"Mom, I'm leaving now." I called while putting on my shoes. I had just got back from school and put my stuff down when Jonghee called and told me we were going dress shopping.

 

My mom appeared from the kitchen entrance with a towel in her hands. "It's a Monday afternoon. Why didn't you go dress shopping during the weekend?" I shrugged an answer and gave her a goodbye kiss. "Well, don't come home too late. It's a school night."

 

"I'll be quick about it, mom. Don't worry." I stepped out and closed the door behind me. As I walked towards the sidewalk, I saw a sleek black car pull up by the curb.

 

What was Kai's car doing here?

 

Jonghee poked her head out of the passenger side and waved at me. "Yejin, let's go!"

 

I skipped towards the car and climbed in the back, wondering why Kai was driving. He didn't have to be there physically to pay for my dress.

 

The car lurched forward as soon as my seatbelt was buckled and I nearly lost my breath at the sudden change in speed. "Where are we going?" I asked after shifting to a comfortable position.

 

"We don't want any girl at the party to have the same dress as you so we're going downtown." Jonghee said as she applied a coat of lipgloss. Kai's driving was smooth enough for her not to mess up but the speed he used still scared me.

 

"But downtown's two hours away," I protested. "I promised my mom I'd be home early."

 

"No worries, honey, with Kai's driving and my shopping expertise, it won't take long at all."

 

I met Kai's gaze in the rearview mirror before we both looked away quickly. I still couldn't face him after what happened at the coffee shop two days ago. We even ignored each other in school. "Kai doesn't mind dress shopping with us?"

 

Jonghee shook her head. "He's meeting up with Sehun while you and I go dress shopping. Kai just didn't want to be seen driven around by his dear sister." She playfully punched Kai's arm and put away her lip gloss. "We're gonna meet with them after we've picked out your dress."

 

The rest of the car ride went by quietly. Kai didn't bother trying to make conversation with either of us and I tried not to think about his words from the other day. I needed to stop thinking about him altogether. 

 

After Jonghee gave Kai a few directions on how to get to the particular dress store, the three of us got out of the car. Right as we entered the store, Jonghee pointed out three dress forms that wore entirely different gowns.

 

"Excuse me, miss. Could my friend try on those three dresses please? And my brother here will be paying." Jonghee waved at one of the clerks and I was ushered to the back. Kai and I shared the same look of shock at Jonghee and the staff's promptitude. It's like his sister worked here. "Please be quick! She needs to be home in time for dinner!" After hearing Jonghee's words, the staff worker behind me nipped at my heels, telling me to walk faster.

 

Right as the curtain closed behind me, I was ordered to strip and the worker helped me into a black bodycon dress. It was the shortest dress I had ever worn and I struggled to pull it down and keep it up at the same time. The worker pulled my hair to the side to help me zip up and then she pulled back the curtains.

 

Jonghee was sitting on a small pink couch and Kai was behind it, whispering something to his sister. As I stepped out, Jonghee's bored eyes lit up and Kai stood up straight. Both of them scanned me and the worker told me to do a turn.

 

"What do you think, Kai?" Jonghee looked up at her little brother. I stood as still as I could while Kai let his eyes roam around me.

 

He bit his lip and said, "Hmm, not bad. You actually look decent for once." He winked and then turned around, walking towards the exit. "Call me when you guys are done. I'm gonna go find Sehun."

 

I spun around to face one of the mirrors and noticed that my face was beet red. Those were the first words he said to me all day and they didn't help my plan at all.

 

"Let me just take a picture of this and you can go back and try on the other dresses. If we continue at this pace, we might even have time to grab a bite." Jonghee pulled out her cellphone and took a picture of me in the mirror. My hair was out of place from the whirlwind experience and I combed it down with my fingers.

 

I turned around to look at my backside and noticed the price tag hanging out. My eyes nearly fell out from the sight of the numbers.

 

"This tiny thing is 300 000 Won?" I hissed at Jonghee. At this point, it didn't even matter if the worker could hear me or not.

 

Jonghee blinked at my exclamation. "Yeah?" She resembled her little brother when he was acting innocent in the coffee shop.

 

"Can't we just go to any old department store and grab a similar dress?" I tried to reason with her.

 

"Nope. I like this store." Jonghee smiled at the worker who stood politely near me.

 

And with that, I was ordered to get back behind the curtain to try on two more dresses. Jonghee snapped pictures of each but didn't critique any of them.

 

"So which one should I get?" I asked earnestly.

 

Jonghee tapped her foot and stared intently at her cellphone. "I don't know. Kai hasn't replied yet."

 

I twisted my body around awkwardly in the long emerald green dress and furrowed my eyebrows. "Why are you waiting for his reply?"

 

"I sent the pictures to Kai so he could choose. You like all the dresses and I like all the dresses and since it's Kai's birthday party, he should pick what he likes on you."

 

Knowing him, he'd probably pick the short black one just so I can feel uncomfortable for the entire night.

 

"Good thing you're tall or you'd be tripping around in that thing." Jonghee pointed to my feet. "We'll strap you up in a pair of heels and you'll be fine. Oh, Kai texted back."

 

"What'd he say?" I looked at myself in the mirror, trying not to sound interested in Kai's opinion.

 

"Tch, he said you can pick whichever one you like." Jonghee put her phone away and fell back on the couch. "So which one, Yejin?"

 

"This one," I pointed to the dress that I had on.

 

Jonghee narrowed her eyes. "You're not picking it because it's the cheapest one, are you?"

 

I shook my head furiously. "No, I like the fact that it's long and I don't have to worry about any slip-ups."

 

"Alright then. We'll get this green one and for the after party...You should wear the black one for the after party."

 

I scratched my head. "There's going to be an after party?" Nobody told me about this.

 

"Of course. First we're going to celebrate with all of the adults around and then the after party is just for us kids," Jonghee explained. "The after party's more for having fun so you should get the black one. It's a lot less formal and Kai seemed to like it while he was here."

 

"Would he really care about what I'm wearing to his party? Doesn't he have better things to on his birthday?" I asked as the worker went to get the calculator to add up the price.

 

"You have to grab his attention if you want him, Yejin."

 

"Who says I want him anymore, Jonghee? He doesn't want a relationship so I need to back off."

 

Jonghee rolled her eyes just as the worker came rushing back. "My little brother gets nervous and says dumb things. His little 'flirt and move on' thing was probably just a slip of the tongue."

 

"Whose tongue slips like that?" I mumbled as I was pushed behind the curtains again to change out of the dress.

 

When I stepped out, Jonghee already had the two dresses in her hands and was ready go leave. How does she do that?

 

"Where are we going now?"

Jonghee checked her phone. "Kai should be here in a minute with Sehun. We're going to a cafe to get something to eat."

 

I let out a sigh of relief. At least we'd be with Sehun. He'd be able to hold up a conversation with me.

 

The soft bell hanging from the door of the entrance jingled and I looked over Jonghee's shoulder to find Sehun marching in and Kai following closely behind.

 

"Yejin!" Sehun called and opened his arms. I ducked around and gave Sehun a hug, aware of Kai standing right behind him.

 

"Sehun, how are you?" I asked as I pulled back. Sehun had moved downtown a couple of months ago and I hadn't seen him since then though he didn't change very much at all.

 

"Better now that I get to see you guys." Sehun moved around me to hug Jonghee and that's when it clicked.

 

So the plan I made two days ago was to find another person to occupy my mind while I was around Kai. His brothers and sister wouldn't do since they constantly teased me about liking Kai but Sehun didn't know a thing. He'd be perfect.

 

I put my hands on Sehun's shoulders after we said goodbye to the dress store and pushed him out to the sidewalk. "Take us to the best cafe!" I giggled at my childlike attitude but Sehun didn't complain.

 

I walked beside him as we weaved around the core of downtown with people bustling all around us. We made light conversation, making sure to check that Kai and his sister were still behind us. Jonghee was glued to her phone while Kai carried my garment bags and glanced at us whenever we looked back.

 

"So have you found a boyfriend yet?" Sehun asked me.

 

I looked down at the road and replied, "no."

 

Sehun continued prying. "Are you looking?"

 

"No."

 

"Well, why not?"

 

We stopped at an intersection and I glanced around to take in the sights. It was still bright outside since it was nearly summer but the air wasn't too hot. "I don't know." I shrugged. "I'd rather focus on my studies."

 

"Oh c'mon. It's nearly the end of the school year. You've got to look now so you can have a boyfriend for the summer. Ow!"

 

I heard a soft smack and turned to find Sehun glaring at Kai who had just knocked Sehun in the head with the bag.

 

"Let it go, Sehun. She's not interested," Kai swung the bags back onto his shoulder and smirked. "Besides, she needs to work extra hard during the end of the year to catch up to me."

 

"Her grades are already good enough. She doesn't need to catch up to you at all." Sehun snickered. "And you should be glad you're still number one in our class or else your mother would've never let you throw this party."

 

"The light's green, you guys," Jonghee piped up without even looking away from her phone. "Let's go."

 

We arrived at Cafe Princess and sat on the plush couches. Sehun and I ordered an ice cream sundae and brownies to share while Kai asked for an iced coffee and Jonghee ordered a milkshake.

 

"You guys were supposed to order something big to celebrate us being together again." Sehun pouted but he forgot about it a moment later when the brownies arrived. They looked rich and were sprinkled with powdered sugar. "These are the best brownies around. Open wide, Yejin." Sehun cut a piece of the brownie with his fork and fed me.

 

Wow, he was right. These are delicious brownies. As Sehun tried to feed Kai, I relaxed in my seat, savouring the chocolate in my mouth. Wow, this is a really good brownie. I decided that I was going to move out here beside Cafe Princess and buy these brownies everyday.

 

I get back to reality and notice that the plate is empty. Everybody had taken a piece of brownie and it was now done.

 

"I'll order you a big box of brownie and you can take it home with you," Sehun reassured me as he ruffled my hair.

 

The two of us talked for another hour while sharing our sundae. Kai left a comment or two whenever he was prompted and Jonghee continued to stay on her phone.

 

"And actually, just a week ago, I found another confession letter in my locker. I keep changing my lock but these girls keep finding out my combination." Sehun took another spoonful of ice cream and shook his head. He was complaining about all the girls going after him in his new school because apparently it wasn't graced with the beauty like that of the Kim family and the school jumped at any good looking person.

 

"So are you known as the popular lady's man at your school?" I giggled. Back at our school, Sehun was shy and awkward. Going to a new school pushed him out of his comfort zone.

 

"I guess." He shrugged and ate another bite of ice cream. "Just like Kai, right?"

 

We both looked across the table but Kai was more concentrated in drinking the last bit of his iced coffee. He rose his eyebrows to indicate that he heard. He looked miserably bored.

 

"Jongin-ah, aren't you happy to see me?" Sehun poked Kai with his spoon.

 

"Yeah."

 

"Look a bit more alive, man."

 

"You're flirting with my girl." All eyes turned to Kai, even Jonghee's. Kai ignored our stares and slurped the last of his drink loudly.

 

"Nah," Sehun objected and swung an arm around my shoulders. "Yejin's my girl now. That's what you get for ignoring her all day." I looked down at my hands and felt all the blood rushing to my ears. Sehun stuck the spoon in his mouth and took out his cellphone. He had a slight smile on his face as he closed his cellphone. "Yejin, can I talk to you in private for a second?" Even though the question was directed to me, his eyes were on Kai who stared back curiously.

 

I nodded. "Sure." Sehun pulled me up and away from the seat and towards the washrooms. Whoa, where are we going?

 

Sehun glanced back at our table before turning to me with a mischievous smile. What's he up to?

 

"So now that I've told you about all the girls I've rejected, do you know why I rejected them?"

 

I shook my head and replied honestly. "No. Do you like another girl?"

 

Sehun laughed a little. "Nope."

 

"Then what?" I cocked my head to the side.

 

"I have a boyfriend," he whispered.

 

I immediately squealed in delight at the news. "Congratulations!" I hugged him. "When did this happen? Who is it? That's so cute! Can I meet him?"

 

"Thanks." His eyes looked so happy and I was truly so happy for him too. "His name is Luhan and he's the cutest guy I have ever seen. Even cuter than Kai. In fact, Kai introduced him to me. He knew that Luhan goes to my new school and said he would be able to show me around."

 

"Aww, that's so awesome."

 

"Yes, that is awesome. But Kai doesn't know I'm gay yet."

 

I looked over at the table and saw Kai talking with his sister. "So?"

 

"He doesn't know I'm gay so he's really jealous right now."

 

"Jealous of what? That you have a boyfriend?"

 

Sehun shook his head. "No, that you and I are flirting with each other."

 

"We're not flirting...and he's not jealous."

 

Sehun chuckled. "Oh yes, he is." He pulled out his phone and showed me the text he was reading earlier. "Jonghee told me to stop flirting with you because Kai was getting jealous."

 

"But he doesn't like me. He doesn't even want a girlfriend."

 

"Do you really think that, Yejin?" Sehun started pushing me back to the table. "You need to make conversation with Kai and ignore me for the rest of the evening."

 

"But I see him everyday. This is the first time I've seen you in months!"

 

As we approached the table, Kai stood up abruptly. "I'm leaving." He said coldly.

 

"Take Yejin with you!" Sehun gave me a final push and I nearly tripped into the table.

 

"Why don't you take her?" Kai shot at Sehun.

 

"Take her where? I live up the street and I don't have a car to take her home. She doesn't even know how to take subway back home."

 

Kai looked at Jonghee and she stuck out her hand. "You and Yejin can take the subway back home. Give me the car. I'll drive myself back home."

 

"How come you get to take the car?" Kai gripped his car keys tightly.

 

Jonghee rolled her eyes. "Are you going to let your dear sister take public transit by herself so late at night?"

 

"Sure, why not? Just come home with us right now, then."

 

"But I need to catch up with Sehun." Jonghee feigned innocence and Sehun nodded eagerly with her.

 

"You could've caught up with him an hour ago if you weren't on your phone the whole time."

 

"Just take her, Kai." Sehun slid back into his seat and grabbed the keys and garment bags from Kai's hand, handing them to Jonghee.

 

Kai sighed in frustration and shoved his hands into his pockets. "Fine, let's go." His long legs got him out the door in a second and I ran to catch up to him. I waved a goodbye at Sehun and Jonghee before opening the door.

 

"Bye bye, lovebirds!" Jonghee's voice ran from inside the cafe and I cringed. This was going to be an awkward trip home.