Everything was fine when Jordan, Amelia, Maddie, and I arrived at the soccer field that Saturday for the game.  We got there an hour early, before some of the players even.  We just knew it was going to be crowded.

          And we were right.

          By the time, the game started, people were sitting around the bleachers when there we no seats left.  Some where even sitting on the side lines.  Our school had twice, if not three times, as many fans as the opposing team.  Which, understandably, made the other team a little upset.

          I’m sure our team killing them 5-0 didn’t help their moods any either.

          After the excitement died down, which took about 45 minutes longer than had it been any other game, the crowd eventually thinned out.  I knew it must have made the guys feel good when people came up to them to either congratulate them or wish them luck in the future.  I couldn’t help but feel arrogantly proud of them.

          Our entire group was still on the field at the bleachers, once almost everyone had left, just hanging out.  Minding our own business when a group of four guys and a couple of girls came up to us.

          The tallest of the boys eyed us girls and scoffed.  Turning his eyes on the guys, he said in Korean, “It’s a good thing you guys are going to be kpoppers.  You wouldn’t have much of a future in soccer.”

          “Tough words coming from the guys who just had their asses handed to them,” I blurted out in Korean before anyone else could speak.

          Our side laughed lightly.

          Oh yeah, these white girls, we speak Korean.  What do you have to say about that, punk?  One of the Korean girls with the other boys rolled her eyes at me.  No.  No, she did not just give me attitude.

          “Guys, it was just a game.  Go home,” Yu Kwon said.

          “Besides, we won’t be playing anymore, so maybe next time you’ll have a shot at winning,” Ji Ho said smugly.

          “Or at least scoring,” Min Hyuck added under his breath.

          “What was that?” a second boy from the other side hissed, stepping up.

          Min Hyuck stood followed by Ji Ho.  The first boy got in Ji Ho’s face.

          “You have something to say now, too?” the first boy asked.

          Chest to chest, I swear I could see the lightening bolts shooting out of each boy’s eyes.

          “Guys, guys, chill,” Jordan said calmly as she bolted up from her seat and put her hands on Ji Ho’s hips, standing behind him.  “Let’s just go.  You guys were going to buy us food, remember?”

          The first boy scoffed again and eyed Jordan up and down.  Let him take a shot at her.  Just let him.

          “Odd taste in girls, Goalie,” the boy said to Ji Ho.  Jordan kept her hands on Ji Ho to keep him from lunging at the guy, but I saw her wince a little.  Why she would let that loser get to her is beyond me.  She’s a cute girl.  So she wears baggy clothes and likes to steal some from Ji Ho.  In a month, after these guys make it huge, every girl in Korea is going to want to steal articles of clothing from these guys.

          Still, I know she’s self conscious sometimes.

          “Ji Ho, don’t, it’s ok,” she assured him.  His body was still tense.

          “Yeah, listen to your girl,” the second boy piped up, voice laced with mock sincerity.  “That’s cute that she needs to tell you what to do or not do.”

          The rest of our guys began to stand, but I was faster.

          Bouncing up, I stood between Yu Kwon and Ji Ho.

          “Seriously, dude?” I sneered, staring at the second boy.  “Take your posse and your two cent, wanna be groupies and get lost.  We weren’t bothering you.  I’m sorry you’re jealous that you’re just a half-assed high school jock, but I’m sure something better will come along one day.”  I batted my eyes sympathetically at them.

          I could hear my friends stifle their laughter.

          “Whose girl are you?  I kind of feel sorry for him,” the first guy retorted.

          Yu Kwon, not taking his eyes off the other team’s guys, draped an arm over my shoulders and said nothing.

          That first guy laughed and said, “Oh ok that makes sense.  Since she acts more like a guy than you,” he pointed to Yu Kwon, “And you look more like a girl than she does, you guys are perfect together.”

          No he didn’t.

          Yu Kwon pulled his arm away from me, but I caught him before he could move.  Ji Ho’s body stiffened even more.  I saw our other guys inching closer.

          The girl standing next to the first guy suddenly burst out laughing, her little school girl laugh filling the air between both groups.

          “How embarrassing, the rookie idol can’t get a Korean girl, so he goes for some imported white trash,” she giggled.

          So I punched her.  Right in the eye.

          I hadn’t even realized I did it until the pain seared white hot through my entire arm.  Chaos crackled between the groups.  The other side huddled around the girl who was now screeching and clutching at her eye.  My friends crowded around me while I fell to the ground, cradling my limp hand close to my chest.  Funny.  Punching people never looks like it hurts this much in the movies.

          Yu Kwon was the first one to rush forward, ready to go chest to chest with a guy from the other side.  He would have knocked someone out too had a booming voice not exploded from the other side of the field, closer to the school.

         “You kids get off this field right now!”  It was our school’s coach.  “I don’t want any trouble.  Don’t make me bring you in here!”

          The other team scattered.  That girl could haul even in kitten heels and still covering her eye with one hand.

          That was easy.  Why didn’t he say something, oh I don’t know, three minutes ago?  Maybe before I used that chick’s face to destroy my hand?

          We hurried off the field and around the other side of the school.  Far from anyone.  I half expected to see the coach follow us to see who we were, but thankfully, the area remained empty.

          Yu Kwon held my hand in one of his and gently ran his fingers over my now slightly swollen knuckles.

          “I’m sorry your hand hurts, Beki, but you are awesome!” Ji Hoon laughed loudly. 

          “No lie, girl.  I thought you were just going to cuss him out, but that was pretty awesome,” Kyung added.

          The guys, aside from Yu Kwon, continued to gush about how cool that was.  Laughing and talking excitedly.  I was glad they were happy, but my hand was throbbing.

          “Um, Beki, your hand is turning a little purple,” Maddie told me quietly.

          “Are you ok?” Amelia asked me, eyes wide.

          “Ow!  Ow!  Ow!  You think that ’s hard face broke my hand?” I moaned painfully.

          Jordan covered , but I could tell she was trying not to laugh.  “Beki,” she sighed.  “We were over there trying to keep the boys from knocking each other out.”

          “I know, but…owie,” I groaned.  I looked up at Yu Kwon with tears in my eyes.  My fingers were shaking.  “You think it’s broken?”

          He shrugged and continued to lightly touch the back of my hand.  “I have no idea.  It did kind of make a crunching sound when you hit her.”

          “Let me see,” Tae Il requested, stepping up to me.  Yu Kwon easily slid my hand out of his palm and into Tae Il’s.  “My brother used to get into fights all the time when he was in high school.  He had his hand broken before,” he explained.  He gave me an apologetic look before putting pressure on my fingers.  “Does that hurt?”

          “Not yet,” I answered.

          He continued moving his fingers up my own fingers.  When he added some light pressure to the knuckles in my hand, I screamed and punched Tae Il in the arm with my good hand.

          “Sorry,” he laughed.  “I don’t know, but I don’t think it’s broken.  It doesn’t feel like how my brother’s hand felt when his was busted.”

          “We’ll get some ice.  Maybe when the swelling goes down, we can tell better by looking,” Kyung suggested.

          “Yeah, but if we can’t or we think it’s broken, you’re going to a doctor,” Yu Kwon told me.

          The others agreed.  Tae Il passed my hand back to Yu Kwon.

          “No, I-”  I saw Yu Kwon’s jaw clench.  “Ok, I’ll go.”

          “Let’s go then,” Ji Ho piped up, breaking the tension.

          I hoped, by the time I got home, my dad would still be at work.  He’s going to yell at me for getting into a ‘scuffle’ – as he likes to call them – again.  At least my mom is a bit more understanding when it comes to me doing stuff like this, actually, she kind of has to be. 

          She’s the one I get this temper from.

          I was worried that girl would find out who I was and send her huge older brother or something to beat me up, but I never saw that girl or her stupid friends again.

          Block b finally debuted, so I had bigger things on my mind.  Like becoming a hard core fan girl.

          The boys left school and then kind of disappeared for about two months.  Well, eight weeks, four days, seven hours and…not that I was keeping track or anything, but they had to train and prepare and do whatever it was their CEO wanted them to do to fully transform into their Block b alter egos.  They recorded and released a couple of songs for an EP.  They even moved into a dorm together.

          The point?  Oh yeah, I hadn’t seen him in eight weeks, four days, seven hours…  I could feel the headache starting again.

          And I missed him.  Stupid boy.  Living his dream, becoming an idol.  That’s just the hormones talking.  I haven’t been able to touch him either in eight weeks, four days…that’s enough of that.

          This all could just be coming to a head because tonight I was going to see him.  The guys met with their CEO and manager about something kind of important, I guessed, because they were sneaking out tonight to meet the respective girls to talk.

          I really hoped it wasn’t bad because I really don’t want to go around punching people.  Again.

          It couldn’t be bad, I told myself as I paced outside my apartment door.  Not all of us were lucky enough to live on a floor close to the ground like some of my friends, or just Jordan. 

          I was on the 20^th floor and my door beeped and buzzed when the key code was punched in.  Which explains why I paced outside my door.  I kept it propped open an inch, so I can sneak him in without waking my parents.

          Anyway, I squeezed my eyes shut for a second to focus my thoughts.  He couldn’t have anything bad to say because he kind of sounded excited when he talked to me on the phone about meeting.  I mean that could just be Yu Kwon being, well, Yu Kwon.  He was on a speed train towards becoming an idol for crying out loud, why wouldn’t he be excited all the time?  Plus!  He was getting to see his girlfriend, who he hasn’t seen for now eight weeks, four days, nine hours!  I can’t imagine he’d be that excited if he was meeting her to break up.

          Ah, I’m getting chest pains.

          He probably just wants to update me on what’s going on!  Or he wants to break up.  No.  No, he doesn’t.  Maybe his manager is making the guys all break up!  At least, if that’s it, I won’t be the only one out for blood if that’s what it is.  Maddie, Jordan, and even Amelia will be on a rampage with me.

          No.  Focus.  Maybe-

          “Hey,” someone whispered in my ear from behind.

          I gasped and covered my mouth to keep from screaming at the top of my lungs.  I whipped around, ready to start swinging.

          “Kim. Yu. Kwon,” I seethed through clenched teeth.

          Then I launched at him.  Seeing him made me remember how much I missed him.  And forget how mad I should be that he almost gave me a heart attack.  He laughed and held me close for a second.  I pushed up on my tip toes so he could kiss me.  Eight weeks, four days, nine hours…totally worth it.

          “Come on,” he whispered.  “Let’s go inside.  I really need to talk to you.”

          As I led him silently up to my room, I couldn’t help but feel the dread building in my stomach.