seven.

Park Jihae was continuing her days as a normal, normal high school student. She couldn’t even discern if she was dreaming about him again because every time she woke up, she’d be forgetting everything. Or maybe, she couldn’t even remember something that didn’t really happen.

Meanwhile, the Infinite boys were all absent. The teacher quickly dismissed the constant nagging of the girls in her class about their whereabouts.

Jihae was bored as she searched for her phone. She typed a short text to Nam Woohyun since she had since his number.

To: Nam Woohyun

Oppa~ Where are you? I’m bored.

From: Jihae

Just within seconds, a reply rushed into her phone.

To: Jihae

Jeongmal? I’m happy to hear that. The boys were busy doing some preparations for a fund-raising event next weekend.

From: Nam Woohyun

Jihae became curious when she found out their reason. She glanced at the teacher who was not seeing her texting during the class period. She smirked a little, wanting more of that event information.

To: Nam Woohyun

So~ Can I also tag along?

From: Jihae

On the other side, Woohyun was happily taking his free time texting to Jihae. He didn’t see the cold glares of the Infinite boys, seeing him like an idiot. He was happily waiting for her simple and short texts. Every time his phone beeped or vibrated, he’d gasped as he heard his own heart thudding and beating.

To: Jihae

Of course, you can come. XD

From: Nam Woohyun

Jihae felt satisfied that she got to go to that fund-raising event.  She remembered how she always tried to raise money for the elders in Busan. She got around town just for some simple contributions from the citizens. Thank God she’s blessed that she could receive a lot of money from them. But, now was a different case. She suddenly missed the urge to help people.

She never got to do that ever since her dreams.

Sunhee snarled as she saw Jihae smiling at her phone. /Could she be texting someone?/ Sunhee thought as she looked around at their teacher.  /And, the teacher couldn’t even see./ She sulked at her desk, wanting to fall asleep. Infinite wasn’t there and she couldn’t even look at Nam Woohyun’s chair. She missed his presence so much that she wanted to see him so badly.

To: Nam Woohyun

I’m thinking if Sunhee could come along?

From: Jihae

Woohyun nodded, of course as he saw her request. Anything that she wanted would always be the first priority.

“Oh, crap. Wait, who’s Sunhee?” Woohyun didn’t know her as he glanced at L at the far side, painting the stage.

“What?” L shot him a look. Woohyun fell silent.

He murmured, “Who’s Sunhee?”

“Sunhee? Isn’t she Park Jihae’s friend?” L made another wipe of paint on the wood. He then carved the words ‘Infinite’s Fund-raising Event for Elders’.

“Really?!” Woohyun’s eyes grew large, large enough for Sunggyu to get jealous.

His hyung approached him as he nudged at him. “Slacking off?” Sunggyu elbowed his dongsaeng.

“Wait…” Woohyun waved his hand on his face, completely focused with Jihae.

To: Jihae

Yeah, of course she could. She’s your friend, alright? Introduce her to us.

From: Nam Woohyun

Now, it was Jihae’s turn to look baffled. She knew that Sunhee and Woohyun met already. She was pretty sure of that, she side-glanced at Sunhee who buried her face on her desk. She was probably sleeping comfortably. She frowned, Woohyun couldn’t even see her friend.

To: Nam Woohyun

But, you already saw her. She’s always beside me and others know of her. I’m pretty sad about it. :(

From: Jihae

Jihae kept her phone and struggled to learn the lesson. Her phone beeped continuously but she didn’t mind it.

Woohyun typed a quick text, saying ‘sorry’. But, he never got a reply back. He stomped his feet on the ground, looking grumpy. He was already at the brink of tears to why Jihae suddenly ended their conversation. It was his time to get to know her but he blew it off.

“Yah, yah!” It was Hoya’s turn to distract Woohyun. He snatched his phone and quickly read the mails sent and received by Woohyun.

“Hey, give me that.”

“Not, so fast!” Hoya waved the phone in the air. Since Infinite were brothers, they couldn’t keep secrets in more than an hour. Everything would still be known, even if they wouldn’t say it.

“Ah…poor you.” Hoya commented, jesting over Woohyun. “She was totally angry at you. You don’t even know her friend.”

Woohyun blinked, “Was it truly my fault?”

“Well…Jihae’s only friend is Lee Sunhee. Of course, she’d be affected that her friend was not known by people whom she could trust on to. “

“Is that the case?” Woohyun scratched the back of his neck. “Then, what should I do?”

“Auh…try to get to know her and her friends. You could say that you could know her if you know her friends. “Sungyeol gave a suggestion that Woohyun was approving of.

“Not to mention, Park Jihae treasures her friend so much that she would spend the night to the hospital.” Kim Sunggyu continued to repress them of Jihae’s story about Sunhee being her one and only friend.

“I’m such a fool.”

“Yeah.” L and Sungjong nodded, thinking that Woohyun lost his mind already.

“You know, what?” Sunggyu put his hand on his chin. “I’ve already seen Jihae on the daily newspaper.” He shot a look at Dongwoo, completely agreeing.

“Me, too. Maybe, that’s why she looked so familiar.” Dongwoo looked at his precious dongsaengs. They didn’t know anything about what they were saying.

“I’ve never heard about that.” L said, looking at the others. “Look here, we don’t know so could you say anything to feed our curiosity?” He humbly followed up.

“Is that ‘that’ issue hyung?” Dongwoo put his hand on Sunggyu’s shoulders.

“Yeah, that collector’s item ‘Natural Beauty of Korea’. 

All of their eyes bulged out with that thought. Sunggyu called out for their butler as he delivered the magazine issue he was talking about. Sunggyu had always been curious to Jihae that he searched for where he saw her name and now, he found it. It was on a women’s magazine sponsored by Sunggyu’s father that he found her photo shoots.

It was an article about the natural beauty of Korean women. They were impressed beyond ordinary. Jihae looked different in the picture than what she was right now in the present. She was finely taking care of her face, enough to be evident even for those people who saw her photos. But, now she was the complete opposite.

What could have led her to change?

In a simple sneak-peek of who that girl was, there was a small interview about Jihae answering the interviewer’s questions plainly.

-Have you fallen in love or have some strong feelings for someone? Even a puppy love would do.”-

All of the guys continued, trailing their eyes to the next lines following it. They were flocking around a poor magazine that they never considered doing their work in that fund-raising event since they had maids to continue it.

-“Not yet . It is not included to my plans.-

All of them backed off, totally not believing. Jihae was strange for some reason, but she was undoubtedly cold. No one could have guessed that she never had a crush or some likes of it.

-I could never experience it even if I wanted to.-

As they read through the article, they were certain that the magazine cut off her interview to just short Q&A since there was nothing juicy about her enough for the magazine headlines.

The Infinite boys looked at each other; they were never ever going to think of Jihae as a simpleton ever again.

Woohyun looked at the others and a beam caught their eyes. Woohyun was gawking over the magazine, as he tried to snatch it away from Sunggyu who was holding it all along.

“I’d be the first one, I’d be.” Woohyun proudly thumbed-up.

“Is he insane?” L tilted his head, looking at the idiot Woohyun. “She’s so cold that glasses girl.” He then continued painting the decos for the event. They were hosting it this Saturday as he wanted many people to enjoy the games with prizes and others for a simple fund-raising event.

L’s mind was bugged with all of the thoughts about Jihae. She was always smiling in front of them even he could see the happiness on her eyes. But, as he looked at the pictures,  he was never going to thinking about it again.

She was simply not someone that always nags on Infinite; she’s Park Jihae of Busan and of that high school. He came to know of her as a girl with glasses wanting to be friends with Infinite. She was just someone he sat beside during classes.

Meanwhile, Woohyun tried to help him carry the woods and other things. Woohyun was not being helpful as Sunggyu pulled him off.

“Calm your nerves!” Sunggyu shot back at him.

“Fine…fine, I felt like I’m getting close to my dream girl.” Woohyun muttered under his breath. “Could I dream of her tonight?”

Everyone looked at him with blank expressions.

“Aish, just pull yourself together. “Sunggyu creased his forehead.

“Don’t ever slack off.” Dongwoo gave him a paint brush.

“Never, ever helping?” Hoya crossed his arms.

“Yah!” Sungyeol whacked his head. “MY HYUNG IS INSANE ALREADY.”

“…” L didn’t say anything as he got distracted by lot of work load.

“Hyung, you barely knew her.” Sungjong crumbled Woohyun’s dream completely after the sudden speech attacks.

“Fine..fine..” He puffed his cheeks. “I’m so going to make her fall for me.”