That one particular question kept on racing inside my head as I headed upstairs at the Performing Arts department. My heart finally slowed down but my hands were still a bit clammy when I reached the dance studio. Several students from different departments were already gathered inside and I spotted Min Jee among them. She smiled and waved at me when she saw me by the doorway and then she beckoned to the empty seat beside her.

I forced a smile as I walked across the room and sit beside her.

“You okay?” Min Jee asked, frowning at me a little. “You look a little pale.”

I turned to look at her and patted my cheeks. “I’m fine.” I assured her and forcing another smile.

Min Jee regarded me with a look and then she smiled at me and titled her head towards the dance floor as dance students started to gather around. “They’re going to start.” she said excitedly.

As the open practice started, I try to focus myself to the performers. The dance students started showing off their individual skills in dancing, each of them showcased different and impressive moves but only one person managed to caught my entire attention.

Jongin was wearing a cap, a shirt and sweatpants yet he still looked very handsome. Some of the girls sitting beside me sighed in amazement when he stepped into the dance floor. He fixed his cap, turned his back to us and then the music started.

I can’t read your mind…

He moved so lithely, so effortlessly as though he was just breathing. I find myself wondering how on earth he could move his body like that. Everyone in the dance studio was so fascinated, some mouths agape in awe in his dancing. The thing about Jongin was that he doesn’t just use his body when he’s dancing, just like now, he included his cap in his routine as if it’s part of his body. Furthermore, he uses the entire dance floor, he doesn’t just stay in one spot and his face was full of emotion, his gaze alluring every audience. And I find myself blushing like an idiot.

After his dance, he bowed his head and smiled shyly at the audience as if the boy dancing just awhile ago was a complete stranger. He walked to the side of the dance floor where other dance students are gathering and then he turned to someone sitting on the bench. He laughed with her and my heart sank a little when I noticed it was Yu Jin. Jongin sat beside her as they continued to talk.

“He’ll never stick with you and you know that very well. Dae Hyun’s voice rang inside my head. …maybe he would for a couple of days or weeks or months. But not long enough. And no one would.

“Min Jee.” I croaked, gently tapping Min Jee’s shoulder. “I just remembered I need to do something…” I said as I get on my feet. “I’ll see you later, ‘kay?”

Min Jee opened to say something but I turned my back on her already and walked out of the dance studio without another word.

I spent the next couple of minutes before my last period sulking in my desk at the newspaper office. I also acted like that during my last period, my head wandering in and out. I knew I should do better than to listen to Dae Hyun but I can’t help it. I know deep down he was right.

I don’t even know why Jongin suddenly likes me. We only had our first conversation several weeks ago, I thought glumly as I twirl my pen on my desk, ignoring my teacher scolding one of my classmates when she caught him mimicking her when she was writing something on the board. After the last bell of the day, I made a beeline to my locker, eager to end the day and maybe go to Spines and work for a while to ease up my mind a bit—

I was jolted out of my thoughts when someone tapped my shoulder. I looked beside me and found a pair of beautiful dark eyes staring at me.

“Hey,” Jongin said, his face broke into a smile instantly. “I’ve been running after you since you came out of your classroom but you didn’t seem to hear me.”

“Oh.” I said a little awkwardly, my head was still a bit fuzzy from all the thinking. “Sorry. I was just…thinking.”

“I was looking for you after the open practice.” Jongin said, “But Min Jee said you left just after my performance. Was my performance that bad to you?” he asked me, grinning a little.

And he did managed to make me smile, too. “Yeah, it was so bad I had to throw up outside.” I sa