KRIS

My talk with Lu Han kept coming back to my mind as I went about my morning routine. I couldn't get over the fact that he was easily able to tell that I liked her. Were my feelings that obvious?

What if... A horrifying thought suddenly occurred to me. What if others could see through me, too? Did Jieun know, as well? Worse, did... she notice, too? Especially since I had acted like an idiot when I met her the other night.

Ugh. I looked at my phone again, no new message in sight. What if she wasn't replying because she already knew that I asked her because I like her? What if she didn't want me liking her? What if...

Ugh, seriously Kris, stop it, I told myself, harshly patting my face, banishing Paranoid Kris out of my head.

I knew I was being pathetic at the moment. I dreaded seeing her reply and yet, I kept looking at my phone every thirty seconds. I couldn't help wondering if every guy who liked someone acted the same way, or if it was just me. The feelings stirring inside of me are so foreign that I'm starting to realize that liking someone is scary. It makes a whole new different version of you.

A text message finally came in just before I could enter the classroom, and I was so surprised and happy that my phone slipped out of my hand in excitement. Fortunately, no one noticed.

From: Dummy

Hey, Kris. Uh, thanks for telling me. I already said yes to another student's offer of joining their group, though.

And just like that, my morning was soured.

"Excuse me, Kris," someone said behind me. "You're, um, blocking the way."

I spun around and glared at the unlucky guy who was about to be the receiving end of my bad mood. "So?" I said coldly, not budging. "Is this the only door?" It didn't take another second for him to scamper away.

I trudged to my seat, glaring at anyone in my path. I hated how affected I was just because of one single message. I typed in a reply. My phone beeped seconds later.

From: Dummy

It was Kai, Sehun's friend. You guys don't need to worry about me anymore.

Okay, I typed back.

'Okay'? I should have typed 'Who said I was worrying?' And since when were they in an okay-I'll-join-your-group relationship, anyway? I couldn't believe she would pick that Sehun over me. Wait, scratch that. It wasn't like I was anyone to her, but come on, of all people, why did it have to be that guy.

Aish. Forget it, Kris, I told myself. Forget it, okay? Forget her.

If only it was that easy.

GIRL

Jieun was surprised when I told her over lunch that I wouldn't be joining their group. Lu Han was uncharacteristically quiet, just nodding and shrugging to Jieun and me now and then.

"You're not mad, are you?" I asked him, poking his outstretched arm in the table. "If it makes you feel better, I really wouldn't have accepted their offer had I known the next audition wouldn't be in publi–" I stopped abruptly, glancing at Jieun, remembering with a heavy heart that I still haven't told her my secret. Lu Han had promised not to tell his sister, not until I was ready myself. "Had I known you were going to ask me," I finished instead.

Lu Han nodded again, smiling though his eyes lacked their usual luster.

I turned to Jieun. "You're not mad, are you?"

"I'm not," she answered. "Just surprised, that's all. It may be a good thing, though. So you'll have other friends. I've never really seen you hang out with others before."

Lu Han and I looked at each other, and this time, it was Lu Han who nudged my arm, saying, "Hey, it's okay. You're not at fault. It's the timing that is."

I smiled, grateful, knowing he wasn't talking about the audition anymore but of my keeping Jieun in the dark about my identity secret.

"Can we meet them, though?" Lu Han asked, his eyes finally coming to life. "Maybe I'll drop a threat or two to make sure they'll treat you nicely," he joked.

I just laughed and shook my head at him.

The rest of the day went by in a flash. Predictably, the weekend's audition was the talk of everyone on the campus. Most talked about their favorites, gushed about their crushes and speculated about the upcoming group audition in two weeks. No one seemed to have known yet that it was a Music Video that only the judges get to see. Well, it wasn't really surprising that Kris already knew about it.

Speaking of Kris, I wonder what was up with that guy. Aside from his recent unusually polite text