Kai’s POV

I knocked on the teacher’s room door. Lee Tuk, the homeroom teacher of class 3d, opened it and smiled at me before quickly leaving and I stepped. Boa was sitting at her cubicle per usual.

“Kai”, she smiled. “I heard you wanted to talk to me. What can I help you with?” 

I nervously sat down and looked at her. I had no idea how I was going to tell her my decision without upsetting her, but I had made up my mind and there was no going back. I had been very stressed about the university entrance exam for months now and I couldn’t deal with it anymore. After much thinking I realised all I wanted to take it easy and enjoy life. I could take the exam next year like everyone else. Boa and my dad had been pushing me to do it a year early for so long, I just couldn’t deal with it anymore. I didn’t even know what I wanted to major in.

“It’s about the Seoul University entrance exam”, I nervously cleared my throat.

“What about it?” Her tone had changed from warm to low heated.

“I- I’m not doing it”, I said. Boa’s face was now stone cold.

“Why not?”

“I feel pressured about it”, Itruthly  answered, “and one thing I know is that if I feel pressured to do something than I shouldn’t be doing it in the first place. I am not ready. I want to take it easy. There's still a year left for me to decide what I want to be in the future and I don’t feel like I need to rush there now.”

“I thought you were fine when I asked you yesterday”, she said. “What happened since then?”

I cleared my throat. I did not want to answer her question because I knew how angry she would be if she heard my response.

“I talked to someone because I was having doubts”, I simply said.

“Your mom?” She asked. When I didn’t answer, she smirked. “Go Ji Eun.” My eyes widened. How did she know? “Of course, she’s the only one who is able to change your mind so easily.”

“That’s not the case”, I said. What she said was absurd. Why would she think Ji Eun had so much influence on me she could change my mind? “I might have talked to her but she had nothing to do with my decision. I don't depend on her to make up my mind on anything.”

“Of course you don't”, Boa leaned back on her chair. “I'll give you a heads up. Don’t date her.”

“I can date whoever I want”, I scoffed.

“Not her”, Boa's eyes were intense. “You can date whoever you want as long as it’s not Go Ji Eun.”

”Why not?” I asked.

”You’ll break her heart”, Boa explained. ”She’s too sweet to date someone like you.”

I didn’t know how to take in what she’d said. How could she know if I’d break Go Ji Eun’s heart when I didn’t even know or like her for that matter. Also, didn’t she hate the students in 3D. “Are you going to stay home like you usually during the trip?” Boa changed subject to my unliking.

“No, I’m going.”

“You?" Boa laughed. "I've been trying to convince you to come with us for 3 years now but you never came.” She continued to laugh. ”Go Ji Sun changed your mind?”

“Something did”, I said. My cellphone started ringing. “Can I go now?”

“Of course”, she said. “I’ll see you tomorrow.” I answered the phone while leaving.

“Mom”, I said.

“I need you to take your brother to the mall”, she said. “He’s growing so tall, he needs new pants. I need to be at work, it’s urgent.”                                                    

“Why can’t Ji Eun take him?” I asked.

“Because he’s your brother”, she hung up on me. I heaved out a sigh. 

Ji Eun’s POV 

4pm

“Lu”, I called when I saw him at the school’s parking place after classes where over. He smiled but his smile was not bright like it usually was. I knew he was angry about yesterday when Kai was messing with him.

“I’m sorry about what he did yesterday.”

“Why can’t he come and apologise”, he wore his helmet. “Why are you always the one apologising for him?”

“Because he doesn’t think what he did was wrong”, I said.

“And why is he always being so mean to me?” He asked. That was a good question actually because I had no idea.

“I don’t know”, I answered. “But I hope things are okay between you and me. I’m tired of us fighting about him all the time. It’s getting pretty annoying.”

“I know”, he opened his arms wide for a hug which I gave him. “You want a ride on my bicycle or...”

“Tao is giving me one”, I pulled out from the hug. “You should give Alice a ride. Se Hun is taking Lime.” He called Alice and I walked to Tao who was further away from us.

“Give me my helmet”, Tao said when I took his helmet away from him. “Yours is too small for my head.”

“No one asked you to get a helmet specifically for me”, I said. “Normal people would get a normal helmet which would fit any one who you give a ride to. Why get me my own helmet?I don’t even ride on your motorcycle that much anymore.”

“Because”, he approached me. “I felt like it.” While we were looking at each other, he took the opportunity and regained his helmet. “Got it.”

“You are so sneaky”, I smiled and caught my helmet which he threw at me.

“Get on”, he said. I sat behind him on his motorbike and put my arms around him. “Are you ready?”

“Let’s go!”

We were on the road followed by Lu Han and Alice on Lu’s bicycle and Se Hun and Lime on Se Hun’s bike. They were way behind us due to Tao’s motorcycle.

“Oppa”, I called.

“What?” He asked.

“OPPA!”

“WHAT?”

“Nothing”, I giggled and I heard him laugh back. Not too long after, he parked the motorbike and helped me down.

“You know I’ve been thinking about what you said earlier at school”, Tao sat down on a bench.

“About?” I joined him.

“Your boyfriend”, he said.

“He’s not my boyfriend”, I pouted. “I wish though.”

“I think that he is right”, Tao continued. “You should stop overthinking everything and just enjoy the things that happen between the two of you. If you keep thinking about what the things he does mean, you will end up not re-”

“But come on”, I interrupted him. “It’s Kai. Wouldn’t you overthink if he was suddenly acting so nice to you and asking for advice?”

“I would definitely but I’m just saying”, Tao touched my hair. “You should relax for a moment okay. I have my doubts about him but maybe he is starting to put his guards down around you.”

“I will try”, I answered. The sun shined on us and there was a moment of comfortable quietness.

“I miss this you know”, he looked at me. “I miss the two of us hanging together. It’s like I don’t see you these days. None of us do.” I nodded. Ever since I had moved it seemed all my life was surrounded by the Kim’s, especially Kai. It was always Kai this, Kai that.

“You want to go on a date?” I asked.

“We can have one right now”, he said.

“But we’re hanging out with the guys”, I said. “I meant we could go out and later I could stay over at your house and we could do something.”

“Oh”, he smirked. “Do something. Like?”

“Oppa”, I nudged his shoulder. “Stop it.”

“What?” He nudged me back. “I haven’t done anything.”

“You old bum”, I smiled and put my arm around my best friend’s shoulder. “I missed you. You completely ditched me when you were in China.”

“I know”, he said. “I was hm… I was busy with the ladies.”

“What about Alice?” I looked up at him because of his tall height.

“What about Alice?” He asked back. I sighed. “What about Alice? Is it about you thinking I like her?”

“Well you do like her”, I said. “She likes you too.”

“No I don’t”, he shook his head. “I have no idea where you got that idea from and clearly she doesn’t like me or she would have made a move on me last week at the party.”

“What party?”

“There was a party last friday”, he answered. ”Alice and Lu Han made out.”

“What?” I let go of him in shock. “Alice and Lu Han made out at a party?”

“They didn’t tell you?”

“I haven’t spoken with any of you for weeks”, I said. “Maybe it was the alcohol.”

“Trust me”, he said. “There was no alcohol at that party.”

“Wow.”

Don’t get me wrong here. I was not heartbroken or anything that Lu Han and Alice had made out. If anything I was happy for them if they decided they wanted to date. What I was sad about was the fact that the two of them kept it a secret. I would have felt much better if I had heard it from them than from Tao.

“I wanted to invite you”, Tao looked around awkwardly. “But since last time I h… I’m sure we would have had a great time if you were there. If you know what I mean.” I gently hit him in the chest.

“You seriously need to get over yours…”

“Hi guys!” Lime yelled. We turned around and saw our friends. Lu Han and Alice were staring at us with a strange face expression and Lime and Se Hun were glued together. Se Hun was eating a burger and I had no idea when he had time to buy one.

Tao and I followed them inside the mall, ready to have fun with our friends. After looking at clothes, we entered a pizzeria and ordered 4 different kinds of pizzas with drinks for everyone.

“So what have you guys been doing?” Se Hun asked. “It looked intense back then.”

“We were talking about some party you guys went to last Friday”, I glanced over at Alice whose cheeks grew pinker by the second and Lu Han who cleared his throat. “What happened? Did you have fun”

“I didn’t go”, Lime answered. “I was at Se Hun’s place.”

“Oh”, I looked at Alice. “What did you guys do?”

“N…nothing”, Alice’s voice was very squeaky.

“Sure”, I smirked. I had hoped Lu Han and Alice would have been honest but they kept their mouths shut so I decided to change subject. “Are you guys excited to go to Japan?”

“I started packing”, Alice's voice was back to normal. “But I’m just worried about traveling with 3a. I don’t want any drama at all during this trip.”

“I’m sure there won’t be any”, Lu Han smiled. “Kai isn’t coming. Some girls in the A class were talking about how he always ditched school trips.”

I finally understood why he had been asking me if it was worth going or not. It was because he never went and was unsure if it was worth going. He wasn’t playing any tricks on me. Tao and Kai were right. I needed to stop overthinking everything.

“I wouldn’t be so sure about that”, I saw the waitress coming with our pizzas. “I think he’s coming this time.”

“What?” Lu Han groaned.

“Which pizza do you want?” Tao asked me. “The pepperoni one?” He picked the pepperoni pizza’s plate.

“Yes babe”, I  took out some serviettes and picked a slice of pizza that I handed to Tao. “Eat up while it’s warm.”

“You guys are on very good terms today”, Se Hun commented.

“So are you and Lime”, I remarked. “Are you two girlfriend and boyfriend now?” Se Hun and Lime blushed. “Congrats guys.”

“Thanks”, Lime blinked at me.

“God I feel like things are being hidden from me nowadays”, I said on purpose. “It’s been so long since we hung out together, I have no idea what's going on.”

“The trip will probably reunite us”, Lu Han awkwardly said.

“I really hope so", I said under my breath.

“Awkward”, Tao uttered without sound to me. I puffed my cheeks out and pressed my lips together. It was definitely awkward.