Jaekyung swallowed as she followed Chaekyung out of the door, her heart thudding quickly in her chest as it had done for the past few mornings.

Even as she just got out of the house, she could feel his gaze on her instantly as he watched her every move.

Jaekyung bit her lip, averting her gaze, telling herself that today was the day it was going to be different. Today she would not look back at him.

Jaekyung turned to lock the door behind them as Chaekyung bounded towards L merrily. "L oppa!" she beamed and got into the car.

L gave a half-hearted nod and smile, his eyes quickly turning back to the object of his affections. Jaekyung got into the car gingerly and L grinned. "Morning Jaekyung."

"Hm." Jaekyung forced herself to look at her hands, knowing he was looking at her through the rear mirror.

But she couldn't resist the urge of peeking, knowing he was just in front of her, this guy who had held the centre of her dreams for so many nights. Her eyes met L's in the mirror instantly and L winked.

Jaekyung gulped and turned her head down again, blushing madly. *Stop it. You're encouraging him!* she scolded herself. *Stupid cheeks.*

Chaekyung missed the interaction between them, but she didn't let slip of how L's greeting to her sister was so much warmer compared to herself. Till then, she noticed nothing.

"I was just thinking," Chaekyung smiled at them two. "L oppa and unnie were almost like enemies in the past. And now you two are so close! Isn't that funny?" she giggled.

L watched Jaekyung from the rear mirror as he started the engine, the car roaring to life. "It's like some sort of Korean drama isn't it?" he mused as he set off.

"A Korean drama where the guy and the girl would be awful enemies in the beginning, taken by prejudice and pride like Mr Darcy and Elizabeth Bennett, and through time spent together they get to know each other's good points and slowly but surely, they fall in lov-"

"No." Jaekyung cut in quickly, sending L a look in the mirror. "It doesn't always end that way. There can be Enemies who remain enemies."

"I dare you to say we are enemies right now, Lee Jaekyung." L challenged. "And not an ounce of untruth must be detected."

Jaekyung flinched. "I admit we aren't enemies right now." she muttered grudgingly. "But that doesn't mean we're very close."

L raised his brows as he stopped in front of the traffic light, watching a few young children cross the street with their mothers. "I beg your pardon but I think we are very close indeed." he retorted.

"Be it emotionally, in terms of interest and thoughts, our values and passion, and not to mention physically we are cl-"

"Hahaha." Jaekyung faked an awkward laugh. "Your joke isn't too funny, Myungsoo. You should heard better from Sungyeol." she shot him the fiercest glare and wrinkled her nose, her heart thudding loudly.

What was he trying to do? Openly flirting with her while Chaekyung was around! Was he courting death?

"I don't get what the two of you are talking about at all." Chaekyung scratched her head, feeling a little left out. She turned to L. "Anyway L oppa, I haven't talked to you in the longest time! Have you been really busy?"

"Yeah." L nodded. "I've been busy trying to sort my life out, correcting my past mistakes. I've been trying to convince a certain someone that she shouldn't run away. I've been trying to not feel guilty about not having the guts to break the news to someone, because I care too much of what the other person thinks. I've been trying not to lose my mind over yearning for that certain something." L met Jaekyung's eyes in the mirror. "I've been busy, terribly so."

"Ah." Chaekyung blinked, not getting it again. She bit her bottom lip and stared at her hands. Had the gap between L and her widened so much that she couldn't even hold a conversation with him?

She turned to her sister to ask if she understood, but saw Jaekyung looking pale and her lips nervously. "Unnie, are you alright?" Chaekyung asked, concerned. "You look a little...pale and jittery."

"I'm fine, absolutely fine." Jaekyung assured. "Just...some things I have no wish knowing about. It gets annoying and emotionally tiring."

"It only is because you're trying to go upstream in a river that flows downstream." L pointed out. "Stop resisting and everything will be fine."

"I'm not resisting!" Jaekyung burst out. She glanced at Chaekyung and cleared , settling into the seat again. "Whatever." she mumbled.

Chaekyung looked between her sister and boyfriend, wondering why she couldn't even connect with the two closest people of her age anymore.







Le sigh.

Soomi looked over to Chaekyung with raised brows. "What's wrong? You've been sighing for the nth time now."

Chaekyung shrugged and shook her head. "Nothing much, I think it'll pass."

"What is it?" Bomi turned to her. "You can talk to us, we won't tell. It's best to get it off your chest sometimes."

Yoomi nodded and urged Chaekyung to speak honestly. Chaekyung propped her chin up with her elbows and huffed. "Well, as you know I haven't seen L oppa for a long time. Not exactly seen....I see him when he drives unnie and I to school but there hasn't been time together lately."

Soomi nodded. "And well, I miss him." Chaekyung murmured. "And I was hoping he would too. I was hoping he could share whatever he was so busy about these days. I was hoping we wouldn't drift apart."

"And you have?" Bomi asked lightly.

"Not really. I realize we weren't even really close to begin with." Chaekyung mumbled sadly. "Today when I was sitting in the car with oppa and unnie, I couldn't understand half the things they were saying. They were going on like bullet trains and I couldn't catch anything. I couldn't join in at all."

Yoomi frowned. "That's rather insensitive of L, a boyfriend should always try to make his girlfriend happy."

"I've actually noticed that too." Bomi admitted. "I've seen Jaekyung unnie and L going around the school together and I always see L smiling widely when they talk. They seem really close."

Soomi's eyes widened. "Do you think?" she gasped. "Jaekyung unnie and L oppa?"

"Nonsense!" Chaekyung shook her head. "Unnie would never do that to me, she's not the best unnie in the world for nothing. I believe in unnie and oppa."

She sighed and laid her head on desk. "I just hope I can enter their world for once and understand what they're talking about, and what keeps that smile on L oppa's face."

-----

"Stop following me around, Myungsoo!" Jaekyung hissed. "It's getting annoying!"

Jaekyung had been appointed to go to the computer lab to look for a technician because the classroom's visualizer wasn't working. L had promptly volunteered himself as well, saying how he might be able to explain the technical problem better than Jaekyung would.

It sounded like bull even to his ears.

L grinned at her. "No I won't stop. I won't stop until you admit your feelings for me." he murmured. "I'd wait till the end of time."

"Myungsoo!" Jaekyung turned to him, exasperated.

"Jaekyung!" L imitated her, his eyes twinkling with mischief.

Jaekyung let out a sigh and rolled her eyes, stalking off. L quickly caught up and laced his fingers through hers, swaying their hands about as they walked.

Jaekyung gasped and pulled away, looking around in alarm. "What are you doing!" she hissed. "We're in the public!"

"There's no one around, everyone's in their classrooms." L pointed out. He leaned nearer and grinned. "So what? If we're not in the public I can act as I please?"

"No." Jaekyung pushed his forehead away. "Stop this!"

L laughed and curled a lock of hair behind her ear tenderly, his thumbs grazing her cheeks. Jaekyung reddened instantly, her body's reaction totally out of her control any longer.

"Stop that!" Jaekyung whispered fiercely, swatting his hands away.

"Stop what, making you blush?" L asked. "I like seeing you blush. Brings me comfort to know I can do that to you." he murmured.

Jaekyung felt her knees go jelly and she leaned against the wall behind her for support. "Kim Myungsoo, I'm seriously warning you to stop this nonsense. What were you thinking, talking about all these in the car today morning? You were broadcasting everything to Chae!"

L leaned against the wall on his elbows, trapping her in. "I want to tell her, Jaekyung. I don't want to lead her on, it's wrong. And I want to tell everyone if possible. I love you I love you I love you. I want to scream it to the world."

Jaekyung took a deep breath, hoping her cheeks weren't flaming. "I don't care about that, Myungsoo. You're hurting Chae and that's all I care about. Did you see how dejected she was when you disregarded her? Kim Myungsoo if you don't up your boyfriend act, I'll have your head."

L gazed at her steadily. "And? What if the one I tease and kiss is Chaekyung? What if the one I talk about, spending the rest of my life with, isn't you but her? Would that make you happy?"

*No.* Jaekyung flinched. "You should have realized my happiness doesn't matter to me anymore if Chae's is threatened." she murmured. "Myungsoo please just...just stop this. We aren't meant to be, this is a mistake."

"If it's a mistake, I'll make it. Blame everything on me." L murmured. "Because I'm never letting you go, Jaekyung. Never."

And Jaekyung knew nothing she ever said would convince him any longer.

-----

She needed to do something.

She needed to show L she was serious about his relationship with Chaekyung. She needed to convince him that she didn't care about him. She needed to protect Chaekyung from all the heartbreak, knowing it would kill her if her sister got hurt again.

But how?

Her answer came that afternoon as she walked back from the restroom to the classroom. The only few moment she was without L because he couldn't possibly follow her in.

Kim Junki appeared out of nowhere with a cheesy lopsided grin and a bouquet of roses. "Hi Jaekyung."

Jaekyung wanted to run away at the sight of him, natural instincts. She fought hard to stay and smile amiably at him. "Hi, Junki sshi."

"Jaekyung this is for you." Junki pushed the bouquet of roses in her hands and smiled at her brilliantly. "And call me Junki next time."

"Uh okay?" Jaekyung stared at the flowers as if she hadn't seen anything like it before.

"Well I was just wondering," Junki muttered. "I know I was mean to you for so long, but you know the real reason why boys are mean to a particular girl? Because they have a crush on the girl and they don't know how to show it."

*You cannot be serious.* Jaekyung wanted to roll her eyes. *Other guys, maybe. But definitely not you, Kim Junki. You don't have a heart to feel.*

"That's exactly in my case." Junki grinned at her. "I like you, Jaekyung. And I don't know how to show it. And I'm breaking out of my tradition today, hoping you can do me the honor of being my girlfriend, please?"

*NO!* Jaekyung knew her answer without thinking. She was about to open to answer when L came into her mind.

His pursuit, her insistence, their struggles.

Should she?

*But this is Kim Junki!!!* Jaekyung screamed in her mind. *You hate him!!*

Junki gazed down at her curiously. "Jaekyung? What's your answer?"

Jaekyung looked up at him and swallowed. She knew her answer now.