“Have you ever watched a leaf leave a tree? It falls upward first, and then it drifts toward the ground, just as I find myself drifting towards you.”

— Beth Kephart.

Hyosung seemed to transform into a young woman overnight. All of a sudden, she was sixteen, had shining dark brown eyes, beautiful dark wavy hair, legs for days, and the short skirts to show them off. She was a cheerleader and a high school freshman, and the boys seemed captivated by her.

Mrs Lee wasn't sure who was more scared of all that – Mr Jeon or Kikwang.

The two men, plus Mr Lee, were sitting in the living room of the Jeon’s house, watching a baseball game they had deemed important. Mrs Lee and Hyosung had just rolled their eyes and laughed. Boys will be boys, Mrs Lee said. Hyosung had told her dad she was going to a little party that night, and when she had assured him that the parents were going to be there, he said it was fine if she go as long as she was back by midnight.

When she ran down the stairs in a little denim shirt and a low cut black sweater with a tank top underneath, Kikwang wasn't sure about any of it. He knew the party was at Taecyeon's house, the school jock. He knew that even though Taecyeon's parents were home, they were pretty relaxed and if the kids wanted to drink, they'd drink.

"Bye, dad," she said. "I'll be home later."

"Alright," Mr Jeon said, turning around to look at her. He gave her a once over, smiled, and went back to the game. She headed to the front door and Kikwang watched from the window as she got into a car driven by one of the older girls on the squad.

"Are you sure you're okay with her going out like that?" Kikwang asked sceptically. Mr Jeon and Mr Lee shared a knowing smile, then Mr Jeon turned to the younger man.

"She's going to wear what she wants to wear," Mr Jeon explained. "It's better than those little cheerleading outfits."

Kikwang wasn't sure 'better' was an appropriate word. He happened to like those outfits.

"How come you're not going to this party?" Mr Lee asked.

"I'm watching the game," Kikwang said with a shrug.

He didn't miss the look the two older men exchanged, but he didn't mention it. He'd had enough of people saying he and Hyosung were together, or implying that they should be. They were just friends.

He wouldn't deny that she was gorgeous. Of course she was. But she was just Hyosung to him. He'd seen her in paint-stained sweatpants with her hair in a knot and ice cream on her cheek. He knew her too well. He didn't want to date her.

He sat there for the rest of the night, barely focused on the game on the screen. Instead, he was wondering what was going on at that party. He wondered if she was drinking, or who she was hanging out with, or what silly hookups were happening. He knew he'd hear about it all when he spoke to her next, or when he got to school that Monday and everyone was talking about the weekend's party.

But he had chosen not to go, so he just went home after the game and lay on his bed with a novel in his hands.

Hyosung slipped into his bedroom around 11:30 - just before she had to get home - and told him a few stories from the party. He could tell she hadn't had anything to drink, and he was happy that she could stand up to peer pressure. She said that people were asking where he was, and that she and Taecyeon arm wrestled and he let her win. She laughed when she said it, and Kikwang had to smile.

He adored that laugh.

"You should have come, you loser," she said, swatting at his leg.

"Naw. That was a big game," he said with a shrug. "And I'm working out with Taec tomorrow. One of us should at least be well-rested."

"Actually, he drove me home," she said. "He wasn't drinking, and he said he was going straight to his place."

"Taec drove you home?" he asked with a squint.

He knew Taec's reputation. The guy may have been his good friend, but everyone knew he wasn't exactly just a 'nice' guy for no reason - he generally wanted something for himself. Being in the rugby team just change you into one – jerks. Kikwang knew he'd never really treated Hyosung that way, though. Kikwang suspected that Taec knew better than to treat her poorly.

"Yeah. It was just a ride, Ki. It's not like we were making out in the back seat."

She laughed again when his face went blank.

Then he realized they'd never really talked about that kind of thing. Relationships. Sure, he'd dated a few people, and Hyosung had a boyfriend for a little while, but they were both really too young for anything significant.

He suddenly found himself wondering where she had her first kiss, and if she had wanted it, or if it just happened. He wondered if she wondered the same things he did.

"What?" she asked after a moment.

"I just can't see you kissing someone," he admitted.

"Gee, thanks," she scoffed.

"I just meant...I dunno. It's weird to think about."

"So don't think about it," she said simply. "And whatever. Like you and Hyuna didn't make out between periods when you were dating."

"That was last year," he pointed out.

"You aren't denying it."

"It's different."

"Different how!?" she laughed.

"Because I'm me, and you're you," he said.

She really had no idea what that meant, but she saw that she only had 10 minutes to her curfew, and she stood from the bed as she shook her head. They both knew that her curfew was kind of null and void if she was just hanging out with Kikwang, but she had promised her dad she'd be home.

"Whatever, freak," she mumbled. "See you later. Hey, tell the guys hi for me tomorrow."

He didn't say anything - couldn't find the words - and she walked out his door.

She wanted him to say hi to the guys for her. He felt that familiar jealousy creeping in. He didn't like it, but he couldn't control it.

He didn't want to date Hyosung. But he didn't want anyone else dating her, either.

He waited a few days to ask her about it, and it ate at him the entire time. They were all hanging out at their usual spot nearby the river park, the girls sitting on the bleachers while the boys played basketball on the court. The girls would laugh, and Kikwang didn't miss the way they stole the attention of the other three guys. He and Doojoon won the game - as they often did when they played together against their friends - and then everyone went their separate ways.

Somewhere between the park and their neighbourhood, Hyosung tugged at the sweater he had draped over his shoulder. She was wearing just her jeans, Converse sneakers and a Epik High shirt. She had about five of them, and he was always making fun of her for it. He just chuckled as he handed over his sweatshirt and she pulled it over her head.

"It's getting cold out," she noted.

"Tends to do that in the fall," he said sarcastically.

"Shut up." She shoved him off the sidewalk, and he glared at her when he stumbled at the curb and she laughed.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Shoot," she said.

"When'd you have your first kiss?" he asked, surprising her with both the nature of his question and how easily he spoke it.

"What!?"

"First kiss. When was it?"

"I'm not answering that!" she insisted. "God Ki. Awkward much?"

"Just tell me. I'll tell you mine," he said with a shrug of his shoulder.

"It was you, you dork. Remember? I was eight, and we were..."

"No." He shook his head. "Your real first kiss. Was it Daehyun? Tell me."

She let out a sigh and looked at him, and she could tell he was completely serious. She wasn't sure why he was so hell bent on knowing, but she couldn't keep things from him and they both knew it. And she couldn't say she particularly cared to know who was his first kiss or when he had it.

"Yeah. It was Daehyun," she said softly after a moment. "Last year."

"Did he kiss you, or did you kiss him?"

"Ki!" she hissed. "What's with you? This is so weird."

"Why's it weird? Best friends should be able to talk about this," he said.

"Yeah, but...it's weird."

"Spill."

"It was...mutual," she said quietly, looking to her feet.

"Okay," he said.

"Okay?" she asked. "You just beat that out of me, and your response is 'Okay'?"

"A little dramatic, aren't you?" he teased, cowering when she punched his shoulder.

"Fine. You tell me yours," she said.

"Yoona," he said. "Eighth grade."

It hit her hard that for her that was just a year prior, and for Kikwang it probably seemed like ages ago. The age difference seemed non-existent most of the time, especially since they essentially had the same group of friends, but every once in a while, something would happen that would remind her. He was learning to drive and she wasn't even thinking about it, or he'd help her with her homework so she could finish quicker and they could hang out. He'd spout off the themes in The Merchant of Venice like they were second nature, while she was struggling to get the hang of the iambic pentameter.

"And I kissed her. It was awesome," he said. He laughed again when she shoved him. "What!? It was!"

"Stop. I don't want to hear it," she insisted with a chuckle. "Why are we even talking about this?"

"I don’t know. I was just thinking...I didn't know," he said, shrugging one shoulder. "It bugged me. I don't like us to have secrets."

"Me neither," she said softly.

He gave her one of those little kisses to the temple, and she smiled. She had always kind of thought he was her 'real' first kiss. It stung a little that he didn't think of her as his.

"So, have you made out with anyone since Daehyun?" Kikwang asked.

"Story time is over," she said.

She was blushing. He was pretty sure that was a yes.

He didn't know why he was definitely jealous.

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

I am definitely infected with fluffs. Awgad, reading too much fluffs lately, I think. lol. Enjoy and thanks for reading!