On Friday, the last day of junior year, everyone was present in the school’s auditorium. The senior from class 4a had made his speech that was well received and the principal was handing out the diplomas to the students. I was nervous because once the diplomas were handed in, I was supposed to go on stage with Kai and… well hold a speech. The moment I feared finally came when the principal finished with the diplomas.

“Now it’s time for our student body president and class 3d’s class president to hold their speech”, our principal said. “Give it up for Kim Jong In and Go Ji Eun.”

Kai and I stood up and the applauses were even louder than they were during the graduation speech. It was probably because of Kai’s fans. Kai got on the podium with his cool attitude while I stood there besides the staircase with sweaty palms. I was so nervous that I tripped while climbing the stairs causing laughter in the public.

I quickly got up and tried looking like I didn’t care but I knew how red my face was. I joined Kai and saw Mrs. Kim wave at me with the camera she was holding. She had come with Min Ho while my father and Mr. Kim were at work. 

While Kai was holding his speech, I looked at him and tried not to look stupid but I ended up doing exactly that. In my head Kai looked like a devil that was asking me to take his hand and follow him along.

“So mean”, I said when Kai had ended his speech. I heard my voice echo in the speakers because I had spoken in the microphone and everyone laughed. I frowned while bitting my lower lip and Kai looked at me with no expression on his face. “Such a meaningful and lovely speech. Give it up for Kai everybody.” I started hysterically applauding and the public applauded along while hysterically laughing at me at the same time. “Thank you.”

Embarrassed, I hurried down the stage and saw my friends were laughing at me.

“You really outdid yourself this time”, Kai commented before going to his seat. I ignored him and sat in between Tao and Se Hun.

“See?” Tao laughed. ”I told you you could let jerk face do the speech.” After what had happened, things between us were still normal and thankfully not awkward. It was as if what happened that night had stayed there and I was more than happy for it to.

“Oppa is not helping right now”, I said. He cutely pinched my cheek.

“You did great”, he said.

The ceremony finally ended and everyone was hanging out in front of the school. Students were taking pictures and exchanging things and parents were talking to the teachers and taking pictures. I myself was taking pictures with my friends and their parents.

“Look at them”, Mrs. Kim stood next to me holding her camera. She and I were just standing and watching Kai get devoured by all the seniors leaving. “They are all so desperate to take a picture with him but he’s not letting them.” She laughed. “Do they really think they can take a picture with him before he takes one with you?” I looked at Min Ho who shook his shoulders. Mrs. Kim was not talking to any of us, she was thinking out loud. “Come here.” She abruptly seized my wrist and pulled me along with her.

”Mrs. Kim?” I was afraid she was taking me to Kai and his fan club. “What are you doing?” Just like I expected she took me to Kai, but it was impossible to get through because he was surrounded.

“Move!” She ordered the girls who glared at me in the process while letting us pass through.

“Mrs. Kim? Could y…” 

Kai finally noticed his mother.

“Mom”, he said. “What are you doing h-?” Mrs. Kim pushed me against Kai and I almost fell due to my right leg still not being 100% but Kai thankfully grabbed me before my unbalance would cause another problem. I felt his arm around my waist and his hand was tightly grabbing my hip. I felt tingles down my stomach.  “Are you okay?” A flash light coming from a camera blinded the both of us.

“Come on!” Mrs. Kim said. ”Smile.” Kai and I looked at the camera but it was hard to smile when our eyes were both blinded. “Great.” When I started seeing correctly, I put a distance between Kai and me. Mrs. Kim on the other hand was still chasing away the seniors. “None of you are taking pictures with my son. Go find someone else.” When the girls left, Min Ho, Kai and I were staring at Mrs. Kim.

“Smile”, she took a picture of the three of us.

As confusing as what had happened was, I was quite baffled at how Kai didn’t argue about taking a picture with me.

Later that evening I had to get ready for class 3d’s formal class dinner. I had taken hours to get ready by showering at around 4 o’clock. Following up, I had curled my hair and then I dressed in a flowy white off the shoulder dress that exposed my thighs and legs. As accessories I grabbed a black bag and put on a necklace.

After putting make up on as the last step, I looked at myself in the mirror and smiled. I was proud of how I looked. This was the first since junior year started that I actually looked so good. I put the things I would need in my clutch bag and added a copy of Kai’s childhood picture for luck. I wanted to wear proper heels but due to my leg, I instead slid in some wedges that matched my outfit perfectly.

I didn’t know why but I had this feeling the night was going to be awesome. When I left my room, I met Min Ho in the hallway and he was just staring at me.

“I look good don’t I?” I asked. He nodded and a smile lit up my face. ”See? Noona can be pretty too.” I headed towards the stairs.

”She’s coming”, I heard Mrs. Kim say. As I walked down, I heard clicking noises. “Smile to the camera Ji Eun ah.” I smiled as she took pictures. Mr. Kim and my dad who were in the living room playing chess came because of Mrs. Kim loud noises.

“You look so beautiful”, Mr. Kim said.

“Thank you”, I bowed. My father hugged me.

“My daughter has grown up”, he said. “Now she even wears heels and make up.”

“Dad”, I said.

“Is Tao picking you up?” He asked and I nodded. “Have a lovely night honey. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“If only Kai could see you right now”, Mrs. Kim shook her head. “He always misses all the good things.”

I laughed. Mrs. Kim could be the funniest at times. She was completely in love with the idea of me and Kai being together. Speaking of which, Kai had gone to his class’s formal dinner earlier than me.

I heard beeping outside and knew it was my cue.

“I’ll see you later”, I waved bye and hurried to Tao who got off his motorcycle to look at me.

“Wow!” He said. “You really want to give the boys a hard time tonight uh?”

“Look at you”, I complimented. “You’re dressed up in a suit and everything.”

“Thank you”, he gave me a helmet I hadn’t seen before. “It’s a bigger one to not ruin your hair cause I figured you’d want to look hot when we get at the party after the dinner.”

“You know me so well”, I put the helmet on. Soon, we were on our way to the restaurant.

When we entered the restaurant we were surprised by Lee Tuk who took a picture of us.

“You look so beautiful Ji Eun”, he said. “And Tao. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you in a suit before. Let me take another picture.”

This time since we were ready, we smiled as he took the picture.

“Teacher you also look handsome”, Tao said while we headed to our table that was already filled.

Tao and I found a place  and proceeded to hug the girls and our classmates.

“You look amazing guys”, I said to Lime who was dressed in a light blue dress and her hair was updo. Alice was dressed in a black dress, and her hair was braided. They both looked stunning. After hugging them, Se Hun and I hugged. He was suited up and looked handsome.

“You’re hot tonight Ji Eun ah”, he smiled and sat down. Lu Han had been waiting for my hug this whole time and he looked so nervous I kissed him on the cheek so he’d relax. He had also suited up in a white suit.

“You look like an angel Lu”, I complimented him.

“And you look breathtaking”, he said. I thanked him quickly and sat down thinking of Alice. I didn’t want her to feel any type of way during the dinner. 

We received our orders and ate as we discussed, joked and spoke like one big family until class 3a entered the restaurant and sat at the table just behind ours. My reaction to this was beyond words. How did they end up at the same restaurant out of all the hundreds of restaurants there was in Seoul? It couldn’t have been a coincidence that they chose this one. 

Just when Kai was the last thing I wanted on my mind, he had appeared dressed in a suit looking more hot than anyone in the room. I sighed at the thought and tried not caring. The two classes didn’t bother with each other until dessert time came and Lu Han got up.

“Can I have everyone’s attention?” He asked. The entire room got silent and all eyes were on him. “There’s this song that I’ve wanted to sing to this special girl.” When he looked at me, my heart anxiously raced because I knew I was going to be embarrassed. Again. 

Lu Han started singing nothing on you by B.o.b and Bruno Mars. Around our table everyone clapped and sang along, but when Lu Han suddenly walked to me and reached my hand the others from class 3a including Tao and Se Hun started laughing and whistling. I took a deep breath while looking at Lu Han. I knew he meant well but this was in the top list of most embarrassing things that happened to me, and a lot happened to me. When he finished singing, he handed me a flower.

“This is for the most beautiful girl in this whole world inside and out”, Lu Han winked and went back to his seat. I felt like my skin was on fire because of all the eyes that were on me.

That’s when Alice got up and left and I felt like a horrible person. She must have been so pained to see the guy she liked calling her best friend the most beautiful girl in the world. Lu Han who had no idea he just broke a girl’s heart was wearing the biggest smile anyone could have.

“Cheer up” Tao said to me. “You know he meant well.” My devastated moral sunk lower in my stomach. Tao laughed and asked Lu Han. ”When are you guys getting married?” I sighed when some of our classmates whistled.

“Dear children”, I heard Boa say. ”We have one year left together after summer and I surely hope none of you change and start doing things like what you saw earlier. Our class is known for our brains and discipline and not for playing around.” Although she didn’t say anything about us, I knew what she meant and it angered me but it angered my teacher more. Lee Tuk stood up.

“Are you trying to say that my students are undisciplined?” He asked. I turned around just like my friends to look at class 3a’s main teacher.

“I didn’t mention a class specifically”, Boa smirked. “But if you think I’m talking about your class than I guess I am.” When her students laughed, I knew things were going to get ugly.

“My students might not be the smartest”, Lee Tuk admitted, “But they are well-mannered, bright and they all have passion. If they didn’t have passion and drive how do you explain one of my student went from having the lowest score on the big test in school to having one of the twenty best?”

“That was thanks to my student tutoring your student”, Boa retorted.

“Do you know how it feels when you look down on my most hard working student?” Lee Tuk asked. I felt bad for him being taken as a joke because of us.

“Do you know how it feels”, Boa looked angry and all signs of amusement were gone, “When your best student missed his chance to enter this country’s best university, a year before his graduation, only to go to Japan because of your so called hard working student?” 

I gasped because at this point I knew who and what she was talking about. Well at this point everybody knew who she was talking about. And like so many times before all eyes were on Kai and me.

“I told you it wasn’t because of her”, Kai threw his napkin on his plate. He looked heated. It all started making sense to me. He had been studying so hard before getting sick because he was taking a university’s entrance exam. That’s why Mrs. Kim kept saying he had a big test coming up. And now, I was hearing that he went to Japan instead of taking the test because of me.

Flashbacks of the talk we had weeks ago came back to me. He wasn’t playing around with me but he was actually really and sincerely asking my opinion on a dilemma he had and what I said made him change his mind. B…But how? And why? How did I make him change his mind? And why did he ask for my opinion? 

Just even thinking about it, I felt more sick inside than I felt before because I had caused Kai to miss a big opportunity.

“Why would I want to miss such a thing because of something a dumb girl said?” Kai asked. His question took away all the guilt I was feeling in a swap. I heard his classmates laughing. “Why would I miss such an opportunity because of an annoying and clingy girl?” His friends laughed again and I put the fork I was holding down feeling hurt. I looked at him.

“Dumb?” I asked. ”Annoying? Clingy? I can’t lie and say I’m not dumb but annoying and clingy I’m not.”

“See what I mean?” He asked his laughing friends. ”Dumb right there!”

“Ya, Kim Jong In!” I hit the table with booths hands and stood up. I was pissed off he took me as a joke. Actually I was pissed off at him point blank for everything he’d done. Kai stopped laughing when I called his full name. “Haven’t you learned not to look down on people?”

“You’re the one who’s looking down on yourself”, by the huskiness in his voice and the fact he also stood and slammed the table with both hands everyone could tell he was definitely angry. “First of all, who admits they’re dumb?” I noticed people had stopped laughing. “I’ve never met someone that was proud about being labeled dumb. Never.” I clenched my fists. ”Why do you do that?” What made me even more angry was the fact that he was right. I did look down on myself. Especially in relation to him.

“You’re a confident, cold, selfish, mean, arrogant and heartless ”, I blurted out. My swearing quieted down all the non existing laughing. No one was even moving anymore. Kai himself just smiled.

“And how come you love that confident, cold, selfish, mean, arrogant and heartless ?”  He asked me. 

His question triggered a fire inside of me, but the problem was I had nothing to say. His question had come like a bombshell. Everyone was waiting for my comeback but I didn’t have any because it was true. I did love that heartless . 

When Kai smiled knowing he had won, my anger turned into pure rage. I couldn’t let him get away without a fight so I pulled out the picture I had brought with me and put it on my class’s table.

“Who wants to see a picture of a five year old Kai?” I asked. “It’s on the table.”

“What?” Kai asked.

“Is that really Kai?” Lee Tuk asked and our table bursted in laughters. Soon the others from class 3a came to see the picture.

“You didn’t expect that did you?” I asked an angry looking Kai. “Guess, you loose.”

I took my purse and headed out to the ladies room.

“Go Ji Eun!” Kai yelled. ”You stop right there!” But of course I didn’t. How would I be the winner of this epic fight if I actually obeyed his command?

I proudly opened the door to the ladies room but before I knew it my wrist was held onto and I was pulled out from that direction all the way to the dark back alley of the restaurant.

“Let go of me!” I yelled at him and my voice cracked as the anger started to turn into sadness. I yanked my wrist away but he pinned me against the wall and our eyes met.

“What in the world do you think you were doing back there?” He yelled at me. While holding the tears back, I furrowed my brows at him showing him I was equally as angry at him for treating me like a pathetic girl and laughing stock in front of everyone. “Do you really want to get on my nerves?”

“Get on your nerves?” I scoffed. My breathing was getting unsteady as I struggled to keep the crying in check. ”What about you getting on my nerves?” I couldn’t hold my tears that long and I started crying. ”You keep embarrassing me in front everybody all the ing time. I have every right to fight back and get angry at you for all the pain you’ve caused me.” I took a break to catch my breath. “I’ve liked you for years and you’ve known about it for months now yet you keep confusing me with your annoying nice and bad boy acts. I’m sick and tired of it.” I bit my lip. “I had to see you go on a date with another girl and it just broke my heart, Kai. You have no idea how much the stupid things you do affect me an- Just tell me what you want from me so I can get over yo-”

Kai leaned forward with his head leading down and put his lips against mine, shocking the hell out of me as it was sinking in that he was actually kissing me. I closed my eyes and my heart rate beat faster than it had ever. As our lips danced against each other’s, he let his tongue slip in my mouth giving me butterflies inside my entire body. My hands were tightly holding his suit while his hands were cupping my face and his body was against mine. The longer we kissed the stronger my need for him grew.

Unlike Tao, Kai wasn’t gentle into his kiss at all. He was hot, passionate and way more into it. He tasted like chocolate cake which made me wonder what I tasted like. I had no idea how much time had passed as we were kissing but it was amazing and I did not want to let go of him nor did I want for the kiss to end. Unfortunately we had to catch our breaths and I barely managed to end the kissing. Kai leaned his head against mine and we breathed in unison. 

My eyes were still teary and my hands, although they were now shaking, where still grabbing onto his shirt. When we looked at each other I saw surprise and confusion in his eyes and I knew the same emotions were portraying in my eyes.

But in this perfect moment, Kai did something unexpected. He laughed. Yes, he actually laughed. I stood there baffled. Who in the world laughed right after kissing someone?

“I had to shut you up”, he said. “You were blabbing.” With those words said, he left me standing in more confusion than I was in before. 

This was not the way it was supposed to go. I was supposed to be happy Kai kissed me. I was supposed to look forward to what would happen after our first kiss. This, whatever was happening and whatever I was feeling right now was not it.

This once in a lifetime moment I was supposed to enjoy had lost its joy. What was left inside of me was doubt and anger. Kai had kissed me for one reason only and it was to shut me up.

With this thought in mind I went back inside the restaurant after dolling up because I had cried before. Kai was sitting with his friends and smiling as if nothing had happened. I sat down next to Tao who was staring at me.

“Did you fight with him?” He asked.

“Can I have a bite?” I ignored his question and ate a bit of the cake. It tasted like chocolate. Great.

A/N

Finally, it happened!!! This is probs my fave chapter thus far.