Ugh. What is this? It feels weird. Something is touching my face—What is this? It smells like strawberry… It smells like my lipstick… huh? Wait… Lipstick?

Mari quickly opened her eyes after she felt something was wrong. She heard someone chuckling and later that chuckles became a big laugh. Mari awokes from her sleep as she sat on her bed and saw someone was laughing at her.

It’s him again. Her morning devil.

“HAHAHA! Look at your face!” He kept laughing as he pointed to her face and his other hand was holding his stomach.

Mari kept staring at him. Waiting for him to stop laughing, but he won’t. “I give you 10 seconds to…” She said as she slowly grabbed her pillow, “TO GET OUT OF MY ROOM, HANSOL!!!”

Vernon quickly ran out of the room while still laughing and Mari end up throwing her pillow towards her wardrobe. After she was sure that she wouldn’t get her target, Vernon, who just came out of her house could hear her screaming his name. Vernon couldn’t help but laugh even more.

This is a normal morning for Mari’s and Vernon’s family. They were neighbours since Mari and Vernon were still in their Mommies’ bumps in New York. Five years after they were born, they moved to Seoul. And they have been bestfriends ever since. Well, maybe not the bestest of friends but still.

Mari walks down the stairs while sulking. She was ready with her uniform to go to school. The only one place where she could escape from Vernon is her school. There was no Vernon in her school and she could breath normally without getting angry. Sometimes, she just wanted to kill him. Sometimes, she loves him, but in a friendly way.

Mari came to the kitchen and found her parents were eating breakfast. Her mother looked up to see her and chuckled, “Bad morning again?” she said.

Mari sighed as she sat next to her mother, “Always. Dad, can we move to a new house?”

“Mari, you always say that every morning.” Mr. Kim laughed.

“But, Dad, Vernon is so annoying! I can’t take it anymore!” Mari whined.

“We love it, honestly. To see you suffer.” Mr. Kim replied. Mari gawked at her father’s joke, “Dad!”

Her parents laughed. Mrs. Kim told her to eat quickly so she won’t be late.

Upset, she ate her breakfast and looked out of the window where Vernon’s house is. You just wait, Choi Hansol. I’m going after you, wait until school’s over.

***

“Hansol,” Vernon looked up too see his father. They were eating breakfast in the kitchen just like Mari’s family did. “Seriously, when will you stop being Mari’s morning angel?”

Vernon suddenly laughed again, “Dad, I’m not her morning angel.”

“Then, what are you?” Her mother said as she gave him his bread.

Vernon took the bread from his mother and ate it then he said, “I’m her morning devil,”

“Hansol…” Mrs. Chwe smiled, “Is that fun? Annoying her?”

“It’s fun to see her reaction, Mom. Sometimes she’s just really cute when angry.” Vernon replied with a smile. “Ah, I should go or I will be late.”

Vernon stood up from his chair and walked out of his house. When he got outside, at the same time Mari just got out of her house. They stared at each other with different looks. Mari gave him a death glare while Vernon gave her a smile.

“I hate you,” Mari suddenly said.

“I know that.” Vernon replied with a smirk.

“I will kill you.” Mari added with a pout.

Vernon smirked even more, “I’m always waiting for it, Mari.”

Mari stomped her foot in annoyance. She always felt upset whenever she lost to Vernon. “You know what, Vernon.” She said softly as she approached Vernon and then pointed to his neck, “I want to choke you to death!” she growled.

Vernon let out another laugh again. He ruffled her hair and patted it lightly and then he ran as fast as he can.

“YAH!!!!” Mari screamed as she ran after him. But he was already so far when he waved his hand to her from afar.

“Gosh! Vernon, just you wait!”

***

This is my school. The only one place where people looks at me with elegance. There is no Vernon here. There is no Choi Hansol here. There is no Vernon Hansol Chwe here. That’s why, I love this place so much. ‘There is no Vernon’ was the reason why I didn’t attend the same school with him. After graduated from elementary school, I decided not to attend the same school with him anymore. He drove me crazy.

Mari walked in the corridor to her class. Some students who saw her greeted her kindly and she gave them a smile in reply. She entered her class and turned to her seatmate who was already there. Mari approached her with a sigh. She looked up to see her and gave her a smirk instead.

“Another trouble morning?”

“Yup,” Mari replied as she put her books on the table and turned to her bestfriend, “By the way, Good morning, Yeorum.”

“Good morning too, Mari.” Lee Yeorum replied without looking at her. She was too busy flipping her book.

“That’s it. That’s the right way to say good morning! Not with a lipstick on my face!” Mari finally lets out a frustrated sighs. “

“Lips…tick?” Yeorum blinked in surprise. A few seconds later, she laughed, “Seriously?! Your friend is funny, I’m starting to like him now.”

“That’s not funny.” Mari glared at Yeorum, “I really wanted to move to a new house sometimes. And why on earth his room is opposite my room!” She whined, lying her head on her table and closed her eyes.

Yeorum slightly smiled. She stopped flipping her book and turned to Mari, “Hey,” Mari opened her eyes, lifting up her head and turned to Yeorum, “Do you know that you are actually lucky?”

Mari squinted to Yeorum, stared at the cold-blooded girl suspiciously, “Lucky? And what do you mean?”

“Because your bestfriend is super handsome and he can casually walk in and walk out of your room. There are many girls who envy you out there.”

Mari rolled her eyes, “Whatever. They can take my place. I’ll be happy to give it!”

Yeorum chuckled. It seems like she could understand why Vernon loved to bother Mari. After that, Yeorum bothered Mari continuously and Yeorum laughed how Mari whined as she told Yeorum to stop. A few moments later, A Teacher came into the class. Everyone started looking for their own seats.

Mari took out a Math book and put it onto the table. She opened the book and her eyes fell to the picture that was patched behind the cover. She rubbed it with a smile on her face. It was a picture of Mari and Vernon when they were 4 years old at New York. At that time, they were smiling with the innocent faces.

“Time has passed. Isn’t that so, Hansol?” Mari whispered.

***

It was a break time.

Mari was alone, there was no Yeorum next to her. She was at her locker and put some books into there. Her phone vibrated. Mari took her phone out of her pocket and there was a text from Yeorum.

‘Mari, he’s here. At the gym. Hurry up!’

A smile spreaded across her beautiful face. Mari swiftly put all the books into her locker and slammed the locker door in a hurry. She then sprinted towards the gym.

This is one of the reason why she loves this school. The only thing that Vernon doesn’t know and she doesn’t want him to know yet. Mari arrived to the Gym where some students were playing basketball and some of them were watching seriously. Some female students were watching because of those handsome seniors. Mari and Yeorum were one of them.

Mari sat next to Yeorum without looking at her. Her eyes were focused on one person that she adore the most.

“Eyes off,” Yeorum suddenly said. “All of them are invisible for you, except one.”

“Hmm,” Mari hummed as she kept looking to one of them,”Look at him, He’s so handsome!”

“Yeah, I know that. I heard it almost everyday,” Yeorum replied sarcastically.

As they keep watching, the ball was flying towards mari. Before the ball hit her, someone quickly hit the ball to the other direction.

He looked up to see Mari who was surprised by his act. He gave her a smile and continued to play.

Mari blushed as she wanted to secream so badly. The one she likes so much was smiled to her and most importantly, he saved her.

“You see that?!” Mari happily hugged Yeorum, “He smiled at me, Yeorum! He saved me!” Mari shook Yeorum’s body and Yeorum growled in annoyance but she has no choice.

That person was Choi Seungcheol. A senior who was the first person Mari met in this school. It was a year ago, when he helped Mari.

-A Year Ago-

“Gosh, I’m late!”

Mari was running to the Auditorium where first ceremony for new students held.

“This is your fault, Vernon! Why did you lock me in my own room?! You’re so childish!” she whined to herself. She was running and didn’t stop until she stumbled by her own foot and fell onto the floor.

“Aw…” Mari hissed. She was lucky because nobody was there or she would feel very embarrassed.

“Are you okay?” A calm and gentle voice said.

Mari slowly looked up see who was it. A male student with a warm smile on his face was standing in front of her. Mari stunned as she keep staring at him. She didn’t even know him. Is he a senior? Or a friend?

He held out his hand. As if hypnotized , Mari took his hand and slowly stood up.

He smiled, “Are you a new student? Why did you run like that?”

“Ah…” Mari panicked, “I-I’m late for first ceremony!”

He chuckled, “It’s okay. You didn’t have to run.” His gaze turned to her scraped knee. He took out something out of his pocket and squatted as he put a band aid on her knee. When he was done, he faced Mari again. He turned to her name tag and gave Mari a smile, “It’s okay to be late. It’s normal. Let alone for a new student like you, Kim Mari.”

Mari was surprised at how he knew her name. Then she realized there was her name tag on her uniform.

That guy looked at his watch, “Ah, I should go back to the Auditorium. It will be my turn soon,” He winked at Mari. He patted Mari’s head and spun around, leaving Mari behind. Mari was frozen on her spot as she kept looking at the guy’s back. The male student suddenly stopped walking and turned around to see Mari was still on her spont. Mari could see him laughing and asked her to come with him. Mari could read how he told Mari to come from his mouth.

As if she was hypnotized again, Mari innocently followed him to the Auditorium.

-End of Flashback-

At that time when Mari arrived in the Auditorium, Mari found out that the male student’s name was Choi Seungcheol. He was a sophomore student back then and was a president student council.

That was how Mari started to adore him. And it’s been a year since that happen. Now she’s a sophomore student and Seungcheol is a Senior.

“AND It’s been a year AND You still haven’t talk to him.” Yeorum pointed.

Mari dropped her chopsticks and stared to Yeorum sharply. Why is she so happy to ruin her imagination?

“Don’t you know it’s embarrassing?!” Mari replied. Now they are eating lunch in cafetaria. Yeorum turned to a bunch of Seniors who were eating lunch, “He’s so close to you! Why don’t you try approach him?! Go, You can do it! Go!”

Mari glared at Yeorum. She almost hit her head with a spoon if she didn’t stop talking.

“But he saved you! Remember?! He probably likes you too, Mari.” Yeorum replied, giving encouragement to her bestfriend.

“Impossible. I think he’s just nice to all girls. He would do that to you too,” Mari said as she continue to eat. Yeorum gawked, “Why are you so pessimistic?!”

“Because I don’t have a chance?” Mari unsurely asked.

Yeorum gawked again,”Why wouldn’t you have any chance?! You’re pretty, smart, nice, kind, and pretty popular too.”

“You’re the only one who told me that.” Mari chuckled.

Yeorum put her chopsticks and spoon on the side of her tray. She took a tissue out of its place and without saying anything, she makes a ball from it. Mari stared at her in confusion. Mari shook her head, she thought that maybe Yeorum was just frustrated about how pessimistic Yeorum is.

But suddenly, Yeorum threw that tissue to the bunch of the seniors they were staring at. Mari, who suddenly panicked, quickly turned to her and whispered in panic, “What the hell are you doing???!”

The tissue hit one of the seniors’ head and it turned out to be Seungcheol. Seungcheol spun around and stared at Yeorum. Yeorum pretended that nothing happened but then she pointed her finger towards Mari. Seungcheol blinked and then chuckled. He turned to say something to his friends and suddenly he stood up and walked towards Mari and Yeorum.

Yeorum’s eyes widened, “OMG! He’s walking towards us!”

Mari gasped and hit Yeorum’s hand, “What did you do?!! What should I do?!”

“Hi, girls.”

Mari’s eyes widened. She couldn’t spun her body around but she was sure it’s Seungcheol’s voice.

“Hi, sunbae! You were cool!” Yeorum cheerfully replied.

“Oh, Did you saw me playing?” Seungcheol said as he sat next to Mari. Mari was almost dead when she felt Seungcheol was sitting next to her. She could feel her heart beating faster.

“Yeah, we saw it. Me and Mari,” Yeorum smirked to Mari. Mari glared at her.

Seungcheol smiled and turned to Mari who wasn’t saying anything ever since he came, “Mari, are you sick?”

Mari, who suddenly realized something, slowly turned around and looked at Seungcheol in disbelief. Did Seungcheol just mention her name?

“Y-You know me?” Mari asked. Yeorum almost laughed because of Mari’s stupid face.

Seungcheol gave her a puzzle look, “What do you mean? Of course I know. Unless, you forget that day.”

Mari smiled awkwardly. Unable to hide her happiness, “I thought you’d forgotten about that day, Seungcheol sunbae.”

Seungcheol chuckled, “I can’t forget that day,” Mari blushed after Seungcheol attacked her with smiles. While Yeorum was watching both of them with a smirk on her face. She couldn’t wait to annoy Mari after this. “But if that day didn’t happen, I guess I would still know you.”

Mari blinked, “Why would you?”

“Because you’re popular. You’re pretty.” Seungcheol smiled. He turned to his friends and then turned to Mari and Yeorum again, “Okay, see you later girls.” He stood up of his chair and waved to Mari and Yeorum. Mari was frozen while Yeorum waved back to him.

Yeorum moved her hand in front of Mari’s face but Mari was frozen on her seat. Yeorum shook her head as she laughed.

Maybe today is one of my best days.

***

After school, Mari rushed to Vernon’s house after changing uniform and putting her bag. Unlike Vernon, she didn’t cross the window to go to his home. But as a human being, she certainly knows how to use the door.

Mari opened the gate of Vernon’s house and rushed ran into his house. She found Vernon’s mother in the kitchen, seemed to be busy cooking something with her maid.

“Ahjumma!” Mari greeted as she carefully glanced to the 2^nd floor, where Vernon’s room is.

Mrs. Chwe looked up to see Mari then she smiled, “Hi, Mari. And why are you look so mad?”

“You already know the answer, Ahjumma. Is he upstairs?” Mari asked as she approached Mrs. Chwe.

“Are you going to get your revenge?” Mrs. Chwe chuckled. Mari nodded firmly, “And I’m going upstairs now!”

“Wait, Mari!” Mrs. Chwe called but Mari didn’t hear her. She already ran towards Vernon’s room. Mrs. Chwe turned to her maid, “How is this?”

Mari was in front of Vernon’s room. She checked her fist and glared at the door sharply.

I’m going to hit your handsome face. Or probably I’m going to slap you. Or maybe choke you.

Mari knocked on the door and she could heard Vernon’s voice asked who was that. The door slowly opened, without thinking, she ran towards Vernon as she lifted her fist and widened her eyes when she saw Vernon was pretty far from her. He was sitting on his bed and suddenly Mari fell onto someone’s body and she was sure it was not Vernon but someone else.

Mari felt something very bad. Really bad. Very unwell. She slowly realized that there was not only Vernon in his room. And now they were staring at her strangely.

Mari slowly looked down. She met eyes with someone she didn’t know. It was a long pause. Without saying anything, Mari slowly lifted her body and looked at Vernon and then… she saw familiar faces. Her eyes widened at one person.

“S-S-Seungcheol sunbae?!!”

“Mari?”

I was wrong. This is not one of my best days.