The D-day had finally arrived. I had worked so hard the past five weeks my friends were worried about me. I was so tired sometimes I’d fall asleep anywhere but once I woke up I would be back studying again. On the other hand, I was so nervous this morning I couldn’t get myself to eat.

“Everything is going to turn out fine”, Mrs. Kim cheered me up. “You’ve been working so hard lately. You should eat.” She gave me an omelet with French toast and I had to swallow it down my throat.

“I hope you fail today”, Min Ho said before leaving for school. His mother chased him outside making me laugh. I knew it was Min Ho’s way of wishing me good luck for today so I didn’t mind. Kai came down the stairs fully dressed and prepared and straightly headed to the hallway.

“You’re leaving so early”, Mrs. Kim commented. "Don't you want breakfast?"

“I can’t”, he said and left the house. Mrs. Kim came back to the dining room.

“The men of this house”, she shook her head. “They are always so busy. I don’t even see your father these days.”

“Neither do I actually”, I drank some orange juice and thanked for the food.

“Before you go”, Mrs. Kim stopped me. “Take this with you.” She gave me a thin and

small but beautiful bag. “It’s your good luck charm. Don’t open it until you get your test results.” I thanked her and hurried outside. It was already summer but it was raining hard.

I didn’t have any umbrella so I walked to school like that and was drenched by the time I was there.

“Didn’t you take an umbrella with you?” Lee Tuk whom I met in the school hallway asked. I shook my head. ”You can change into the spare uniforms we have in the teacher’s room.”

After changing in the spare uniform, I hurried to the classroom.

“Are you ready?” Alice asked with her innocent looking face. ”You’ve been studying so hard.”

“I don’t know”, I sat down next to Tao. “But I’m nervous right now.”

“Just think about being able to get back at Kai if you succeed”, Se Hun said. 

I smirked at the thought of getting back at Kai, but it felt somewhat weird. He might have been mean and rough with me but during our study sessions he'd been really nice and gentle to me. And if I passed the test it would be thanks to him. Getting back at him after he had used his spare time to help me study during five whole weeks didn’t feel right.

Tao smoothly passed/combed his fingers through my wet hair. I looked at him and smiled. He was trying to calm me down. My phone vibrated and I looked at it. I had received a message.

From Lu Han:

Do your best! Ji Eun Fighting <3

I looked at Lu Han who was sitting two desks away from me. He waved and looked away as soon as he could. I smiled at his cuteness when my phone vibrated again. It was from Kai.

From Jong In:

Don’t come home tonight if you fail.

I reread the message and joyfully laughed out loud.

“What happened?” Tao asked. I looked at him with a big smile. What happened? Kai had sent me his first text. What happened? Kai had sent ME a good luck text. A text wishing me good luck! It was not nicely written but since it came from him, I couldn’t expect anything nicer than that. I was so happy about the text my anxiousness about the tests wore off.

7 hours later

After half a day of sitting and writing down answers and half a day of running around playing sports, the big test was officially done. Every 2nd and 3rd grader in the school was gathered in the school foyer waiting for one thing. The test results. Even though we were all waiting for the results, the atmosphere in the foyer had eased compared to the tense atmosphere during the test. I was sitting with my dear friends talking about the test questions with Lu Han and the girls that were googling for answers on Lime’s Ipad. I felt good and at peace. The written exam had gone better than I had expected. Some questions had been difficult whereas others where easier. The practical exam had gone exceptionally well with the team I was in winning all their games. Tao was playing a known melody on an acoustic guitar that he said he “borrowed” from the music teacher while Se Hun was rapping.

I lost interest in the conversation and looked for Kai. He was sitting in the back talking with two guys and a dozen girls surrounding them. The two guys werehis classmates while the girls were a mix of girls from diverse classes. He was laughing and smiling something I never saw him doing at school. Watching him interact with the girls, made me lowkey a little jealous. How come he looked so h…

“Yo Ji Eun”, I looked at Se Hun who had called me. ”Why don’t you join us? We should put up a little show for our fellow students.”

“Why?” I asked.

“Come on”, Tao tried to convince me with a little swagger. ”Sing for me?”

“Don’t look at me like that”, I blushed. Tao smiled as he stood up and grabbed my hand. He pulled me away from Lu Han, Lime and Alice and made me sit on a chair in front of the entire students. “Oppa, what are you doing?” I tried to leave the chair but he pushed me back down.

“Annyeongaseyo.” Tao bowed in front of the curious students. ”We’re from class 3d and we thought of putting a little performance for you guys. The rainy weather is perfect and it’s a bit boring here don’t you think?” I lowered my head sure that no one would answer but surprisingly most of them answered with a yes. ”Se Hun! Lu Han! Come.” The others walked to us eagerly.  “I’m Tao, I’m going to be on the guitar. On the rapping we have Lu Han and Se Hun and on the singing we have Ji Eun over here.” He pat my hair down and I had to make him stop. Gosh, Tao always knew how to annoy me the right way.

”What am I singing?” I asked.

”One candle”, he said. ”The dream high version.” I grimaced just thinking about the high notes. I started humming to myself to wake my voice up. I hadn’t sung for about weeks now and now that I was going to do it, it was in front of the school. Not to forget in front of Kai. I was definitely going to be the school’s laughing stock if I messed this up. Once I felt warmed up enough, I sat down next to Tao crossing my legs with a straight back.

“One, two, three”, he said and started playing while I was snapping my fingers to create a beat. Se Hun started rapping to the first part and I closed my eyes as I listened to his voice. I heard that some students where even clapping along when Se Hun stopped rapping and Lu Han took over as he continued the second rap part. I felt excited as my part was coming up. Once Lu Han stopped rapping, the three of us (Lu Han, Se Hun and I) started singing to the chorus. Lu Han and Se Hun sang the low part while I sang the high part. I opened my eyes and clapped along with the students. The chorus part ended and I rapped to the second verse feeling more alive than ever. I was smiling and saw how the students were calmly dancing to the song. Alice then rapped to the second part and then it was time for the chorus again were they all sang while I was wailing in the background. The students clapping were getting louder and it felt good. Singing in front of people has always been something I loved doing. When the song ended, the students applauded. I looked at the guys and put my thumbs up.

“You did great”, Lu Han was about to hug me from behind but Se Hun pulled him away.

“Control your feelings”, Se Hun said and Lu Han blushed.

“Can you guys sing another song?” The students asked. I looked at Tao.

“You guys can sing”, Se Hun said. “I’ll just watch you.”

“Fighting”, Lu Han said to me and joined the rest.

“Let’s do Iu's Peach?”, I asked. Tao started playing the guitar and I started singing. I sang the entire song with my eyes closed because I was thinking of Kai and was hopping he was looking at me. When the song ended I opened my eyes and bowed at the applause we received.

“What’s going on here?” Boa entered the foyer. Tao and I got up from our chairs so quickly, I got dizzy. Boa looked at me suspiciously and I pretended like I didn’t see her. “The results are here. Before you check your apps, I will present you the 20 students that did the best this year.” 

She walked up to the foyer’s tv and connected a cable to it from her laptop. When she put the tv on, it started. The number one was written on the screen and later the screen turned blank and the picture and name that later showed on the screen didn’t surprise anyone as he had always ranked number one on every single test since the beginning of high school. Everybody clapped and congratulated Kai on his achievement. I was also happy for him but now that it continued to number two, I felt nervous. I was patiently waiting and hoping to see my face show on the screen but so far nothing. Picture after picture were shown and it was soon time to show rank 18. They showed a girl from the 2nd grade in C class. Number 19 presented the picture of a guy and I lost all hope. There was no way I could be 20, I could just feel it along with the rising disappointment. I was so nervous to see the last picture I closed my eyes as I was praying.

i counted exactly 5 seconds and then I heard gasps and somebody poked me on the side. I opened one eye and looked at the screen. My other eye immediately opened by itself because I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. I blinked and blinked and blinked and blinked, but it was the same. On the screen the picture of two people where shown with  the number 20 over it. And my face was in one of the pictures. Which only meant that the rank for number 20 had been a tie.

“I’m on the screen!” I yelled. ”I passed the test! I passed the te…” Alice and Lime hugged me and we started jumping around and yelling like crazy.

“You passed the test!” They said. ”You won the bet!” The bet! I had forgotten about that. I was so happy about passing the test the bet didn’t come to my mind. I looked around the foyer and saw that Kai was sneaking out.

“Kim Jong In”, I called out. “You stop right there!” Kai turned around and looked at me with an indifferent face expression. I walked up to him and he showed me his hand. Without thinking I high-fived him.

“What are you doing?” He asked. ”Give me that thing back.” I remembered the picture and took it out of my pocket. Kai grabbed it and put it in his pocket.

“Don’t forget our bet”, I said.

“Please”, he said. “I don’t want to think about i…”

“Ji Eun”, Lu Han called. “You dropped something.” I looked at the tiny bag he was holding. It was the one Mrs. Kim had given me. Without thinking twice about it, I turned to Kai again when Lu Han gasped loudly. Some students approached him and looked at the thing he was holding then they looked at Kai and me. I felt a bit anxious. Why were they looking at me that way?

“What is it?” I asked. Lu Han looked at me. He pointed his finger at Kai.

“How could you?” He asked looking at me.

”How could I what?” I asked.

”How could you cheat on me with him?” He asked and pointed his finger at Kai. Kai and I looked at each other with the same confused expression. I wasn’t understanding anything. Cheat on him with Kai? What was Lu Han talking about?

“Lu Han?” I called. I could tell he was hurt.

“Can you tell your boyfriend to be more specific?” Kai asked. I took the piece of paper Lu Han was holding and felt my heart pound hard when looking at it. When was this picture even taken? Kai who was standing behind me grabbed the picture from me and before I could even explain myself, I was getting dragged out the foyer by him.

 “Why do you have such a picture with you to school?” He asked once we where in a secluded place from the rest of the school. ”What did I tell you when you moved in? WHAT?” I backed away from angry Kai and hid behind a locker. I understood why he was angry. The entire school had just seen a picture of the two of us sleeping next to each other (you know that time when we fell asleep while studying). I would have been angry too if I was him.

“I didn’t know it was a picture of us”, I explained behind the locker. “I had no idea what was in the bag.”

“How couldn’t you know what was in it?” He asked.

”Your mom gave it to me”, I explained. “She said it was a good luck charm.” Kai sighed.

“Of course”, he said. ”My mom is always the mastermind.” He looked at me. “Anyone asks you anything you say I helped you study. Not one word about you living with me.”

“I got it”, I said.  “Can I go now?” I didn’t wait for him to answer and I escaped to my classroom to get away from scary Kai. I felt like he was attacking me for no reason. What was so wrong with people knowing we lived in the same house?

When I entered the classroom, while heavily panting, my friends were waiting for me.

“Explanation”, Se Hun said. “Lu Han is devastated. Alice went to town with him.” I sighed. Great!

“Fine”, I said. “I’ll say it. Kai helped me study.”

“That jerk?” Tao freaked. “Helped you study?”

“You remember that time in the park?” I said.

“When he was chasing you around?” Lime asked.

“Well I blackmailed him”, I said. “And he had no choice but to help me.”

“High five to that”, Tao said and I high-fived. “See, you passed the test and now you can get your vengeance.”

“We just have to tell Lu Han that”, Lime said. “And the problem will be solved.” I nodded.

“How about we have dinner at my dad’s at 8?” I asked.

“Yeah”, Se Hun cheered.  ”I’ll just go home and change. I smell like .”

“Wait for me”, Lime waved goodbye leaving me with Tao.

“I’m going home too”, I took my bag.

“Stop right there”, Tao said. I turned to him with a worried frown on my face. “Let me take you home. It’s raining outside and besides, I think it’s time I should visit your new house. To see where your father put you.” I quickly shook my head.

“No”, I refused. “There is no need. I can go there by myself. It’s really close to the school, it only takes a couple of minutes to walk there.”

“Then I’ll accompany you”, he insisted. I exhaled. Tao wouldn’t give in that easily would he?

“Seriously, oppa”, I said. “There’s no need.”

“There’s something you’re not telling me, isn't there?” He slowly walked closer to me. I backed away only to get cornered against the wall. “There’s the house thing and also the Kai thing. Something is telling me you’re not being honest about the two.” Tao leaned his arm against the wall just a couple of inches above my head. “The Ji Eun I know would have invited me to her new house just to let me know she was okay.” Indeed, no one in the world besides my father knew me better than Tao. This guy’s big eyes could detect my lies from miles away. Tao narrowed his eyes and took a good look at me. I felt uncomfortable looking at his lying detecting eyes.

“You won’t tell me?” He asked. I shook my head. “Fine, I’ll simply ask you dad about it. We both know he can’t keep a secret.” Oh man. My dad would tell everything to Tao so why not just tell him? Kai didn’t have to know I told him.

“I’ll tell you”, I said. “That picture was taken by Kai’s mother.”

“Kai’s mother?” Tao sounded like he didn’t believe it. “Why would she take that picture? I thought you guys were studying. Also you know her how?”

“Yes”, I said. “We were studying at Kai’s house.”

“He let you go to his house?” Tao asked. “That jerk did?”

“It’s not that he let me go to his house”, I said. “I live there with my father.” Tao stopped cornering me. Instead he started laughing.

“That’s a funny joke”, Tao said.

“I’m telling you the truth”, I said. “My father is good friends with Kai’s parents. When they saw him on the news, they called and offered their help so my father accepted. I was also shocked when I found out his friends were Kai’s parents.”

“That is just…”, Tao didn’t finish his sentence. “And you didn’t tell me until… When were you going to tell me about all this?”

“I was going to tell you some day”, I answered. “Kai forbade me to tell anyone.” Tao nodded several times while he had that “I don’t believe it” look on his face.

“So I’m not supposed to know about this right?” He asked. “Then I’ll go home.” I watched him leave the class. I knew Tao wasn’t angry; in fact I was sure he found the situation amusing.

8pm– Jae Hyun’s (my dad) restaurant

“Muscle boy”, my father welcomed, “lover boy and big eyes! Welcome! I haven’t seen you for a while now. Where’s cute girl and ghost girl.” Oh right, by muscle boy he meant Se Hun. Cute girl and ghost girl were Alice and Lime but they couldn’t come today cause they had dance practice. Of course he meant Lu Han and Tao by lover boy and big eyes.

“Alice and Lime have practice”, I said.

“Hi!” They greeted my father. Se Hun was the most enthusiastic.

“What are you having today?” My dad asked.

“Everything you can think of”, Se Hun joined my father in the kitchen while we simply sat down at the only free table in the packed restaurant which was closest to the door. 

The atmosphere at our table was weird. We’d been at the restaurant for 30 min but compared to everyone else that seemed lively we where just sitting there quietly. Lu Han wasn’t his usual smiling self while Tao was simply smiling for himself and I was looking at the two of them like a crazy person.

“Lu Han”, I said. “How are you feeling after what happened?”

“I’m fine”, he answered coldly. I immediately felt horrible.

“Look I can explain”, I said. “Kai helped me study. That’s w…”

“Don’t you think I already figured that out?” Lu Han asked. “I don’t care if he helped you study or not. What I care about is that no matter how hard I try it’s like I don’t exist in your eyes. You’re always-”  Someone opened the door interrupting his speech. We all looked at the door at the same time and I couldn’t believe my eyes. Why was he here?

“Wow”, Tao laughed. “I’m really speechless now.”

“Don’t tell me you invited him?”, Lu Han looked at me.

“I didn’t”, I answered feeling guilty. “And do you think Kai would even come if I invited him?” I turned to Kai who had stood there when he’d seen us. “Why are you here?” Kai smirked.

”It’s a restaurant,” he said matter of factly. ”Why do you think?”

”Well there’s no free tables,” I said hoping he would just go so the situation wouldn’t be worse.

“Mom asked me to wait for her here”, Kai said.

“You’re not welcome here”, Lu Han said. “Only the friends and family are welcomed.”

 “Then I guess I have the right to be here too”, Kai said and grabbed a chair but Lu Han blocked him.

“Let him”, I warned Lu Han. Lu Han removed his hand from the chair but he stared at me.

“I don’t get it”, he said. “You always take his side.”

“I am not taking sides”, I said. “And things are much more complicated than taking siides.”

 “Dinner is soon ready”, my dad approached us holding dishes in his hand. When dad saw Kai he smiled. I closed my eyes and tried blocking my ears because I didn’t want to hear what he was going to say after seeing Kai. “Hi, Jong In!”

“Hi uncle”, Kai greeted. “Let me help you with that.”

“Uncle?” I heard Lu Han repeat next to me. Someone, I think it was Tao, poked me.

I opened my eyes and saw Kai putting down the dishes on the table.

“I thought your mother was coming”, my dad said. “Did she send you?”

“Mother?” Lu Han repeated.

“She’s on her way”, Kai answered. “She told me to wait for her.”

“Why don’t you join the kids before she gets here”, my dad said. ”There’s no more tables left.” My father left for the kitchen and Kai put grabbed the chair next to Lu Han and sat down. At this point I knew he was doing so on purpose. Why? For no reason at all than to be a douche.

“You know Ji Eun’s father?” Lu Han asked.

“Of course”, Kai smiled. My heartbeat increased and I shook my head trying to calm down. Damn it, it was just a smile! Why did I always like this when he did something? “Our families are very close.” I gasped and frowned. Kai was so evil. He knew how sensitive Lu Han was about him and yet here he was making things worse. But sure, if he wanted to play dirty I’ll play dirty.

“We are not really close”, I said. “I couldn’t tell you this because Kai forbade me to do it but I live at Kai’s house.” Tao gave me a stunned look while Kai gave me an “I’m going to kill you” look and Lu Han gave me a devastated look.

“You live with him?” Lu Han asked. ”You guys are that close to each other?”

“We’re not close”, I said. ”Our parents a-”

“Yes we are”, Kai interrupted me. “We studied together everyday for hours in her room for weeks.” I glared at Kai. Why was he doing this? Lu Han punched the table.

“I’m going home”, he said and ran out of the shop. I was about to go after him but Kai grabbed hold of my chair and my legs.

“Let me go”, I said.

”I’m not”, Kai answered.

”Ya!” I tried to move but didn’t manage. “I’m not going to ask you twice.”

”And I’m not going to tell you twice”, Kai coldly replied.

“I’ll go after him”, Tao took his jacket. ”You two look like you have a lot to talk about. I’ll see you tomorrow.” Tao kissed my cheek and ran out of the restaurant. Kai finally released my legs and chair. I was so angry at him yet all I could do was stare at him until I couldn’t even do that anymore. I just grabbed my bag and left the restaurant. I heard him follow me and walked as fast as I could to get away from him but he was still there behind me no matter how fast I walked. When I finally made it to the Kim’s residence, I was drenched from head to toe because of the rain. Kai entered the house shortly after but he was dry since he had thought of going out with an umbrella. I walked up the stairs wanting to go to my room but I had to stop and ask Kai a question.

“Why did you have to be like that?” I asked. “Why do you have to be so mean to him?”

“I don’t like him”, Kai answered. 

”So is that what you do?” I asked. ”Act mean to everyone you don’t like?” He didn’t answer. ”Hope you have a great night, Kai. Cause so far you’ve made mine ing amazing.” I left him on the stairs and ran up to my room.