"OK, from the start!"

Mr. Cheng shouted as he clapped. He signaled Wayne and Diana to play the music. Once the music started, the students began to dance. 

Pets made a careful step, as she had been stepping on Aaron's foot since they started the practice. But then, she stepped on him again. "Ouch!" Aaron flinched. "Sorry, sorry..." Pets said. She stopped dancing, and bowed before him. Aaron let out a smile. "It's all right. Let's continue with the practice, all right?" Aaron said. Pets nodded her head. 

Meanwhile, Jiro and Selina were dancing, and were able to get the steps right. During the part Selina had to spin, she lost her balance. Good thing, Jiro was able to catch her. "Are you all right?" Jiro asked as he helped her up. "I am. Thanks for helping me." she told him. Jiro let out smile. "No problem. Don't worry, I'll catch you when you fall." he said. It made Selina laugh. 

"OK, let's stop for now." They heard Ms. Cheng say. Wayne immediately stopped the music. "15 minutes rest, then I'll teach you the next steps." their teacher said. All of them went to one side to seat for a while. Pets could see that Aaron was limping as he walked. "Aaron, I'm really sorry..." Pets apologized again. Aaron looked at her, and smiled. "It's all right. Don't worry." he said. 

"Wow, Pets, you did manage to injure Aaron and it's just the first day of practice!" Jiro told her. Wes let out a laugh, but stopped when Hebe glared at her. "Are you all right, Ah Bu?" Wes asked. "I think so? I think I can still dance. I just need to rest." Aaron said. "I have a suggestion..." Wayne said. Everyone's eyes were on them. "Why don't I become Pets' partner and Aaron can play the music. What do you think?" he said. 

"No way!" Jiro protested. Wayne gave him a confused look. "Why?" 

"Because Aaron is supposed to dance."

"Then, how about Pets play the music, and Diana become Aaron's partner?"

"I think it's a good idea!" Wes said. 

"No!" Jiro shouted again in protest.

Everyone gave him a confused look. "Because Pets is already supposed to dance." Jiro explained. He doesn't want them to find out he's trying to push Aaron to Pets. "It's all right, I don't want to dance anyway." Diana said. Wayne looked at her worriedly. He knew Diana wanted to have a chance with Aaron, but why is she turning it down. ""Wayne, maybe we could check on the music again? You know, Chai Tea and Straw." Diana said. Wayne sweat dropped at her. "It's Tchaikovsky and Strauss!" he corrected her. "Whatever, let's go!" Diana said, pulling him away from the group. 

"Who's Chai Tea?" Jiro asked them. Pets let out a sigh of disgust. "It's Tchaikovsky. You should pay attention to Music class." Pets told him. Jiro just stuck a tongue out to her. Shortly after, Selina approached Jiro. "Jiro, I was wondering if you can help me with the steps in the dance. I can't seem to get how it should be done."  Selina said. Jiro looked at her, and smiled. "Sure. Let me help you with that." Jiro said. 

The two of them left the group, and practiced on their own. His friends just watched them as they danced. "How lucky can Jiro get, huh? He seems to get close to his princess." Wes commented. Pets just watched them. "Yeah, that monkey king sure is lucky." she commented. 

--

"We're here!"

Jiro stopped his bike in front of Pets' house. Pets immediately got off the bike. "Thanks for the ride." Pets told him. Jiro let out a smile as he looked at her with bewilderment. Pets gave him a confused look. "What?" she asked. "You thanked me. That's a first." Jiro said. "Should I have not thanked you at all?" she asked. 

Jiro shook his head. "What I mean is, I'm happy that you thanked me." he said. Pets let out a sigh as she shook her head. "Xiao Dong, sometimes, you're weird." Pets said. Jiro gasped at her. "See! You're calling me Xiao Dong now!" he said happily. Pets glared at him as she put her hand on her waist. "Hey, stupid monkey king, what do you want me to do? You blackmailed me into calling you that!" Pets scolded him. 

Jiro just smiled. "Still, it made me happy, Pei Pei." he told her. Pets just rolled her eyes at him. "Stupid monkey king..." she muttered under her breath. "Hey, since we don't have any homework today, do you want to go to the street market later?" Jiro asked her. When Pets opened to speak, Jiro answered for her. "Good, I'll meet you down here in 30 minutes, OK? See you!" Jiro said before heading back inside the house. 

An angry tick formed in her forehead as she watched him leave. "You... you stupid monkey king!" Pets shouted angrily at him. 

--

Pets had no choice but to go with Jiro to the street market that afternoon. Both of them walked along the market, looking for something to eat. "What do you want to eat, Pei Pei?" Jiro asked her. "Anything. As long as you're paying." she told him as she folded her arms. 

Jiro gave her a smirk. "Little girl, you're getting used by me buying you food, huh?" he said. Pets scowled at him. "How many times do I have to tell you that -"

"You're not a little girl?"

"Yes!"

Jiro put his hand on her head, and patted her head. "You're a little girl because I'm taller than you." he told her. Pets could only glare at him. "One day, I'll grow tall again, and I'll be taller than you!" she shouted at him. "In your dreams." Jiro told her proudly. "I will be taller than you!" Pets insisted. Jiro smirked at her again. "Little girl, the only time you'll be taller than me is if I carry you. So for now, dream on." he said. 

As they were walking along the market, Jiro saw their favorite childhood snack - cotton candy. "Pei Pei! Look, there's cotton candy over there!" Jiro said, pointing at the stall selling cotton candy. Pets looked at where he is pointing. 

As Jiro looked at her, she saw a change in her expression. She saw her puppy eyes as she looked at the cotton candy. "Oh, little girl wants cotton candy?" he asked. "I want cotton candy!" Pets said in a childish voice. He let out a laugh as he shook his head. "Silly little girl. Come on, I'll treat you for some cotton candy. It's been a long time since I had one anyway." he said. 

Jiro held Pets' hand, and pulled her towards the cotton candy stall. He bought two cotton candies for them. The blue one is for him, and the pink one is for Pets. As Pets ate her cotton candy, Jiro was secretly watching her. "Nothing's changed in her..." he thought as he looked at her. She still had the same expression when she eats the cotton candy when they were younger. She looked so happy as she ate the cotton. All of a sudden, their childhood memories together came back to him. 

"You're so messy." Jiro commented. He took out his handkerchief, and wiped her lips. Pets pouted at him. "I'm not messy!" she told him. Jiro just let out a laugh. "Let's finish this cotton candy so we can go home, all right?" he said. Pets nodded her head. 

As soon as they were done eating, they walked back  home. As they were walking along the street, and motorbike sped through them, almost hitting Pets. Good thing Jiro was able to see it, and he acted quick. He pulled Pets towards him to protect him. 

Pets found herself leaning on Jiro's chest. "Hey!" Jiro shouted angrily at the driver. "Stupid driver, doesn't you have eyes? You could have hit someone." he added. Pets looked up at him, and stared at him for a long time. Jiro looked at down at her worriedly. "Are you all right? Are you hurt anywhere?" he asked.  Pets was still gazing at him. "I'm... I'm OK. C-c-can you let me go now?" she asked. With that, Jiro let her go. "Are you sure you're not hurt?" he asked again. Pets slowly nodded her head. 

He walked to her other side, and held her hand. That gesture surprised her. All she could do was stare at him as he smiled at her. "This way, I can protect you from being hurt, all right?" Jiro said. Pets just nodded her head. 

As the two of them walked home, all Pets could do is watch his back, and smile to herself. 

--

[Flashback]

"Jiro, who do you think is the prettiest in our class?" Pets heard one of their classmates ask Jiro, She was outside the classroom, and was hiding behind the door as she listened to them talk. "Uhmmm... I think Genie is pretty!" Jiro said. 

His guy friends cheered on him. "But what about Pets? Do you think she's pretty too?" another one of his friends asked. Pets anticipated his answer. "No." Jiro answered. 

Her heart sank upon hearing him say that. Why would her best friend think of her that way? "Really? You don't find her pretty?" that same friend asked him. "No way!" he said with a laugh. At that point, she wanted to cry. She felt Jiro betrayed her. 

"You two are always together. Is there a chance that you'll like her and be your girlfriend?" another one asked. "No way! I don't like Pets that way! There's no way I will want Pets to be my girlfriend. She's so annoying." Jiro told them. 

A tear fell from her eye. She peeked inside the classroom, her eyes falling on Jiro. "She's not even pretty to begin with!" Jiro said. Her young heart was broken at that moment. And it was broken by the person she cared most about. 

As she clenched her fist, she ran away from the classroom. At that moment, she decided not to be friends with him anymore. 

[End Of Flashback]