I kissed her! I kissed her again! I beamed widely while walking to class with JiHoo. We still had ten minutes until the tardy bell rang. I knew the consequences of kissing Roxy but it was worth it. I touched my lips. It still had that tingling feeling. I smiled wider to myself.

 

“Dude, your mouth is gonna rip if you keep doing that,” JiHoo joked.

 

“At least, I kissed her. Unlike someone,” I scoffed.

 

JiHoo held up both of his hands. “I was just kidding. Geez!”

 

“Whatever,” I said, while holding up my palm to his face.

 

“Did you just say 'whatever'? And put your hand on my face like a girl?” he said while raising an eyebrow.

 

“What? Guys can't do that?” I retorted.

 

“They can, but you don't,” JiHoo said. I stared at him. He was right. I was supposed to be manly and cool, and right now I was acting like a girl.

 

“Okay, I was crazy a minute ago because of the after-effects of the kiss,” I said. “I have snapped out of it, I think.”

 

JiHoo nodded. “Yeah, I'm sure that's it.” I looked at my watch. 3 minutes till the tardy bell.

 

“Three minutes,” I reminded JiHoo. He smiled, a smile I knew since middle school. I smirked. You're so gonna lose, I thought.

 

We took off, our steps thundering through the hallway. Students veered out of the way when we came crashing through the hallway. Some yelped while others just simply moved out of our way. We neared the classroom, panting and heaving. My forehead was sweating, drips of water coming down the sides of my face. I ran faster, carrying my legs quicker. I reached the doorway and fell in through the door.

 

“I WIN!” I yelled, raising my fists into the air. I heard a snicker and turned to look. All my classmates were looking at me, laughter held in. JiHoo came through the door ten seconds after me. He was panting and breathing hard and gave a glare as he passed by. Suddenly, a chorus of voices started talking.

 

“Oh my gosh! That was so funny! But he looked hot coming in through the door,” a girly voice said.

 

“I know. The way he's breathing. Wanna see how he acts in bed,” one giggled.

 

“He's so handsome. I wish he was my boyfriend,” another one sighed.

 

“Che! Come on. Like what she said, I wanna know if he's good in bed or not,” a fourth voice added in.

 

I sat in my seat, embarrassed at what all the girls were talking about. Good in bed? Seriously? I thought. Geez, they're such s.

 

“You take things too seriously,” JiHoo muttered beside me.

 

“And who was it that asked me to race?” I asked, raising my eyebrow at him.

 

“Okay, so I'm not that fast,” he said. I patted his back.

 

“It's no big deal. Just because you can't run faster than me doesn't mean that you can't run faster than other guys,” I explained.

 

The teacher came in and silence immediately filled the room. Everybody started getting out their notebooks to take notes for the midterms. I got out mines and started writing down what Mr. Ricky wrote on the board. Suddenly something landed on my notebook. It was a note. I looked at JiHoo, but he was busy writing down notes. I opened it up.

 

It read, What happened to your arm? I never got the chance to ask you that. From, JiHoo

 

I wrote, I don't know if I should tell you this. Are you ready?

 

Just tell me. Don't keep the suspense up, Jason.

 

Fine, Josh came to my house yesterday and cut one of my maids, I wrote in between taking notes.

 

WHAT? Really? Then how about your arm? JiHoo wrote, tossing the note back to me.

 

I ran after him and he appeared behind me with a knife. While I was distracted, he cut my arm, I scribbled down and threw the note at him.

 

Oh! Are you okay though? Did you loose a lot of blood? JiHoo asked.

 

I don't really know. I passed out after dragging myself home, I explained.

 

That's a sign that you did loose a lot of blood.

 

Oh come on. I feel fine, I protested.

 

Fine, you win. But Jason, does Roxy know?

 

I think so. I told her dad to keep her safe. She was asking about my arm too.

 

More like demanding. I know she likes you, JiHoo wrote.

 

Are you sure? She acts like she's gonna kill me.

 

Girls are like that. And besides, she asked about your arm so she's CONCERNED.

 

I glanced at him. Why did you write it in big letters? I asked.

 

I don't know.

 

What?

 

I forgot. His short and curt replies began to irritate me.

 

I glared at him. Tell me, JiHoo!

 

So you would notice.

 

Irritation changed to anger. You're so annoying, you know. I'm not blind. I don't even wear glasses.

 

I know.

 

Seriously? Stop writing in short sentences.

 

I can if I want to! Mehrong! :P

 

I laughed at his reply and wrote, Mentally, you stopped at infancy. You're such a kid.

 

HEY! I am not a kid. I am JiHoo.

 

That's so stupid. HAHAHAHAHA! It's like you were announcing to the world, I wrote back with a smile.

 

We kept it until the end of the class, writing back and forth while copying from the whiteboard. It was hard trying not to get caught. Being caught meant detention. I wanted to spend more time with Roxy. Wait, did I just say that? Do I really like her that much? Ugh, so confusing, I thought.

 

Suddenly, the note landed on my notebook. I thought we already finished writing back and forth. I looked at JiHoo. Answer it, he mouthed. I opened it up and read it.

 

What should I do about Tiffany? It read. I sighed. So it was about this.

 

I don't know. Try hanging out with her more. If she shows any signs that she likes you, ask her out. So you're going to be committed, huh?

 

^__^ Yup, I'm not going to be a player anymore. Okay, so just hang out with her. I can do that. What else?

 

IDK. I should ask Roxy about Tiffany. They're best friends. Maybe if she blushes and stutters then that's a sign that she might like you.

 

Okay, thanks.

 

Crumple up the paper so no one would know what we were writing about.

 

You do it, Jason!

 

JiHoo!

 

No!

 

Please?

 

. . .

 

I pleaded more, Pretty please?

 

. . .

 

JIHOO! I'll buy you ice cream!

 

Yay! I'll do it.

 

He crumpled up the paper and threw it in the trash can. I stuck out my tongue at him as he sat down on his seat. Bribing always worked. But now I have to spend money on him. The bell rang. Everybody started packing up and left the classroom, leaving me, JiHoo, and the teacher. I quickly packed my stuff up, JiHoo doing the same. We were both thinking the same. I wanna get out of this classroom. We both left the classroom and went to the cafeteria. I was hoping to see Roxy and hang out with her. I looked around the big area, searching for Roxy or any sign of her. Nothing. I wonder where she is, I thought.

 

“Where is she?” JiHoo mumbled beside me. I guess he's talking about Tiffany.

 

“I don't see Roxy either,” I said.

 

“Maybe they went somewhere,” responded JiHoo.

 

“Wanna look for them?” I suggested. In an instant, JiHoo nodded his head. We walked out the cafeteria and headed to the arts major building. As we entered the huge building, both girls and guys gasped. It was a rare sight for us science major students to be in the art major building. Girls squealed and guys stared. Whisperings and conversations suddenly started.

 

“I can't believe this! JiHoo and Jason! The two hotties from the science major,” a girl said.

 

“Wow! The top two in the science major! This is so cool! It's like they're celebrities!” one guy said.

 

“OMG! They are so hot! I want them both as my boyfriend!” another girl said.

 

“Jason's better! He's just cool and athletic. I like guys who has abs,” a third one argued.

 

“No no no! JiHoo's better. He's Korean, cute, handsome and rich. He has all the things I want as a boyfriend,” said another girl.

 

I smirked. Too bad they have no chance with us, I thought. A group of guy voices whispering suddenly attracted my attention.

 

“Come on, just because they're rich doesn't mean that they're all good. I can probably beat him up,” a guy said with pouring confidence.

 

“I know right. I'm with you, dude. He's just bragging,” a guy seconded.

 

“JiHoo's probably gay. He's always with that guy,” another guy said. I stopped. Gay? We were not gay.

 

“Daniel, stop. Maybe you're wrong,” a guy intervened.

 

“Chanhee, really? I know he's gay. He's probably dating that guy named Jason. Screwing him in his house, I say,” Daniel said with a laugh.

 

I turned around and walked over to the group of guys who were talking crap about us. I grabbed the collar of the guy who was talking about JiHoo.

 

“Gay? You think we're gay? Then you must be a ,” I spat. “Stop being jealous. It's not worth your time. So never show your face in front of me ever again or I'll beat your .”

 

The Daniel guy looked scared for a moment, but his face changed into a sneer. “Whatever. You must be gay if you're hanging out with that .”

 

I snapped. I put my fist back and was ready to punch him when a hand stopped me. I looked back. It was JiHoo. He smiled.

 

“Jason, stop,” he said calmly.

 

“But—“

 

“Let me handle it,” JiHoo said.

 

“What? The gonna beat me up?” Daniel taunted with a smile.

 

“As a matter in fact, yes,” JiHoo said. He punched him so hard, everybody could probably hear the sound of the impact, bone to bone. I cringed at how hard and quick he did it. Daniel flew several feet away and landed on his , clutching his nose in pain.

 

“I'm not a . I'm not gay. I'm straight,” JiHoo said and walked off. I ran after him, looking back once at the guy on the floor, everyone crowding him. The girls were shouting and giggling at how cool JiHoo was.

 

“JiHoo, you okay?” I asked him. He kept silent. His face didn't change; it was just blank. I looked away. I didn't know what he was thinking. During the years we were friends, it was easy for me to sense what he was thinking. Now, it was hard. I was to occupied in my thoughts to notice JiHoo stop.

 

“Ow!” I said as I bumped into him. I didn't even notice we stopped by the door of a classroom.

 

“JiHoo? Hello?” I said, waving my hand in front of his eyes. He just stared ahead, not moving.

 

“They're inside,” mumbled JiHoo.

 

“Huh? Inside?” I asked, completely confused. He pointed at the door and I looked. Roxy and Tiffany was there. And they weren't alone. Two guys were sitting by them, arms draped around their shoulders. I glared at the guy who sat by Roxy. Who the heck was he? No way was he Roxy's boyfriend. She didn't tell me. Then again, she wouldn't tell me. I looked at JiHoo, whose face contorted into a scowl. Then he gasped. I looked back inside the classroom. The guy who had his arm around Roxy was kneeling on the floor, clutching his stomach. I saw Roxy shout something but I couldn't hear it. She went to the other guy and kicked his leg, hard. She dragged Tiffany and opened the door. She made a squeaky sound when she saw us.

 

“You didn't see that, right?” she asked, blushing a bit.

 

“You mean when you kicked that guy's stomach and the other guy's leg? Yeah, we didn't see anything,” I answered with a wink.

 

Her cheeks brightened redder. “Sorry. Anyway let's get outta here.”

 

She took my hand and ran outside. I glanced behind me and saw Tiffany and JiHoo talking. They look cute together, I thought, envious.

 

“Jealous?” a voice asked me. I turned around. It was Roxy. She was smiling slightly, jealousy also evident in her eyes.

 

“You are too,” I answered softly.

 

“I know,” mumbled Roxy. “Come on, let's go somewhere else.”

 

She dragged me again to the cafeteria and told me to wait. She went in line, oblivious to the guys behind her staring at her and whispering. I glared at them. They better not touch her, I thought angrily. I waited impatiently, tapping my foot. Finally, Roxy walked towards me with two sodas in her hands. She gave one to me and opened hers.

 

“How did you know?” I asked her. She looked at me in confusion. “How did you know I like Sprite?”

 

“Oh,” she said. “Instinct.”

 

I chuckled at her reply. Instinct? I thought. I opened my can and drank the liquid. It managed to soothe my dry throat.

 

I cleared my throat. “Wanna go somewhere else?”

 

“Huh? Where?” she asked, taking a sip of the soda.

 

I smiled mischievously. “I'll tell you when we get there.”

 

I grabbed her hand and ran towards outside of the campus. I knew cutting class would so get me in trouble later, but being with Roxy was worth it. Her hand fit into mines in a perfect shape. I held onto it tighter, not wanting to let go of this feeling. We ran past students who glanced at our way and gasped. I sighed. I knew rumors and gossip were going to explode in this school. I heard clicking of nails and little beeps coming from phones. It was like the news, being spread like wildfire. I knew the next minute would be just be the talk about us. I kept running until we arrived at a hidden place right around a corner. This was always my hiding spot if I felt sad or happy. My secret place where I can think peacefully. I went inside, hearing the usual chimes ring as I opened the door and smelling the aroma of fresh, new coffee. I breathed in and out. I missed this smell. I turned around to look at Roxy, who was too busy taking in the new surroundings.

 

“What do you think?” I asked, chuckling at her reaction.

 

“It's. . .it's amazing!” she gushed, bouncing up and down cutely.

 

I ruffled her hair. “Cute.”

 

“YAH! Don't do that. You're gonna mess up my hair,” she muttered.

 

“Since when do you care about your hair?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.

 

“True that,” answered Roxy with a nod.

 

“Let's go order and I'll introduce you to my friends that work here,” I said.

 

“Okay,” she said, grinning while still looking around.

 

We both went to the counter, and I was surprised to see it was one of my friends, Kei. He smirked at me as he saw me and Roxy. I glared at him to shut him up. I ordered the specials and told Roxy to sit down. I had to talk to Kei without Roxy right there.

 

“She's not my girlfriend,” I said while taking out money to pay.

 

“Who asked?” Kei said with a glint in his eye.

 

“Please, you were practically asking it in your head,” I said while rolling my eyes.

 

“Then can I have her?” Kei asked hopefully.

 

I looked at him like he was crazy. “No.”

 

“What?” he exclaimed. “She's not yours.”

 

“She will be,” I simply stated and started to walk away when he spoke again.

 

“You could have said that, lover boy. Anyways, let's get a smoothie later on,” said Kei.

 

“Fine,” I called before walking to where Roxy was sitting. She looked up when she noticed me and smiled.

 

“What took you so long?” she asked.

 

“I had to take care of unfinished business,” I replied. She nodded and silence fell in. A few minutes, a waiter came and gave us our order: two cups of iced mocha frappe and side dish of crispy fries. Roxy was staring out the window as I looked around, surveying the room for slight changes. None. I guess the boss wanted to keep it the same. Bored, I whistled a tune from a song when Roxy started singing the full song. I was mesmerized by her melodic voice. It sounded like an angel. She looked beautiful when she closed her eyes. I felt drawn in by her singing. She was really good and by the time she finished, everyone in the room was clapping loudly, with frequent cheers and whistles. Roxy got out of her trance and looked around, awed by the amount of applause. I saw the workers by the corner and my eyes met with the boss. He nodded, pleased. The clapping faded and conversations continued. I smiled at Roxy while she bit her lip in embarrassment.

 

“That was great! I didn't know you can sing,” I said.

 

“No, it wasn't,” she murmured, but I could clearly hear pride in her voice.

 

“Maybe you should sing more,” I suggested.

 

“Um, no it's—.”

 

“Miss, can I talk to you for a second?” a deep voice asked. I turned my head and saw Mr. Han, the boss, smiling at Roxy.

 

Roxy looked at me before replying uncertainly, “Um, sure.”

 

Roxy left Mr. Han, my eyes following her until she reached the door to the employees only room. I tore my gaze from the door and sipped my drink. The ice was already melting, making the drink less sweet. I tapped my finger on the table impatiently. The table suddenly jerked forward, making me look up. It was Kei.

 

“What do you want?” I asked harshly. Hurt flashed across his face.

 

“Sorry,” I mumbled quietly. He nodded and smiled.

 

“It's okay. What's wrong, Jason? You looked really pissed off,” replied Kei.

 

“I don't know, Kei-kun. There was nothing to talk about,” I said sullenly.

 

“Ask her about herself. You can learn things about her from that, you know,” Kei replied.

 

I nodded. “Thanks, Kei-kun. I just felt lost for a moment.”

 

“No problem, bro,” he replied and left. I sighed and lowered my head. For some reason, I just felt annoyed and angry. There was a mix of emotions in me that I couldn't decipher. The table moved again and made me grit my teeth in annoyance.

 

“Kei, if you're here again—,” I said but stopped when I saw Roxy. She looked at me, confusion written over her face.

 

“Kei? Who's that?” Roxy asked.

 

“Um, nothing. Just a friend,” I said quickly. I knew she wasn't going to give up but I was surprised that she stopped asking questions. Another silence filled between us so I decided to use Kei's advice.

 

“Tell me about yourself,” I said, breaking the silence. I cringed a little at my loud voice.

 

Roxy's jaw dropped. “You wanna know about me?” she asked incredulously.

 

I nodded. “Yeah, don't leave out anything.”

 

“You want to know everything?” Roxy asked.

 

I nodded again. “Come on, tell me already!” I pouted and did my best aegyo. She laughed at me and said, “Dude, that was a fail! Where did you learn that from?”

 

“HEY! For you information, I learned that from my maids and it works on them!” I defended myself.

 

“Yeah, on them,” she said and laughed again. I pouted again and stuck out my tongue. She stuck out hers and I resisted the urge to kiss her.

 

“Anyway, let's stop. Do you want me to tell you or not?” asked Roxy in a serious tone.

 

I nodded my head vigorously and said, “Yes, Ma'am.” She gave me a curt nod and started, but I had another idea.

 

“Wait, wait! I have an idea!” I said, waving my arms to get her attention.

 

“What is it?” Roxy asked.

 

“I'll ask questions about you and you answer them,” I said confidently.

 

“Okay, fine. Let's go with that,” Roxy agreed. “That way I only talk a little bit.”

 

“First question. How old are you?” I asked.

 

“17,” she answered.

 

“What do you parents do?”

 

“Owners of their own company,” Roxy said with evident pride in her voice. I nodded at her answer. Wow, that's why she's so rich, I thought.

 

“When's your birthday?”

 

“August four.”

 

“Favorite food?”

 

“Crabs.”

 

“That's my favorite food too!” I gasped, smiling widely. She grinned back and gave me a high-five.

 

“Favorite color?”

 

“Purple and black.”

 

“Favorite subject?”

 

“Math and reading.”

 

“Favorite drink?”

 

“Sprite.”

 

“Favorite ice cream?”

 

“Mango,” Roxy replied.

 

“Mango?” I asked.

 

“They're good!” protested Roxy.

 

“Favorite brand of shoe?”

 

“Vans and Converse.”

 

“Favorite singer or group?”

 

“MBLAQ, Teen Top, and Infinite.”

 

“Aren't those K-pop boy groups?” I asked, slightly jealous.

 

“Yeah, why?” she asked.

 

“Do you like them?” I asked.

 

“Of course I like them! They're hot and cute!” Roxy answered excitedly. I scowled and glared at the table. I felt really jealous right now. I guess she noticed it when she leaned across the table and put her chin on her hand.

 

“Jealous?” whispered Roxy, looking straight in my eyes. I shivered at her unbreakable gaze. I looked away from her face and focused on something else. She retreated back into her seat with a satisfied smile.

 

“Let's continue,” I said quickly. “Um, favorite fruit?”

 

“Grapes and mangoes.”

 

“Mangoes again?” I asked, holding my laughter in.

 

“What? They're good!” Roxy whined.

 

“Okay, okay,” I said. “Next question. Favorite candy or chocolate?”

 

“Hershey's kisses.”

 

“Favorite song?”

 

“L.O.V.E girl by C.N.Blue.”

 

“Another Korean boy group?” I asked exasperatedly.

 

“What? It's a fun song!” argued Roxy with a pout.

 

“Fine, it is,” I mumbled. “Favorite restaurant?”

 

“Jollibee.”

 

“Favorite TV show?”

 

“Popular Song,” she answered with a smile.

 

“Favorite movie?” I asked.

 

“Hmmm,” Roxy pondered. “This is a hard one. I watched a lot of movies.”

 

“Pick the latest one that you saw,” I said.

 

“Kung Fu Panda 3. The panda was really cute,” said Roxy, giggling.

 

“I know right! I love that movie too!” I added in, smiling like an idiot.

 

“That's another similarity between us,” Roxy said.

 

“Yup! Okay, next question. Favorite city to visit?”

 

“Seoul, Korea.”

 

“The city you were born in? Why?” I asked, curious.

 

“Because you might get to see your favorite idols filming there. There's a chance,” Roxy replied.

 

“Oh. That's true. Next question,” I said, thinking for a bit. “Um, favorite board game?”

 

“Monopoly.”

 

“Favorite place to go on a date?” I asked, curious on what her answer would be.

 

“Um, my favorite place to go would probably be amusement park or ice rink because I like going on rides and skating,” answered Roxy.

 

I nodded, absorbing all these information for future references, and by future references, I meant when asking her out.

 

I heard a chime ring, meaning a customer went in. I glanced at the door, seeing a Korean guy with big eyes and tousled hair. I looked back at Roxy and asked my last question. I knew she was going to be surprised when I asked this question.

 

“Are you a ?” I asked, breaking her attention and giving me the reaction I wanted.

 

“W-what? What are you talking about?” Roxy stammered, blushing.

 

“Are you a ?” I asked again, a smile creeping up in the corner of my mouth.

 

She looked down and mumbled, “Yes.”

 

I widened my eyes. Yes? I thought. She wasn't a ?

 

“Who was it?” I demanded.

 

“Um, I don't want—.”

 

“Roxy? Is that you?” a voice interrupted, making me, and Roxy, look up. It was the guy who came in a minute ago. I looked more closely at him, taking in his handsome features. I mean, I'm not gay, but I know that all girls would fall for him.

 

He asked again, “Roxy? Is that you? Thank goodness, we need to—.”

 

Before he could finish his sentence, Roxy got up and bolted out of the restaurant. I got over my shock after a few seconds and immediately ran after Roxy before shooting the guy a glare. I quickly spotted Roxy and ran to her direction. She went into an alley and disappeared. I jogged into the alley and looked around. No sign of Roxy.

 

“Roxy! Where are you?” I yelled, straining my ears to hear a sound or a scuttle. Suddenly, I heard a sniffle, followed by another. I walked to that direction and saw Roxy huddled up in a corner crying her eyes out. I quickly went over to her and knelt down.

 

“Roxy? What's wrong?” I asked her. “Please tell me.”

 

“I-I can't,” she sobbed. “P-please h-help me.”

 

“What do you mean? Roxy calm down and tell me,” I said, rubbing her back.

 

“I didn't m-mean it. I-I'm sorry!” she yelled at no one. I sighed and grabbed her shoulders.

 

“Roxy! Calm down! Tell me what happened!” I shouted, shaking her shoulders. She breathed in and out to calm herself. I let go of her shoulders and waited for her to talk.

 

“That was my ex-boyfriend,” murmured Roxy.

 

“Oh,” I whispered. I didn't know how to respond to that. It was as if my brain and body didn't work. I didn't want to believe that guy in the restaurant was Roxy's ex-boyfriend. But I knew it was the truth. I was too occupied in my thoughts to notice Roxy grabbing my sleeve.

 

“Take me home,” Roxy whispered, standing up. I grabbed her elbow to steady her and stood up. Roxy leaned on my shoulder and sighed.

 

“Thanks, Jason,” Roxy sighed. I nodded and we both left the alley, walking to the direction of her home. I didn't notice the pair of eyes following our every move or a camera taking pictures of us. A smirk was behind the camera, followed by a smile.

 

“You're mine. . . Roxy.”