Chapter 1 - Rumour Has It

They were young when they first met.

She didn't take much notice to him in the beginning. He was just another empty face; another fish in the ocean she'd been thrown into helplessly. That "ocean" was kindergarten- and boy, was she terrified. Almost crying over the Snow White stickers in her exercise book because she wasn't sure they were allowed, she passed through the first few years of primary school hidden. A tiny fish, hiding inside a small cave in the ocean. It was a miracle he even noticed her... it was a shame she didn't realise it.

Hearing it from acquaintances made her feel somewhat uncomfortable. "Jinki likes you," they would tease. Jinki? Which one was that? Who were they? She'd never spoken to them before. That was why every time they would ask whether she felt the same way, she would respond with a simple "no." But they were children, and children never gave up that easily; It got to the point where she was being asked constantly, on an hourly basis, by at least five different people. She was beginning to hate Jinki before she'd even met him.

"Taeyeon-ah," called her best friend at the time. They grew apart as the years passed by, but every time they'd happen to cross paths, they couldn't help but smile warmly. Thanks for making my childhood great.

"Lee Sunkyu. If you ask me about Jinki, I swear--"

"So you do like him!" She clasped her hands together as her eyes widened with hopeful excitement. "Hey, and didn't I tell you to call me Sunny?"

"Do not!" Taeyeon crossed her arms. "Everyone's being so annoying. I don't even know the guy."

Sunny leaned in and lowered her voice to a gossiping whisper. "Is he annoying? Do you hate him or do you like him? You can't say neither!"

Taeyeon's eyebrows furrowed. She couldn't hate someone she didn't even know, but at the same time... there was no way she liked him. She didn't want to risk her words getting twisted. "Fine. I hate him."

Linking their arms together, Sunny giggled and skipped towards where she left her schoolbag. "Do you think he's gross? Does he pick his nose? I bet he does!"

"Aish..." Taeyeon muttered and hurriedly tried to hush her friend. "Yeah, yeah, yeah. You're too loud! I don't want everyone to hear."

"Why? Because you secretly like him?" she teased, giving Taeyeon's stomach a quick poke before running into their classroom.

"YAH, LEE SUNKYU!"