It was the second semester of that year when Mingyu got transferred into another class and became classmates with the smartest kid in their year and prolly the prettiest girl he has ever met.

At first, he just finds her cool. She looks so confident and calm all the time. And every time she’s in front to say something, their loudass class would shut up and turn into a well-behaved one. Her voice would fill up the whole room – his ears. It sounds like music to him. When this group of people gets a little bit too loud for her liking, Minkyung would look at them and they would automatically lower their voices. It’s amazes him everytime.

Then he started to find her cute. Her annoyed face looks adorable to him. Every frown, glare and quirk of her eyebrows sends a pinch to his heart. But he finds Minkyung the cutest when she smiles with her eyes and when she lets out fits of her breathy laughter. It doesn’t happen in front of him tho, but from afar – across the room, with her group of friends. Which is really few, he can count them all using just one of his hands. And that’s when he knew, he ed up. Because he’s fallen in love.

Mingyu figured out after a few weeks, that Minkyung would never hang out with anyone outside that circle of friends that’s consisted of those three other girls who does pretty well in the class too; Shannon, Jieqiong and Eunwoo. And sometimes with this one guy named Joshua who’s kinda weird. He believes on the hollow earth theory and aliens but is also religious as .

Minkyung also talks to other people in the class but mostly, just those who are in the front up until the third row of the seats. And the rest, she only talks to them when it’s groupings or really necessary. Unluckily, Mingyu sits at the back where those noisy guys are in. Well, he’s noisy himself which explains why he just watches Minkyung like some creepy admirer. Plus, he’s not doing well in academics that’s why there’s no way in hell he’ll get to talk with her. But one time, they became groupmates for a group project, “this is my chance!” he thought.

“To anyone who’s my groupmate, come here!” Minkyung shouted as she raised her hand in the air. Some of their classmates immediately followed and gathered in front of her, including Mingyu who was very excited. After a few minutes of reading their task, Minkyung assigned everyone to do a part.

“Ok, Mingyu, here’s your part. Do letter E” she said sternly.

Damn, she said my name. Mingyu smiled and nodded. “Got it”

“Do what I assigned to you properly alright? Everyone, summarize and send it to me ASAP”

Mingyu almost stayed awake all night, thinking on how he’d get to talk again to his crush. He tried to remember how Minkyung would initiate a conversation with someone inside the classroom. Then a certain scene played into his mind:

There was a time when their classmate, Vernon was having a hard time with his research. Being an angel that she is, Minkyung sat beside him and explained everything to him. That lucky got to sit so close with her. Since then, Vernon begun to casually start a conversation with Minkyung.

And before Mingyu doze off to sleep like a giant puppy he is, he finally got an idea how he’ll initiate a conversation.

The next day, he hurriedly walked to catch up with Mingkyung who was walking with Eunwoo on the hallway. They were laughing at something, maybe some girly stuffs. When he finally catches up with them, he beamed a wide smile. “Hey!” He noticed that Minkyung’s face shifted into a poker face again but Eunwoo greeted him back with a grin.

“Are you two on your way home?” you sound so stupid Mingyu what are you doing?

Eunwoo was the one to answer again while the taller of the two girls just kept on walking, eyes fixated ahead “No, we’re going to wait for Jieqiong and Shannon. And you?”

“Ohh, maybe I’ll play basketball in a bit – come on, think of something

            – So, uh, Minkyung, what’s my part on our project again?” he asked smiling sheepishly.

Minkyung sighed really deep before she answered, “Haven’t I told you already what to do? I even send it on e-mail. How can you forget?” she sounded really irritated and Mingyu was taken aback and apologized immediately. What a really stupid kid you are Mingyu, you’re totally ed, congrats dude.

That was when Eunwoo clinged on the taller’s arm and smiled, “Come on Minky, calm down.”

Minkyung sighed once again and answered, “you’ll be doing letter E” Mingyu noticed that there was really a stress on her voice that sounded like she’s trying to sound nicer.

“Oh – alright, thanks! I’ll do my best”

“Yeah, just don’t forget about it anymore”

            As a very persistent kind of person Mingyu is, he continued pretending that he forgot to do things everytime they got into the same group, which always receives the very same reaction from Minkyung but her friends are always there to keep her calm. And Mingyu is thankful for that.

            Mingyu doesn’t even know where exactly he got so much confidence to talk to Minkyung but it just happened. He started to blurt nonsense to Minkyung, indirectly declaring his love to her with lame quotations that earns a “wtf?!? look” and purposely annoying her. Though he feels sorry most of the time for annoying his crush because she looks really serious about everything. He just wanted to get noticed, that’s all.

Maybe she’ll fall for me with this, he thinks every time.  

After months of doing the same thing over and over, he actually got the balls to confess on Valentine’s day.

 “Minkyung, room 205, after class. I’ll be waiting!” and he ran away. Minkyung who was wearing earphones that time only went, “Huh???” as she watched the tall figure run away. She turned to her friends who were smiling so widely with teasing looks.

“What did he say?”

“He said, go to room 205 after class” Jieqiong said

“I think he’s going to confess to you” Shannon deadpanned. “I saw those chocolates he got earlier”

“Oh god –

Mingyu waited anxiously, he even skipped the last class for this. Not a really big thing to him since he skips some of their classes. He watched the time pass on his wristwatch and at last, 04:47 Minkyung arrived.

She watched him bolt up from his seat, holding the chocolates Shannon mentioned earlier that day. He was nervous; his hands were trembling.

“So… Uh, thank god you’re here. So obviously you know what this is for but uh – goddamn it Kim Mingyu, function well. You practiced this – I like you! Ever since I got into your class and I think you’re really cool and awesome. Sorry for always irritating you and all and I just – I like you, a lot”

He looked down afterwards, his face beet red after the confession. Minkyung walked up to him and patted his head gently.

“That’s really sweet of you but the thing is – before Minkyung finished her sentence Mingyu cut her off with “Do you already like someone?”

“Uh… yeah. Actually – and again – “I’m so stupid I didn’t even think of it”

“What I’m trying to say is – and again – “I’m so sorry for bothering you and –

“Jesus Christ, will you listen to me you? Will you?” Minkyung almost shouted.

With a very small voice, Mingyu answered, “Yeah, I’m sorry. Go on”

“So, the thing is, I just can’t like you back because, Kim Mingyu, we like the same thing. I like girls. And in fact, I have a girlfriend, her name’s Yebin. A pretty amazing woman. So yeah, thank you for your efforts. And I’m sorry.”

Mingyu was left dumbfounded as he sat on the floor with Minkyung walking away with her friends.

“Told you, you should’ve announced to the class that you’re gay” Jieqiong lightly elbowed Minkyung’s side.

“No one’s asking so why would I?”

“Poor Mingyu” Shannon shook her head with pure sympathy.

“Yeah, Minkyung, I told you, you should’ve accepted the chocolates first!” Eunwoo pouted.