“Hi again.” Donghae waved to Jessica while standing in front of her as she was tidying up her books.

“Hi.” As usual, Jessica didn’t want to respond much to strangers.

“Let’s go the festival beside the beach.”

“What?”

“Don’t you know about that?”

“I mean, what? So you’re asking me to go the festival with a stranger and, with school uniform on? What?” Jessica questioned.

“Anything wrong about that?”

Jessica hated that. She hated the fact that there was actually someone who dared to talk to her in that way. The bossy way.

“Ok, so let’s say I really follow you to the festival or whatever it is, will you get away from me and stop making those stupid moves in front of me?”

“Well….we’ll have to see.” Donghae winked to Jessica which made her even mad. She rolled her eyes in frustration and said, “Fine. But I—” she turned to her friends but she saw no one. “Where are they?”

“They already left when you were talking to me.”

“What?”

Donghae grabbed her wrist and pulled her out of the room. And that made Jessica felt that she was being dragged. No one else did that to her. This guy is definitely crazy.

/

The festival was crowded. As she paid for a soda from one of the concession stands, she could see cars parked bumper to bumper along both roads. So far, the action was boring. I just wanna leave this place. She’d been hoping that the festival would be the kind of place she could see herself handing out during summer in San Francisco. No such luck. The festival was just temporarily located, and on her right side, she could see a long line with overpriced game booths and greasy food.

No matter which way she went, she always seemed to be fighting against the tide of bodies. She disliked this place. But not that anyone else seemed to share her opinion, the place was packed. Groups of middle-schoolers ogling one another……and now she considered herself stupid. Wearing uniform in a festival? First time.

“Sorry for keeping you waiting. I just bought some grilled hot dogs and Coke. Wanna have some?” Donghae offered.

“No thanks—”

Spying an opening, she slipped away from the crowded place and headed toward the pier. She squashed through those sweaty bodies, and fortunately, the crowd continued to thin as she moved down the pier.

“Hey where are you going?” Jessica looked back and could see Donghae holding handful of food, running behind her, trying to catch up.

“Finally—can’t you just wait for me for a single minute?” Donghae asked, feeling exhausted.

“I told you I didn’t want to be here.” She held her hands on the railing of the pier, slightly moved a little backwards, and let the see breeze brush through her hair.

Donghae remained silent, he secretly analyzed Jessica as she wasn’t looking at his direction although he was just beside her, less than a meter. She didn’t look as cold as she seemed to be. She’s kind of….warm.

“Why are you staring me with the eagle eye?” Jessica directed.

“You’re—gorgeous.” Donghae exclaimed. He sounded serious, not much like the crazy, dorky guy he was hours ago.

“Thanks. Can I ask you something? Are you usually like this, I mean, kind of a shy and cool-self, or the crazy dorky guy this morning?”

“Uhh—” Donghae smirked. “I don’t know. But I’m sure I wasn’t really like what I was this morning.” He brushed his left eyebrow, “Sorry for—being that mentally strange—”

Jessica shook her head, “It’s okay—” and gulped her Soda.

“It seems like we go along pretty well now, huh.” Donghae added.

Yeah, why am I even like that? Jessica was even surprised by her own action. “It seems so.” She briefly smiled.

Now, the conversation’s getting warmer. Guess I should be the dorky crazy guy she hated. “Let’s introduce ourselves.”

“I know what’s your name and I guess you should know mine too.”

“Oh come on! I’m Donghae. Lee Donghae.” He let out his right hand and offered a handshake.

“Jessica Jung.”

During the whole evening at the beach, Donghae could feel that the friendship between Jessica and him started pretty well. At least Jessica did smile and laugh a little when he told her stupid jokes, and at least she wasn’t actually being a cold blanket the whole time.

/

“Thanks for sending me home. Bye”

“No problem.” Donghae shyly smirked. “Uhh—Sica. Can I call you like that next time?”

“Sure—”

“It’s—uhh. It’s really great to be friends with you. I’m sorry that I acted foolishly this morning and caused you mental discomfort—I promise, I promise that it would be the last time.” He looked nerdy and shy while he apologized.

Jessica chuckled. “Really?” she quietly arched her eyes and studied his expression.

“Really!”

Jessica burst into laughter. “I was just joking actually. Am I really that scary?” she paused. “By the way..It’s good to have a friend like you too. Since I realized that you’re actually—cool and shy. Not the crazy guy I thought.”

“So, you mean you like me, huh.” Donghae bent his body now and looked at Jessica.

“No!”

“Ouch.” He punched his chest softly. “You’re the only girl who said that to me. But well—” he checked on his Fossil Analog watch, “It’s pretty late now. Goodnight—” he tucked one of his hand into the pocket and moved backwards until he saw Jessica ashamedly waved back to him. “See you tomorrow!” he screamed, as he was already quite far from her.

She then saw him disappear from her sight, and under her breath, she silently said “What a pabo.”

During the night, the duo couldn’t help but thinking about each other. Donghae was smiling from ears to ears even when he was on the bed and looked up at the ceiling; while Jessica….kept rubbing her cheeks and reminded herself “Why are you thinking about him? Jessica! He’s crazy, he’s silly, he’s just—not your type!” But when she kept repeating these sentences all over her mind, the shy, cool, handsome look of Donghae appeared instead. The shy chuckle—and everything. Seemed completely different from the first impression he gave her. “Urghh, you’re nuts Jessie!” She quickly hoped to her bed, covered herself with her comfortable blanket and dozed off.

“Guess I really fall in love with you—from the first sight. Two days, just two days, you already made me go completely crazy over you—” said Donghae, before closing his eyes and off to dreamland.