Immediately straightening, Jongin blinked flustered. Stammering, “N…no…no, I wasn’t. I wasn’t doing anything funny.”

The silence between them lengthened. Namjoo darted her eyes to the side then to him. “What?”

His cheeks heated up. His brain went haywire, so his only solution was to steal the cheat sheet. “I was reading this.”

His eyes burned into the paper held in front of him, but he wasn’t really reading anything. He grew hotter when Namjoo giggled from beside him.

“Why are you laughing?” he asked.

“You’re funny,” Namjoo continued giggling.

He frowned at her. Snatching her homework, he said, “Then lets see how good you are.” Running his eyes over the homework he asked, “Are you sure this is right?”

Stealing her homework back she confidently claimed, “I know it is.” Leaning over to see his untouched homework she shot him a glance, but said nothing. Embarrassment clawed through his belly.

“It’s like this…” He watched her start the equation for him, explaining step by step how to solve the problem, but more than that he was enamored by her close presence. Stealing peeks of her and hoping she wouldn’t know his heart was really racing because of her.

The following days Namjoo worked harder each evening when they sat down at the dinner table to do homework. He dawdled and daydreamed, bored out of his mind. Never really interested in school or his education. Didn’t even know what he wanted to spend his life doing after college. Everyone around him seemed to know their place. Except him.

Around Namjoo he liked pretending to be interested. To be like her. Interested in classes. About what the teachers had to say every day. Pretending that he really wanted to do well on his homework. It gave him something similar to talk about. Gave him a reason to be familiar to her. And he felt he knew her a little more each day.

Like she liked cheese. Would drink milk even if she was lactose intolerant. She shied from unfamiliar things. So far having only spoken to Jonghun at school and no one else. She didn’t like gym or sports. Whatever soccer game or baseball game popped on television she hardly paid attention to. Reading was her hobby and she kept several collections in her room. He’d seen on his way past her bedroom once when she left the door wide open. Namjoo was also good at writing. The teacher openly praised her when she handed back assignments. Now other students were trying to get her to edit their papers.

These days her ankle was a lot better. Namjoo refused his piggyback offers and did everything by herself, like fetching her own glass of water because they were snacking while studying. Again, without Dami, because she preferred to be out with her friends than glued at home with the two of them.

“Get me one, too,” Jongin said.

“You can get yourself one,” Namjoo recanted.

“I got the snacks ready,” he reminded. Smugly grinning as he heard her sigh and get a glass for him.

The water sloshed around the glass when she slid the cup toward him. Gruffly saying, “Here.”

“Have you finished 2b yet?” he asked. “Lets compare answers.”

“You just want to cheat.” She accused.

“No, I don’t,” he argued. “I really finished mine.” Holding his paper up, he said, “See?”

Namjoo frowned at him before relenting.

And these days he was beginning to look forward to this a lot more. Doing his homework in the evenings when Dami left after dinner. When Namjoo’s mother disappeared and his father got holed up in his office unknowingly providing them the chance to be alone.

“Aren’t you working hard?” his father walked into the kitchen. Dropping off an emptied mug into the sink. “Do well and you both can get into top universities. How about that?”

“I don’t know about that, dad,” Jongin muttered.

“Well, keep it up. Your mom and I will be going to sleep now. Don’t stay up too late.”

“Yes.” They both answered in unison.

University was one topic he hated talking about the most. Since he was the oldest his father expected only the best out of him. It was one pressure that got to him constantly. Jongin never knew how to answer when the old man asked, “Have you decided what you want to study?”

Unlike him, Namjoo seemed unbothered. He envied her. Never hearing her mother ask her the question. The woman unworried about what her daughter was up to. She just smiled prettily every morning. Wearing lipstick while preparing breakfast and dinner for them. Not a peep about how Namjoo was doing in her new school; if it was hard for her; if she had adjusted well.

Did she know what she wanted to do in the future?

“Have you thought about what college you want to go to?” Jongin wondered.

“Yonsei.” Namjoo confidently replied while her pencil feverishly moved across her paper. “Any good university, but first I’m going to get a scholarship.” Pausing, she glanced at him, “You?”

He turned to stare at his homework. The third question unanswered. “I don’t know.”

“Why? You don’t want to go to college?” Namjoo asked.

“It’s just…” he couldn’t find the words to place his thoughts. “I don’t know.”

“College is a good place with good opportunities,” Namjoo said.

“Yea,” he soullessly agreed, “but the year is ending soon. Once we graduate, we have to start preparing for the college entrance exams, but I don’t know where I want to go yet or what I want to do.”

“It is ending soon, huh?” Namjoo somberly said. Suddenly grinning she cheered up, “Then we just have to work harder. Effort pays off, you know?”

Smiling he picked up his pencil. “Then, can I copy your homework?”

He burst out laughing when she seriously scolded him. Something about her always being so earnest made it fun to . Jongin enjoyed every moment of it. Continuing to even after they cleaned up and gathered the dishes to wash.

Sometimes Jongin wondered if she took after her father. She definitely wasn’t like her frivolous mother. He handed her another scrubbed plate to rinse and reached for the last item. On autopilot Namjoo’s hand stretched out to grab the cup from him. Turning when she grabbed nothing but air, she frowned at him. Jongin flashed teeth with a broad grin.

“I’m kidding,” he said handing her the soapy cup. As soon as she reached for it, he held it up over his head. Teasing, “Get it.”

Tip-toeing Namjoo stretched her arm out for it. Yelping when she landed back on her feet.

“Jongin! Seriously!” she screeched.

He laughed amused. Namjoo jumped up for it. He held it higher. Laughed a little harder. Until Namjoo jumped again and landed flimsily. Losing balance, she instinctively grabbed his shirt to refrain from falling, knocking into him. Jongin loosely stumbled forward from the impact. His heart thrummed when their eyes connected. The quiet became a loud echo around them as the faucet ran furiously.

Forgetting the flush in his cheeks when he started to realize how much taller he was than her. Something about that was alluring. It made his heart pound.

A cough immediately separated them. Under the kitchen arch Dami stared at him with that familiar glint in her eyes.

“What are you two doing?” she undeniably hissed.

“Oh…Dami,” Namjoo nervously greeted. Twining her hands together, “You’re back?”

His sister glared at her. Shot him another unforthcoming stare then swiveled to go upstairs. Jongin sensed she would have things to say to him. Wa