The school day began again and everyone was busy discussing the upcoming final year party. The guys were looking for their partners meanwhile the girls were thinking about what to wear for the party. Both wanted to impress everyone. I walked to the school building before Seunghee ran to me from the school entrance. “Hanseol ah!”

I smiled as we linked our arms together. “Why do you look so happy?” I asked her since she looks like she was wearing blusher on her cheeks.

She giggled shyly. “I asked Jihoon to be my partner to the party and he agreed!” Seunghee was excited that she kept bouncing all the way to the class.

“That’s great.” I was praised.

Then, Seunghee paused before facing me. “What about you and Hyungwon?” she questioned.

Oh ya, Hyungwon. I almost forgot about him. I shrugged my shoulders dumbfounded.

“He met me yesterday. He wanted to come with me and you as his partner since we are friends. But then, I said it is better for him to be with you instead of me.” Seunghee said while we walked slowly to the class just to have some long time for us to talk about this. I pondered and blanked, I didn’t know what I should do and what I should say.

I looked at her. “Do you really think I like Hyungwon?” I asked.

Seunghee gazed at me weirdly. “Why? You don’t like Hyungwon?”

“I don’t know. My heart is not being loyal to Hyungwon. I feel comfort with him but at the same time, I was confused because I…” I'm lost now. I didn’t know why I was being like this lately.

“You have someone that you like at the same time? Is it?” Seunghee asked hesitantly.

I faced her. No matter what, Seunghee will be noticed and known. I sighed in puzzledness. “What is wrong with me? I can’t like someone more than one, right? It will not be fair.” I said.

Seunghee hugged my shoulder. “You are just the same as Hyungwon. Confuse with your own feelings.” she giggled. “Okay, I don’t know what love is or love experts but I used to read something like this in magazines. It said that it all depends on your heart. Follow your heart and not your mind.” Seunghee persuaded me as I smiled.

“Thank you, my best friend ever.” I thanked her as both of us kept on walking to the school building.

The break time came as me and Seunghee separated for some reasons. I ran to the next class before waiting for the class to end. Once it ended, I looked around and spotted Hyungwon who was keeping his books into his bag. I stepped closer to him as he was surprised but he was able to smile warmly to me. “Oh Hanseol.” he was happy greeting me.

I replied to him with a sweet smile. “So, have you met someone to be your partner? I’m sure there are a lot of girls queueing up to be your partner to the party.” I guessed that made him giggle.

“Well, your friend is quite good looking huh?” he jokingly said as both of us walked out from the class together. “How about you? I bet you meet me just want to tell me that you meet a perfect partner for you. Ahhh I’m jealous now!” he pouted his lips in sulky.

I snickered. “No, I don’t have one yet.” I answered. “Hyungwon…” I slowly held his hand as he stopped and we faced each other. “Will you…” I took a deep breath. “Be my partner?” I asked while I closed my eyes, not wanting to see his reaction. It was quite embarrassing for me to get a reject from a cool guy like Chae Hyungwon.

There was a silence for a few seconds before Hyungwon burst into laughter, making me open my eyes widely. “Ya, why are you laughing?” I whined.

He giggled. “Gong Hanseol, I’m the one that should propose to you. Ahh I feel bad now~” he complained as I scratched my hair.

Then, his laughter faded before he gently held my hand. “So, Gong Hanseol. Will you be my partner for my final year?” he asked as our eyes met with each other.

I smiled before nodding. “Yes, sure.” I replied make both of us hug each other.

“Ya why are you guys hugging without me?” Seunghee shouted as both of us broke the hug instantly. She stomped towards us before hugging me and Hyungwon with her short arms. “I love my friends forever!” she chanted as the three of us laughed simultaneously and just walked to the canteen while talking about our childhood memories.

The school ended as me and Seunghee accompanied Hyungwon to the park to meet Monsta X. He desperately rejected us to not send him there but we insisted to accompany him and he surrendered. Once we met them, all of Monsta X laughed at Hyungwon since we were girls sending him, a guy like a little kid. We thought that Hyungwon would be mad but ended up bursting into laughter along with them.

“Hanseol ah, do you need me to company you to the mall to buy dress for the party?” Seunghee asked while she was the ice cream that we bought at the stall nearby our neighbourhood.

I was about to agree but I remembered that Chanyeol wanted to go with me. “It’s okay. I can go by myself.” I declined her.

She stopped for a while before she eyed on me. “You never rejected me before when I wanted to company you but why now?” she asked in a suspicious way as I was surprised.

Why this time, Seunghee? “I just… promise with Aunt Mijoo that she will go with me.” I lied.

“Wait? Promise? Gong Hanseol, you never promise, remember?” she was getting furious.

I looked away in nervousness. “I-I…”

“Hanseol, if you do hide something from me, it is better you tell me now. Why are you avoiding my question?” Seunghee questioned turned the situation into tense. I walked away from her towards my house quickly and once I reached my house, Chanyeol was waiting for me in front of the door. “Oh noona~” he gleed made me smile.

As I was about to walk in, a voice appeared that made me froze. “Why is he here?” asked Seunghee before I spun around to her.

She’s been following me since just now?! “Seunghee ah…” I was speechless.

Chanyeol, who saw Seunghee, stared at her blankly before bowing politely. She changed her eyes to make me nervous. “Who is he, Hanseol?” she asked in curiosity as I moved closer to her in calm. I pulled her into the house as we met Aunt Mijoo. Seunghee bowed to Aunt Mijoo and I just kept on dragging Seunghee to my room.

She sat down on my bed before I took a deep breath to explain to her. “So, where should I start?” I asked.

“Well, from the first obviously.” she answered.

I sighed. “Fine. The man that you met the whole time, that tall guy out there. His name is Park Chanyeol. He is not like other men and he is only 8 years old. He is Aunt Mijoo’s employer's nephew, Aunt Jiho. She needs our help to look after Chanyeol since he hates childcare places and the child care’s staff abused him and Aunt Jiho has some work to do for a few months and she put him here.” I explained it for a long time and Seunghee listened to it carefully.

“He had an accident years before. He should be 23 years old now but ended up stuck in his 8 years old because of the accident due trauma something disorder which I don’t know what is it.. So, me and Aunt Mijoo were taking care of him for now. I don’t want to keep him a secret from you and Hyungwon but some kids and neighbours were laughing at him for being weird. I feel bad for him, he deserves something better than this. That is my biggest reason why I didn’t tell you and Hyungwon about Chanyeol.” I briefed.

Seunghee looked at me before holding my hand. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know about him.” she apologized sincerely.

I smiled. “You don’t have to. I just want to protect him.”

She nodded. “Oh can you call him in? I want to see him in front of me like directly.” Seunghee requested as I giggled happily.

I walked out before bringing Chanyeol into the room and both of us sat down on bed. “Chanyeol ah, this is my friend, Seunghee noona.” I introduced her to him.

Chanyeol who was scared of meeting new people bowed nervously to Seunghee. To my surprise, Seunghee was not even shocked that I introduced her as ‘noona’. “So Chanyeol, is Hanseol noona kind?” asked Seunghee, making me pinched her thigh. She gawked in pain but she didn’t make any sound, only hurt expressions appeared to make Chanyeol chuckled.

“Hanseol noona is the best!” he showed his thumbs up as I proudly smiled at Seunghee.

I looked at Chanyeol. “Chanyeol ah, have you eaten?” I asked with a smile before he nodded happily. “Good boy~” I messed his hair and made Chanyeol smile widely.

“He’s so cute.” Seunghee praised as I nodded in agreement. “So…” I faced Seunghee straightly. “He is the boy?”

“Who?” I was confused.

Seunghee gave an undefined smile. “The boy that you told me last time. Is he the boy that makes someone's heart beat fast?” she asked in a suspicious but at the same time, her face teasingly looked at me. I tried to recall what I had told her before. The boy? I forced myself to remember before suddenly a conversation with Seunghee replayed.

> Throwback >

I fixed my position before taking a deep breath. “What if someone's heart beat fast towards a guy-” I hadn’t finished up my words, Seunghee gripped my arms with a smile.

“Hanseol ah, it show you loves him. Simple, right?” she convinced me before continued eat her rice roll. I my lips since it was drying and even dying due to uneasy feeling. I eyed on Seunghee again as I pulled her to face me. I cupped her face make she rounded her eyes in surprise before I gazed into her eyes deeply. “Ya Gong Hanseol, are you alright?” she asked in awkward.

I sighed. “If the heart beat fast because of a boy, a young boy. I mean a kid. What would it be?” I questioned in detail as Seunghee stared at me puzzled.

“A boy? Are you sure it was a boy?” She asked me for confirmation.

I nodded slowly.

Seunghee pondered while lost in deep thought. “Doesn’t it mean… that person loves that boy too…?” she said in hesitation.

I was lost in words before I let Seunghee free from my hands. I love Chanyeol? No way… “L-Loves?” I repeated stuttering and she looked at me confused.

“Ya Gong Hanseol. Why? Who is that person? Aunt Mijoo?” she asked in curiosity as I shook my head in dumbfounded.

>Throwback>

I faced her as Seunghee raised her eyebrows a few times. “Nope.” I denied even though she guessed it correctly. “Ya Hyun Seunghee, you don’t want to go back?” I asked Seunghee as she rolled her eyes in annoyance.

“You always change the topic when the fact that I know the truth. It’s obvious, Gong Hanseol~” she kept teasing me before I started to chase after her and she instantly ran out from the house.

Seunghee turned to me at the front of the house. “I got you, Hanseol ah~” she showed her tongue in provocation as she went back to her house. I sighed since Seunghee will keep on teasing me after this because she knows everything now. I’m dead!