Eyes zeroed in on Taihee. No word out of his mouth, just lips firmly pressed together. The tiny wood branches they’d gathered earlier cracked under the pressure of the heat while the guy awaited his answer. Focusing his view on the grill Sehun said, “I don’t know.”

No, he knew. Namjoo wasn’t seeing anyone. She hadn’t dated, not even once.

“But you live together,” Taihee reminded then asked, “and you don’t know?”

“She’s busy preparing for college and finals are coming up, so we haven’t had time to get together,” Sehun excused. It was partially the truth.

“Oh…” Taihee’s voice quieted then he asked, “but you have her number, right? Can you give it to me?”

Sungwoo laughed loudly and slapped their friend across the chest, “What are you on? You trying to hit on her?”

“I think she’s cute,” Taihee admitted. “Why not?”

Sehun’s eyes shot elsewhere again, hoping the subject would die down if he didn’t answer but then their eyes landed on him. He suddenly felt like a dead carcass and they were hyenas eyeing his meat from the distance.

He was uncomfortable.

“So?” Taihee pressed on. “Can I get her number?”

“No,” the word shot out of Sehun’s mouth then he paused and hesitated. He didn’t want to look petty. Something just didn’t feel right about giving Namjoo’s personal information away. Then he further excused, “I mean, I don’t think Namjoo would like it. I should ask her for permission first.”

“Eyy…” Taihee pressed on and leaned forth to nudge him with an elbow, “you don’t have to be like that. I won’t do anything bad to her.”

Sehun honestly wished they’d shut up already. He was now glad that Namjoo hadn’t tagged along or else she would have caved and given Taihee whatever he wanted.

“How are you guys doing?” Seona stepped up innocently unaware of their conversation. “Is the fire ready yet?”

“Just in time!” Sehun grinned and stepped back to let them take over and realized he’d just breathed a sigh of relief.

§§§§§

Namjoo was kind of glad Sehun hadn’t come back for dinner. She wasn’t sure how she’d feel if he did make it back to eat with her and her parents, but even as she retreated to her bedroom for the night she still hoped he would have made it back in time. His being late only meant he was having an unbelievably good time with those people. Perhaps he was even bathing in the presence of Hwang Seona.

Once more, at the thought of that beautiful woman, Namjoo felt all the more disappointed about today. Right after coming back home she’d tossed the floral dress she wore for the day onto the floor. She wouldn’t wear it again. It made her feel small, pathetic. She had tried to look good, but another woman had looked even better and without all the effort.

Switching the lights off she crawled under her blanket and hugged her stuffed animal. She wouldn’t see those people again, even if Sehun asked. She wouldn’t let herself see the light flicker in Sehun’s eyes when he saw that woman. It was an unnecessary pain for her.

However much she tried, she couldn’t sleep. Her eyes opened when she heard Sehun coming up the stairs. She listened closely for him to close the door to his room, but she didn’t recognize the click. Curious, she leaned up and twisted back to glance at her bedroom door. Maybe she had heard wrong. Then the light knock had her heart leaping against her ribs.

“Are you asleep?” Sehun called from behind the door.

Quickly dropping back onto her bed she pulled the covers over her as if he was there right behind her.

“If you aren’t, I left some food for you in the fridge,” he said. “Sorry I got back late.”

Silence. Then finally she heard the door to his bedroom close. Throwing the covers off her head she sat up to stare at the door wondering why he did what he just did.

§§§§§

“Bye guys, thanks for the ride,” Sehun called out as he got out of Naeul’s car. “I’ll see you guys tomorrow.”

After watching them drive off he turned to enter Namjoo’s home. It was deadly quiet. The light above the stove had been left on for him. Namjoo’s mother had done it, he supposed. Pulling the fridge door open he stuffed the leftover food he’d come back with inside. If Namjoo was up he thought they could sit at the table and talk for a bit.

For some reason tonight, he felt the need to apologize to her. Instead of dressing into his PJs for the night he just sat down on the bed. He didn’t mean to let Taihee bother him, but the guy actually bothered him a lot – everything about him bothered Sehun. He didn’t like them talking about Namjoo and he wondered if introducing them to her today was his mistake. Sehun had done it intending to get her into the crowd. Now he sort of regretted it.

Finally turning the lights off after getting into his PJs he lay in bed with eyes closed. It was all still and quiet. A night like any other, but something was different. This feeling rising up in his chest was really a bother. He finally turned in the wee hour of the night when he heard the click of Namjoo’s door. Sitting up he eyed the door and without hesitating stood up to follow her downstairs. As he neared the lower steps inching into the corner of the kitchen he caught sight of Namjoo’s upper half in the fridge digging for, what he knew, his leftovers.

“What are you doing?” he asked loudly and watched her jump back, knocking the brim of her head against the upper freezer door.

First letting out a groan of pain then a, “,” Namjoo turned to look at him. “You freaking scared me!”

He scoffed with the corner of his lips bouncing up and watched her kick the fridge close before sitting down at the kitchen table. Walking over as naturally as ever he joined her. His eyes jot toward the food wrapped in the aluminum foil, watching her pick the meat apart. As she stuffed it into he asked, “Is it good?”

“Yea.”

“Of course, whatever you eat is good.”

“Should I say it’s bad?”

Sehun snorted. “You should have said that then.”

Namjoo made a face at him then continued eating. “Get me some rice.”

“Why?” he asked with a note of playful irritancy. “You shouldn’t eat so much at night. Watch your diet.”

“Then don’t get me rice.” Namjoo shot him a frown.

Shoving his chair up he started toward the rice cooker, “Fine, I’ll get you rice.” Coming back with the plate and a fork for her he watched her smile satisfied. Sehun breathed a ridiculous smile upon seeing it as he sat down. “You weren’t asleep earlier, were you?”

“Maybe I just got up hungry, opened the fridge, and grabbed the first thing I saw,” Namjoo shrugged stabbing a piece of meat with the given fork.

Sehun made a face at her. Obviously he didn’t believe her, but he didn’t mind her lying.

“Did you starve today or something?” he wondered as she feasted. She made the food look even tastier than it actually was when he’d eaten with his friends. “Slow down, you’re going to choke.”

“As a matter of fact, I ate three times before you came back,” Namjoo boasted as he got up to grab her a cup of water.

“Good for you,” he praised sitting back down and slid the glass toward her. Greedily taking it Namjoo gulped down the water before setting it back on the table. Sighing he got back up to grab her some napkins and sat back down. They silenced for a few minutes as she ate the rest of the food.

If she had gone with them today she would have eaten all the food without leaving him a share. And if she had gone with them, who knows where she might have gone with Taihee afterward. He didn’t know a thing about Namjoo and men. Or, in any case, how men outside saw her.

“I think she’s cute,” Taihee admitted.

Sehun’s eyes jumped down toward the aluminum foil. Who knows what might have happened between Namjoo and Taihee. He was slightly curious, but more than that he was relieved she had opted out joining them, uncomfortable about how they thought of her.

Namjoo had never been quite personal with anyone in her life before, that excluding their friends from high school. If she were to develop an interest in someone, would she devote all her attention to that one significant person and forget him? Of course he’d be happy for her. That day was due to come, but he wondered if, when she finally started college, would she drift off like so many others?

“Do you,” he began, “like someone?”

Her eyes quickly landed on his. If she liked someone, she would tell him. That was what he believed. He was her closest person after all. He knew everything about her. He even knew the day she started her period.

He closely watched her eyes jump back and forth. This was weird. He couldn’t read that look in her eyes.

A nervous smile flashed across her lips. “W…why would you ask that?”

Suddenly flushed he answered, “I was just wondering. I mean, there’s so many things happening nowadays and we haven’t gotten together to talk, you know, catch up and all.”

Narrowing her eyes Namjoo frowned at him. “What’s with you?”

“Nothing,” he quickly said then got up. “Finish your food. I’m going to sleep.” Turning away he quickly headed up the stairs.

Closing the door to his room he breathed a sigh of relief, wondering what exactly it was he’d just experienced. Slumping against the door he mentally repeated to himself that it was normal to be curious, but he more than that, felt abnormal. He didn’t want to tell her at all about Taihee’s male interest in her.

§§§§§

Sehun had gone off to finals and Namjoo was home like always. Mom had gone off to enjoy a day with her old lady friends at the church club. It was her free hour of home alone. After popping a bag of popcorn open she grabbed a bottle of soda and plopped herself down on the couch. She was going to marathon a TV series. Today Sehun was going to come home himself. He had other things to do and Namjoo didn’t want to let herself linger over what it was he had going on. Still pained from their ruined day that weekend, she was intent on keeping herself away from all distress possible.

A quarter of the way through the second episode there was a knock at the door. Her mother couldn’t possibly be home so soon. She doubted it was Sehun. Why knock when he had keys?

Forced to get up, Namjoo pulled the door open to find herself staring up into one of Sehun’s friend’s face. Smiling back at her in a friendly manner he asked, “Hi. I was in the neighborhood and thought I’d come visit.”

“Oh.” was all that dropped from her lips.

She noticed him gaze into the house over her shoulder, “Can I come in?”

Uncertainty traveled through her senses. She was the only one home and she didn’t know this person. Was she in the safe zone? But if he was Sehun’s friend, would it be ok? But she’d feel bad for turning him away, because he was Sehun’s friend. What to do?

“Um…ok.” Namjoo stepped back to let him in. She watched him observe her home curiously and wondered how the hell he knew where she lived. Had Sehun given her address away?

As if reading her mind, he told, “We dropped Sehun off the other night. I just finished exams for the day and thought I’d come over and wait for him.” Rubbing his stomach, he said, “Do you mind if I eat something? I haven’t had anything to eat all day.”

Namjoo’s attention jumped to the fridge. “Y…yes, hold on a second.” Pulling the fridge open she said, “We should have some leftovers from this morning.” After pulling some food out she turned around to see him sitting at the table. A flush of anxiety washed over her. She was uncomfortable. Switching her attention to the food she said, “This is all we have, sorry.”

“No, it’s all good. Thanks,” he smiled up at her. When she awkwardly stood there he asked, “You’re not going to sit down with me?”

“Huh?” Her eyes jumped around the room. Mentally pressured she pulled the chair across from him out and sat down. Clasping her hands together on the table she sat quietly, as if she’d been called to the principal’s office.

“Am I making you nervous?” he wondered.

“No, not at all.” Namjoo shook her head and tried to feign a smile.

“You don’t have to be nervous,” he assured. “I just thought we could be friends.”

By suddenly coming over? Namjoo eyed him.

“I heard you’re starting college soon. Are you nervous?”

Namjoo shrugged.

“I was so anxious on my first day, I went to the wrong class,” he told her, “I didn’t realize it until lecture was already halfway through. I was so embarrassed, I packed up immediately.”

Namjoo laughed at his story suddenly feeling slightly less nervous with him. “Really? I’m honestly so scared of that happening to me.”

“That’s why you should go beforehand to find out where your classes are,” he advised.

“Really?”

He nodded, “It’s more helpful that way. How many credits are you planning to take?”

And before Namjoo realized it, she had already gotten him a second serving of food.

§§§§§

“Lee Chul!” Sehun called out recognizing the lean man waiting standing beyond the crowd at the front entrance of campus.

Noticing him, Chul turned with a wave and suave smile that had the heads of numerous girls turning. “How was exams?”

“None today,” Sehun told as they began walking together in unison. “Just reviews. How’s it going?”

“Not too bad,” he the friend replied. “I just got paid today. Want to go eat some meat?”

“Heck yea,” Sehun grinned.

They stopped at a barbeque restaurant and ordered four servings of meat in total, along with some beer.

“So,” the friend started, “how’s Namjoo?”

Sehun laughed, “You’re going to ask about her before you ask about me?”

Chul lightheartedly returned a laugh. “I thought I already asked about you.”

“I’m just kidding,” Sehun said. “Lets talk about me next time.”

“Oh no,” Chul waved his hand, “since you’ve started, what were you going to say? Did you finally meet someone?” A sheepish grin grew upon Sehun’s face. Chul teased, “Eyy…who is it?”

“Remember that person I told you about a while ago?” Sehun asked. “The reason why I had to get into SNU?”

“Oh,” Chul nodded, “that person. The one that got you totally obsessed with studying. Yes, I remember.”

“I recently met her,” Sehun gladly told.

“Is she pretty?”

“She’s pretty,” Sehun happily replied. Exhaling he asked, “So, what about you?”

He caught the bashful smile on Chul’s face and was urged to tease. “Who is she?”

“That’s why I wanted to see you today.” Chul admitted.

“I see how it is,” Sehun teased. “So you didn’t really didn’t want to see me, but use me. Ok, spill it. Who is she, this girl that has you using me. Lets see how great she is.”

Shyly laughing, Chul went on, “I couldn’t think of anyone else, but you.”

“Uh-huh.”

“I was wondering,” Chul continued, “could you help hook me up with Namjoo?”

The amused smile waiting to become full dissolved from Sehun’s lips. He repeated, unsure if he had heard right, “Namjoo?”

“Yes,” he nodded. “Namjoo.”

Still unsure, Sehun repeated for help of clarification, “The Namjoo you’re talking about…my Namjoo?”