After meeting Jongin and Sehun, Jieun’s days training at SM suddenly grew into a more interesting routine and she was no longer alone.  It made her realise that not every trainee in SM was as self-centred and haughty as she thought they would all be. 

Jieun had made it her habit to go practice her dancing each day at 11pm, and it seemed that whenever Jongin had the time, he would drop by and help her with her dance.  Even though helping her would not benefit him in any way at all, Jongin would always teach her earnestly.  It was the type of thoughtfulness she hadn’t experienced before.   Jieun came from a well-off family and from her interactions at school, she found that most people only wanted to be friends with her or were nice to her, in order to gain something back. 

But Jongin didn’t seem to want anything in return. 

His kindness warmed her heart but also greatly confused her, sometimes making her doubt whether Jongin was actually hiding something from her.  Jongin was friendly and liked to joke around but she couldn’t figure him out.  Jongin was mysterious in a way where Jieun could never quite figure out what his intentions were.

Despite her uncertainty about Jongin, that didn’t stop the attraction she seemed to have to him.  Every time, he made contact with her in order to fix her posture or dance moves, she tried very hard to ignore the growing butterflies fluttering around her stomach and acted as normal as possible.  It didn’t help when Jongin sometimes stood too close for comfort near her, seemingly oblivious of their close distance as he attempted yet again to fix her dancing position. 

Other than that, she rarely saw him.  She also had become friends with the easy-going Sehun, who always seemed to have spare time on hand.  Unlike Jongin, Sehun was as easy to read as an open book.  He wore his feelings on his sleeve and always spoke his mind, was blunt and to the point.  Jieun found Sehun easy to get along with because she liked honest people.  She would rather be friends with someone like Sehun, who sometimes spoke harshly without filtering their words rather than those who sugar coated their words and saying things they don’t really mean to confuse her.

When she asked Sehun as to why Jongin was always so busy all the time, he had simply answered, “He’s a practice manic, so he’s probably practicing by himself somewhere or practicing with Yixing.” 

Yixing.  The Chinese trainee who was also a good dancer.  He had been introduced to him by Sehun, when they had bumped into each other in the hallways of the SM building.  He was quiet and alway had a dreamy gaze to his eyes, every time she saw him.  Despite this, he would greet her politely every time they so happen to pass by in the corridors.  Other than that, she knew very little about him. 

It was after school, but she still had some time left before she needed to go to dance lesson.  Sehun had asked her for some help with his Japanese, so they sat in a nearby café to the SM building, as she tutored him on Japanese. 

“Are you also presenting at the evaluation?”

“Of course.”  He said as he scribbled her annotated notes down.  “I’m doing a rap and a dance routine.”

“Then how come I never see you practice like Jongin?”

He smirked at the mention of the name, Jongin.  And instead of answering her question, he asked her something he found much more interesting. 

“Do you by any chance…and don’t get mad at him for asking you this,” He said before finishing,

“Jieun do you by any chance like Jongin?”

She didn’t answer him but looked him stunned. Was she that obvious?  But then again, Sehun was sometimes there, when Jongin taught her dancing.  Stupid Sehun and his sharp eyes.  She thought to herself as she stared wide-eyed at him. 

Even without her shocked response, she could tell that Sehun knew.  She had been friends with Sehun long enough to know that ‘you can’t fool me’ look in his eyes. 

He flicked her forehead lightly and chuckled.  “You dear, are too easy to read.” 

At this moment, she noticed Jongin walking past the café.  They were sitting in the corner of the café, but it was easy to see outside because of the large glass window, which made up the front of the café

He seemed dressed up, he wasn’t wearing his usual training gear of a t-shirt and sweats she usually would see him in.  Instead, he was sporting a pair of black skinny jeans and a smart casual blazer.  But he wasn’t alone, next to him was a girl.  She looked more carefully to see that it was someone she knew. 

It was Ara. 

Her usually tied back brown hair was let down in loose waves instead.  Wearing a casual light blue dress, She was talking cheerfully to Jongin.  She could feel that horrible sinking feeling in her heart.  Like her impossible wish of Jongin liking her wasn’t even worth thinking about. Jongin was always busy with practicing but he was walking leisurely with Ara.  Were they going out?

It seemed that Sehun had noticed it too, as he turned back to Jieun to say with