“What are you thinking? I can’t do that exactly, can I?” Jin Hwan asked, wide eyed.

                “What do you mean you CAN’T? Of course you can! You’re his friend and we’re childhood friends! Please? For me?” Sae Ron pleaded.

                “But why do you need me to make Joo Hyuk stay away from Gu So Hyun? Are you jealous with them? Let me tell you that you really don’t have to worry. Joo Hyuk’s not like that at all.” Jin Hwan explained.

                “Han Jin Hwan!” Yoo Jung shouted. “Just do it, okay?” She continued.

                “Chill! Geez, seriously! What’s with you two?” Jin Hwan exclaimed, scratching his head in frustration.

                “Please, Jin Hwan-ah? I really have a bad feeling about Joo Hyuk being with that girl.” Sae Ron pleaded again.

Seeing his childhood friend beg, Jin Hwan suddenly felt pity towards Sae Ron. He really didn’t understand why they have to make him spy on Joo Hyuk and So Hyun. Somehow, he thought that So Hyun was a nice person but he couldn’t really blame his friends for being cautious.

                “Fine. I’ll do it.” Jin Hwan finally agreed.

                “Yey! Thanks so much Jin Hwan-ah! You really are the best!” Sae Ron cheered.

                “God! I can’t believe you’re making me spy on them! To one of our friends, for that matter!” Jin Hwan said.

                “You’re actually making him a favour. Just think of it as a way of looking out for our friend.” Yoo Jung consoled.

So Hyun was silently sitting on her seat by herself. No one dared to talk to her and what made her more pissed was the fact that her classmates were actually gossiping about her. Joo Hyuk and Jin Hwan have just arrived and as soon as they entered the classroom, they heard most of their classmates gossiping about So Hyun and her friends. When Joo Hyuk heard them, he automatically searched the room, looking for So Hyun.

                “She’s here. I’m pretty sure that she could hear all these, but she’s doing nothing. All of these bad omens happening at school just as soon as they started studying here. I really feel sorry for them.” Joo Hyuk thought.

Joo Hyuk and Jin Hwan made their way to their seats. As soon as Joo Hyuk sat on his seat, So Hyun started to look the other way, avoiding Joo Hyuk. So Hyun wanted to be friends with Joo Hyuk but she found it hard to approach him especially after knowing that he’s friend with Yoo Jung. But when Joo Hyuk confronted her the last time, he somehow made her feel bitter towards herself so she wanted to start over again with him being her friend.

                “So Hyun-ah..” So Hyun heard Joo Hyuk called her but he was cut off by Jin Hwan.

                “Joo Hyuk-ah, about our homework.. Could you teach me? I’m having trouble with this particular problem.” Jin Hwan interrupted, making Joo Hyuk turn to him instead.

                “Umm..” Joo Hyuk glanced back at So Hyun but seeing that she still wasn’t looking at him, he turned back to look at his friend. “Sure. What page was that again?” Joo Hyuk and Jin Hwan started to talk with themselves.

                “Whew! This spying thing sure is hard but so far, so good.” Jin Hwan thought.

                “Great! He was about to talk to me just now! That Jin Hwan sure knows how to ruin the moment!” So Hyun exclaimed to herself, rolling her eyes at the same time.

                “Yah, do you really have to roll your eyes as soon as I arrive?” Sung Jae asked, appearing before So Hyun.

                “Oh, it’s you.” So Hyun simply answered and looked away quickly, ignoring him.

                “Is that all you could say? Aishh.” Sung Jae just sat to his seat, looking annoyed by So Hyun’s cold treatment.

So Hyun was mostly alone for the rest of their classes thanks to Jin Hwan’s distractions to Joo Hyuk and the hatred from her classmates to her. So Hyun was getting used to it except Sung Jae was always pestering her. For their last class for that day, the teacher paired them up for the Home Economics class. They have to cook a dish and present it to the teacher. The teacher started to call out the names of pairings one by one until the last name of the pair.

                “Nam Joo Hyuk and Gu So Hyun.” The teacher concluded.

                “WHAT?” Sung Jae and Jin Hwan exclaimed at the same time.

                “Teacher, are you certain that you called the last pair right? I mean, maybe there were some mistakes in selecting the pairings.” Sung Jae complained, not accepting the pairing of So Hyun and Joo Hyuk.

                “Are you saying that I don’t know how to do the pairings?” The teacher asked loudly making everyone flinch.

                “No. It’s not that teacher..” Sung Jae recovered.

                “It’s settled then. Okay, start cooking everyone.” The teacher concluded and left.

                “Aishh..” Sung Jae cursed and then turned to look at Joo Hyuk. “Yah, Nam Joo Hyuk! Want to swap with me?” Sung Jae suggested.

                “No, thanks.” Joo Hyuk declined.

                “Dude, think about it. Sung Jae’s partner is a good cook.” Jin Hwan noted, trying to convince Joo Hyuk.

                “Really? My partner’s good?” Sung Jae paused and glanced back to his partner. “ Aishh.. Forget it. Just swap with me already.” Sung Jae demanded.

                “I really don’t want to. Now, if you’ll excuse us.” Joo Hyuk grabbed So Hyun by the arm and dragged her to the back corner where they were assigned to cook.

                “Yah, Nam Joo Hyuk! Did you just grab her? Yah, just remember that I’m watching you! Like a hawk!” Sung Jae reminded but Joo Hyuk just ignored him.

                “This is bad. I just hope Yoo Jung and Sae Ron wouldn’t find out about this.” Jin Hwan thought.

All the students started to cook their dish while Joo Hyuk and So Hyun was still standing there feeling awkward with each other. So Hyun was somehow thankful that she ended up being Joo Hyuk’s partner but she didn’t know what to do or to say first. But then, it was Joo Hyuk who broke the silence.

                “So, what do we do first?” Joo Hyuk asked, looking at So Hyun.

                “Umm.. I.. I really don’t know actually.” So Hyun answered, feeling sorry. “I’ve never cook in my entire life.” She continued, embarrassed by this truth.

                “Really? Well, I guess there’s a first time for everything.” Joo Hyuk exclaimed, smiling at her.

                “Holy smoke! He’s so cute. God! What am I thinking? Gu So Hyun, you need to focus!” So Hyun scolded herself.

                “So I guess, we need to wash these vegetables first. Then, we cut them.” Joo Hyuk declared.

They both have started to cook without the awkwardness anymore. They both were doing their part of the work while chatting at the same time. Joo Hyuk was boiling the meat while So Hyun was in the middle of cutting the vegetables. Since it was So Hyun’s first time, she cut her finger on the process.

                “Ow!” So Hyun yelped from the pain, making Joo Hyuk looked at her.

                “What is it? You cut yourself? Let me see it.” Joo Hyuk demanded, grabbing her hand.

                “What? What happened?” Sung Jae made his way to them quickly after hearing the commotion.

                “I’m fine. It’s just a small cut. Don’t worry about it.” So Hyun exclaimed, tugging her hand away.

                “No, it’s not fine. You should go to the infirmary and get that cleaned up.” Joo Hyuk demanded.

                “Good idea. Let’s go Sohyunie.” Sung Jae grabbed So Hyun’s arms and was about to leave.

                “Yah, Yook Sung Jae. Where do you think you’re going?” His partner asked loudly, stopping him from his tracks.

                “Gu So Hyun sure knows how to make the people around her worry.”

                “It was just a small cut. She’s making it a big deal already.”

                “And she’s causing trouble to the other pair.”

                “Sung Jae-ah, why don’t you leave So Hyun to me? After all I’m his partner. Your partner clea