This is a story I really wanted to write but couldn’t keep my focus on. Just 4 quick chapters was apparently too much for me.  

Koo Junhoe(IKON) and OC--we’ll call her Jena for now. It’s AU. Set in the US. Somewhere in California.  

Freshman Year 

Fall 

They met the way most people meet in college; through friends. His friend Brendan started dating her friend Chelsea, and the two groups eventually melded into one in order to be able to spend time with the couple. From the get go all of their friends kept pushing them to date for no reason other than that they’re both Korean. Everytime it was suggested, they would look at each other and playfully roll their eyes.  

They were cordial, but couldn’t be qualified as friends. She knew of him. They had two core classes in the same building, even though they didn’t share a major. His dorm was next to hers, so they saw each other in passing. They would nod and smile at one another, but never spoke more than ten words in an exchange. Until they attended the same party with woefully inadequate snacks.  

Jena stared at the kitchen table full of pizza boxes. She flipped open lid after lid looking for one piece that looked worth eating. With a frown of disgust on her face, she closed the last box and sighed.  

“How do you up pizza, right?” a voice spoke from behind her. Junhoe stood there with a beer in his hand and a sad look on his face. “It’s dough, sauce, and cheese. Toppings are optional. It’s not complicated.” 

“Exactly! There’s only 3 essential ingredients, and I don’t see any sauce. It’s like eating--” 

“Lukewarm cheese and crackers.” 

Caught off guard by his accurate description, Jena laughed so hard that she had to hold her stomach. She could hear him laughing along and that made her laugh harder. Wiping tears off her face, Jena nodded and looked at him.  

“You, sir, are absolutely right.” Jena shook her head, still amused before groaning. “The worst part is, I’m starving. I had a study session run late and didn’t grab anything when I went back to the dorm to change. Chels kept texting me like I was missing the party of the century or something.” She looked out at the packed living room of people just standing around talking and drinking. There wasn’t even any music playing! 

Junhoe looked at her closely, head tilted to the side. “Wanna split one? I have a friend who’s working at the shop down the street.” 

“Are you serious?” she asked, just to be sure. He nodded. “That would be amazing.” 

“I’ll do it as long as you answer this question in a way that satisfies me.” He crossed his arms and looked at her with a mock stern expression. “Do pineapples go on pizza?” 

Jena matched his intense gaze. “Yes, and to hell with anyone who tries to stifle your topping creativity.” 

A  slow smile spread across his face as he nodded his approval. “That’s what I like to hear. What do you want on your half?”, he asked as he called the shop. 

“Well, I’m big on salty/sweet, so pineapples and feta if they have it.” 

“Feta? That’s a bold choice.” 

“I’m a bold kind of lady,” she quipped. Jena grabbed a beer from the fridge while she listened to Junhoe place the order. When that was complete, she looked at him expectantly.  

“Should take them about a half hour. He’s gonna text me once it comes out the oven. Wanna bring it back here or eat there?” 

“I’d rather eat there, if you don’t mind.” Jena leaned forward and whispered conspiratorially. “This party blows.” 

With an answering chuckle, Junhoe opened the back door and gallanty waited for her to pass. On the walk they talked. They filled each other in on back story; where they were from, how they ended up at that school, what they were majoring in, etc.  Useless facts that strangers freely share with one another on campus. But it flowed well and continuously. While in the restaurant, the only pauses in conversation were when they were chewing--and that wasn’t a guarantee on his end. Though they began in English, at some point they transitioned into Korean so seamlessly that neither notice the change.  

After lingering at the table long after the pizza was gone, Junhoe paid and they headed back to the house. Still laughing, still speaking animatedly and incessantly, they also found themselves bumping shoulders and touching casually as they walked down the narrow sidewalks. At the house, Junhoe placed his hand low on her back as they ascended the steps. Turning to face him she noticed, not for the first time, that he was incredibly handsome. In an uncommon move, she parted her lips preparing to ask if they could exchange numbers. But the door opened first.  

“There you are, baby!” A slurred voice said. A flash of red dress and blonde hair darted past Jena and landed in Junhoe’s arms. “I thought you left me.” 

“Hey, Shauna. We went to get pizza,” he responded with a soft smile and kissed the girl wrapped around him like a koala. Jena could see her and looked away. “You ready to go home?” 

Shauna nodded her head before shimmying down his body, but not letting go. She leaned heavily against his body with her eyes closed. Jena noted the moment the drunk girl fell asleep. Junhoe looked down at Shauna affectionately. Jena looked away.  

“So, uh, thanks for the pizza. I’ll let you tend to your girlfriend.” 

Junhoe spared Jena barely a glance accompanied by a quick nod. “Yeah, it was great talking to you.” 

Jena smiled at him tightly before going inside.  

****** 

A few weeks after the party, Jena and her blended mass of friends met at the bowling alley just off campus. They played a cliche round of men versus women to start the night off. It just so happened that June’s turn to bowl was directly after hers. Objectively speaking, Jena was a terrible bowler. June wasn’t much better, but one could never tell that by his arrogance and confidence when he stepped up to the lane. Every turn, he would shout encouragement and advice to her. On the surface it was to make her better, but really his goal was to distract her and bring her score down even lower. It worked. 

During a trip to the bathroom, she was cornered by Kayla and Danica. “So, you and June seem to be getting along well,” Danica said with a sly grin.  

Knowing from her tone where she was headed, Jena cut her off. “Don’t go there.” 

“What?” her friend replied in false innocence. “I’m just saying. He can’t seem to keep his hands off you.” 

“He’s a flirt, a harmless one, but just a flirt. That’s it. It means nothing. He has a girlfriend, you know.” 

“No he doesn’t,” Kayla spoke up while applying fresh lipstick. “They broke up a week ago, or something like that.” 

Jena shrugged at the news. “Sorry for his loss.” 

“Maybe now would be a good time to--” 

“If you consider me a friend, why on earth would you wish him on me?” Jena asked seriously. “He’s hot as , there’s no denying that, and pretty fun to talk to. But we all know his type; he changes girlfriends more often than he changes his sheets.” 

“That’s a disgusting mental image,” Kayla chuckled. 

“And an accurate one. So no, not interested,” Jena declared with finality. Heading back out to the lanes, Jena rejoined the group. Junhoe smiled at her when he saw her approaching and scooted over to make room for her on the bench. Without breaking conversation, he wrapped an arm around her shoulder and rubbed his thumb lightly on her earlobe.  

Jena felt herself relax against him, even as she acknowledged that she wasn’t as immune to him as she professed. It was just a little crush.  

***** 

They’re called crushes for a reason. Because after just two weeks of Junhoe sitting close to her and holding her hand randomly and hanging all over her in public together, he unexpectedly showed up with a girlfriend to their next joint outing. Jena played it off for as long as she could, but eventually bailed by saying that she had to study.  

It was a rough night.  

***** 

A rough year, point of fact. Jena may have adapted socially to university life, but academically she struggled. That surprised her immensely. It isn't at all that she was an unintelligent young lady or a bad student. She had great grades through school and had earned a scholarship for wanting to study Microbiology. She loved science. She was nosy by nature, nosier about nature.  

The course work threw her off at times. She struggled with being in the large auditoriums with 170 other people trying to focus and follow al