Ji Young's perspective

Sungyeol looked at me as if I were a target, and he wanted to shoot me on the bullseye with his eyes. I suddenly felt my happiness gauge level down. "Hello," I spoke after some silence as I bowed. I refused to look at him while he looked at me.

After some more silence, my mother spoke up. "Well, you kids go upstairs. We have some bonding to do. Isn't that right?" She squealed with joy as she reunited with her friend. The mother looked at us and smiled. I gave her a small smile in return as I walked up the stairs.

Sungyeol stayed down at the front of the stairs. It looked like he was hesitant to come up with me.

"Hey, Sungyeol?" I called.

"Yeah?" he replied, biting his lip while his left hand was near them.

"Aren't you coming upstairs?"

"Oh, right," he muttered, slowly following me up.

I stopped at the end of the stairs, suddenly not knowing where to go. I can't go into the washroom with him, that's weird. And I can't go into Umma's and Appa's room... I thought to myself. Darn, I guess we have to go into my room?

"Is there something wrong?" he asked, looking at me with a straight face. I realize now that he is a bit taller than me. My head only reaching up to nose.

"No, everything's fine," I assured him, pointing at my room. "This way."

I opened the door that led to my room and stepped aside to let him in. "Come in," I said.

He took a step forward, trying not to step on the things that were lying around on the ground. Behind him, I quickly picked the up pencils and clothing lying on the floor and placed them back where they belonged. I motioned him to sit on my swivel chair as I sat down on my bed. 

"So," I started. "What school do you attend?"

"You don't really need to know," he spat, with cold eyes glaring out at my window. I immediately sat up even straighter than I did before. How could such kind parents, give birth to someone so rude? 

"Um, s-so..." I tried again, lacking the confidence I had before. "What are your hob-"

I got cut off by him.

"Tell me about yourself," he asked- no, commanded, challenging me with dare devil eyes. 

"Um, pardon?" I said, making sure I wasn't hearing things.

"I asked you to tell me about yourself," he demanded once again, this time sterner but still soft. He leaned in, arms on my desk, the sunlight from my window shining down on his perfect black hair. He folded his hands together and put them to his lips.

"W-Well, what would you like to know?" I asked, stuttering more than I should have. 

After a lot of basic questions, he started to get personal. "Do you like anyone?" he questioned.

"This is rather personal, don't you think?" I snapped, not wanting to answer his question.

"So you do like someone?" he commented, smiling, slightly tilting his head. I found it rather cute.

"No, I don't. I never have," I shot back.

"Then..." he trailed off, not finishing his sentence. I patiently waited for him to continue on.

"May I be the first?" he concluded, smirking.

"Excuse me?" I end up falling off my bed from leaning in too much, embarrassing myself from getting too curious. Sungyeol laughs loudly as I lift my head up, brushing my bangs out of my way. He holds out a hand for me, but I slap it away from me. Instead of it flying across the room or retreating back, he holds onto my hand with his and lifts me up to a standing position.

"Um, so, I think we've had enough questions about me. How about some questions on you?" I say a little too quickly, trying to let go of his grip. He lets go of my hand, his smile quickly faltering to a frown. "No thanks." he rejects my offer.

"Why not?" I ask, thinking it's unfair that he asks so many questions about me and then does this embarrassing thing, without letting me ask him a few. 

"Just because." he says. He had that tone in his voice that told me he didn't want to talk anymore, so I stayed silent. I sat down at the end of my bed and watched him look around my room. I watched him squint at the text on my certificates I won, and at the baby photos of me. 

"Are you an only child?" He asked, while looking at a photo of me and my parents at the beach. 

"Yes, how about you?" I replied, looking at him while he is distracted.

He nodded his head, still looking at my photos. 

Chamchi walked in the room and beside me. "Hi Chamchi," I said, petting her head. Sungyeol watched me as Chamchi got comfortable and started to sleep. From the corner of my eye, I can see his tense shoulders start to relax. He coughed and cleared his throat.

"Oh, do you need anything to drink?" I asked, always worrying even over the slightest things.

He smiled at how quickly I responded to his actions and I blushed. "Well, I'm going to get some. Do you want anything?"

"Yeah, water." he said. "Come back quickly."

I nodded as I started walking to the door, wondering why he said that.

--

By the time I get back with two bottles of water in my hands, mother tells me it's time for them to leave. 

"Don't worry sweetie, we'll come back soon!" said Sungyeol's mother, who had beautiful black hair, similar to his. 

I place the bottles on our dinner table and bow to his parents. "It was nice meeting you," I smile at them. 

"You too, dear," they reply. They step outside the door first and walk down the stone pathway to their car. 

"Come back soon!" my mother shouts, as if she was sending them off with a tissue in her hand. I roll my eyes at her exaggeration and look up at Sungyeol, who was still coming down the stairs. 

"You didn't come back at all," Sungyeol pouted. I sighed at his comment and gave him the bottle of water, which he gratefully took. 

"See you later," he said, putting his shoes on quickly and walking to the car. He went so quickly that I didn't even have the chance to say goodbye.

"Ji Young, did you talk with him? What did he say?" my mother assumed something had clicked while we were in my room, but I assured her nothing happened. "Nothing happened, Umma." 

"Don't be like that. Anyways, I have some more news to tell you," she announced. The living room was unusually dim. We both sat down on the longer floral couch. 

"What is it?" I said, curious about what my mother was giggling about this time.

"I have another family friend, and they said their child is going to be attending Seoul High School of the Arts also. So, I want you to meet up with them and guide them through the school, since it will be their first day."

She looked at my reaction, but I stayed still. "That's fine," I replied.

"Really? That's good," mother sighed in relief. She handed me a piece of paper. "This is the location they said they are going to wait for you at. So don't think about ditching." And with that being said, she shuffled away, almost skipping her way to her room. I sighed and shook my head, wanting to meet up with Hana to talk about Mr. Too-Cool-For-You. 

--

My back was leaning against a huge tree, my fingers tracing the letters on the piece of paper my mother gave me. "Location: Near the big oak tree in the middle of second school entrance." I look back up and adjusted my bag a bit. I squinted and looked around. So many students, and there were no signs of anyone coming this way. If anything, it was more like they're going the opposite direction.

And there was no sign of Hana.

I frowned and just tightened my hold on the paper in my hand. I started humming a tune and reached into my bag, grabbing a bun and biting chunks of it, since I hadn't eaten anything. Minutes later, I heard a shuffling noise behind me. 

"Excuse me?" Someone asks, tapping on my shoulder.

The person sounded masculine and familar. I turned around to see a boy's chest and a tie, and I look up. 

Oh man, it's him, I thought.

There I am, face to face with his hand on my shoulder and my mouth filled with a bun. Face to face with the person I thought I'd never see again.