“Noona!” Minsoo shouted from down the hallway as he ran towards you. His dark brown hair was bouncing as he continued to take more steps your way. His youth spewing out from every aspect of himself. He seemed to be excited about something. Then again when was he not excited when you saw him.

“Hey.” You smiled as you ruffled his hair. He blushed while smiling at you in his blue hoodie. “What’s up?” you asked while you started walking towards the front of the school. As today was a long day, you were than eager to leave the campus as soon as you could.

“Oh,” Minsoo exclaimed as he handed you an envelope. “I wanted to give this before I go to rehearsals.”

The envelope was white and had your name written neatly on the front of it. You opened it to find a ticket with an invitation in it. It was to the play Minsoo was staring in. He was taking theater classes and was also in the drama club.

Minsoo looked at you anxiously. “So would like to come to it?” he asked unconfidently.

“Of course!” you nodded and hugged him. “I would love to see my dongseang act!” he chuckled at your loud enthusiasm. “Are you inviting everyone else?” you asked curiously.

He nodded and held out a couple of invitations. Excitement filled his emotions. Not because he had friends coming to see him, but because you had accepted the invitation. “Would you please deliver these for me while I go?” His face was full of hope. You nodded and then left to go find Eli and Kevin after saying goodbye to Minsoo.

“I doubt they’re still on campus.” You mumbled to yourself as you walked out of the building. You headed towards the parking since it was the only place where you might have a chance of seeing them. Well at least you hoped so.

You walked across the payment that was now becoming empty. The left over students rushed to their cars, as if it were a race to leave first. You looked around you in hopes that you would see Eli’s car, but had no luck. You sighed and continued walking to the bus stop. The echoes of your footsteps following behind you.

A recognizable car pulled up next to you and rolled the passenger window down. “Why so gloomy?” a familiar melodic voice asked. You turned to the car to find Kevin smiling at you. His charming character standing out as usual, but Eli caught your eye. He didn’t even look at you.

“Nothing.” The answer kept short and disappointed. Eli’s chiseled stone face was the only thing that you could look at. He seemed to be deep into his thoughts as he was oblivious to your existence as he concentrated on the road in front of him. Eli gripped the steering wheel and clenched his jaw.

“Why don’t you join us today?” You looked inside the car to see AJ and Dongho in the backseat. They smiled and waved at you. Your relationship with them wasn’t very strong, in fact it’s awkward, but in an attempt to lessen the awkward aura you decide to be friendly and greet them kindly. Maybe you could get to know Eli better with his friends around.

“Yeah it’ll be fun!” Dongho laughed from the back. Kevin could tell you were about to decline the offer and took it upon himself to convince you otherwise. “Come on, what were you going to tonight that’s so important that you need to decline me?” he pouted; his insinuating facial features perfectly exaggerating what he wants to express.

Kevin quickly turned to Eli and whispered something to him, but Eli ignored him. A frustrated Kevin slapped Eli’s pale arm and whined at him. “What?!” Eli shouted at him.

“Stop the car.” Kevin replied as he was slightly offended at Eli’s sudden outburst. Kevin opened the car door and then opened then pushed you into the passenger seat of the car. Soon after he got into the back seat, Eli started driving again to their destination.

Eli shifted uncomfortably in his seat as he drove down the streets. No one in the back seat was saying anything either so it the awkward atmosphere continued to live on. You looked over at Eli who seemed to still be concentrating on his various thoughts.

“Where are we going?” you asked him unconfidently. His belated response started to build up on your emotions again. It felt as though he was mad at you. You pursed your lips as you impatiently waited for a reply. Even short response would put you at ease, but it seemed as though Eli was going to keep the tension going.

In the end, you guys just ended up walking around the city as you looked at a couple things in some shops. Dongho and AJ seemed to be more comfortable around you. In fact, they were speaking to you more than Eli was.

“Is something wrong with him?” you asked Dongho. The younger looked down at you and shrugged. “I think he ran into one of the ‘Mi’s’ earlier.” He replied. He was younger than you, just like Minsoo, but the fact that he was taller than you didn’t make it seem that way. It was rather amusing to have to look up to him when speaking.

“’Mis’?” You questioned him as you looked at the group of people in front of you. AJ was teasing Kevin about something and Eli seemed to still be a loner beside them.

“Ah, I forgot you don’t know.  We call Eunmi and Yoomi the Mi’s.” he laughed as he placed his hands in the pockets of his jeans.

“You guys are weird.” You laughed with him.

“Why are you ignoring me?!” AJ laughed as he slung an arm around Kevin. “I was only kidding.”  Kevin turned to him and kept a stone face. His emotionless face was new. There was no sign of him refraining a smile. Even though Kevin was trying to keep a straight face as he reacted coldly to AJ, you could help but think how adorable he looked.

“Kevin! That’s so cute!” you squeaked before clasping your mouth harshly with your hands. Pure embarrassment filling every part of your body. It even caught a particular pigeon’s attention. The corners of his stern smile starting to move upwards. The attention the boys were giving was starting to overwhelm you.

“I’m starving! Let’s go eat somewhere!” you quickly tried to change the subject. Hopefully the male stomachs were feeling the same thing.

“Alright we’ll have the food out as soon.” The waitress smiled at your table as she takes the menus from all of you. The smile was obviously intended for the boys, the boys who could’ve cared less. All they wanted was their food and you just happened to be there.

Dongho, AJ, and Kevin stood up from their seats. “We’re going to go pick out a song.” Dongho explained as he scooted out of the booth. Kevin on the other hand seemed to be going somewhere else. “Bathroom.” He simply explained and dashed away.

So it was then that you were alone with a quiet Eli sitting next to you, who didn’t seem to feel as awkward as you did. Though lately you couldn’t tell what he was feeling. Not that you did before. Eli looked out the window as he rested his chin on his arm that was propped on the table. It was as if Eli was posing for a magazine. His chiseled chin tilting in the perfect and as the city lights accentuate his manly figures.

“Your hair is getting long.” You admired out loud. Eli turned to from the window to look at you while you tried to hide your face from pure embarrassment. “I mean I just noticed.” You paused as he continued to stare at you now. His eyes showed no sign of what he was thinking or at least you couldn’t tell. “Not that it’s a bad thing. I think it makes you look attractive. Not you didn’t look attractive before. Not at all. It’s just that…please tell me to shut up.” You finished as you looked down at your lap. You placed your clammy palms on your knees. Now that you had established your feelings for Eli with yourself, you seem to be more aware of what he does or what you say around him. Uneasiness overwhelms you when you’re close to him and overexcitement seems to run through your blood.

Eli’s stone face starts to crack as a smile creeps upon his face. Perhaps it was the fact that you called him physically appealing or maybe it was that he thought your fumble of words was cute, but in the end he’s decided that he just enjoys your particular presence acknowledging him as he tries to remove his pensive thoughts away. He nudged you gently with his free hand as he snorts at you. “You talk a lot crazy piggy.”

Your ears perked up as did your head after hearing the one voice you’ve been waiting to hear from for a while. Your cheeks felt as though they were about to jump out as you refrained from showing a senseless, uncanny smile. You nodded as you were at a loss for words.

“Why aren’t you replying to me?” he nudged again as you stared at him. Confused was definitely something that was reoccurring with you. It could’ve possibly be diagnosed for something. Perhaps a symptom that someone in love couldn’t clearly pick out.

“You’re one to talk.” You replied. Eli feeling somewhat offended looked away, but guilt was hitting him more than your words. He had run in Eunmi earlier. Just another of those conversations where she tries to remind Eli of the past and he rejects it as it’s one of his natural defensive mechanisms. Why would anyone want to remember heartbreak anyway? He sure didn’t.

“I’m sorry. There’s just a lot on my mind.” He muffled in the hand he had his chin on.

You entwined your hands on your lap as you stared at them once again. It seemed to distract you from the array of feelings you had. “Is it your girlfriend?” you blurted out. You mentally cursed yourself. Today was one of those days where you needed a filter.

Eli sighed softly. “Kind of.”

“Well I hope you two work out whatever is happening. I don’t like this new Eli. It’s no fun.” You replied honestly.

“I feel a lot better!” Kevin spoke loudly as he scooted across to the opposite side by the window. Not long after AJ and Dongho came back while they sang to  a song that satisfied both their needs. Dongho started bobbing his black locks while AJ nonchalantly rapped lyrics out.

Meanwhile the waitress came back with a tray full of food. She opened the stand and set the tray on top of it as she passed everyone their food. Not one of the boys paid attention to her failed attempts to flirt with them. You on the other hand seemed to notice how irritated she had become. “Enjoy your food.” She snorted while she stomped her way back into the kitchen.

“Oh thank you God for this meal!” Kevin prayed and attacked his food soon after.

The meal continued on pleasantly as everyone ate or swallowed their food. Every now and then Dongho would ask ‘Are you going to eat that?’ while you insisted you were since you were actually chewing your food unlike him. Eli also seemed to be enjoying his meal. It was a relief to see that he was indeed actually human.

“Slow down there little boy.” A familiar voice interrupted your pleasant family meal. Who else would interrupt nowadays, but Yoomi and Eunmi.

Eli started choking on his food and by instinct you started patting his back with your right arm as you reached for the water with your left. You handed him his water as you waited for him to calm down. Dongho on the other could’ve cared less. In fact he ignored her.

“Hey I’m talking to you.” Yoomi roared as shifted her wait onto one of her heels while resting her hand on her slim hips. Slim hips indeed for the fact that the black mini skirt shoved over her S- line more than it did yourself. Eunmi seemed to be the same way, but she dimmed down her outfit a little more to seem more mature and sophisticated as her pastel dress would let her. Her up do helped a little with the look as well. The rest of the girls seemed to be cheap clones compared to them. You wouldn’t even try to compare to them either as you weren’t too confident with the way you looked.

“Don’t you have anything better to do than stalk?” AJ asked, clearly annoyed at the presence of both women or one could say girls.

“Ahh Jaeseop, top student at our school is actually talking back to us.” Yoomi started, “Well no one was here to talk to you anyway.”

Dongho threw his chopsticks into his bowl. “Crazy, old, rude hag! Why are you even here? Shouldn’t you be looking for plastic surgeons to fix your ugly face?” he snapped.

Bewildered, Yoomi looked like she was about to break loose, but Eli interrupted her thoughts. “What do you want?”

“We were just having a girls night out when we decided to get something to eat.” Eunmi smiled innocently. Clearly hiding behind a mask of lies.

“We just happened to see our group of boys with the little .” Yoomi added. Her remarks seemed to get more vicious as your encounters continued.

Eli slammed his fist on the tabled while he looked at Yoomi with a frustrated look. “You’re one to talk.” He paused and looked at Eunmi. “Now what the hell do you want?”

Eunmi cockily walked to the side of the table and Dongho threw her a disgusted look as she hovered over the table. Her slim palms resting on the table itself to stabilize herself. “Well I was just wondering why you out with your friends on a Friday night, when you could be out with your so called ‘girlfriend’.” She whispered. The creases by making craters as she smirked in contentment.

Eli smirked back as he had already had a backup plan in hand. The only thing he wanted was for you to forgive for what he was about to do. Maybe it was because in a way he felt as though he was using you since was sure of himself that he wanted this. Fully unaware of the amount of adrenaline that was about to arise in the both of you, he continued on with it anyway. “Who said I wasn’t with her right now?” he whispered back to her. The words themselves sending shivers up your spine.

“Excuse me?” Eunmi asked defensively as she felt herself losing. The game was taking a complete turn as she tried to grab a hold of reality.

Eli wrapped an arm around your shoulder and pulled you close. The fast paced events were had for you to keep up with. Your head felt as though it was about to explode. “Are you deaf? I said, I’m with my girlfriend right now.” He replied with every word staccato. As he wanted Eunmi to understand that he was unavailable because Kim Eli was Kwon ______’s boyfriend.