama DVD.

Usually, Yuta will greet me with his famous healing smile, but not this time. He looked really sad.

“Hey, what’s wrong?”

Why did everyone look so down these days?

“I broke up with my girlfriend yesterday.”

“WHAT? Why?”

Yuta and his girlfriend had been dating for… I don’t know, he said they’d been dating since they’re 4th grade of elementary school.

Now, after I saw Yuta’s face closer, I noticed his puffy red eyes. He must be crying all night yesterday.

Yuta put his head on my shoulder. I patted his head lightly.

“She said she fall for her bestfriend and senpai, Chinen. She said she can’t wait for me anymore. She was sick of our long distance relationship.” Yuta put his arms around me, hugging me tightly. “I thought our love would last for forever. This is so ing hurt! It’s my first heartbreak. Maybe I’m too innocent. I should just become a bad boy and dumped her since a long time ago! I thought she really loves me and could stay loyal to me. I’m