“Kyuhyun, you look like .”

Kyuhyun threw her pen at Sungmin's head and missed.

“Seriously, when was the last time you slept?”

Kyuhyun laid down on the desk, head on her arms, opting to ignore the bouncy girl next to her. Sometimes she really wondered what made them bond so well as friends, despite being polar opposites. Kyuhyun was settled, waiting for class to start, daydreaming.

“Miss. Cho, do you think maybe you could pay attention?”

Kyuhyun shot up to glare at their teacher. Mr.Choi had apparently turned into a ninja, sneaking into the room and teaching whilst Kyuhyun was resting. Either that or she had fallen asleep.

She turned around to ask Sungmin if she had, only to find her, like most of the girls in the room, staring dreamily at Mr.Choi. Kyuhyun didn’t see the attraction; she thought maybe it was because of his eyebrows and the lack of floppy chocolate hair. Kyuhyun put a stop to that comparison before it could start.

**

Lunch was spent one of two ways. One, Sungmin was flirting with boys at the fence and Kyuhyun ate fast escaping to the library; two, Sungmin sat with her friends and Kyuhyun sat next to her, reading and generally glaring at the ones who giggled. Today she was forced to sit with those girls. One of the giggly ones mentioned Donghae and Kyuhyun tried not to look interested, pretending to read her book. Sungmin's friends had given up trying to engage her in conversation a week after this arrangement had started.

From what Kyuhyun could tell, the girl furthest from her, Jessica, had been planning on asking Donghae on a date after the last dance recital. The other girls were mocking her about his speedy escape.

“Well I can just ask him next time!”

Jessica seemed to be sulking. Kyuhyun hoped she had never mentioned Donghae to Sungmin.

“Don’t you know Donghae, Kyuhyun?”

Crap.

“Might be a different one.”

Jessica’s friends looked far too interested for Kyuhyun's liking.

“The Lee Donghae, brown hair, big eyes, gorgeous?”

“Might be the same one.”

Kyuhyun his herself back behind her book, she really did not like the look in Jessica’s eyes.

***

God hated her.

Kyuhyun and Sungmin wandered towards the school gate, Sungmin talking at her about Mr. Choi eating in the restaurant she waitressed in, eating there at least once a week! Kyuhyun was really going to have to put a stop to this before Sungmin got some bad ideas, though the look on her face said she already had them. Just as they walked through the gates Kyuhyun stopped dead, eyes locked on the three boys waiting for her. Her eyes darted to Jessica and her little group of friends, of course they had all spotted Donghae. Maybe she could sneak off with nobody noticing her.

“Kui Xian!”

Crap, Zhou Mi’s voice could really carry.

“Kyu, over here!”

Kyuhyun internally groaned, that’s it Donghae, use a nickname, turn them more against me. Sungmin nudged her in the ribs.

“Kyu, there are three boys shouting you and waving like simpletons.”

“I had noticed, Ming!”

“Then why are you still over here with me? I’m off to work anyway, see you.”

Sungmin blew her a kiss and skipped off. Kyuhyun glared at her and stormed over to kick Zhou Mi.

“What was that for?”

“For turning a group of rabid girls against me!”

Kyuhyun gestured over to Jessica, who was glaring daggers at her.

“Ah.”

“Mind if I make it worse?”

Donghae took the books Kyuhyun was holding off her and Jessica’s face visibly fell. Heechul scoffed.

“There are less destructive ways for you to turn her down you know?”

Donghae grinned, it made Kyuhyun's stomach do a funny little dance.

“I can only hint so much that I’m not interested. Besides, Kyu doesn’t mind helping me out, do you?”

It was physically impossible to say no to eyes like that. Kyuhyun just shook her head.

“So, why are you guys here anyway? There’s no class today.”

“We’re celebrating!”

“Celebrating?”

Donghae held out a letter for her to read, it was a full paid scholarship into an arts and dance college.

“Wow! That’s great, well done!”

“Thanks! Apparently there was a scout at my performance, but because we left so fast they didn’t get to talk to me!”

Donghae threw an angry look at the group of girls who were inching closer to him.

“So, where are we going Heechul?”

“I booked us into a restaurant not far from here.”

***

Kyuhyun stared at the front of the restaurant in horror. God really, truly, did hate her.

“Kui Xian, what’s wrong?”

“Kyuhyun! This is where Sungmin works.”

“So?”

“She’s the biggest gossip I’ve ever met, and friends with those girls!”

“So what? She’s your friend more than theirs, you’re safe.”

Zhou Mi put his arm around her and physically forced her into the restaurant. In future times Kyuhyun would be adamant there was no kicking or screaming. They were sat down by someone who luckily wasn’t her friend, but Kyuhyun knew that her good luck couldn’t last.

“Hi! I’m Sungmin, I’ll be your waitress this eve… Kyu?”

Sungmin froze in the middle of handing out menus to stare at her best friend. Kyuhyun decided she might as well be polite.

“Er, guys - this is my friend Sungmin.”

Sungmin waved, Kyuhyun didn’t miss the way her eyes lingered on Donghae.

“Sungmin, this is Heechul and Donghae, and you know Zhou Mi obviously.”

Zhou Mi and Sungmin grinned at each other. Donghae seemed a bit dazed by Sungmin, most people were, but a part of Kyuhyun had hoped he wouldn’t be like everyone else. Kyuhyun loved her best friend, but it was difficult, when she her ‘charms’ and had every straight man for a mile eating out of the palm of her hand. Kyuhyun hoped her glare was getting across the point that Donghae was off limits to her.

Luckily for Kyuhyun someone walked through the restaurant door and grabbed Sungmin's attention.

“OK, well I’ll be back to take your orders!”

Kyuhyun watched Sungmin bounce up to Mr. Choi, eyelashes fluttering as she greeted him. It made her laugh.

“Dare I ask what just happened?”

“Well Heechul, that was Lee Sungmin. Pretty and she knows it. Dangerous combination. That man she’s practically sitting on the lap of is our teacher, who I get the feeling I'm going to have to save before the end of term.”

“Sungmin's a bit of a .”

“Zhou Mi!”

“What? Am I lying?”

Kyuhyun tried to think of a way to defend her friend, but there just didn’t seem to be one, shrugging seemed like Kyuhyun's only option. However, Zhou Mi’s comment seemed to have brought Donghae back to his senses. He stopped watching Sungmin and instead started asking Heechul about the food. Kyuhyun relaxed.

About halfway through their very loud dessert, (Heechul deemed throwing chocolate cake at Donghae a good activity, they had already been in the restaurant for several hours), Sungmin bounced into Kyuhyun’s lap waving a very high note around.

“Look at this, my tip from Mr. Choi!”

“How on earth did you manage that?”

“Bent down a lot around him.”

Kyuhyun looked at the non-existence of Sungmin's skirt and just how many buttons were undone on her too tight shirt, and shook her head in defeat.

“What?”

“Zhou Mi you were right, she is a .”

Sungmin smacked her on the arm hopping off her knee.

“Anyway, my shifts over now, I’m leaving, my date is here.”

Sungmin waved at a nervous looking boy by the door and wiggled her hips over towards him. Donghae laughed.

“Poor Hyukjae!”

Everyone raised their eyebrows.

“In my dance class. He get’s scared enough at the thought of girls talking to him, how he’s going to handle a date with someone like Sungmin I don’t know.”

Kyuhyun looked over at the boy again, Sungmin was flirting shamelessly, angling her open buttons towards him. He looked terrified, poor boy.

***

Zhou Mi walked to Kyuhyuns house with her; Donghae was planning to stay at Heechul's. Zhou Mi talked about Heechul most of the way back and Kyuhyun was happy to listen, it was nice for Zhou Mi to be this happy. But four minutes before her house Zhou Mi changed conversation.

“So Donghae, eh? Didn’t really think he was your type.”

“I don’t know what you are talking about.”

“Kui Xian you should see yourself around him, it's hilarious. You watch him whether you know you're doing it or not and whenever he's anywhere close to you you blush like mad.”

“Zhou Mi? Shut up!”

Kyuhyun started walking faster to get way from him.

“No, I mean, he’s a really nice guy, I would totally approve!”

Zhou mi grinned at her like he had said the right thing.

“Zhou Mi, it’s nothing. You're imagining it.”

Kyuhyun paused to think.

“Besides, I think Sungmin has a better chance.”

“See, I knew you were interested!”

Kyuhyun glared at him.

“Everyone noticed Sungmin, Donghae’s a straight guy, what do you expect? Either way, you are the only girl he lets anywhere near him, so that has to count for something doesn’t it?”

They walked in silence for a while, but Zhou Mi couldn’t last.

“Besides which, he is so hot, I don’t really blame you. Have you seen his arms?”

Kyuhyun groaned in frustration and walked up to her house waving bye to Zhou Mi.

“See you soon Kui Xian!”

Kyuhyun slammed the door and stalked to her room dramatically.

***

Their singing school wanted to put on a performance. Zhou Mi was being allowed to sing some Chinese song as a solo. Kyuhyun was pleased for him, but at the same time jealous. She wanted the solo. Their teacher was wandering about telling people what they were singing, and in which group, every student she taught was in the room, it was chaos.

“And you two.”

She stopped in front of Donghae and Kyuhyun.

“I want you to do a duet. Pick a song, give Ryeowook your piano music, and practice, practice, practice!”

Donghae grinned at her.

“Cool! There’s hardly anyone that’s not singing as part of a group! Let’s pick a song OK?”

Kyuhyun's feet were stuck to the spot. Sing with Donghae? When his voice stopped her brain from functioning? This was really not going to end well.

Once they had picked a song they decided they should practice at Donghae’s house; Kyuhyun's mother was more likely to bother them and on top of that Donghae’s parents were away on business for a few weeks. It wasn’t until she was in her bed later that night that Kyuhyun realised that this meant she would be on her own with Donghae in his house. The panic attack was completely justified.