Woohyun’s POV

The next morning, Infinite was waiting for Kasumi at our usual spot by the gate. Sungyeol and Sung Jong would not stop trying to make me blush by mentioning her name. The others didn’t tell them to stop because they were amused by how red my face could actually go when we heard a familiar bark.

“Botan!” Dongwoo gushed and kneeled down before the great, golden dog crashed into him, making him fly backward on his . “Oof!”

Kasumi smiled, shaking her head. “I think Botan had gotten bigger,” she said. She turned to me and blushed, but she was smiling.

I could feel my face going hot as well.

Just then Sungyeol ‘accidentally’ bumped into Kasumi, making her crash into me and he and Hoya gave a not-so-subtle high-five. When I glared at them, Hoya shrugged, “Oh, come on, don’t tell me you’re feeling shy around your girlfriend?” he taunted me, almost as if he was daring me to prove him wrong.

I wrapped my arms around her waist and pulled her close to me. “Why should I feel shy around my girlfriend?” I challenged.

“Then kiss her,” Dongwoo suggested, his eyes twinkling.

Kasumi bent her head low, blushing. I knew that she was feeling a bit uncomfortable since I was her first boyfriend.

“Hey, lay off my sister,” Myungsoo snapped.

“Yeah, don’t make any snide remarks in front of my granddaughter,” Sunggyu spoke up just as seriously but Myungsoo just facepalmed at him.

“What? I’m helping you!”

“Never mind,” Myungsoo muttered.

The first bell rang and we looked up. Then we nodded and scattered to our classroom. They let Kasumi and me to walk together to class. It felt nice to hold her hand as I walked her to class. Everyone was staring but I didn’t care.

Let them see that Nam Woohyun was taken by Tanaka Kasumi and that he was not going to change that status any time soon.

I could see the girls from Seven Heaven gaping at us. Lee Jungah looked furious. Seohyun was frowning, upset. The other girls gasped when they realized that Kasumi was my girlfriend and they began whispering amongst themselves.

Kasumi noticed them and glanced nervously at me.

I pulled her closer to me as we walked away from them. “Don’t worry,” I reassured her, “I am going to make sure none of those girls ever lay a hand on you. They’re not going to harm you. Don’t let it affect you.”

She nodded. “Neh . . .”

I looked at her. We had reached her classroom. Sung Jong was already inside, waiting for her. He beamed and waved. “Anyway,” I spoke up hesitantly. I scratched the back of my neck nervously, feeling the back of my ears going hot. “Do you want to go on a date with me? Like, after school? Tomorrow?”

“But don’t we have tutoring tomorrow?” she wanted to know.

I nodded. “I was thinking that maybe we can replace that some time,” I replied. “I mean, we should go on dates now that we’re together, right?”

Kasumi bit her bottom lip as if she was thinking. But then she nodded, smiling, liking the idea of it. “Sure,” she replied. “I don’t mind.” She gave me a brilliant smile. “I want to go on dates with you.”

That really made my day.

She squeezed my hand gently as I smiled down at her, breathing a sigh of relief. I really thought she might say no.

“That’s great,” I said, hugging her. “I’ll see you at lunch, then, okay?” I leaned down and kissed her cheeks.

She nodded. “Okay.”

“Have fun at class.”

“You too!”

Once the bell rang for lunch, I immediately shot out of my seat. I wanted to make sure I was there in the cafeteria before Kasumi was and I didn’t want her to wait for me, even if she would be with the others.

But just my luck, Seohyun just had to find me.

I should’ve guessed.

“Are you and Tanaka Kasumi together?” she wanted to know. She was frowning, as though she was disapproving our relationship.

“Yes,” I shot back without any hesitation. “And you better make sure Lee Jungah or any of your friends do anything to harm her because that would just lower my standards of you, Kim Seohyun,” I added seriously.

“Touch a hair on her head and you’re going to regret it,” Myungsoo protectively hissed at her, coming out from nowhere.

She jumped back, startled, but she must have gotten the hint because she nodded once very quickly and scampered off. She didn’t even once look back.

“Thanks,” I said to him.

Myungsoo patted me on the back. “I know that you will take care of her. But do know that the rest of us are still here to take care of her, too,” he reminded me. “She’s just like our little sister.”

I nodded. “I know.” We walked together to the cafeteria and I was dejected when I saw that Dongwoo and Sunggyu were already with her. I quickly bought my lunch and hurried over to join the three of them. By then, the other members were there already.

“What took you so long?” Sungyeol wanted to know.

Kasumi glanced at me. “It’s okay, Woohyun Oppa, I didn’t wait very long,” she reassured me, reaching out to take my hand. She smiled.

I leaned over and kissed her sweetly on the cheeks, making the boys go ‘awww’.

I gave them a stern look and Sung Jong snickered.

“So, what happened?” Sunggyu asked.

“Seohyun,” Myungsoo spoke up a little grudgingly. “Don’t worry, I think she got the hint,” he hastily added when everyone gasped.

I put my arms around Kasumi. “She’s not going to hurt you,” I promised her. “I’m not going to let her or the others hurt you.”

She smiled, resting her head on my shoulder. “I know,” she replied softly. “I trust you, Oppa. I trust all of you.” She kissed my cheeks.

I lost all appetite to eat now.

I was walking down the hall with Kasumi after school the next day because we were going to go on our very first date. I scanned around at the surroundings. The hallway was almost deserted as the students had already left school for home. She was holding books when she accidentally bumped into me.

Playfully, I bumped her back, making her laugh that she almost dropped the books. “Oppa, don’t do that!” she exclaimed.

“Do what?” I asked cheekily.

She shook my head. “You cheek,” she remarked fondly. She struggled to organize her books now that she had nearly dropped them.

I smiled, shaking my head. There was no way she could carry all of those books by herself. Why else am I there with her for, then?  “Hey, here, let me help you with your books,” I said, offering my hands.

Kasumi gave me some and we walked to her locker. She opened her locker and I gave her books back to her one-by-one as she put the books she didn’t need inside her locker before she closed it up.

Then she turned to me and smiled.

“You ready?” I asked her.

She nodded.

I smiled, taking her hand. “Let’s go,” I said.

Kasumi smiled, interlacing her fingers with him and we walked out to the nearest movie theatre. Once we reached there, she glanced over at me and asked, “What movie are we going to watch, Oppa?”

“Are you up to a musical?” I asked her.

Her eyes lit up when I mentioned the word ‘musical’. “You’re taking me to watch Les Miserables?” she asked.

I nodded, knowing she would be happy. “I’m not a big fan of musicals, but I know that you’ve wanted to watch it for a long time ever since the trailer came out,” I told her. I held up two tickets. “So I went ahead to the cinema yesterday after school, got bookings . . . for two seats on the best row.”

Kasumi gasped, her eyes widening. She hugged her tightly. “Thank you so much, Woohyun Oppa!” she squealed.

I laughed. “Let me buy the popcorn and drinks, okay?” I said as the two of us began to make our way to the cinema hall.

She nodded, too happy to speak. I smiled. I love it when she is happy. Kasumi was a normally very shy and quiet girl that I was never sure what she was thinking about, until something made her happy and then suddenly s