Junghye knocks on the opened door and bows once her teacher turns around. “Oh, you’re here. Come in,” her homeroom teacher says and she nods, doing so.

 

When she gets around the meeting table, she realizes that someone was there. Yonggyu sits there with a smile and greets her with a two-finger salute. “Junghye-ssi, you never told saem that your older brother was the actor, Park Seojun-ssi,” her homeroom teacher says and her eyes widen, staring at ‘Seojun’.

 

Yonggyu shakes his head lightly with a small smile. He pats the chair next to him and she scurries to take a seat, keeping a seat low. “How is Junghye in school?” Yonggyu asks with a smile.

 

“She’s a great student, always the top of the class. The only thing she can work on is trying to open to others but this past year, she has acquired two good friends in her class despite their gender differences.”

 

“Oh?” Yonggyu says in mock surprise, side glancing at her. “What are their names?”

 

“Ah. There’s Kang Daniel and…” the homeroom teacher stops, trying to think.

 

“Byun Hyunmin,” Junghye mutters and the homeroom exclaims, repeating the name with a smile.

 

She sinks further into her seat as the conversation continues and her homeroom teacher brings up about her recent lack of effort. Yonggyu smiles and nods, reassuring that she will be right back on track. After some time, Yonggyu stands up to excuse both of them for family commitments.

 

The teacher sends them out of the door with a smile and polite manners. Yonggyu takes out sunglasses and mask, putting them on. “Don’t wonder why I’m here,” he says, voice muffled as they continue to exit out of the staff room, nodding at some teachers who pass by. “I said I’ll help you no matter what.”

 

She bites down on her lip. “I know there’s nothing currently but that night at the club is worrying. I had to find who was the dude who led you in,” he continues, bending slightly to talk softly. “Also, there seems to be a lack of parental figures in your school life.”

 

She looks up to glare at him but continues her steps. “His name is Kang Daniel right?” he guesses and she stays silent. “Don’t stay silent. The pink-haired. Kang Daniel, right?”

 

They exit the staff room and turn corners to leave the school ground. Yonggyu presses on despite knowing that he was right. As they approach the school gates, Junghye detours to her classroom to pick up a book she needed but stops.

 

The male leaning against the wall looks up, the book she needs in his hand. He approaches them, handing out the book. Junghye takes it, nodding as her thanks. “Annyeonghaseyo,” the male bows at Yonggyu. “I’m Junghye’s classmate, Byun Hyunmin.”

 

Yonggyu bows back and the younger rises. “I’ve got to head for taekwondo before my master has my head. See you tomorrow, Junghye!” he exclaims before running off, bowing once again. 

 

She waves slightly and he returns it before dashing off. “So I was correct,” Yonggyu says with a grin.

 

She shakes her head and walks off with Yonggyu persisting her to reveal details about Hyunmin. They end up at a restaurant, under Yonggyu’s order, claiming that he was hungry and Junghye will definitely feel the same. She reminds him that both of them work and he waves it off, assuring that they will be done before then.

 

“You never told me you were an actor,” Junghye suddenly speaks up as the older male scoops the piping hot stew into her empty bowl. “Let alone a famous one.”

 

Yonggyu looks up as he sets the bowl in front of her before doing so for himself. “You never asked,” he states. “Thought you would have recognized me. When you didn’t, I decided to use my birth name.”

 

She stares at the steam rising from the stew. It swirls. Yonggyu sets the bowl in front of him. “Eat up, you need energy,” he says as he digs in. “Don’t think too much about it, Junghye. After understanding your family condition, it isn’t surprising that you didn’t know me. Though I was slightly offended, I’m almost everywhere and there is still someone who doesn’t recognize me.”

 

He looks over at the girl, “But I took it as a blessing.” He scoffs softly and smiles. “It was nice not having someone know who I was and worked for me simply because they wanted to along with their passion and not working simply because of me.”

 

He sets his chopsticks down, chewing as he looks at the girl who hasn’t touched her bowl. “Junghye?” he calls out.

 

“Junghye?”

 

Her fists clench tightly under the table as she stares at the steam.

 

“Junghye?”

 

“Yah peasant!”

 

Yonggyu whips his head to see a young male and the first thing he notes is his pink hair. His eyes narrow momentarily. He looks back to Junghye who shifts slightly before picking up her utensils and digging in. He looks back to the male in his school uniform with a lopsided grin. 

 

“Yah, peasant. Where’s my greeting?” he asks and then notices Yonggyu. “Oh. Too good for me after hanging out with some celebrity hotshot, hey. You think you’re something aye. Too bad, you’ll only be a peasant.”

 

Yonggyu stands up and Junghye looks up to stare at him with a firm shake of her head. He then remembers like what the male said – he was a celebrity hotshot. His actions were being watched. He grumpily sits back down. “Ignoring me?” the pink-haired says with a smirk. “Is it because what I said was true?”

 

Junghye remains silent, moving her chopsticks to grab a pancake. His clenches his fist at her lack of response. His eyes narrow as his gaze stay on her. Answer me. “Hah. Scared of me huh?” he continues. “I’ll leave now, won’t want to disturb your date.”

 

He walks off, leaving the place. Yonggyu looks across with a worried look. She sets her chopsticks down, looking up the older. “He doesn’t mean it,” she whispers and he narrows his eyes. “He’s jealous.”

 

Before he could respond, “He’s jealous that a response comes easily to Hyunmin. He’s jealous that I am willing to have a meal with you. He’s jealous of those who break through my walls.”

 

Yonggyu sighs, leaning forward slightly. “Why?” he asks.

 

She smiles, “Because I haven’t said more than a word to him ever since knowing him. I outburst once and at most that were five words. He’s a competitive person, he doesn’t understand how he can’t break through my walls and get a response back no matter he does.”

 

“Doesn’t it… hurt?” he questions.

 

“It does,” she replies with a slight bitter look. “But everything hurts. It doesn’t mean that if something hurts, we should disconnect it from our lives.”

 

Yonggyu sees the sincerity in her eyes then smiles slightly, picking up his chopsticks to continue his meal. 

 

~~~

 

The bell rings and everyone cheers. The teacher reminds them of homework and leaves as some students stand up to stretch and head to the canteen, having an extended break for that day. Daniel leans back in his seat, folding his arms behind his head as he stretches them, hearing a slight pop before releases a sigh of relief with a small smile on his face.

 

Hyunmin knocks Junghye’s table gently to indicate that they should get going. “Watch out!” someone yells and a basketball bounce off Hyunmin’s head.

 

He rubs it with a pout, turning to throw a playful glare at whoever it was. He looks back and knocks against the wooden slate again. Without even lifting her head, she waves her hand and Hyunmin stuffs his hands into his pockets. He sticks around for a while, earning a weird look from Daniel.

 

“I’ll buy your lunch,” Hyunmin states. “Come down soon, pabo.”

 

Hyunmin gently knocks the back of Junghye’s head before walking off, not afraid of the consequences. Daniel’s mouth drops as Junghye rises with a pout, sleep evident on her face as she rubs the spot where she was attacked. She turns to glare at Hyunmin’s retreating figure and huffs in annoyance.

 

She checks her watch and then lies back down again, closing her eyes. She then shoots up to glare at Daniel before standing up, the chair scratching against the floor and stalks off. He frowns but ignores her, opting to read his manga. Once he notices that there wasn’t anyone left, he reaches under his table and takes out a wrapped box.

 

After undoing the knot, he opens the lid and smiles slightly. Trust Jisung to do something like this. The door slams open and he doesn’t have time to hide it when Junghye appears, kneeling before her table, searching for something. When she pulls out a book, she sighs in relief, thanking God that she brought it.

 

Her eyes then landed on his bento box and she giggles. Giggles. Daniel stuns at the sight of her slightly scrunched up face and the melodious tone. Something no one has heard from her. She gives a knowing look with a smirk as he stares at her. His mind processes it and he snaps out of it, “What! No!”

 

She raises an eyebrow then folds her arms. “It’s not what you think it is. I don’t have a girlfriend,” he defends with a strong glare. “It’s from my mother.”

 

I mean technically Jisung is like a mother. She shrugs, indicating that she didn’t care before sitting down, flipping through the book in her hand. Daniel looks at her for a while more before moving to start his meal, saying grace. He digs in happily and hears a loud growl.

 

He stops and looks at Junghye who looks like it didn’t come from her. He sets down his lunchbox, staring at her, wondering why she wasn’t at the canteen with Hyunmin. “Where’s Hyunmin?” he asks after swallowing the food in his mouth. “Ditched your little date?”

 

She lowers her book to glare at him before pointing to the watch on her left wrist. “Guessing he’s still queuing up then,” Daniel answers and she raises her book. 

 

Her stomach growls again. She bites her lower lip, a little embarrassed. A ‘clang’ resounds in the empty classroom and she peeks over the book; the metal lid from Daniel’s lunchbox in front of her and a piece of luncheon meat on it. He sets the pair of chopsticks next to it as he chews, looking at her from the side.

 

“Don’t want you to die from hunger before having your actual meal. Imagine all that wasted food and Hyunmin’s money,” Daniel states and she doesn’t move. “I didn’t anything.”

 

She shoots a look at him before looking at the food once again. He picks up the chopsticks, clipping the slice in between his chopsticks and waves it under her nose. “Ah,” he says.

 

When she doesn’t move, he sighs, “Peasant, my arms hurt. Please eat this humble slice of meat that I was very unwilling to give up but because of the kindness of my heart and hearing your poor stomach grumbling, I decided too. You don’t have to hesitate because I promise you, I didn’t drop it, I didn’t it and I didn’t poison it. But if you die, do not haunt me, haunt Jisung hyung for he is the one who made the food.”

 

She looks at him weirdly before taking a bite of the meat. He stays there till she finishes it. “How long have you not ate luncheon meat?” he wonders out loud and she looks at him. “I guess long enough.”

 

He tugs on her left wrist to see the time. “You should head down. Your boyfriend should be done with buying both of your meals,” he comments and let go of her wrist. 

 

She narrows her eyes at him but stands up either way and leaves her seat. “Hey!” Daniel calls out, chewing on his lower lip when she turns back. “Sorry for yesterday with that actor.”

 

She seemed stunned but a smile then blooms, nodding her head as a sign of acceptance and her forgiveness. “That’s all…” he mutters, a little awkward. “You should go.”

 

She nods then waves before heading off. She reaches the canteen and immediately head for her usual spot, a smile on her face. Hyunmin sits in front of her just as she sits, grumbling softly about the queue and the convincing he had to do. He stops when he sees her face, raising an eyebrow. She sticks her tongue out as she takes her cutleries from him. He shakes his head at her child-like behaviour and digs in.