[CONTENTID1]Stage One[/CONTENTID1]
[CONTENTID2] Sympathy [/CONTENTID2]

[CONTENTID3]

"It won't be that bad," Dahyun spoke as she walked side by side her best friend. "Prof. Park isn't going to be mad."  

"I have been absent for two sessions. How can you be sure?" Baekhyun pouted. "My silly self. It's all my fault."

"That wasn't your fault. You just weren't in mood. That happens," She grinned and stopped in front of her locker. "Wait!" She shouted when she met the boy next to her. "What are doing here in front of Sooyoung's locker?!"

"I, I... I was... I am going to-" 

Baekhyun grabbed his hand. "Hey, Sooyoung!" He called the girl who was walking in the hallway alongside her sister and friend.

"What's it..." She waves her hand before running to them. "Oh my Gosh!" Her eyes widened.

"You are the one who leaves love notes for Sooyoung," Baekhyun got closer. "Am I right?"

"Love letters?!" Park Chaeyoung and Kim Yerim grinned excitedly. "You never told me about it, unnie!"

"Uh..." Sooyoung avoided eye contact with him. 

"I did it..." He stammered. "It was because, because I am... I mean I like her."

"Wow! Shin Hyoseop. That famous popular Hyoseop sunbaenim!" Yerim giggled, covering .

"Wow!" Chaeyoung clapped. "Date! Date! Date!" Sooyoung's friends in the hallway joint her. 

Sooyoung hid her face in her palms. "Stop it, Chaeng."

"Will you go out with me?" Hyoseop dared to ask, it was more likely a whisper.

"Ah... I... my, my class is starting," She ran away, hiding her blushed cheeks.

"She will be a part of our team soon!" Chaeyoung announced. "Wow... my lovely unnie..."

"What team?" Dahyun asked.

"It's about being single or in relationship. My unnie is not single anymore!" She giggled and took out her phone to add her sister to their group chat. "Happy for her..." 

Yerim looked at Dahyun quietly. She knew how she was feeling. Smiling was her usual facial expression, she was destroyed inside. Yerim freed herself from Chaeyoung's grab and walked to her. "Unnie, I have a problem in literature. Would you help me?" She tired to change her mood.

"Of course Yerim-ah." She took her book and locked her locker. "Let's go."

Baekhyun pressed his lips together before speaking. "Park Chaeyoung! Can't you stop showing off your stupid relationship in front of her?"

"What do you mean? She can date too... it doesn't mean I have to shut up when she's around!" Chaeyoung rolled her eyes and left him alone there.

●

Baekhyun and Dahyun were having coffee together at the cafeteria when Chaeyoung, Chanyeol, Kyungsoo and Seungwan walked to them. "Can we sit here?"

"Of course," Baekhyun moved aside. "What's up?"

They took seats around the table. "Well, this angle is perfect," Chanyeol grinned.

"Angle?" He asked. "Perfect for what?"

"You think we are in love with you boring besties to sit here? We just want to look at them," Seungwan pointed at a couple in front of them. "Nation's power couple."

"Super lucky Kim Jisoo who is dating university's chancellor's son." Kyungsoo whispered. "I don't wonder why she is the best in the university."

"She is an egghead, just like her boyfriend. It's not about Prof. Kim," Chanyeol said as he drank his latte and stared at the couple.

"Do Kyungsoo, are you unhappy for dating me?"

"I didn't mean that, Wannie- oh look! They are kissing!" 

"Let me see!" Chaeyoung bent her body so she could watch them. "According to the dramas he had acted in, I bet Kim Junmyeon is a professional kisser."

"Yah!" Chanyeol glared at her, making Dahyun chuckle. Baekhyun turned to her, he knew she enjoyed those kinds of things. "But I don't understand what Junmyeon sunbaenim is doing..."

"Why are you saying so?" Dahyun asked.

"Simple," Her best friend replied, biting the strawberry. "He chose to be a professor assistant in this uni instead of playing in dramas. Isn't it silly?"

"That's it, Baek," Chanyeol and Baekhyun did a high-five.

"I hope he won't quit, I love his acting," Seungwan whispered. "He is really talented that-"

"What?!" Suddenly, Jisoo screamed.

"What happened?" The tallest boy whispered and they exchanged looks in disbelief. Everyone in the cafeteria was gazing at them. It was a not so common scene to be seen in the university.

"How can you be like this?" The girl stood up. "After eight ing years, you are now telling me that you are planning to get married?" She shouted.

"Jisoo-ya... stop," He stood up and moved towards her, talking quietly. "Let me explain it-"

"Shut up! I don't want to hear anymore!"

He tried to grab her arm. "Soo, let me-" 

"Do not touch me!"

Seungwan bit her lower lip. "Things have never been like this between them. I feel bad about it."

"Me too." Her boyfriend nodded.

"I... I was with you in every situation so you let me go like this?" She sobbed. "You are really cold-hearted!"

"Jisoo!" Junmyeon shouted, finally. Making the girl freeze at her spot. It was the first time she had seen him shout. "I am not breaking up with you. Actually," He searched through his coat pockets for something. It seemed like he was too stressed that he had forgotten where it was. Finally, he took out the blue velvet box and got down on one knee.

"What happened?" Kyungsoo's jaw dropped. 

"Now this is exciting!" Chaeyoung giggled.

"What are you doing, Junmyeon?" Jisoo whispered, looking around at the students with blushed cheeks.

"I said I want to get married. Right. Though you didn't let me continue," He smiled. "I want to marry a girl whose laughter makes me happy. A girl who makes difficulties seem easy to pass. A girl who has had my back no matter what. I want to marry a girl, who is you." He opened the box and a beautiful golden ring with a shining diamond on could be seen. 

"Junmyeon..." The girl bit her lower lip and stepped back a little, covering with a hand.

"Now Kim Jisoo, I want to know... will you marry this nagging egghead who cheats on you with his books everyday?" He held his breath. "Will you marry me?"

"I," She hiccupped. "I..."

"Answer him! Answer him! Answer him!" Chaeyoung started chanting while hitting on the table to make a melody. Suddenly, all of the people were chanting along. Not only the students, but the cooks and the chef were also participating. "Answer him! Answer him! Answer him!"

"I..." With her hesitation, Junmyeon gulped. "I..."

"Ah... hurry sunbaenim!" Chaeyoung shouted, frustrated. 

Jisoo turned her gaze to her boyfriend. "O-Of course..." He raised an eyebrow. "Of course I want to be your wife!"

"Wow!" Kyungsoo stood up and started clapping. "Congrats! Congrats!" Students started cheering and hollering for them. The professor assistant took the ring and inserted it into his now fiancee's finger. He got on his feet and hugged her tightly. 

Seungwan giggled. "This is really cute!"

Dahyun smiled. "It is..." She lowered her head and her smile faded immediately. In the crowded cafeteria, it was only Baekhyun who saw her wiping the single tear on her face away.

●

"This is really annoying!" Lying Baekhyun shouted as he put the book on his face. 

"What is annoying?" Seokjin, one of the students who shared a house with him, asked.

He picked the book and looked up at him. "The fact that she is-"

"Who?" Jongdae ran to them excitedly. "A girl? Have you fallen in love?"

"Seriously? "Seokjin asked. "Who is she? Is she in our university?"

"Stop this, both of you!" He sat up. "I am talking about Dahyun."

"Aha..." Jongdae hummed, taking off his glasses to clean them with a piece of cloth. "What is it?"

"She is pretty, isn't she?"

"Yeah. I think that's the reason why she is studying drama," He wore his glasses.

"And cute, right?"

"Yeah..." Seokjin grinned, thinking about the mentioned girl.

"And studious," He started biting his nails. "And polite and kind," Baekhyun turned to his friends. "Then why is she single?"

"How should we know?" The boy with glasses said.

"I wish I could help..."

"Uh..." Seokjin sat on the edge of his bed. "Can I say something?"

"What is that?" Baekhyun asked. 

"Hello!" Chanyeol and Kyungsoo walked in. "We are back!" 

"Did you have a fun double date?" Jongdae asked.

"Of course, you and your girl must join us next time."

"No thanks, we're fine like this."

"Boring..." Chanyeol mumbled before turning to his friend. "What were you saying, Baek?"

"I was talking about Dahyun." 

Kyungsoo sat next to him. "What about her? Is she sick or something? Wannie didn't say anything."

"Not that... he is worried because she is too lonely," Jongdae replied. "I mean, she may not like being in a relationship."

"No," Baekhyun said with in serious tune. "No one has asked her out up to now, she'd have told me if there was someone."

"So... she needs to know how to attract boys," Kyungsoo took out his phone. "I'll call Wannie and it will be all right. She knows what to do," He started walking out of the room.