Eun Hae’s POV

I admit, I was scared. I didn’t want to go o class. What happens if Yongguk does something bad to me? I mean, Teacher Yong would be mad at me for missing the bus and I doubt Yongguk will explain that he was the reason why I was late.

No way.

I contemplated on not going for class but I can’t afford to be marked as absent. So I held onto my pride and walked inside the noisy classroom.

Neither Yongguk nor Teacher Yong were there yet so I quickly took my place at the back row, hoping to invisible myself, wishing I had Lu Han’s power. When the bell rang, the remaining students standing around settled into their seats just as Teacher Yong and Yongguk walked in together.

I shrank in my seat, hoping that they wouldn’t see me. Yet obviously they’d know that I was in class when I answered during roll call. Teacher Yong pursed his lips when I said, “Present.”

I gulped.

But he didn’t say anything and proceeded to start our lessons.

I was fidgeting in my seat, avoiding any eye-contact with my fellow classmates, quaking in my seat with terror, waiting for them to call me out so that I could get a big lecture from Teacher Yong.

When the bell rang, giving us time to go to our next class before the second bell, Teacher Yong finally called me to stay back. I groaned inwardly.

Brilliant.

But at least they weren’t going to humiliate me in front of my class. As students trudged out of the classroom, I walked over to the teacher’s desk where both Teacher Yong and Yongguk were waiting for me. We waited until every student walked out, closing the door behind us before they turned to me. I gulped even harder, butterflies in my stomach.

Please don’t give me suspension. I don’t mind detention with Yongguk again as long as I don’t get suspended. It’s not even my fault!

Teacher Yong cleared his throat and I braced myself. “Well, Miss Jung, Mister Bang here explained to me that he was the one who made you miss the bus,” he said.

“Bwoh?!” My jaws dropped and I turned to gawk at Yongguk. Did he really just told him the truth?

Did I hear him right?

I glanced at Yongguk and he nodded, indicating for me to go along with whatever was thrown at me. I faced Teacher Yong and nodded. “N – Neh,” I stammered, confused.

Something is wrong. Is this Yongguk’s way of trying to trick me? Is he playing cat-and-mouse? When will he strike? Is he trying to catch me off-guard? Because I tell you, it’s working, all right.

Teacher Yong, however, nodded. “Okay, well, I was going to give you detention for a week, but since Mister Bang was so kind enough to explain to me so he will be suspended for a week and this will go into his record files on how well he had been progressing as an assistant teacher. Would that be a fair punishment for you, Miss?”

I shrugged. “Uh, I guess it is,” I replied lamely, shooting Yongguk a suspicious look. He so did not do this without a good reason. The second bell rang and I’m late for my next class. Brilliant. Can this day get any worse?

Sighs.

Teacher Yong took a slip of paper and wrote something on it. Then he passed it to me. “Tell your next teacher I was talking to you, that’s why you were late for class. You may leave now.”

I pocketed the note and hurried out of class. I did not want to spend another minute in there with Yongguk. I get bad vibes from that guy.

Creepy.

Daeseul’s POV

It was lunchtime.

I have been waiting for Eun Hae to come out from her class for about ten minutes since my class ended earlier when I got a text from her saying she needed to spend lunch in the library to work on a report for history or I don’t know what . So I’ve no choice but to go there alone.

Oh well.

At least I get to spend time with Kai. He’s really fun to be with and he makes me laugh as well.

When I walked inside the cafe, he looked up and beamed. He came over to me. “Hi! Where’s your friend? She couldn’t come?” he asked me, taking out a notepad and a pen to write down my orders.

I shook my head, sitting in a booth. “No, she’s busy,” I replied. I gave him my order and he went to place it. Then he took his apron off and came over to me, sitting at the opposite end of the booth.

“Don’t you have work to do?” I asked him.

He shook his head. “I’m on my lunch break so I can eat with you,” he explained. I swear he looked incredibly handsome whenever he would smile at me.

We chatted easily. He was so easy to talk with. I like that. I don’t have many guy friends who I can talk with. Okay, fine. I’ve got none. You don’t count Changjo because I only hang out with him because of Eun Hae.

“What happened to your friend this morning?” Kai was asking while we waited for our food to come.

“Oh,” I said and our food came. It took a moment as we settled to eat. “My friend was being bullied by this idiot. So her cousin, Changjo, went to defend her.” I scowled. “I hope he got that bully in the nut.”

Kai shrugged. “Wow, why’d he bully her?”

I frowned, a new thought striking me. “I don’t know, really,” I replied. “She never said anything. I can’t even remember when this all started, to be honest. Yongguk just started to bully her one day and wouldn’t leave her alone.” I sighed. “I really admire her on so many occasions. I mean, she tries so hard to stay tough when things got rough. And the worse thing is, even though I’m her best friends, I know nuts about half the things about her.” I shook my head in amazement. “I really wonder how she does it. She’s so strong. But she can’t lean on herself forever. Changjo tries hard but he can’t always be there for her either. But then again, she doesn’t exactly let him. Only at certain times.”

Kai frowned thoughtfully. “Yeah,” he said slowly. “I guess she needs someone who can be her pillar of strength.” He looked at me. “I guess there’s where you come in. You can help her find a guy or something.”

I laughed at the irony. “That is what I’m doing,” I replied.

He blinked. “Eh?” His eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

I looked seriously at him. “You.”

Poor Kai seemed astounded that I was suggesting him to go out with Eun Hae.

“M – Me?” he stammered. “Really? But —”

I nodded. “Yes, you.”

“Why me?”

I smiled. “Because you remind me of her cousin. You’re nice, you’re sweet, you’re someone who people can rely on, and you’re, well, quite good-looking too, I must admit,” I replied. “So why not?”

But he shook his head. “I don’t think I’m cut out for it,” he replied.

“Sure you are,” I reassured him. The door opened and when I looked up, I froze.

Kai’s POV

Daeseul was about to say something when suddenly she just stiffened up, blinking rapidly. She was staring at something behind me. I turned to see a group of four boys coming inside the café. When I turned back to her, I saw that she was patting her hair, taking out the curls knotted while smoothing her uniform and she sat up straighter in her seat, wiping with the tissue. She even drank a sip of water from her glass as if she had bad breath and needed to freshen her breath.

Just then one of them sauntered over to her. He gave a winning smile to Daeseul and said, “Hi Daeseul. Who’s your friend?” He gestured toward me. “Or is he even your friend? Is he your boyfriend? And where’s Eun Hae? I thought the two of you were like a package deal.”

She shot me a quick look as if asking me not to say anything before she turned back to him and smiled sweetly. “It isn't like that, L.Joe Oppa. This is Kai-sshi, a friend of mine, who works here,” she replied. “Eun Hae is at the school’s library. She’s caught up with some report to do.”

“Oh, that’s too bad. Yongguk still getting in her case?”

She nodded and sighed.

He shook his head. “What an ,” he muttered. He gave a quick glance over to me before locking eyes with her. “Does this mean you’re still single?”

She giggled, twirling a strand of hair around her fingers. “Yes.”

I glanced quizzically from her to this L.Joe guy and back again. Does she have a crush on him or something?

L.Joe smiled. “Good,” he replied and Daeseul practically glowed with happiness. “Anyway, I’ll see you around. Bye.” He walked back to his friends.

Daeseul’s face fell the moment his back was turned. “I thought he was going to ask me out,” she muttered under her breath. “I guess I was wrong.”

I looked at her. Somehow, I sincerely have this sense of hatred toward him. No, it was not jealous. It was just . . . he just looked like bad news. “What do you see in him?”

Her eyes bugged out as though she couldn’t believe I just asked her that. “Are you serious?” she gaped. “He’s, like, one of the hottest guy around and he’s got a great personality.”

“Try me,” I scoffed, leaning back in my seat while folding my arms across my chest. “He looks like the type who plays with a girl’s heart.”

“He’s not,” she snapped. “He’s only had one serious girlfriend in his life. She cheated on him and since then he’s never dated any other girls. But he’s really sweet. He may look like a player but he’s sincere and genuine and he cares a lot about people and he hates people who bully others.”

“Sounds like a real Prince Charming,” I said sarcastically. “Why don’t you ask him to date your friend then?”

She rolled her eyes. “Grow up.”

I shrugged. “Why do you want me to do it, anyway?” I have to stall her, make sure she doesn’t actually make me date her friend. I mean, I need to date her not her friend. I need to make her fall in love with me. And if her friend falls in love with me if I ever agree to this plan, this is going to get into a whole lot of complicating mess. If I want to win, I can’t afford too much drama.

She looked at me. “Didn’t I just tell you?” she replied. She smiled. “Oh, come on,” she pleaded. “Please? For me?”

Darn girls with their aegyos, I thought annoyingly. I sighed. “No promises. But . . . I guess I could try.”

“Yay!”

Damn you, Kai, I could almost hear Suho yelling in my head. What the hell are you getting yourself into?