The sunlight showering from the bedroom window makes the sleeping girl squint at the sudden brightness when opening her eyes and she groans when the alarm beside her shrills against her ears. Miyoung rubs her eyes in morning grogginess and slumps her way out of bed. She slams the alarm clock to stop. Her hair’s tangled all over the place, and the way she pouts her lips makes it more than clear that she’s tired. What can you say? It’s final’s week.

The fair girl finishes her morning preparations and lugs herself downstairs to the living room table. Her nose tingles from the strong smell of bacon and juice, and she holds her stomach from growling. She her lips at the sight of her breakfast on the table and immediately digs her utensils into the plate of food. As usual, her brother’s in the kitchen making their lunches and Miyoung glances at the letter on the countertop. Their parents were never the types to care.

"Thanks for the breakfast." She checks the time and quickly swallows down the last of the glass of juice. "We should get going or we’ll be late. Sungyeol, are you listening?"

Miyoung watches her older brother continue on making their sandwiches. What‘s going on? He’s staring at the wall in front of him, but the appearance of it all is so lifeless.

That is of course until she sees him jumping up and down. "Cha-ching! And that’s why it equals q minus x!" His eyes are bright with enthusiasm and he tilts his head at Miyoung. She’s giving him her infamous ‘what the ’ glare. "What? I was practicing for my math final today!"

　

The academy they’re enrolled in is one of the largest foundations in their country. Solely goal to the head board is for this school to uphold its’ prestigious title, and that’s by only accepting students that are the best of the best. As the two of them enter the front gates, their eyes take in the high buildings built in white and silver. They walk between the floral dividers, flourished with whitest roses and bushes of their school’s signature mascot, a white bell. The entire academy’s uniforms carry a pin of one just like it, probably just a sign of how conceited the principal is. The place is deserted of people and the siblings groan realizing they’re late. The two of them wave their good-byes and split.

Mr. Hung’s in front of the classroom carrying that same old expression as any other of his oh so intense lectures, and Miyoung awkwardly smiles and seats herself at her desk. The bald teacher doesn’t bother asking her why she’s late, since she does this everyday. A few classmates shoot grins at Miyoung and she puts her hands up in defense.

Mr. Hung fakes a cough to get everyone’s attention again. "Okay class, I’m going to pass out your worksheet assignments. Do these in class and whatever’s left over, do it for homework." Immediately after he passes all the papers, the pesky teacher engulfs himself in his computer desk screen and the students begin talking.

Soomi, the girl with the ponytail that sits in front of Miyoung, turns around and giggles. "Working hard huh?" The perky girl frowns when seeing her best friend actually doing the homework and she shakes her head. "Miyoung, you gotta give yourself a break! You’re smart enough for pete’s sake."

Miyoung sighs in relent and stops writing. "I’d rather finish it and get it over with then have to do it when I get back home—"

The two of them shoot their heads up at the group of boys sitting nearby them. A voice, one exploding with a conceited and mocking tone, laughs. "Little Miss ‘Know It All’, showing off?" Soomi can’t deny how y he sounds.

Miyoung stares at the way his hair’s tousled in the perfect places, how his uniform’s ed to reveal his black wife-beater, especially the infamous smirk on his face that sends girls falling. She hates how she can’t find the words to talk back to him, and a blush on her cheeks makes her turn her head the other way. God’s sake, can the dude be any more of a badass?

Fortunately, the embarrassed girl has her friend by her side. "Oh yeah? How about Mr. ‘I’m y and I know It’ puts his big mouth up his—"Miyoung quickly covers Soomi’s mouth before something bad happens.

"Nam Woohyun." The dark haired boy rolls his eyes and goes back to work at the sound of Mr. Hung’s warning.

Woohyun shoots a glare at Soomi. "You’re lucky your friend was here to stop you."

　

The morning chilliness no longer lingers in the air, and all the students scatter around the school premises as the bell had rung marking lunch. Miyoung and Soomi dash out of their class and snicker in content of what had just happened. They walk to their regular spots and smile at all their other friends already there.

"I swear, you and hot-shot are like a match made from heaven." Miyoung punches her friend in playfulness. The remark surprises everyone, and all their friends widen their eyes.

Minji, an adorable freshman with daring bright red highlights, says what’s on every one else’s mind. "Spill!"

Under Soomi’s overconfidence, Miyoung searches around if the guy they’re about to talk about is anywhere near plain sight, and she tells them the whole incident. By then Sungyeol had gotten out of his class, and as much as he wants to complain about the final he had just taken, sees that his sister’s rambling on again, and nobody can interrupt her when’s she’s in the middle of telling her stories. Slowly like everyone else around him, they all awe in amazement at Soomi’s brave act.

"Where was this again?" At the sound of her older brother, Miyoung breaks from her serious mode and runs to hug him.

"Oh you heard what I was saying? It was during our acting period, but anyway! How did your final go?" Her wonderment makes Sungyeol excited even for himself, and he messes up her hair in laughter.

"You totally got your chattiness from me."

A sudden whiff of perfume makes Miyoung sneeze and she glances left to right to find where that horrid fragrance is coming from. Soomi catches what Miyoung’s looking for and points to the table right of them. There next to them is a cliché of dance undergraduates, the ones who think they’re oh so cool. Of course, in the crowd of all that, is the two who rules the posse. Hoya and Dongwoo.

Miyoung observes the light haired one with a gigantic smile plastered in his face. She smiles finding it very contagious. The other one, probably hot headed at least, has a hand stuck to a girl’s shoulder appareling a, if Miyoung must say, very tight dress. He grins in agreement with whatever the red headed girl in front of him is saying and it’s more than obvious that he doesn’t even bother listening to her.

"Obnoxious, aren’t they?" Baerim nudges Miyoung in distaste when she catches Hoya touching the red headed girl’s like there’s no tomorrow.

Miyoung snaps out from blanking out a moment ago and sighs. "I have to admit though. Those two dudes are perfect for one another."

"Oh yeah, Miyoung. Because laughing stocks and maniacs were meant to be best friends." The sarcasm in Baerim’s voice is outstanding.

Before Miyoung can say something to rebel, the bell rings and everyone packs up to head to their next class. "We have to go, but let me just say that you know they have a nickname?"

"A nickname? For the two of them?"

"Yeah, we call them YaDong. Cute, huh?"

Baerim scrunches up her nose in dissatisfaction, but Miyoung takes it as victory. "I guess so.

The two of them head to their Performing Arts period, and as always, gossip their way there. It’s been like this practically since middle school. Perhaps it was by chance or fate, but the two best friends have always had the same classes together. It isn’t strange if you see them together everywhere; their friendship is unbreakable.

Unfortunately, the students in this class don’t get the liberty to goof off as before, and they groan in tiredness when the all-mighty teacher, Mr. Limn comes in. His funky dance tights as he always worn since the beginning of school, still makes everyone laugh but the serious expression on his face stiffs everyone to not even squeak a sound. His hair’s tied into a small bun and you can tell that he’s very young for a teacher.

"Alright class. Get into your numbers." At the instruction, everyone stands next to his or her partners and wait relentlessly of how awkward it is.

The room’s just one big dance studio, and the wall in front of them is a gigantic mirror, as of any dance studio. However what any other regular student dislikes about this room, is to the relish of any dancer. The wooden floors, the spotlights on the ceiling, the wall mirror, and the emptiness. They all breathe in the smell of anxiousness to dance, despite being tired or not.

Mr. Limn acquaints everyone to stretch with their partners and Miyoung smiles at how polished everyone’s come to be. She glances at her partner who already has his hand reached out for her and embarrassingly laughs. "Sorry, blanked out a bit."

His chuckle makes goose bumps creep up her upper arms and Miyoung bites her tongue. The sound of golden bells chiming together, to avail to everyone of how beautiful angels and heaven really is. His hair’s gleaming at the ceiling lights directly hitting on him, and it makes his hair lighter than the brown it always is. His eyes, Miyoung admits not the biggest or brightest, holds a softness that makes her knees weak.

She’s had a crush on him since her freshman year of coming into this academy, and even though it’s obvious he thinks nothing of her but a dance partner, her heart doesn’t agree. The girl’s got it hard. They stretch out one another and once in a while, Miyoung twirls under his arms. Then as always, Mr. Limn calls their names.

"Sunggyu and Miyoung, please come up here." Unluckily, they were given the bad luck of being the "example" partners. The ones that always have to demonstrate in front of the class what to do, since they’re supposedly fantastic. "Show everyone the count we just learned yesterday."

The two of them go up in front of the classroom, both nodding awkwardly, and positioning themselves to the count. Mr. Limn starts the music and Miyoung immediately twirls into Sunggyu’s arms and gets lifted off the ground. They sync one another with the choreographed moves, and an extremely tense five minutes go by before they finish. Sunggyu waits for the teacher’s confirmation before putting Miyoung down, and the other students’ intent stares makes Miyoung clear with a cough. Baerim, much to everybody’s relief, begins the applause and they all follow after. "Alright, does everyone have an idea of how this is supposed to be done?"

The crowd is still at awe, but they nod their heads in determination. Mr. Limn smiles at his newfound interest and looks at the head partners. "You know. I might keep you guys together for a while. You two work well with one another." Sunggyu has no idea of the euphoria jumping in Miyoung right now.

　

The sky’s appraised brighter by the afternoon, and second period had now ended. The ruckus of students fills the entire campus with noise, and the wind blowing against everybody’s face makes it all the better. Baerim squiggles her eyebrows knowing what Miyoung must be exploding with happiness and she rolls her eyes. "Geez, you got it bad don’t you?"

Miyoung stops walking and covers before she gives herself the chance to scream her guts out. She calms herself down and struggles to keep her damn smile from bursting. "Did you hear what Mr. Limn said? We are perfect for one another."

"Maybe." Baerim whistles a little bit and breaks a grin. "In your dreams!"

The two of them chase one another into their next session.

It’s their literature period, which means brain-numbing lectures from their incompetently anti-social teacher, Ms. Park. As usual, the poor lady stares at her feet in putrid shyness to tell the noisy students to quiet down, and occasionally looks up once in while to see how the class is doing. Miyoung wonders how the school could’ve possibly hired Ms. Park, knowing that she can barely peep a sound without stuttering.

"Ms. Park, are we just gunna work on our project today?" A girl with a black beanie suggests, with great relief to Ms. Park’s share.

"Y-Yes! Thank you Sora."

Everyone sits back to their coordinated seats and begins taking out their supplies and posters. Miyoung exhales out a sigh seeing how much Sungjong and her still have to do. She glances at the boy, a year younger than she is, sitting next to her and smiles. There’s that adorable smile that never leaves his face, his hair messy but neat, the way his eyes itself gleam with innocence, makes her envious. She wonders if she had ever been as pure as he is.

"I can’t believe it’s Friday! The project’s gunna be due right on the day we come back!"

Sungjong nods his head in defeat. "At least we did some stuff so far."

Miyoung blows a raspberry and points at the blank poster in front of them. "What stuff? We didn’t even write anything yet!" She frowns. "It’s both our faults. We were talking the entire time."

"It’s not our faults we find so many things to talk about." His voice oozes with a feeling that’d make you want to pinch his cheeks.

"Tell me about it. Alright, I guess we better get started." The new idea is unfamiliar to them and it makes the two sulk.

Sungjong’s eyes brighten when he’s brainstormed something up. "Maybe we can just finish—or start—the project at my house on the weekend?"

Miyoung ponders at this idea and laughs. "And I guess since we’re gunna start at your house, we might as well just talk for the rest of the period."

The small boy shrugs innocently. "I don’t see why not."

　

"It’s cold, I’m cold, we’re cold. Let’s go!" Baerim drags. The red haired girl tugs Miyoung’s arm, meaning that she’s very desperate to go home and sleep her off.

"I just realized!" Miyoung checks the time and groans. "I have to wait for my brother at the library. He’s staying after school for some tutoring or whatever and he wants me to wait for him."

Baerim rolls her eyes. "So?"

A chuckle escapes Miyoung’s mouth. "So that means I have to stay at the library and wait for him. You go ahead first. I’ll stop by your house when I’m going back."

"Alright, don’t get ya here?"

"Geez, you don’t have to tell me twice. Alright then, see you later!" The two hug their goodbye and Miyoung huffs before heading to the library.

It’s a little bit dark now, and Miyoung gets out her coat packed inside her backpack and walks herself to the school library. She checks her watch and figures that Sungyeol’ll probably get out of tutoring in about an hour. This is the time of the day where her brain’s all tired out from studying and it’s the point where all she really wants to do is lie on her bed.

Warmth envelops her as she enters the library and she looks around the room to find that all the seats are taken. She walks around the study room and frowns when there’s no space for her to stay and finally makes the decision to walk around in hopes to find a good book. But with all the studying, it’s doubtful she’ll be able to read the book anyway.

The first thing she does is go to the mystery section, a habit she’s gotten use to since elementary. A book, titled ‘The Mystery of the Stolen Kiss’ captures her attention and she tip toes to try to grab the book all the way in the highest shelf. She searches around for a stool, but there’s no need when an arm reaches above to grab it for her. Miyoung turns her head to thank the person when she widens her eyes to find who it is.

"Thanks…Myungsoo." Miyoung bites her tongue and takes the book from his hands.

Their eyes stay at one another’s for a while, and Miyoung tilts her head wondering why he’s helping her. He’s always been so mysterious—scary even with that face of his.

However the beautiful boy doesn’t give enough time to start a conversation when he turns around and walks away.

Miyoung shrugs in tiredness to not even give that little moment a bother and continue on scavenging for a chair now that she’s got a book. An empty seat, slightly farther than all the others, is awkwardly placed there without any desk or table. She wonders if it’d be weird just sitting like that all alone, and decides that it’s better to sit than stand right now. The fair girl dumps her backpack on the floor and sits on the chair. A sigh exhales out of and she smiles in relief that her legs don’t have to be so sore anymore.

A few minutes go by before Miyoung flips the mystery book open, and smoothes out the white pages that are surprisingly in brand condition. Her eyes read the first three pages and a bunch of scenarios pop up in her mind. Miyoung ponders what would happen if she was the main character in the book. Sooner than later, the fatigue gets the best over her and she finds herself staying away from the words. The desire to close her eyes is difficult to control and it’s predictable when the drained girl flutters her eyes shut.

Miyoung’s mind tells herself to stay awake and yet here she is dozing off from reality. She guesses that maybe she’s too tired to sleep, but too tired to stay awake. Her ears slowly take in footsteps, light and quick, approaching her, but she can’t open her eyes. She’s still too tired. When the taps stop, Miyoung guesses that the person’s now in front of her. The tip of her nose tickles feeling the warm breath of someone else, and that’s when it happens. A sudden love breaches onto her lips and Miyoung can’t tell what’s making her so warm. The touch is soft and addicting.

Then the warmth suddenly breaks and she frowns. The sound of that same familiar footstep now sounds further and further away from her. A minute later, Miyoung squints her eyes and recollects herself. She flashes back to what had just happened and her fingers immediately brush her lips. Miyoung quickly looks at her surroundings and gasps when there’s no one around.

 

Someone had stolen her first kiss.