1st 

Seoul, 2019 

She pushed on the alarm clock on her bedside table, turning it off before turning on her right. She studied herself on the mirror in front and she let out a huge smile, kicking the blankets away after a while to start her day. 

--

"Good morning!" 

Jang Soeun greeted everyone she passes by with a huge smile on her face and a polite bow. 

At the age of 25, she was working as a make up artist under an entertainment industry and she couldn't ask for anything more. Beauty and aesthetics have always been a great concept for her and she was glad that she could do what she wants with her life. 

What she truly wants. 

She entered the elevator and pressed for the 12th floor, checking her wristwatch after. She looked on her right again, where she could see her reflection and couldn't help but admire her makeup for today. 

She giggled at her thought.

Upon reaching her destination, she greeted the employees with a wave of the hand and a bow yet again. She thought that nothing could ruin this day. 

Not until she arrived at the auditorium where a fashion runway will be held. Because the moment she stepped inside set, a huge frown crossed her features and she stopped herself from walking, gawking at the guy who was busy passing out bottles of water to the guests. 

What's this? 

Jung ilhoon must have noticed someone's eyes on him so he looked behind him and a huge grin instantly grazed his lips. He waved his free hand at her before giving out another bottled water at the model in front of him. 

Soeun could only roll her eyes at him. She chose to ignore him today, like any other day as usual. 

If only he wasn't thinking otherwise. Because the moment he noticed her Walking towards her group, he jogged towards her, a bottle of water in his hand. 

"Yah, Soeun-ah," he called softly. She ignored him. 

"Soeun-ah!" 

She turned around abruptly. "What?!" She hissed. He was surprised with her reaction but he smiled nonetheless. He offered the drink in his hand at her. She eyed his hand before she looking back at him again. "No thank you," she said, shaking her head. He insisted. 

"Come on, take it." He drew the water closer, his eyes fixated on the bottle.

"I Dont want to drink that," she deadpanned, finally. 

A short moment of silence enveloped the two before Ilhoon smiled, yet again. He looked up at her, "do you still prefer flavored milk drink?" 

She sighed exasperatedly. "Jung Ilhoon. I'm not a kid anymore,I don't want to drink because my lipstick would get ruined. Okay?" She gestured towards another model. 

"What not give her that instead?" 

"Just use a straw." He shrugged his shoulders. She gawked at him. "What?!" 

"I said just use a straw so your lips won't get ruined."

Soeun scoffed at his ridiculous suggestion. "And where would I get a straw, hm?" 

"I'm bringing one." 

She scoffed in disbelief. Finally, the girl glared at Ilhoon. "What's this sick joke? Are you making fun of me?"

He smiled, yet again. "Nope. I'm just concern about your health. You live quite far from here, right?" 

"Well I don't need your concern okay? I'll be going." She waved her hand at him before finally jogging towards her group. 

"Soeun-ah!"

She flinched upon hearing his loud voice. She turned around slowly. "What?!" She mouthed angrily. 

He grinned at her. 

"That's a nice dress you're wearing!" 

She looked down on her outfit before shooting the male a quick glare. "Whatever!" She snapped before continuing her walk. 

Ilhoon studied her retreating figure, a small smile on his lips as he let out the words "that wasn't the reaction I was expecting though."

--

Spring, 2010

"Can you see me after class?" 

One of their girl classmates, Hyunmi asked him quietly one afternoon , eyeing Soeun who was behind Ilhoon insecurely. 

The much awaited School Dance was just around the corner and everybody is excited to find someone to bring for that night. 

--

Soeun tapped Ilhoon's shoulder. He looked behind him, "I'll get going first."

"Why though?" He asked in panic. Did he do something wrong? Was she mad?

"Hyunmi wanted to talk to you, remember." She tilted her head to the left, gesturing towards the girl waiting outside the classroom door. 

"Oh." He squeaked in realization, eyeing the girl outside. He turned to her again. "Don't you want to wait for me?"

She shook her head lightly. "Its okay. I'll be fine on my own. Just take your time, don't make her cry, okay?"

--

Don't make her cry, my . 

Soeun chanted in her head as she let out fresh tears. Jung Ilhoon was out there, making other girls happy and yet here she was, crying buckets of tears because she pushed him into talking to Hyunmi. 

She most probably have asked him to be her partner at the school dance.  

Her walking abruptly stopped when all of a sudden, a bicycle parked in front of her. She looked up to see a smirking Jung Ilhoon who almost immediately lost his smile when he saw her face. 

"What's wrong?" He asked in a rattle. Looking at him right now made her heart swell and made her head spin with emotions even if she knew that he should be talking with Hyunmi. She frowned at this thought.

"What are you doing here?" She asked back. He frowned finally at her words. "Uh, going home?" He uttered, unsure. He remembered his question earlier. 

"What about you? Why are you crying? A-are you hurt somewhere?" He let go of his bike to fuss over her. 

Somehow, seeing him worried sick for her made heat blossom in her heart and she couldn't help but laugh at his silly antics. 

Ilhoon must have noticed her reaction so he paused to ask her, "what's funny?" 

She shook her head lightly before answering. "I'm just happy." 

"Eh? But you're crying!" 

She nodded. "But that was earlier." 

"Huh?" 

Smiling, Soeun pulled the ever confused Ilhoon towards his bike. 

"Should we go home?" 

"Uhhh, yeah?"

"Let's go."

After moments of confusion, the two high school students rode Ilhoon's bike going home, on that Spring Day. 

She thought that this was the best day of her life. 

--

"Say, Soeun-ah..." Ilhoon started, one evening inside their room while they were studying for midterms. She answered him with a hum, signalling him to continue. 

Ilhoon let out the words he'd been thinking about a lot these past few days while scribbling down the important dates to remember. 

"You haven't told me the reason why you were crying yet."

Soeun stopped reading, nevertheless her eyes were still glued at the text. 

Ilhoon turned to lay on his back, catching her gaze. "Were you perhaps..."

She raised her brows at him. "...jealous?"

Her eyes widened, sitting up abruptly.  "No!" She frowned. "Why would I get jelpus?!" She spluttered incredulously. 

Ilhoon stared at her hard before sitting up himself. He shrugged his shoulders knowing fully well that she was following his movements. He pouted a little before arching one brow, looking ahead. 

"I Dont know, maybe because Hyunmi asked me to be her partner on the dance?"

That hit a spot. 

Soeun averted it when Ilhoon looked at her finally, chuckling nervously. "T-that's not the reason," she explained. 

"Then what is it?" He probed on. 

"Well, you know that I was never good with directions, right?" She looked down on her lap, embarrassed. "Well, I got lost that time, so yeah." 

The guy nodded understandingly at her explanation, a little bit embarrassed because he got a little ahead of his self. 

"Speaking of which!" Jung Ilhoon looked at the girl again after hearing her voice. "How did it went?" She queried innocently. 

"Well..." He squeaked. He was seriously getting embarrassed because of earlier. 

Soeun furrowed her brows, waiting for the next set of words to come out of his mouth. 

"I didn't agree to it." 

Soeun released the breath she didn't know she was holding until now. Not only that, she realised that her tensed shoulders relaxed and she felt like dancing a victory dance now.

So Hyunmi really did asked Ilhoon to be her date.

"Why?" 

The guy hummed for a little while before smiling at her cheekily. "Because I'm going with somebody else!" 

Soeun felt her shoulders slumping. "With who?"

"You." 

--

The day of the much awaited School Dance came and everyone was busy preparing and looking pretty for it. Just like any other household, the Jung's were preparing for it too. 

"What's taking you guys so long?!" Ilhoon's father shouted from behind the closed doors of the master's bedroom only to be answered with a loud bang from inside. The middle-aged man flinched and Ilhoon could only chuckle at him. 

"If you can't wait quietly outside, Dont bother us! Were busy making Soeun pretty!" Came his mother's muffled retort. 

His father just rolled his eyes at his wife. "Girls, they always wear clothes longer than necessary." 

Ilhoon smiled. Soeun isn't one to take long to change so he was having his hopes high. Instantly, his eyes darted to his suit, feeling a little bit insecure because he got ready too fast. 

Was his bow alright? Should he have just paired his suit with a tie—

All thoughts stopped when the door to the master's bedroom opened. He and his father trained their gaze to the small girl came out of the room. 

Jang Soeun was wearing a blue laced dress that reaches just an inch below her knees with a baby sleeves. Her hair was curled at the ends, a braided hairband on her crown. 

They was only one word he could use to describe her— beautiful. 

"You're simple, Soeun-ie, so why did you took so long?" Mr. Jung joked, earning a slap on the shoulder from his wife.

"Soeun's pretty, isn't she?"

A small blush crept on her face, hearing Mrs, Jung's compliment and she nervously looked at the youngest of the Jungs to hear his judgement. 

Jung ilhoon smiled at her affectionately, finding the small blush on her cheeks endearing. 

"That's a nice dress you're wearing!"

The blush on her cheeks deepened and she scanned her dress slowly. 

"T-thanks."

That night was the best School Dance of his life. 

--

 

A/N: First Chapter is up. Any thoughts?