The heat was sweltering, and the sun was relentless. They were already deep in summer without her realising.

Dahyun ignored the beads of sweat running freely down her back and her body's whisper of complaints at putting it through something so miserable. She would see this through. Dahyun was resolved. She was already more than halfway through her goal sales for the day. She was lucky that the clubs liked to run training and meeting concurrently. She was also lucky that she had caught the small street food vendor by her house early that morning or Dahyun would not have enough food items to make the sales she projected for the day. Today had been good to her.

Her hands busied themselves, rearranging the packeted bento, sandwiches, snacks and drinks mindlessly for the umpteenth time. She had never been good with idleness. She could hide into the shade and comfort of her air-conditioned theatre in the next hour with how fast things had been moving, Dahyun soothed her fraying nerves. 'Just an hour more,' she promised, she would leave even if she did not quite meet her expected sales. The thought pumped a euphoric wave of energy in her and her movements become more animated; excited as she tended to students looking for refreshments.

"It's damn hot, I hate summer" Sinbi flopped onto the plastic chair behind her, fanning herself with a makeshift paper fan, "Are you almost done?"

"You can wait at the theatre, I already got the aircon running," Dahyun told her.

"Just make it quick," Sinbi said.

"If you were gonna be here, don't complain," Dahyun told her, "How are you with the Haughty LAdies when you're like this? They get the most going in the summer."

"That's what they call us now? How creative," Sinbi deadpanned.

"It sticks better than the name, H. L. A," Dahyun said, referring to the club Sinbi was in, short for Hanyang Life Ambassadors.

"Or they can be normal and call us as we are: Hanyang Lads and Ladies. We're not all girls so that's insulting. I bet the ones that started it are the Six-teens. How embarrassingly juvenile just like their namesake when they're already way into their twenties. They're such ingrates too. How do they think they are getting all the funding and promos from all directions? With their tomfoolery ?"

"To be fair most of the members are ladies," Dahyun observed, "Plus, the Lads are actually chummy with the guys. I'd say they are being impressively specific."

"Then they're hypocritical and ist. How are they picking only on the girls when we all do the same thing?"

"You should just stop working hard for them. Pick some other nice team to support," Dahyun said, a little hotly, the sun's and Sinbi's heat got to her.

"It's not that easy," Sinbi said forlornly.

"It can be that easy. You can always quit and join me," Dahyun said simply.

"You," Sinbi wagged her index finger at her friend, "Are a lot more work. Look at all this. I bet you're not even ten percent done and it's already halfway through the semester."

"It's only the start of June. I'm on schedule," Dahyun said, stubborn.

Sinbi looked sidelong at her, knowing, "I'm sure you are. I just don't get why you're cooped up, doing things yourself when you can get them done faster if you would just go around, ask for help."

"That means calculations, proposals, presentations, appealing to people. After all that work, who is to say anyone would agree to help?"

If even good, kind God did not grant her prayers to save her father when she had invoked Him so earnestly, begged so pitifully every morning and night, and in-betweens for a year until it was all her heart whispered in her waking hours, even asleep, would anyone–much less kind and merciful than Him–help her for anything?

"You used to do that all the time," Sinbi mused.

Dahyun decidedly avoided Sinbi's gaze. She stared off into the distance at the football field, her back against her friend, eyes prickling until the green blurred with the blue of the sky and black of the boys. Grief was a strange thing. It swept her up suddenly, gripping like a ferocious storm but left just as abrupt as if it was never there; as if she had dreamt it all up. It was never quite something you get over; it was something you must live out.

"I'm older so am tired now. I'd like to live quietly for a change," Dahyun told her friend when cleared.

Dahyun squashed the flicker of disappointment she knew could flare if she let it. 'It was his time to go. Everyone has to go.' She reminded herself, faithfully.

She blinked a couple of times and the figure at the edge of the vast field became sharp, the face that watched her kept at it until he was sure she recognised him. She did.

Dahyun saw the intention in his raising arm from the distance. She waved at him faster than he could, her smile wide. He returned her excitement with less fervour. It was not something to nit-pick. He had always been calm.

"Is that Cha Eunwoo?" Sinbi came up next to her, eyes squinting. She decided that it was on her own and said, "You're brave. Since when are you so close to him?"

"And you're nosy," Dahyun parried with humour but did not withhold an answer, "We share a class. He's in my project team. He's nice," Dahyun finished.

Sinbi considered, "He's complicated."

"Because he's a Sixteen and you're my friend?" Dahyun raised her brow, questioning the definition of the word for her friend.

"Because of his relationship status," Sinbi said.

Dahyun sighed, disappointed, "I'm not desperate. I'm insulted you're even worried."

"You looked excited to see him," Sinbi said, poking around.

"I was being nice. I'm like that with everyone," Dahyun said.

"So, I'm telling you to be careful with him. Like I said, he's complicated. One of the Ladies, a senior, you should know her. Moon Gayoung? She and he put up a campus performance last year during our welcome party, remember?"

Dahyun did not.

"I don't think I was there," she said. Even if she had been, there was not much of last year that she remembered, she thought.

"Since then, they've always ranked high for the favourite campus couple in our online community poll. That's like twelve months straight and they're not even together."

"They're not? I thought they were. If at least for a while," Dahyun said.

"No, they're not and never were an 'it'. They were almost a thing, I heard until you know...the whole hoo-hah happened," Dahyun knew she was referring to the blow-out with Mingyu, "He picked a side and kept his distance after. But I think she still harbours some hope."

"And you know that because?" Dahyun questioned.

"A feeling. You just know if someone doesn't like you." Sinbi said.

"A feeling..." Dahyun trailed dubiously.

"Although she's never not been nice to me, we've never been comfortable either. And everyone is comfortable with everyone in the club. There's not that many of us," Sinbi explained.

"She sounds mature to me," Dahyun said.

"She's not the problem. People won't like it if you ruin things for them. Even if technically, you hadn't. They made things difficult for the girl that was close to him like they didn't just worship the ground she walked on last semester because her parents had funded the eating hall upgrade. You're pretty but you're no one. You are like a fish that flopped out of water and landed in the middle of hungry villagers. They are going to chew you."

Dahyun did not care for many useless things, like social politics or people's harsh judgement of her. But it hurt her pride to be seen that way. She liked herself well enough, she could do any great thing she wanted.

"I can always agree to join the HLAs if that happens."

"People are dying to join while you have the invitation letter and a chair saved, but you just won't respond and let it sit empty. Every time there's a meeting, I saw all these lad and ladies-in-waiting eye longingly and jealously at that chair," Sinbi was quick to jump on the opportunity to badger her about it. Dahyun knew it would be a niggling topic for her friend until she did something about it.

"You know it's a non-veto invitation. I can't turn it in down even if I wanted to," Dahyun said.

"The things your senior does for you and yet you are ungrateful," Sinbi said in mock disappointment.

"She's making the waiting kids hate me,"

"Nayeon unnie did it because she cared for you. Plus, you're like the stuff of legend. There had only been a handful of the non-veto invitations given out. Ever. Since the start of time. Seven, to be exact. We all know their names, faces, contributions, families. There's a whole section entailing their lives in the handbook. Except for you, of course. No one knows who you are except for me," she smiled at that thought, then conceded, "And some seniors that's helping Nayeon keep her words to you by keeping you a secret. At most, you're just making them uncomfortable. No one is so dismissive about an invitation, definitely not The Invitation. So, they wondered just how great you must be. You should hear what they have to say when they're discussing you. And then I imagine your face next to it and I can't help but laugh," Sinbi let out a long chortle, reliving the memory.

"Thanks, I appreciate that you find me a joke," Dahyun let the words slide with graceful humour like she would her silk shawl down her elegant shoulders at company dinners she was forced to go with her parents.

"You're good at hyping yourself up, even if you don't mean to. I'll give you that, that takes skills. I would give you The Invitation myself if they hadn't," Sinbi consoled.

"And I'll run from you like I did from Nayeon unnie. I appreciate it more if you don't expect anything from me. I just want to do whatever I feel like doing at the moment."

"Since when are you an un-realist? But if you're at it, maybe, you can cast him for the main role," Sinbi said, "He's pretty."

"And unavailable," Dahyun said, "He's busy practising football when will he have time to practise lines with me?"

A group of boys dressed in their casual wear approached her stand then. There was nothing about them that indicated they were from the football club, but Dahyun knew of that fact because she saw Jungkook at the back with them. She heard them laugh at something the other said as they walked past her to get to the field. Except for Jungkook. He stopped.

"Hey," Dahyun greeted him, careful to not be too exuberant.

"Hi," he said to her, then turned to Sinbi, remnants of his smile still there and offered a nod to her friend who was staring at him a little too intensely.

"On your way to the field?" Dahyun started conversationally. To soften the edge of an unfamiliar company for him. And also, because it did not feel right to ignore him anymore. Especially with this little distance between them.

"Yes," Eyes on hers. Dahyun struggled to keep hers level, aloof.

"Will it be long?" She asked. She was bad at this. Empty talks.

"No. We're just watching the sixteen play today," he said, "It's Thursday," as if to explain.

"It's hot. I have some cold drinks if you want," Dahyun directed his attention to the chiller box near his feet. He opened it to see ten bottles of the same drinks, "Is sprite, okay? That's all I've left." Dahyun said, apologetic.

"That's fine. I'll take five," He started choosing coke bottles that were buried deep under the ice and felt the coldest, "How much?"

"10, 000 won," She told him, "Take the chiller box with you too. So, they'd stay cold."

"What about the rest of the drinks?" He asked.

"They'll be fine. I would sell them quicker than you're gonna stay here under the sun. Probably," she assured.

He considered, "Then, I'll take the rest." Jungkook put the bottles back into the blue container and took out his worn wallet.

Dahyun discreetly turned her gaze elsewhere to allow him his privacy, "10,000 won," she told him.

He paused, "That's not right," he said.

"It's on me. Since you're helping me finish the items. And I still haven't thanked you for the car key," She told him sincerely, "Actually, you know what? Let me pack the rest up for you too. It'll be nice to have some snacks while you watch them play. It's not much but I think there should be enough to go around and share them with your friends," Dahyun carefully put the food items in two paper bags, then regarded him, "Do you need help to carry them?"

"No, it's fine; I'm good," he said; stood a little awkward and confused at the sudden good fortune and she wondered if she had been a little too intense.

She backed down; wondered what she could say to correct her missteps.

Sensing the sudden quiet, he told her, "I'll give you back the container later?"

"Okay," she said, distracted.

"The same place?" He said.

"Yes," Dahyun said and stole a glance at Sinbi, busy texting on her phone.

He gathered the box into his arms with the bags secure in his hands. Dahyun watched him pause, contemplate. Then, he went, "I'm coming by late. By 11, probably. I'm having dinner tonight. There's a row of tables and benches behind the bleachers. It's probably loud but it's not busy like the library. Or as cold."

He must have known that she waited for his company nightly, known that she camped somewhere busy and well-lit every Monday and Tuesday night before making her way back to their shared study space nearing the end of his training time. Might even know how she hated the library because it did not feel like hers, because she had to settle for whatever empty seats left for the night, compete for it even; know that she was not good with the cold. It did not feel good that he knew things like that about her. It was her short sight that let him see that. He was observant and she swore to be more careful around him.

"He got a pretty smile," Sinbi said when he left, "Could have been perfect to play your main guy."

Truth to be told, Dahyun had imagined him when she wrote of Winterborn, had painted his features on the face of her character, coloured them with his expressions and habits. If he were to read them, she wondered if he could recognise himself, gaudily romanticised and embellished by a dreamer with a rose-tinted glass. She hoped he would not. 'That would be embarrassing and hard to explain.'

"Too bad I've seen him with Mingyu. That night we were celebrating your birthday before you left us in a hurry when your mom called," Sinbi said after.

"I don't remember," Dahyun said.

"I do," Her friend said seriously, "Be careful," the words hefty with warning.

It was better that she did not have her hopes high just to be rejected. Or worse: if he could not do him, in her head, justice. She would rather get someone else—anyone else—for it than risk that.