CHAPTER 3:

Spacing out while walking through the corridor of the campus, someone suddenly clung on my arm. I gasped in surprise due to a flashback of an airport stampede overseas back when I was still part of an idol group.

My heartbeat doubled and I can feel my hands getting colder. I think it was very obvious through my face because the smiling Sua immediately withdrew the smile on her lips. Her palm quickly went to my cheek with a worried expression.

“You’re cold. What happened?” She asked in an alarmed tone but I didn't get to reply immediately as I'm still frozen.

Maybe because the memory from the stampede that happened earlier this year was so fresh, I felt like gasping for air for a minute. As I have learned to hide emotions well, I slowly shook my head before smiling at her brightly even though I can feel myself hyperventilating.

“You’re scaring me! Are you sick?” She was serious but I just chuckled. Her brow furrowed with my reaction. She might be thinking I’m crazy now but I don’t want her to worry about me. “Should we go to the clinic? You look so pale!” 

She looked so worried I felt bad. Sua was about to pull me towards the clinic but I stilled on the ground. I was just about to tell her that I’m fine but someone already pulled me on my other arm to turn my direction on his front.

My breath hitched when our class president suddenly put his palm on my forehead. He might have heard Sua’s natural loud voice while he’s walking around the corridor. I cannot handle looking at him while his eyes are serious as hell as he checks me.

“Kang Minsung,” I called and slightly pushed his hand to stop him.

The bell hasn’t rung yet and some students are also in the corridor like us. It feel so weird being stared at by the other students because I have an idea what they might be thinking. He’s a popular student on the campus. And I already had enough with popular boys being linked to me. I had too much of this back in the industry.

I’m dead tired when it comes to being gossiped with malice. Now that I have resigned, I hope I won’t have to deal with this anymore.

“You look sick.” He stated.

I looked at the person on his side and came to a realization who’s standing beside him. It’s the campus crush Yoo Yoojung! She was also looking at me in a concerned manner. It’s the first time I’ve seen her closely and I’ll have to say, she's indeed beautiful like what everyone says.

She’s a visual material if we’re to talk about kpop industry. The purity and innocence of her face will make boys madly fall for her. She’s exactly opposite to my features because while her overall screams so much of naivety, people always mistake me as a haughty person due to my natural way of looking at other people. 

My upturned set of eyes were the first reason I have been mistaken as someone snobbish. But my resting face was the reason why I have been labeled as rude for countless times.

“Sua surprised me from the back, I just got shocked that’s why my face is pale.” I said with a wide smile so they stop their worries. 

I held my chest thinking it would lessen its rapid beating.

“Really? I’m sorry, I didn’t know you’re easily surprised.” Sua pouted and even hugged me from the side. I just smiled at her and nodded. 

I glanced back at our class president in front but my eyes got fixated on the girl beside him. I didn’t know they are close. Well, as they say, those who are popular on campus are always in the same circle of friends.

“Now I see why our seniors like you. You’re really gorgeous.” Yoo Yoojung suddenly talked. I was a bit surprise at what she stated.

She giggled. Even the way she laughed was so feminine. It’s so refreshing to see someone like her when all my life, I have been surrounded with loud and carefree people.

“I’m Yoo Yoojung from another class. You’re Seo Aera, right? I’ve heard so many stories about you. You just moved here yet you’re so popular already.” She waved her hands to me and even bowed a bit.

I bowed back to her. I put on a big smile and quickly shook my head to disagree with what she just said. She giggled again before turning to Kang Minsung who’s still looking at me.

“Sung-ah, let’s go? I don’t want you to be late for your next class.” 

A corner of my lips lifted when I heard her feminine voice became softer when she talked with Minsung. She likes him. I think I also heard Sua and Yeri talking about Yoo Yoojung having a crush with Kang Minsung.

“Are you going back to the classroom now?” Our class president talked to us without looking at Yoojung.

I quickly stopped smirking. I looked at him and nodded, “Yeah, we will be going now.” 

“Are you sure you’re fine?” He asked with all seriousness.

His eyes were looking so soft while asking about it and it was just so weird. His eyes are naturally looking snobbish so how can I distinguish it being full of concern?

“Yeah. I’m fine.” I said without looking at him.

“Don’t worry, Minsung. I will definitely look out for her and I won’t think twice about dragging her out if I see her still this pale later.” Because of Sua’s funny way of talking and her very convictioned tone, I chuckled.

She looked at me and raised a brow. I just shrugged.

“Alright.” Minsung smiled a bit to Sua. “Take care of yourself.” And then he turned to me just to say those words with the same smile.

“We’ll go now.” He even announced his leaving. Yoo Yoojung looked shocked with him as well.

Sua and I looked at each other after the two turned their backs on us.

“He’s mood is so random. It’s so seldom he smiles.” She laughed and wrapped her arm around my shoulder. “He looks so much handsome with a small smile, what more if it's bright and wide, right? ” She said dreamily that made me hiss.

“Oh no, you don’t tell me you’re attracted with him because of his smile?” I chuckled in amusement but she just shrugged.

“I told you, he will melt you when he smiles. Of course, no one can resist that guy.”

My jaw dropped at her smooth confession about her interest in Kang Minsung. She chuckled when she saw my reaction.

“Hey, every girl in the campus likes Kang Minsung. He is smart, responsible, always composed, and kind. Who wouldn’t like him? It’s normal to have a crush on him.” She said it as if it’s really just all normal. “But don’t worry, I just adore him. You can have him all by yourself.”

“What do you mean?” I quickly reacted.

She again laughed as if teasing me about something that she knows.

“C’mon, let’s go. We might get late for the next class.” She said diverting the topic to something else while I still glare at her.

“Did you guys know where Kang Minsung’s house is?” 

When I finally got dropped on the front gate of our house, I asked nonchalantly to both Sua and Yeri while looking at the house next door. While still riding their bikes, they simultaneously looked at where my eyes are on to.

“Yeah, that’s his house.” Yeri answered while Sua nodded. “You didn’t know? His grandparents are good friends to your grandmother.”

“Oh yeah, you must have not known yet since you’re just new here and Kang Minsung is not usually seen going in nor out of their house.” After stating that, Sua suddenly burst into laughter as if a mad woman. “Oh yeah, now that I remember, I always hear your grandma setting you up with Minsung because she’s his favorite in the town. Kang Minsung always rejected you!” 

I have heard that already from his grandparents so it just made me scoff but it was a second later when it hit me. The two were laughing while reminiscing about it as if they really know about me being rejected by the great Kang Minsung. 

HOW DID THEY KNEW ABOUT IT?!

“What is this? How did both of you know about this?” My brows were furrowed hard while I can already feel my cheeks burning from embarrassment.

“Aera, our town isn’t that big and your grandma is very famous in Gwangsa. Whenever there is an occasion and everyone gathers at the main hall, she always asks Minsung to talk to you over the phone!” 

My lips parted and I cannot talk anymore. Oh, wow. Grandma, really? I cannot believe this. 

Okay. First of all, my ego is seriously bruised since I have learned about him declining me. Not to brag about it but I have always been popular back in Seoul, from my classmates then to the celebrities that I have interacted. I have never been rejected by any of my crushes then!

And now the embarrassment that I’m feeling doubled when I knew that everyone in the town knows how I have always been rejected by him. Oh my God. 

That’s why when someone did doorbell in the house later that day and saw him standing outside my gate, I cannot help but feel infuriated. I immediately felt my ears and neck getting hotter. I’m in the borderline of feeling embarrassed and irritated by his wide smile now.

“Grandma is waiting for you. Let’s eat dinner already.” 

My brows furrowed. His hooded eyes that are normally looking sharp look so soft whenever he smiles. And I hate it. 

I didn’t say anything but just nodded at him while my arms are crossed. I started walking first after closing the gate of my home while he followed me from behind. 

I wasn’t really in the mood to be in any conversation but grandma and grandpa were so nice to me that they even asked me about how my day went. Minho asked me to help him with his homeworks in a cute way that I couldn't resist anymore. In the end, I forgot how bad my mood was earlier.

“I’ll send her home.”

Not until that guy talked while I was bidding farewell to his grandparents and Minho.

“No, I can go alone. It’s not like I’m living far away.” I answered without glancing at him. I stayed smiling to grandma and grandpa.

“Aera, let Minsung walk you home so we can feel at ease! It’s almost midnight. Sung-ah, make sure she already locked her gate before going back here.” 

And so in the end, he really did walk me home. He kept glancing on me until I already opened the gate of our house.

“You can go home now, I’m already inside. Thank you.” I said.

I was about to close the gate but he suddenly stopped it using his palm. My brow furrowed and glanced at him once. I avoided it afterwards when I realized it’s the same intimidating eyes as before. Besides that he was towering over me, with his arched eyebrows, he surely looked scarier.

“What did I do wrong this time?” 

I quickly turned to him again and tried to stay staring at his face. I ended up staring at his tall nose because I still cannot stare at him.

“What do you mean?”

“I have been smiling at you all day long yet you still avoid me.” He asked with so much curiosity. “Tell me how we can be friends, Seo Aera.”

My eyes widen at his statement. I didn’t know how to react as I didn’t expect those kinds of words coming out from his lips. 

He wants to be friends with me?

I laughed inside my mind. After rejecting me all these time you’re now asking me to be your friend? Why? Oh, maybe you kept rejecting me back then because you haven’t seen me yet and now that you finally met me, you have a crush on me so you want to be friends with me?

The corner of my lips almost raised not until the bubble on my head burst due to another thought coming in. What the hell, Aera? Maybe he just really wants to be friends with me because I’m close with his family like what he said yesterday.  Goodness, when did you start becoming full of yourself, huh? 

As if my mind got cleared, I suddenly realized that it is actually a normal reaction to reject someone that you have never met before thus Kang Minsung declining my grandma’s idea was very normal. How hypocritical of me to get irritated when I, myself, have rejected some blind dates that my friends and seniors suggested.

I looked away from him while biting my lips. What have I been thinking all this time? I blame this to Minsung. This guy is making me a weirdo.

“Seo Aera–"

“Yeah, we’re friends now.” I talked quickly after him calling my name in his usual deep voice.

“What?”

“We’re friends now.”

He looked confused. He even tilted his head a bit while thinking of something.

“Y-You sure?”

“Yeah, we’re friends now, Kang Minsung.” I smiled at him. 

He looks so puzzled as I give him my biggest smile. I even extended my arm to him so we can formally be friends. 

“Okay. We’re friends.” He slowly reached my hand to shake it.

I continued smiling as if I’m not crumbling inside because of shame. Hell, all the acting lessons that I’ve gotten back in my trainee days are paying now. How can I be so brazen to smile at him as if I didn’t snub him a while ago in their home.

And so I kept that smile until I locked the gate. I walk in my natural slow pace towards the inside of the house and when I finally shut the door of my room, that’s when a loud screech left my mouth. I hit my face with a pillow and even pulled my long hair.

I’m not like this. Oh my God. I was never like this! I’m always composed and collected. How can I suddenly change and be this moody all because of that guy?

“Kang Minsung! What are you doing to me?!”