The library was busy today. Clicks of keyboards and soft chatting echoed all around. It wasn’t obnoxiously loud, but when libraries were normally peaceful, quiet to the point of near isolation, the noise felt amplified. Thankfully, Jiyoung had her headphones to try and block most of it out. Concentration wasn’t easier, though. Her mind either focused on the lyrics or drifted to Minseok’s offer; it played over and over in her head like a scratched DVD. It was ridiculous, the plot of a ninety’s teen rom com. That didn’t stop the image of her walking down the hall holding Minseok’s hand from manifesting itself. Jiyoung shook her head to make the scene scurry away. It only helped a little bit. Obviously not getting anywhere with the paper, she saved the miniscule work she had done and packed up your bag.

Not quite ready to go home, Jiyoung stretched her legs and walked around campus. The weather was nice out today, the sun shining bright but not in a way that was overwhelming, and a cool breeze ruffled at her cardigan. The sound of guitar strings hummed through the air. Without thinking about it, she followed the melody. Really, she should have known who was waiting at the end of that rainbow.

Sitting cross-legged on a quilt laid out in the grass, the old chemistry partner, strummed on his acoustic, sticker covered guitar. A sigh was pulled from Jiyoung's lips. Who wasn’t a er for the music-inclined sweetheart?

Owner of letter number eight, Jiyoung met Park Chanyeol freshman year. She wasn’t sure why, but for some reason, Chanyeok decided to sit in the empty seat at her lab table. Both of them were shy and quiet so there wasn’t much talking in the beginning. But when Chanyeol noticed a song playing on Jiyoung's phone before class started, he struck up a conversation. Jiyoung didn’t hear him at first, the beat drowning out the syllables in his words but letting enough through, so she knew that he had, in fact, spoken. He started to blush when Jiyoung pulled out her headphones. Apparently, he liked the little-known band as well. Jiyoung soon found out that talking to Chanyeol was easy, effortless. There were more than a handful of times the two of them received looks for laughing a little too loudly during class. When she heard him play guitar for the first time, that was when she was sure she was smitten.

Chanyeol had accidentally left his phone behind after class. Knowing the feeling of losing such a vital organ, Jiyoung hurried to return it. He was easy to find. And completely mesmerizing. Eyes closed, he plucked at the strings of his guitar with passion, his long fingers knowing what note to play next without hesitation. He was lost in the music. If Orpheus were to be reborn, it would be in the form of Park Chanyeol. Apollo would be jealous at the magic happening in the campus courtyard. Jiyoung was so lost in the music that she'd forgotten why she'd followed him in the first place. When Chanyeol opened his eyes, he smiled at her.

“Hey, Jiyoung!”

Jiyoung blinked out of her hypnotic state. “You forgot this.” She held out the phone while a few of his friends snickered quietly, very aware of where her mind currently was.

Chanyeol’s face lit up. “Oh, thank you!” He took his phone and slipped it into his pocket. “Hey, do you want to stay and hang out?”

He wanted to hang out? With her? Outside of class? Jiyoung swallowed as she dug her toes into the sidewalk. She wanted to accept the offer, hear more of his music, but, “I, um, I can’t. I-I have class in a little bit. But maybe next time?”

He nodded excitedly. “Yeah! Next time!”

Jiyoung stood there awkwardly, silently. The group was staring at her. “Well, I’ll see you later!” She waved a little too enthusiastically before turning and scurrying away. Later that day, she was squealing about her chemistry partner to Baekhyun, who was smiling and shaking his head.

“He could actually like you, you know,” Baekhyun said.

“You don’t know that,” Yeonhee countered. “He could just be really nice.”

“He is really nice,” Jiyoung agreed. Her elation deflated a bit. It was easy to get her head into the clouds – then to immediately bring it back down.

Baekhyun frowned. “Yeonhee, you don’t have to be like that. I think Jiyoung should go for it.”

“I’m just trying keep her from jumping to conclusions,” she argued. She looked at Jiyoung. “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to be a downer. I just don’t want you to get hurt. If you think he really likes you, then keep talking to him. He sounds really sweet.”

Knowing her for so long, Jiyoung could tell that something was off. Yeonhee was normally a realistic person and Jiyoung appreciated that, but she wasn’t usually this harsh, this unfiltered. And given the amount of times she’d checked her phone despite the lack of notification sounds, she was hardly covering up her anxious state.

A week later, the semester ended. Yeonhee broke up with Kyungsoo, and Jiyoung had forgotten about Chanyeol for the most part. She didn’t see him as often anymore with the summer break and then into the new fall session. It was usually in circumstances like this where he was playing his guitar or hanging on the lawn with his friends.

The notes stopped for a moment and Chanyeol looked up, making eye contact with Jiyoung without warning. To be polite and not seem like a total stalker, Jiyoung waved and then it hit her like an avalanche. He’d come to her house. Because of the letter.

Park Chanyeol,

Sometimes I wonder how you’re real. How you could possibly exist on this earth. The music you create would make Apollo jealous. Each note pairs perfectly with your deep voice. I hope you’re aware of how talented you are. The fact that you’re also a sweet, kind person only adds to the magic. Making you laugh in class is such an accomplishment for me. I don’t know how my horrible sense of humor achieves that boisterous laugh, but it does. I know you especially like the joke when you start hitting the table. It’s a cute habit unique to only you.

Sometimes, I wonder what it would be like, to be with the talent musician. To sit on the blanket next you while you play a song that reminded you of me. It’s a fuzzy image, but one I still enjoy seeing. I wonder if you’ve ever written a lyric with me in mind? Like I’m writing this letter while thinking about you. Though you may never see these words, I hope you know that there is someone who is listening to every note you play.

Love,

Jiyoung

Dropping her hand, Jiyoung tried to hurry away. Unfortunately, Chanyeol was a giant and his long strides caught up with her much shorter stumps quickly.

“Jiyoung!” He stopped her by a gentle tug on her arm.

Jiyoung forced on a very fake smile. “Chanyeol! Hi!”

“I came by your house the other day. Did your mom tell you?”

“Yeah,” Jiyoung nodded, silently cursing that one time she’d invited him over for a study session. She struck her head with her palm, continuing on with the act. “Shoot, sorry! I meant to call you and then it completely slipped my mind. I’ve been trying to get this paper done and its giving me… issues.” There certainly were papers that were giving her issues. Lots of them.

“Oh, okay.” Chanyeol seemed relieved. Had he actually been worried about her ignoring him on purpose? “I was just wondering if you wanted to hang out some time? I know its been a while since we had class together, but I thought that maybe we could still be friends and… well, hang out, I guess.” He chuckled, scratching at his scalp under his hair that was now died a silvery-white. Freshman year it had been a dark chocolate brown. When did he do that?

More importantly, however, why wasn’t he asking her about the letter? Or giving it back with a nice side of rejection? Did he not get it? Was there one last little miracle left in her pathetic jar and this sudden resurgence of interest was mere coincidence?

“Sure!” Jiyoung finally spat out. “I’d love to hang out. Um, just let me know whenever you’re free and we can plan something out.”

A wide, tooth grin spread across his face. “Okay. Great. I’ll see you later, then.”

“Yeah, see you later.”

Chanyeol walked back to the blanket, said something to his friends, and then started packing up. Letting out a sigh of blissful relief, Jiyoung headed back down the sidewalk. In her bag, her phone beeped. Thinking it must have been Baekhyun or that Chanyeol was quick with the “letting you know” text, she pulled out the phone. At seeing the notification, her heart sank.

Meet me by the pond. Please?

It was from Junmyeon.

Instinct told her to run.

That particular letter was still too fresh. How was she going to explain that, yes, she did have a slight crush but now she was over it? Even in her head it sounded contrived. Would he believe her at all?

Pulling up her metaphorical big girl pants, Jiyoung started towards the pond. Then promptly turned back around and headed to where her bike was chained up to make a run for it. Her fingers fiddled with the tiny key as she tried to unlock the chain that secured the bike to the rack. She let out a cry of frustration when the simple lock wouldn’t come undone. “Fine! I’ll go!” she said to no one. Inhaling deeply and exhaling with equal force, she held on tight to her backpack as she headed towards the pond.

Junmyeon was standing near the edge of the water, hands in his pockets and eyes trained down at his own reflection. Jiyoung slowed down as she came closer. Junmyeon looked up. He was not his usual happy self. He wasn’t smiling or giving any sign of reassurance.

“Jiyoung.” It wasn’t a greeting. Merely an acknowledgement of your arrival.

“Hi,” she said back quietly.

“I’m sure I don’t have to explain what this is about?”

Jiyoung shook her head. “No, you don’t. I’m sorry if it made you uncomfortable. It was only supposed to be for myself.”

“My girlfriend saw it.”

Her eyes went wide. “She did?”

“Yeah. She thought I was cheating on her.”

Crap, crap, crap. “Junmyeon, I am so, so sorry. I really didn’t mean for anything to happen. It’s like journaling to me. My mom just made a mistake.” He didn’t seem to be believing her which the rambler switch in her brain. She no longer had control over the words coming out of her mouth. “Honestly, I should have destroyed the letter as soon as I realized I didn’t have feelings for you anymore and-”

“You don’t have feeling for me anymore?”

“No, I don’t.”

“How did you get over them so quickly?”

“I- Well, I-” I’m still secretly in love with my neighbor who is also my best friend’s ex so I have a tendency to develop short term crushes to help sooth the pain every once in a while?

“Well, what? Did you get a boyfriend?”

“Yes!” Jiyoung jumped on that train before she could even consider the possible consequences. “Yes, I do. I recently started dating someone. Fairly recently.”

Junmyeon sighed, a ghost of a smile finally pulling at his lips. “Okay. Do you mind if Bora meets him? Just to help ease her mind?”

Jiyoung swallowed thickly. “Sure.”

Que the true smile. “Thank you. I have to get to class now, but I’ll talk to you later about a meet up.”

“Alright, then.”

Junmyeon left her, feet frozen to the grass. What the hell was she going to do now?

**

Baekhyun sat in Jiyoung's favorite chair while she lied face down on her bed, wishing she would slowly disintegrate. Baekhyun was snickering over the news Jiyoung had just dropped on him. Well, it started out as a snicker before slowly growing into an all-out roar. The momentum from the laughter caused him to fall out of the chair and land on his knees. The impact didn’t bother him in the slightest.

“I’m glad you’re enjoying my latest torment.”

“I’m sorry,” Baekhyun said as he tried to regain his breath. “Its just… that would only happen to you!”

Grabbing the closest pillow to her on the bed, Jiyoung threw the soft missile with as much might as she could muster. It barely grazed the top of Baekhyun’s head before sliding across the floor and coming to a stop at the opposite wall. A few hairs stuck up before falling back into place.

“What the hell am I supposed to do? Junmyeon is going to want to meet this non-existent boyfriend to calm his girlfriend.” She eyed Baekhyun, a plan slowly coming together. “Hey….”

“Uh-uh. Sorry. No can do. Remember that girl I told you about? I have a date with her next week and I can’t risk that.”

Jiyoung huffed. “Then what should I do?”

“You could always ask Kyungsoo. He’d scare the tutor away for good.”

Pillow number two hit its target.

“Okay, that kind of hurt,” Baekhyun said as he rubbed his nose.

“At this point, I’m thinking that I should just put out an ad ‘embarrassed, desperate girl seeks fake boyfriend.’”

“Sounds like an excellent plan to me.”

“You are zero help, you know that?”

“It’s what best friends are for.”

That was when Jiyoung's brain actually began to function. She could have slapped herself. The answer was right there all along. Was it the best option? Of course not. But it was one that would work.

“Actually. I don’t think I’ll have to put out the ad.”

Baekhyun pulled himself back into the chair. “Why?”

“Minseok.”

He frowned. “I don’t get it.”

Jiyoung's fingers twisted and tangled in front of her. Now that she'd mentioned it, she kind of wished she hadn’t and instead kept this idea – this possible plan – to herself. “He might have asked me to be his fake girlfriend to get his ex. Ow!” This time, it was Baekhyun’s turn to hit her with a pillow. It was her own fault for giving him the ammunition.

“Are you actually considering that?” he scoffed.

“I wasn’t!” Jiyoung defended. “That is… before….”

“You can do better than that, Jiyoung.”

Sitting up, she crossed her arms and legs, annoyed. “No. You don’t get to judge. I asked you for your help and you said no. At least this way, both parties understand that its fake and no one’s feelings get hurt. At some point we’ll fake break up and we can each go on with our lives.”

She had him there. Baekhyun tightened his mouth like he wanted to argue, but there was no valid reason against this.

Now, all she had to do was tell Minseok that she had changed her mind. As long as he hadn’t changed his.