Mir’s POV

After school I saw that Yuri was waiting for me at the front gates of school. She was just saying goodbye to Gong Minzy and Lee Taemin. The two of them are okay compared to L.Joe and his gang. They called themselves Teen Top.

Somehow I didn’t like the idea of her being with them. They were the most popular guys in school. I don’t hate them nor do I have anything agains them. It’s just that I don’t exactly see eye-to-eye with them so I keep my distance from them. So when I saw that she was with them earlier, I’ll be honest. I was jealous. And the fact that they are in the same class as her did not help at all.

“Hi,” she said once I reached her.

I smiled back. “Ready to go?” I asked, reaching to get something out from my backpack.

She nodded. “Where’s your car?”

“Actually,” I said, taking out a helmet and led her to my bike, “I drive a motorcycle.”

Her face literally lit up. “Cool! I’ve never been on one before,” she gushed.

I laughed and handed the helmet to her. I helped her to fasten it before doing my own. I then put my backpack in the basket and got on the bike. She got on carefully behind me and wrapped her arms around my waist, holding firmly. I looked up and I saw L.Joe’s disgusted and horrified face at the sight. I smirked through the tinted screen and roared the engine to life.

“Hold tight and don’t ever let go,” I told her as I rode out of the school compounds.

While driving her home, I felt her arms tightening and she leaned her head on my back. I could not stop smiling.  When we arrived at her house, she got off and smiled at me. “Thanks,” she said, handing the helmet back to me. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Why don’t I start picking and dropping you home from school every day?” I asked her. I wanted to feel her arms around me again.

“Sure, but that is if you don’t mind waking up extra earlier to pick me up for school,” she replied.

I shrugged. “I don’t mind,” I replied.

“It’s set then.” Yuri smiled her smile at me and walked inside her house. “Annyeong, Mir sunbae!” She waved at me.

I waved back, making sure she was safely inside before riding off back to my own house.

Yuri’s POV

The next morning, I walked down to the kitchen for breakfast and found Mir sitting on the counter, happily eating toasted bread my mother had prepared. “Hi, what are you doing here?” I asked.

“I’m here to pick you up, remember? Wow, you are a forgetful one,” he teased.

I smacked my head. “Right, sorry.” I sheepishly said.

He pulled a chair next to him and I sat down and ate my breakfast. My mom looked back and forth between us, like she was going to burst into tears any moment. I frowned. “What’s wrong, Umma?”

“Oh nothing.” She giggled.

I glanced quizzically at Mir who shrugged. “Molla,” he mouthed.

Joon came in at that moment and seemed surprised to see Mir there. “What are you doing here?” he asked bluntly. He looked at me and the pieces fell together, faster than it had taken me to remember. “Oh, no.”

“What?” Mir asked innocently. “Since I go to the same school, why not I drive her there? She’s okay with it and your mom is okay with it. I’m sure your dad will be okay with it too.”

“Yes, I am,” Appa said, walking in. He smiled at Mir and exchanged knowing looks with Umma.

Seriously, what’s up with parents?!

I looked at the wall clock and stood up. “Aish, we have to go if we don’t want to be late for school!” I took my last bite and grabbed my bag out of the kitchen. Mir followed me. “Annyeong!” I called out and rushed out of the door.

From behind me, Mir bowed to my parents. “I’ll take good care of her,” he promised them. “Hyung, it’ll be fine. I won’t let her get hurt.” He closed the door on my scowling brother and came to me. He chuckled. “So eager to get out of the house?”

“I have no idea what drove my parents and Joon to act the way they acted today,” I muttered as I fastened the helmet and waited until he was on the bike before I got on, hugging him.

I smiled. I actually like this arrangement. I get to be close with Mir. His cologne smelled so . . . heavenly. I wanted to hug him forever.

Obviously that ended when we reached school. But then I noticed the staring eyes. I turned uneasily to Mir who just smiled and shrugged. “Why are they looking at the two of us?” I asked.

“They’re probably wondering who you are since you are new to the school,” he calmly replied. “Don’t worry about it. It’s fine.”

I smirked. “What, you’re Mr. Popular or something? Is that why the girls kept giving me death stares?” I .

He shuddered and I knew I hit jackpot. “I don’t even know what they see in me,” he muttered.

Is he serious? Does he not realize how hot he is?!

He looked at me. “Why do you look at me like that?” he asked. “Do I have something on my face?”

I shook my head, blushing. I looked away. Damn, I was caught staring at him BY him. How humiliating. “N – Nothing,” I stammered. I turned to walk away but he grabbed me back.

“I want to know,” he said with a sly smile as if he knew what I was thinking about just now.

I blushed. “Ah . . .”

He laughed and let me go. “Have a nice day, all right? If you need anything, let me know.” He bent over to lock his bike. “Oh, and Yuri,” he said. “The boys you hang out with, L.Joe and them, are the popular ones. Just letting you know.”

I walked around until I found L.Joe lying on the field. “Hey, sleepyhead,” I teased, walking up to him.

He glanced up, opening one eye. He squinted and realized it was me. He gave me a lopsided grin. “Hey,” he said. He sat up and I sat down next to him. “I was just getting the sun before the first lesson. It’s good for you, you know.”

I laughed.

“So, er, you came here with Mir sunbae?”

“You saw?”

He shrugged, trying to look nonchalant but I could tell he was a bit bothered by it. “Everyone saw and everyone is talking about it. They’re wondering who Mir’s new love interest could be seeing as they’ve never met you before.”

I blushed, looking down. Oh man . . . this was not how it was in China. I guess Korea is really different after all. “He’s not my boyfriend.”

He took my arm and made me look up to him. “Hey, I know,” he said softly, smiling kindly at me. “I know. I know he’s not your boyfriend.”

“I miss my boyfriend,” I mumbled.

L.Joe’s POV

“I miss my boyfriend.”

My heart dropped.

She had a boyfriend. Wow. I’m such a for trying to hit on another dude’s girl. A painful realization. “So, uh, where is your boyfriend?” I asked. “Is he from China as well?”

She nodded, looking away. “Yeah . . . Well, he isn't exactly my boyfriend. I mean, I like him and he likes me and we are sort of dating. So I guess that does make him my boyfriend . . . in a way?”

I put my arms around her and she smiled at me. “Yeah, in a way, it does. It’ll be fine, all right? You’ll get used to it here eventually. I promise you it will,” I reassured her. I hugged her tighter.

We stayed like that until she suddenly stood up. “I have to go. I’ll see you at science then?”

Seriously, does she not realize how beautiful she is? Her boyfriend is so lucky to have her.

I nodded. “Sure.”

She waved before taking off to find her friends. I stayed there for awhile until Chunji spotted where I was and came over to me. “Why the long face?” he asked the moment he reached me. He sat down next to me.

“She has a boyfriend.” I didn’t need to say her name for him to know who I was talking about.

Chunji didn’t say anything which was rather unusual because he always have something to say to everything.

“You’re quiet,” I remarked.

He shrugged, frowning. “What?” he said. “Why are you telling me this? Is it because now that you found out she’s taken, you’re not interested in her anymore? You’re not going to care about her anymore because she’s not interested in you that way? Don’t you think it’s a little stupid? No, a whole lot stupid?”

I stared incredulously at him. “What nonsense are you sprouting out this time?” I demanded to know. “All I’m saying is that she already has a boyfriend and that I feel guilty for even thinking I could sweep her off her feet or something. Of course I won’t just stop being her friend because I can’t get her. What kind of guy do you take me for? Seriously? Why don’t you say this to Mir instead of me?” I cannot believe how unfair my best friend is being right now. Did he really think that I am like that?

His mouth twitched. “I see. . . . Sorry,” he said. “I shouldn’t have jumped into conclusions.” He got up and helped me to my feet. “I’ll go find the others. I’ll meet you in class.” He hurried off away from me. He must be feeling embarrassed for falsely accusing me of being a player. I’m not that kind of person and he knew that!

He must be watching too much Spongebob.

Sighs. Whatever.

Yuri’s POV

The moment I walked into class, I saw Taemin and Minzy waving at me. I walked over to them but I was stopped by this girl . . . who was wearing really heavy makeup and had her uniform shirt ed enough to show her cleavage. Oh, and her skirt could even pass for a belt. I can’t believe the teachers don’t do anything to stop people wearing uniforms like this.

It’s disrespectful and . . . disturbing.

“Just what do you think you’re doing with Mir Oppa?” she hissed at me, clenching her fist into a tight ball. “I know you’re the new girl. So what rights do you have to touch Mir Oppa?”

I frowned. What the hell? “I’m sorry, but I don’t get what you mean.”

She narrowed her eyes at me. “,” she said out loud for everyone to hear. “, stay away from him. He’s mine.”

I rolled my eyes. “Whatever.” I tried walking pass her but she grabbed me back. “Excuse me.”

“I’m going to teach you a lesson for even looking at his direction,” she continued.

I sighed. “Look, , I already have someone. So stop putting words up my mouth because you’re just going to embarrass yourself by your own doing. And seriously, have you looked at yourself in the mirror? Dressing up like that isn’t going to make guys fall in love with you. They just want to get in your skirt, not that they actually care about you. And I know Mir. We are tight. And he does not like a like you, so he will not even think twice to look at your direction.”

Her jaw dropped, her eyes widening, and her little fans gasped. I was surprised at myself. I don’t normally stand up to people. Was the air in Korea changing that about me?

Taking this golden opportunity, I hurried over to where my friends stood gaping at me. From the corner of my eyes, I saw Ricky and Changjo giving each other low-fives. I smiled at them and they gave me a thumbs-up.

“Wow,” Minzy said breathlessly when I sat down on my seat beside her. “You stood up to Kwon Sohyun, the queenka of our year!”

“No one would ever dare stand up to her,” Taemin marveled, looking at me as though I conquered Mount Everest.

I shrugged, feeling a big uncomfortable. “I didn’t like the way she thought she could control my actions and as though Mir sunbae was some property claimed as hers. He’s not and she can’t control me.”

“No one likes it, but no one got the guts like you do,” Taemin went on, ignoring me altogether. “Seriously you are officially my idol now.”

Minzy must have sensed my discomfort because she made a ‘shooing’ motion at Taemin and said, “Yah, enough. We all get it.”

He frowned so I laughed and ruffled his hair. “I know what you feel. Thanks, anyway. But it’s just doing what is right. That girl needs a serious slap in the face.”

“You don’t say,” Minzy agreed.

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Uh oh. Showdown with the queenka >.<