"You want to go to the Arts Club Cafe again?" Myungsoo asked first thing the next day. I thought it was odd that the place had a name, since there didn't seem to have a sign.

"I don't have any money," I told him.

"I'll get it this time."

I smiled. It might not be a date, but it felt good to have someone want to hang out with me.

"You can pay me back," he added, taking a little notch out of my grin.

After school, Myungsoo and I headed straight to the cafe, where we talked more about the art on the walls. He used words like "existentialism," which I planned to Wiki when I got home. 

An hour later, we ran out of things to say and I left. I'd told Minyoung I wouldn't be home after school, but when I turned the corner toward our house, I nearly swallowed my tongue. Nichkhun Buck Horvejkul's blue Civic sat in our driveway.

To anyone else it might have looked like an average car- a decade old with a dent in the black fender. My heart raced with excitement. To me it looked like the pearly gates of heaven welcoming me in, and as I walked toward it, I waited to hear a chorus of "Hallelujah."

I strode through the front door with a permagrin, expecting to see them on the couch, but there was a total silence. I checked the kitchen, but found only a mess of crumbs on the counter. Maybe Minyoung made him a sandwhich and then they went out to the backyard? But the only movement back there was the wind in the trees. 

Mom and Dad has sat Minyoung and me down and talked about dating (not allowed until we're sixteen) and boys in our rooms (not allowed ever).

So much for that.

I opened the front door again, but this time I slammed it, nice and loud.

A moment later, as expected, Minyoung's voice trilled from the upstairs hallway. "Yeah, so that's the grand tour. Not that exciting. Let's go watch some TV now, like we planned."

Minyoung can be a great liar, but her false words wavered. She came into view with a slightly exaggerated bounce in her step. Nichkhun followed, looking less enthused.

"Oh, you're home!" I said, feeling like such a fraud. "Hi, Nichkhun," I added in a little more than a whisper.

Nichkhun smiled and I couldn't help smiling back. His bright brown eyes were like the pictures of forest in travel brochures that make everyone want to go on a vacation. I blinked and forced myself to stop staring. The whole exchange, in my very own house, was making my stomach do jumping jacks toward my throat.

"I'm hungry. Want anything?" I strode for the kitchen, forcing one foot in front of the other.

"I could go for another sandwhich," Nichkhun said, dropping onto the couch beside Minyoung.

"My mom will be home with pizza soon." Minyoung patted him twice on the knee and gave a little head-shake in my direction.

I slipped into the kitchen, letting out a long-held breath.

I wasn't actually hungry, more like ready to toss my lunch from the idea if Nichkhun being here, but I pulled cupboards open anyway, just to calm myself. It helped, and a few minutes later I walked back into the living room with a plate of crackers and a few cheese slices. I wasn't really disregarding Minyoung's instructions. And who cared if I was?

I set it down in front of Nichkhun. "Just a little snack. You know, until dinner."

I'm pretty sure he smiled at me again, but I focused on the TV to keep my raging anxiety levels in check. In my peripheral vision, Nichkhun leaned forward and helped himself. I inched away and sat on a chair in the corner.

Minyoung and Nichkhun murmured between themselves, things I couldn't hear. Then, I couldn't believe it- Minyoung leaned forward and helped herself a cracker and some cheese! It was all I could do to hold back from making a comment about running her dinner.

Not long after, Minyoung excused herself to the bathroom upstairs. She was funny about using the main one when guests were over. I kept my eyes drilled into the TV- it would be all I would need to have Nichkhun catch at me staring at him- but when I took a quick microglance his way, he was staring at me! The room suddenly felt warmer. And smaller.

"What?" I blurted, in all my eloquence.

He smiled, and there was something so delectable about those upturned lips. "I was just wondering if it was true? What that paper at school said?"

I coughed, nearly choking on my saliva. "I-I... it was from sixth grade," I said, wanting to find a bucket of ice water to submerge my head into.

"Oh." He nodded, his grin still in place but faltering just a little.

I glance toward the stairs, and suddenly Minyoung was there. A rush of guilt ran through my veins.

I concentrated on breathing in and out, and pretended to watch TV again.

When Mom got home, I bolted out of my chair and went to meet her. She had two large boxes with a clear plastic container of salad on top. "Hi, Mom! Let me get the pizza for you. Minyoung's boyfriend, Nichkhun, is over," I said at around three hundred decibels and then mentally kicked myself for it. As if that wasn't totally obvious. As if Minyoung shouldn't be the one to make that statement. Shut up already, Jiyeon!

Minutes later we were all seated around the table, Nichkhun right between Minyoung and me. It reminded me so much of our cafeteria lunch that I felt myself flush at the thought of how Nichkhun's leg had brushed mine.

"So, Nichkhun," Mom launched in. "It's nice that Minyoung could finally bring you home for dinner. You go to Woollim High School with the girls, right?"

"Yes, Mrs. Park," he said, sitting up a little straighter. "I'm the same grade as Jiyeon, and on the football team. I'm hoping to get a sports scholarship next year."

I'd almost forgotten that Nichkhun was in my grade and not Minyoung's. We didn't have any classes together and I usually saw him with other seniors like my sister. Whether he knew it or not, though, he'd just scored major points with Mom by mentioning a scholarship.

Minyoung scrunched her nose when Mom passed a plate with a slice of pizzas toward her, and instead asked for once of the clean plates and reached for the salad. Minyoung liked pizza, and Mom had ordered her favourite- vegeterian with no onions and extra peppers. The act must be because Nichkhun was around. Though the way he was shoveling back his third piece, I doubted he cared.

"Don't hog it all, Minyoung," Mom said about the salad. In the last couple of years, a power struggle had cropped up between the two of them- who ate better, who dressed better, you name it. I was glad I wasn't in that particular race.

Minyoung had only taken one small scoop of salad, but she closed the lid and passed it back to Mom. "Don't worry," she said pointedly. "I'm really not that hungry."

After dinner, I cleared the plates, but kept one eye on Minyoung and Nichkhun in the living room. Even though they were both smart in school, they sure seemed stupid sometimes. Minyoung gabbed nonstop in her regular blossomy way about her hair, which I'm sure bored Nichkhun, and he taled about new football plays as though she was an aspiring coach. It was entertaining to watch- them starting into each other's starry eyes, not hearing a single word out of each other's mouths.

After cleaning up, I set my homework on the dining room table and settled in, glancing in their directions every few minutes. They didn't leave the TV.

At nine o'clock, Mom announced the time. Which meant, say good-bye to your friend please, Minyoung in Mom-language. Minyoung took the hint while Mom headed back to the kitchen with her empty wineglass. I watched Minyoung through my eyelashes as she walked Nichkhun to the door. Neither of them acknowledged me, but I knew I had faded into the background over the last couple of hours, so I wasn't offended. But then Minyoung turned and caught me watching.

I darted my eyes back to my homework, but I guess it was too late. The door opened and they took their good-bye outside.

I was interested to see exactly how their good-night kiss worked: Would he just kiss her right away, or her cheek or something so she knew it was coming? Would they both shut their eyes like they do in the movies, or do people always have to shut their eyes when they kiss? I had so many questions. Peeking out the living room window, I didn't see any sign of them near Nichkhun's car so I raced upstair to my window that overlooked the side yard.

I'd missed the beginning. Nichkhun and Minyoung were already kissing out beside the oak tree and the streetlight gave just enough glow to see them. The jealous irk in my gut soon gave way. It was mesmerizing to see two such beautiful people kissing in real life. After the weekend I'd spent photographing in our yard, this new addition made me want to tilt my head to try to frame it. It would make a great photo.

I reached across my desk to grab my camera, then pulled it up to my face, bringing Nichkhun and Minyoung quickly into focus.

Seconds later, I had the shot. And it was perfect.

I placed my camera on the desk gently, then looked up in time to see Nichkhun walking to his car. As Minyoung headed for the front door, Nichkhun backed his car out of our driveway. When he pulled into the street, he looked up to my bedroom window. I stayed perfectly still, hoping the dark would conceal me. But I knew by the way his eyes lingered, my room wasn't quite dark enough.