Secretly but not too stealthily, Vernon observed Yeri's conversation with one of the guys that arrived with his friends from the sidelines. Staying engaged with his friends, but not forgetting to check on Yeri every minute that went by.

"Vernon, hey! are you even listening to me?" Jeonghan stepped out in front of him. 

"Yeah!" he said, turning back his full attention to their inner circle conversation.

"is something bothering you?" Joshua just happened to be one of the cleverest of his friends. Yet, Jeonghan was always perceptive of even the littlest things. "or someone?"

"Nah, I'm listening to you--to the both of you." 

Neither of them believing Vernon. Jeonghan caught on quicker than Joshua, "don't worry, Yuta likes girls his own age or older." Vernon retreated his head back with a sickening face.

"Wh-What? Th-that's not why I was looking-"

"staring, you mean?" Joshua inserted, earning him a glare of irritation from Vernon.

"she's gorgeous, but I heard she's Hendery's girlfriend," Jeonghan added.

"What? Where did you hear that?" a panicked pitch had escaped Vernon's lips.

"I must've heard it somewhere, I don't recall." 

"well, she's not his girlfriend. They're just friends.

"really? They're always hanging out together."

"CAUSE, they're friends." 

"Why do you sound angry?"

"not angry, jealous."

"I'm. Not. Jealous."

"yeah, okay. Whatever."

"Taeyong, come meet Jaemin's twin!" Yuta waved him over, and he soon followed.

"Uh-oh." Joshua sounded, glancing at Vernon, who was still trying to convince Jeonghan that he wasn't jealous. His reaction caught the two bickering attention. 

"Hi, Jaemin's twin, what's your name?" Taeyong bowed politely, towards Yeri as he closed the gap between them.

"Kim Yeri, and you are...?"

"Lee Taeyong. It's nice to meet you, Yeri. I've seen you around campus a few times. I had no idea you were the twin that Jaemin was always mentioning. Is he coming by?"

"uh, no. I don't think so. Actually, I came with my friends."

Yeri eyed Lucas and Hendery, who were both seated at the booth, and then similarily glanced over at Vernon. For some unexplained reason to her, he was unmistakably staring back at her. Upon noticing his staring, she mouthed to him, 'WHAT?' raising her eyebrows.

"so we all know each other in some random way..." Taeyong said, but Yeri was too busy attempting to quit Vernon's blatant staring.

"yeah," she mumbled half-heartedly, trying not to be rude towards him.
 
"Hyung!" Lucas jumps into the conversation, towering both of them as he discreetly laid his right arm on Yeri's shoulder.

She had glanced back at Vernon, but he wasn't looking her way by this point.

"I heard you got voted leader of the group! Congrats! Introduce me to some pretty noonas, okay?" Lucas winked at him while Yeri looked over at him, staring him down as he planted half of his body weight on her.

"Thanks, kiddie!" Taeyong replied as he ruffled Lucas's hairdo. 

"Wait, 'kiddie'? Yeri, did you hear what he just said to me?" 

"Yeah, I heard. He called you 'kiddie,' stupid."

"I'm twenty-one years old, and I'm taller than you."

"well, yeah. You're younger than him, kiddie." Yeri provoked Lucas, earning a playful poke at her rounded cheeks.

"Hyung, in case you're wondering, she's the same age as me," he sneered back at her in return.

"So?" she questioned, jabbing his sides.

"so what?"

"...so...you're trying to make a point?" she said, challenging him.

Lucas used this chance to draw her body closer to him. He lowered his height towards Yeri's, bringing his lips to match her ears.

"To him, you're a kid. There's no point in even trying."

Hearing this had irritated her. Yeri tried to wriggle away from him.

"But if you're serious about before, you can use me instead."

Dumbstruck by his offer, her cheeks pursued to tint a light shade of peach. Lucas predicted this reaction from her and thought she was cute. After replaying his last words in her head, her head bolted towards his direction. Lucas winked at her because, by this point, he was enjoying her response.
It was as if either of them could care less that Taeyong was still standing in front of them. 
Flabbergasted by his sudden acts of flirtation, Yeri grabbed his arm and pushed him off of her. "Quit it!"

"Taeyong-ah!" Johnny had called out, waving at him to come over. Taeyong did as asked, and excused himself from whatever was going on between the two youngins. 

Once he was far enough, Yeri continued what Lucas initiated by stepping his right foot, causing him to lose balance. She grabbed his uniform's collar and pulled him down towards her.

"LISTEN. TO. ME. You little manwhore. DO NOT start with me."

She wasn't yelling, but she wasn't whispering either. Yeri tightened her hold on him when he didn't comply.

"Do you understand?" 

"I understand!" 

"Good." She tossed her grip back at him, letting go of him.

"Now, can I say something?" Lucas fixed his collar. 

"if you must," 

"Yeri, I wasn't joking. If you want...I can teach you.."

"teach...me?"

"yeah, about ."

dropped, and her pupils grew. "Wh-what?"

Lucas took a step closer towards her, and once again, purposely lowered his height to vocalize closer to her ears.

"I can also make you feel good." 

Her face turned bright pink as she stood in the same position. Her heart began to race as her insides turned inside out, in a good way. Her feet had closened together. For the first time a long time, Yeri had felt excited, in a sensual way. She hadn't experienced this sort of excitement for months now. 

The only question left was whether to say 'yes' and agree to his offer or push him away for possibly just playing another joke on her.