"Hi Jeonghan ~ How are you doing?" asks a girl who is standing right behind Jeonghan.

We are at the cafeteria and this girl popped out of nowhere, looking all bashful and coy. I recognize her soon enough. It’s that girl who was gifting something to Jeonghan on his birthday. I have seen her around the campus a few times but don’t really know her and for whatever reason, I don’t really like her either.

Jeonghan, who is sitting in front of me as always, looks up behind him and gives one of his breath-taking smiles.

"Hey, Sun Hwa! I am doing great. You?"

“oh, I am good, too.”

Jeonghan looks at her with a little smile, waiting for her to continue.

“So hmm… Did you like the gift I gave you?” she asks finally.

“Of course I did!” he says, showing her his wrist on which he was wearing a delicately designed bracelet. “This is such a lovely gift, Sun Hwa. Thank you so much!”

This Sun Hwa girl gives him a large smile as she blushes. I feel my heartbeat quicken and I am filled with an intense urge to punch something, or rather someone.

"I am glad you liked it." She smiles, "Would you... Huh.. Are you free after lunch? I sort of wanted to talk to you about something."

"Ah, sure. Wait, I am almost done with lunch I'll come with you." Says Jeonghan before shoving the lunch in his mouth.

He leaves with his plate and a quick "Bye, guys."

I suddenly feel nauseous and decide I don't want to finish my lunch which I didn’t realise I had already stopped eating.

"I smell something burning" Joshua smirks.

"oh I do too!" says Jihoon with a teasing smile directed to me.

"What? I don't." Mingyu says stupidly as he sniffs the air.

"Ah it's just Seungcheollie." Joshua elbows me.

"Yup, burning with envy!" Jihoon howls with laughter.

"Wait, Seungcheol likes Park Sun Hwa?!" Seokmin asks in confusion.

"I am certain the girl is not the one Seungcheol likes." Joshua teases.

I can hear thumping in my ears. I rise quickly, trying to avoid eye contact with everyone and mumble, "I have an assignment to complete."

I rush towards the exit as my table bursts with howling laughter and teasing whistles.

As soon as I reach the exit I wish I hadn’t. I think I would really rather be anywhere rather than here, at this moment.

That girl says something and ... hugs Jeonghan.

I see Jeonghan hesitate first but he eventually pats her hair lightly. And it's then that I notice that the girl is wearing a bracelet similar to the one she gifted Jeonghan.

I rush into a nearby corridor as I try to control my breathing.

Something rises in me. A feeling more complex than any I have known before. There is jealously, without a doubt and pain, grief maybe. And with this burst of emotions come tears.

I find myself out in the campus as I mechanically walk towards the tree I usually sat at before I started hanging out at the cafeteria during lunch.

I sit there, not sure for how long, not sure of what I was thinking.

A few hours pass and I am still there, now with my headphone while reading for an assignment.

The topic is fairly interesting and I lose myself in it. I turn a page but everything goes dark.

"Ahh!" I exclaim as I feel someone covering my eyes.

I pull off the hands to find Jeonghan giggling as he says something.

I quickly remove my headphones.

"I called you like four times!" He laughs.

The thumping of my heart returns as I look down, avoiding his gaze.

"What are you doing here?" He asks.

"Sitting." I reply in a stern tone. The pain I felt before has morphed into anger.

"Oh, I see."

He sits down beside me and continues when I don't reply.

"So.. Are you free?" he asks.

I look up at him before replying, “Why?”

“I am stuck with my Political Science assignment and needed your help in clearing my doubt.” Jeonghan gives a hesitant smile.

I sit up straight and sigh before looking back at him. “Why have you taken up Political Science anyway?”

, that came out wrong.

Jeonghan looks taken aback and hurt. I didn’t want my tone to be this harsh but I just couldn’t help myself.

“Well, Economy and Politics of a country are closely related so … huh I just thought it would … it would help me.” He says unsurely.

My heart breaks looking at Jeonghan struggling with his composure. But my words spill out without a thought.

“Well, you were wrong in thinking so and as a matter of fact, I am busy.”

No, What are you doing Seungcheol?!

I grab my things and walk away without sparing a glance at Jeonghan. I feel like a jerk. I am a jerk.

I don’t see Jeonghan for the rest of the week or over the weekend as I had seminars to attend and assignments to give. When I see him again, the guilt I had been feeling since that day engulfs me. I contemplate on skipping my lunch to avoid confrontation but I know it’s not an option.

I take my usual seat in front of Jeonghan. He was joking with Seokmin but his laughter dies when he sees me. He is trying to avoid my eye, I can tell, but so am I. The table seems unusually quiet and I can feel the tension growing.