“Excuse me. Since you’re a female, maybe you’d understand. I can’t sit next to Changhyun anymore, at least, not today. He really upset me and I need to cool down so that I can pay attention in class,” I pleaded with the teacher. 

“Sure, you can sit wherever while I’m here,” she said while smiling at me. “I sort of thought Mr. Choi’s tactics for ‘settling differences’ were silly anyway.”

“Thank you so much,” I said while bowing about 90 degrees. 

I didn’t know anyone else in the class except the boys, and I wasn’t the type to randomly vent to someone that I didn’t know. So, Jonghyun’s partner and I switched seats.

“If you don’t want to talk about it, I won’t make you.” Jonghyun said. “But, I will tell you I’m a good listener and most of the people who talk to me feel better afterwards.” He seemed to be so caring and so insightful that I got lost in his eyes for a second. He probably noticed me staring because he smiled lightly and looked away.

I eventually whispered in a low tone so that Changhyun couldn’t hear, “So, he likes me too?” I sort of spoke without really thinking about my choice of adding an extra word. 

“Yeah, but what do you mean ‘too’? I never… Oh… Daniel. That would explain why you’re so upset.”

“I told you to stop being so smart,” I giggled as I lightly hit him with the back of my hand.

Changhyun turned around and narrowed his eyes at us. Jonghyun effortlessly shoved Changhyun’s chair forward with his foot. The jealous blue-haired boy began to pout in his seat farther away from us.

“Why does everyone like me?” I whined as I leaned forward and rested my head on my wrist. 

“Well, you’re outgoing, pretty, and you have a strong attitude. A lot of girls around here are shy, but super clingy the second any guy puts forth a gesture. You’re just different.” Then, he started smiling to himself.

“What?!” I asked becoming slightly nervous.

“You also use a lot more skinship,” he said with his lingering smirk.

“Skinship?”

“Like physical contact,” he explained.

“Is that bad?”

“Well, it just depends. Some people can take it the wrong way, especially onlookers.”

“Well, maybe I should stop. I don’t need anyone else liking me.”

“Too late,” he mumbled.

“What?” I was pretty sure I knew what he said, but I couldn’t have been sure.

“Nothing,” he said gesturing with his hand for me not to worry.

“I guess I do feel a little better than I did,” I said lightly leaning my head on his shoulder, oblivious to myself using skinship again. “Thanks for listening to me. The only thing is, who am I going to talk to next period? I have to go to advanced English all by myself.”

“I’m sure you’ll find someone,” he said as he pushed my face with his pencil. He noticed some girls looking at how I was leaning on him, so he tried to move me away to stop attracting attention. “There are mostly only third years in that class. Normally, I would tell you to watch out for the upperclassmen, but with your personality, I don’t think you’d have any problems. If you do, I took taekwondo.” He did this hand chop move in the air and made me giggle. “You’re so cute,” he mumbled. 

“Okay, I heard what you said. Why do you keep mumbling?”

“Isn’t that what people do when they’re nervous?”

“Why would you be nervous? You don’t even look nervous. And besides, I thought you said you didn’t like me?” Just then, class was over and it was time for me to leave. 

“I never said that. You just never asked,” he said as he helped me gather my materials. 

“Well, do you?” I asked carefully watching his face. 

“You already have Daniel and Changhyun and Chanhee and probably Chanhee’s friend already waiting in line,” he said. 

Annoyed that he was avoiding the question, I blurted, “You didn’t answer the question,” accidentally drawing attention. 

He put the last book into my bag and calmly said, “You’re going to be late.” He tilted his head and smiled with such a calm expression. I didn’t get the response I wanted, so I scrunched up my nose and stuck my tongue out at him. He just chuckled to himself and waved goodbye.