" S e a l e d  W i t h  A  K i s s "

"Alright class, fifteen minutes break before we go on to the next section!" 

Jihyo shook her head when her fellow classmates cheered with joy upon the announcement of a break, grabbing a new bottle of water before making her way up the bleachers. She gulped in mouthful of the water, eyeing her two panting friends who were taking their own sweet time in struggling to climb up the stairs.

"Ya Jihyo, are you really a human? We just ran ten laps round the whole gym and about to die, but why do you still look so refreshed?" Youngjee complained as she flopped down beside where Jihyo was seated, not forgetting to send her friend an annoyed look for choosing to sit so high up on the bleachers. "Spare a thought for us un-athletic people."

"You're the only one who's un-athletic," Jimin chipped in, swatting her hand near Youngjee's face in jest. "But that's one of the reasons why Jihyo is the vice captain, isn't it?"

Jihyo laughed at her friends' antics. "You girls still have the energy to joke around, don't you all?" She downed another mouthful of water.

Youngjee gave an incredulous look and exclaimed, "that's different!" Suddenly, she pointed her finger excitedly at a bunch of students entering the gymnasium. "Look! It's Kim Jongkook sunbae!"

Jimin looked at her weirdly. "I thought you like Hyun Bin sunbae?"

Said girl wriggled her index finger at her friend. "So? No one said I can only like one person. Hyun Bin sunbae is really handsome but Jongkook sunbae has a really dazzling smile, and look at his muscles! Those put our P.E teacher's ones to shame."

"Our P.E teacher doesn't even have muscles in the first place..." Jihyo mumbled under her breath but Youngjee and Jimin heard it and snickered to themselves.  

"Omo! Kim Jongkook sunbae's waving to me!"

"He's waving to Jihyo, you babo! Why on earth would he even wave to you?"

"Yah, Han Jimin! Can't you play along with me for once? Such a wet blanket." Jimin grinned at Youngjee, shrugging her shoulders and went back fiddling with her water bottle. However, she had clearly noticed how Jihyo's smile disappeared and was replaced by a mixed expression the moment Youngjee started talking about Jongkook.

"Jihyo, send my regards to Jongkook sunbae when you see him later for the student council meeting!" Youngjee chirped. Jihyo nodded silently.

"Are you okay though? You look rather pale." Youngjee went on to ask.

Jihyo seemed a bit surprised at the question, but managed to force a small smile before replying, "I'm fine, it's just the heat... Anyway let's go, the teacher's calling us." She hurriedly stood up to go before her friends could ask any more question. Youngjee looked at her other friend confusedly.

"Heat? But this is an indoor hall?" Jimin didn't respond and instead dragged Youngjee down the bleachers. She would need to have a talk with Jihyo sooner or later.

-

Elbow on the table with her hand supporting the weight of her head, Jihyo stared blankly at the whiteboard as the monotonous voice of the math teacher droned on and on. She felt sleepy, but as the class's model student and representative, falling asleep was practically forbidden for her - no matter how tired she was. If there was anything she had became a expert at over the school years, it was to pretend to be paying attention to the teacher when in fact she wasn't. However this time, even when the class was long over, her pose remained the same, until Jimin finally came over and nudged her in the shoulder.

Jihyo jolted up in surprise at her friend's nudge. "What? Lunch break already?" Jihyo asked when she finally broke out of her reverie. Jimin sighed. Did she not notice that the classroom was empty except for the two of them?

"Since ten minutes ago. Youngjee went down first, saying something about starving to death." Jihyo nodded her head absentmindedly. Jimin frowned and continued, "is it because of what Youngjee said earlier? You know she's just kidding, since she doesn't know you and Jongkook sunbae are dating."

"I know." How could Jimin suspect her of that? Youngjee might be too straightforward at times but she meant no harm, and the fact that she had countless numbers of guys she said she liked meant that her words should not be taken at face value at all.

"Got into a quarrel then?" But from how Jongkook was behaving earlier on at the field, Jimin did not think it was that either.

"No, we're good. It's... my problem," Jihyo paused, but Jimin gestured for her to continue. "Have you ever wondered why only a few people know about our relationship?"

"I thought you guys wanted to keep it a secret?" Jimin thought that maybe they were shy at first, and the fact that the captain and vice-captain of the athletic section were together seemed like a huge piece of gossip for the students. Not that it really matter since they suit each other so well.   

"What for?" Jihyo snarled and her friend flinched in surprise.

"Sorry. It's just that he said he doesn't like behaving affectionately in the public, and so somehow it ended like this." She knew Jongkook was a shy person by nature, but never once had he ever held her hands publicly. She didn't mind it at first, but right now it had gotten to the point where she was questioning whether or not he really loved her or was just too ashamed to admit that he was dating her.  

"You don't like it." It was more of a statement rather than a question.

"Ne, of course I don't. It feels like we're having a love affair!" Jihyo fumed. Jimin couldn't help but laughed, and immediately got glared at. She sighed and shook her head.

"Speak the truth. You've been dating him for months and if you're really angry about this you'd have flared up long ago."

"I'm tired of seeing es trying to flirt with him." Indeed she was. Worst still, she couldn't chase them away without people asking why. As the vice-captain, it was a valid excuse sometimes as long as she played her cards right, but she was his girlfriend for sake!   

"Your language, woman. We're still in school. Well then, did he flirt back?"

"...no."

Jimin smirked and gave a knowing look. "You're just jealous and frustrated."

"..."
 
"..."

Jihyo glared at her friend but didn't say anything to rebut it.

"That and Valentine's Day is coming."

"Are you a mind reader or what?" Jihyo muttered.

"I just happen to be good at deducing." Jimin grinned as Jihyo scoffed annoyingly at her. She chuckled at Jihyo's irritated face before speaking again. "Why don't you just talk to him about it?"

"Yah, I told you he doesn't like it," Jihyo grumbled. In reality, how could she possibly march up to her Jongkook saying that she wants their relationship to be announced publicly? It made her seemed so desperate and akin to the clinging girlfriend type.

"You really love him, don't you?"

Jihyo cast a pointed look at her friend. "You're using the word love too lightly."

"Hint him then. If he loves you he'll do something about it."

"Don't use the word love so lightly! Aishh." Jihyo frowned. But hint him? Would it even work considering how dense he could be regarding matters about girls. And what if he realized that dating her in the first place was all a mistake?

"Fine, I'm sorry. Now let's go for lunch before Youngjee finishes all the food. Don't worry about it too much! It'll work out by itself in the end." Jimin smiled, and was pretty optimistic about the two if anything. Although if Jihyo knew what Jimin was thinking, she would have thoroughly disagree with her.  

-

Jihyo spared a side glance at Jongkook who was silently writing down stuff as the others spoke. She sighed inwardly to herself, debating with herself whether to take the risk and possibly place their relationship on the line as she half-heartedly scribbled on her papers. She should be focusing on the council meeting, but evidently, it was just hard for her to do so.   

"......that's about it. Anything else you guys wish to clarify?" A chorus of "no" along with shaking of the head rang through the room. "In that case we're done for the day. Don't forget we have another meeting this coming Friday regarding the school's annual charity project."

Swiftly packing her stuff as soon as the meeting ended, Jihyo turned to face Jongkook who was still mulling over the various plans mentioned earlier on, biting her lips as she did so.

"Jongkook...-ssi, can I talk to you for a while? I'll be at the usual place." Jihyo spoke and quickly walked out of the room before Jongkook even had a chance to respond. It took quite a while for him to realize that she had just spoken to him and then proceeded to stomp out the room, as Jaesuk came over at the same time.  

"Jongkook-ah, did you two have a fight? Why is Jihyo speaking so formally to you?" Jaesuk, who accidentally overheard the conversation, patted his back and asked. 

"Hyung, we didn't fight." Jongkook exclaimed, feeling rather victimized. They were still fine moment ago, weren't they?

"Then what happened?"

"I don't know, hyung... I really don't know." Jongkook answered, a puzzled look etched on his face. "I'll talk to you later, hyung," he bowed before rushing off, leaving Jaesuk to shake his head at his dongsaeng.

Hastening his paces through the hallways, Jongkook wondered what he had done to make Jihyo angry, but could make neither head nor tail out of it. She seemed fine when he saw her at the field this morning with her friends; after which he didn't see her again until the meeting. How was it possible for her to get angry at him without being physically present?

"Jihyo?" Jongkook uttered, entering the room carefully only to find her back facing him. He tilted his head, not sure what to expect from her.

"If I did something that angers you, I'm sorry, but I won't know-" Jongkook's words were cut short when Jihyo suddenly turned around and hugged him, arms around his neck. Jongkook was caught off guard and stood rooted to the ground, but soon returned the hug as he circled her waist.

"Jihyo, why-"

"Oppa, do you love me?" A baffled expression replaced the smile on his face instead of answering the question. It wasn't that he didn't love her, but to be asked that out of a sudden really did render him speechless on the spot.

Jihyo's face slowly darkened when she didn't hear any response from him, automatically assuming the worst.

"You... don't?" She released her hands and felt as if someone had just stabbed her in the heart where it hurt the most.  

"What?" Jongkook, having slightly recovered from the initial shock, reached out to grab her hands in panic.

"No, I-" But before he could say anything else, Jihyo shook off his hands forcefully and ran out the room. Jongkook stood there with mouth agape, having difficulties trying to process the whole situation.

"I... didn't even finish saying anything..." He grunted, a frown on his face as he walked out the room with heavy steps and bumping into Jaesuk right outside the door.  

"Hyung..."

"Jihyo ran past me without even stopping. What did you do to her?" Jaesuk asked. Jongkook's face changed as he grew exasperated with the questioning. Why was he always the one in the wrong?

"I didn't do anything!" He growled, but then got quiet almost instantly.

"...I didn't...I don't even know what I'd done wrong," he admitted. "Hyung, why are girls so hard to understand?"

"Because you're not a girl," Jaesuk replied almost too casually.

"Yah! Jaesuk hyung! Stop joking with me." Other days Jongkook might have found it funny and play along with him, but right now he was not in the mood for any of his sarcastic gags.

"Curb your temper, will you? Seriously," Jaesuk remarked, gesturing with his shoulder for Jongkook to get going as he matched their steps in unison. "So what really happened?"

"She asked me if I love her, I didn't reply immediately and she ran off," Jongkook briefly concluded. Jaesuk stopped in his path and looked at him with disbelief, before hitting his dongsaeng's head with the back of his palm. It was nowhere painful but Jongkook widened his eyes at Jaesuk.

"Hyung! What was that for?!" Someone really needed to explain the situation to him before he flew into a rage and destroyed everything that was in his sight.      

"If you tell her you love her, she wouldn't have run off!"

"You know me, hyung. I'm not someone who can express my feelings so openly," Jongkook mumbled and crossed his arms.

"And you couldn't run after her to explain it?"

"...my mind went blank."

Jaesuk looked at him sympathetically. "Why are you such a blockhead? You're the one who caused all this, so go solve it yourself," he pointed out. Jongkook resigned himself to it and nodded his head silently. That, however, came slightly as a surprise to Jaesuk since he knew Jongkook could be rather obstinate at times.

"Aigoo, okay fine, I'll help you," Jaesuk cried out, unable to stand Jongkook's face all scrunched up and in distraught.

"But first, stop making that ugly face. You'll scare all the people away with it." He reached his hand out to pinch his cheek. Jongkook looked at his hyung with an indescribable expression, wondering if he should laugh, cry or get annoyed by him.    

"First and foremost, you should figure out why Jihyo's mad at you."

Jongkook gave a wry smile.

"That's the problem."

-

Jimin stood by the school entrance, leaning against the wall as she stared up into the darkening sky. She yawned loudly, craning her head now and then towards the school building in hope of the arrival of her friend. She sighed and leaned back, wondering if she should have went home first. Mumbling to herself, she took her phone and played with some random games until a familiar voice called her. She looked up to see Jihyo running towards her.

"Finally! I thought I was going to wait here till-" Jimin exclaimed, but stopped halfway when she noticed Jihyo's forlorn expression. "Never mind, let's go."

Jihyo gave an appreciative slight nod at her friend.

"Where's Youngjee?"

"She bailed out on us for a date with a guy."

"Oh."

Jimin slapped herself mentally. She shouldn't have mentioned anything about date or guy, for Jihyo's face turned even paler than it already was. How long had it been? Almost two weeks. Jimin hadn't seen Jihyo's smile for almost two whole weeks. This whole situation was more serious than she thought it was.     

"I'm sure we'll still have a good time without her!" Jimin assured and tried to cheer her friend up, but Jihyo didn't seem to hear it and walked ahead first. This was not going where she wanted it to. Jimin thought to herself as she ran to catch up to Jihyo, wondering if she had seen wrongly when she noticed a familiar figure looking down at them the whole time from the third floor of the main building. It was too far away for her to be positive, but then again, it wasn't like the school had a lot of guys with muscular physique either.

The trip back to her house was a quiet one. Jimin tried striking up a conversation but Jihyo wasn't giving much responses so she gave up and let her be. Her own mind was cluttered full of things too.

"Where's your parents?" Jihyo asked when she stepped into the house. Jimin almost wanted to let out a sigh of relief that Jihyo was talking once again. She closed the door behind her before answering.

"Halmeoni hasn't been feeling well so eomma's staying there for the weekend. And appa went on business trip oversea, which means we have the whole house to ourselves." Jimin grinned as she opened the fridge, face lightening up upon its contents.

"Eomma left food for us though, we can just heat them up in the microwave for dinner." Jihyo nodded and stared blankly. Jimin sighed for the umpteenth times that day.

"Why don't you choose what movie to watch while I heat the food up?"    

Jihyo shrugged and began looking through the pile of DVD on the racks. Jimin stood by the counter, frowning as she looked at her friend. How long was she going to act like the lifeless person she was right now? Jimin certainly did not want to resort to using the worst method possible to snap her out of it. As she took the food out and placed them on the plates, she could almost feel a headache arising.

"What did you choose?" Jimin set the plates down on the coffee table, trying to see the cover of the DVD that her friend had chosen.  

"Some comedy movie," Jihyo answered as she inserted the disc into the player, before plopping down onto the sofas. The two quietly ate their food as the movie began playing. Jimin occasionally side-glancing at Jihyo subtly, but as the movie went on Jimin was too engrossed that she stopped checking up on her every few minutes. She almost choked on her food while laughing. Jihyo, on the other hand, wasn't laughing much despite the funny scenes. Halfway into the movie, Jimin began sensing amiss when she realized that only her laughter was echoing through the room, and was stunned to find Jihyo sobbing soundlessly when she looked over to her.

"You'll feel better after letting it all out," Jimin remarked, moving over to clasp Jihyo in her arms. Jihyo bawled like a child upon this, two streams of tears flowing steadily down her face. She didn't know why but it really hurt. Jimin patted her back gently. It wasn't until Jihyo's sobbing finally eased down into mere whimpering did Jimin then pull away from her.

"Much better?" Jimin asked, grabbing the box of tissue over and pulled out a few pieces to wipe the tear stains on her friend's face. Jihyo nodded her head.

"Thanks," Jihyo croaked, her voice coming out rather coarse. ", I sound terrible. And my eyes are going to be all swollen tomorrow. Aishh," she muttered and Jimin cracked a smile. The Jihyo she knew was slowly coming back.

"You better tell me what's going on. We have all night here." Jimin said solemnly.

Jihyo looked away and took a big breath. "I messed up big time," she admitted, "not only did he not get the hint, I felt like we're on the verge of breaking up."

"He told you he wanted to break up?"

"Well... no. But he's been ignoring me for the past two weeks and it's... awful. I'd rather he tell me that he wants to break up instead because then I would be able to stop thinking that we could get back together like before."

Jimin raised her eyebrows. "He's ignoring you? But weren't you guys talking-"

"We both know our duties as the captain and vice captain well, but once the practice session or meeting is over he just walk off without even a mere glance at me, much less talk to me..." she trailed off, eyes starting to get watery but held the tears back.

"It's his loss, not yours. There are plenty of fish out there, he's not the only one," Jimin consoled.

"I don't want a fish as my boyfriend!" Jihyo exclaimed and her friend immediately gave her deadpan look. She burst out laughing, "I know, I know. I was just joking with you," Jihyo stuck her tongue out. Jimin laughed along, extremely relieved that Jihyo stopped moping and could even joke with her.  

"It's not early anymore. Let's go to sleep once we finish watching the movie. A lot of work to do tomorrow!"

Jihyo protested, "Work? What work? I didn't agree to the sleepover to work for you."

"You'll know tomorrow." Jimin grinned impishly.

-

"Get your out of the bed, lazy pig!" Jimin's yell could be heard all the way from the kitchen. Instead of waking up, Jihyo snuggled deeper into her pillow and ignored her friend's yelling. After a while, Jihyo was rather surprised that Jimin did not come into the room to personally drag her out of the bed which she usually would. She would have drifted off to dreamland again if not for Jimin's voice once again echoing clearly across the living room and into the bedroom.    

"If you don't get up this instant I'm going to call Jongkook sunbae for you." Jihyo shot up from the bed like lightning, cursing under her breath as she dragged her feet towards the kitchen. She glared at her friend from behind the counter. Jimin burst out laughing instead.

"I didn't realize that was so efficient," she mused, opening the fridge to take out the ice pack. "You look absolutely terrifying with those swollen eyes by the way." Jimin threw the ice pack and Jihyo effortlessly caught it with her hand.   

Jihyo rolled her eyes. "Well, thanks for pointing it out to me," she remarked and disappeared into the bathroom.

"You're welcome!" Jimin chuckled. Not long after Jihyo came out holding the ice pack over her left eye as she stared at Jimin who was stirring a pot of brown gooey substance.

"What on earth are you doing?"

"Making chocolate."

"Isn't that too much for chocolate fondue?"   

"Who said I'm preparing for chocolate fondue?"

"Then what's the big pot of chocolate for?" Jihyo shifted the ice pack to her other eye and peered into the pot. "That's seriously a lot of chocolate."

"Did you forget it's Valentine's Day on monday?"

Jihyo's mouth formed an 'Oh' as she leaned against the counter. With all that was going on, she really did forget about the day. Without that special person, she wasn't in the mood to celebrate it.

"I don't have anyone to make chocolate for," she pointed out before tucking into her breakfast that Jimin had prepared.

Jimin snorted at her friend's comment. "There's no law indicating that you can only give chocolates to your crush or boyfriend on Valentine's Day. You can give it to your friends!" Jimin pointed to herself with a grin.

"Make it yourself, I'm not giving it to you," Jihyo bluntly said and munched on the toast.  

"Tch." Jimin shot her friend a dirty look, turning the gas switch off before scuttling off to find the molds. "Yah, you could at least help me with it even if you're not giving chocolates to anyone."

"Who said I'm not helping you?" Jihyo mimicked the expression Jimin had earlier on and chuckled. Jimin put the stash of molds on the table and stood with arms akimbo, shaking her head at Jihyo.     

"Hurry up finish your breakfast and help me pour the chocolates into the molds then!"
 
"Stop nagging at me, I swear you're worse than Jong-" Jihyo stopped and swallowed her words back, silently chewing the last bit of her breakfast. Jimin sighed out loud, "don't you dare go moping about again. I had enough of it."

Jihyo shrugged and gave a small smile instead. "I got it, ahjumma, so stop nagging. Thought you wanted me to help you with the chocolates?"  

"I'm not ahjumma!" Jimin exclaimed, arranging the molds neatly on the table. "If you could help me bring that pot of chocolate over here, I'd be so honored." Jihyo giggled in jest, the chair creaking across the floor as she stood up from her position. Walking over as she carefully moved the pot from the stove onto the table.

"Why is there another small pot over at the stove?"

"Oh, that's for dark chocolates, I didn't put any sugar or syrup in it," Jimin answered, stirring to thicken the pot of chocolate.

"Wouldn't it be bitter then?"

"That's why it's to make dark chocolate."

Jihyo frowned. "Who would eat bitter chocolate?"

"Oh, I don't know. Maybe someone who doesn't like sugary stuff- yah!" Jimin slapped her friend's hand away when she tried to dip her finger into the pot. "Did you even wash your hand?"

Jihyo shook her head and grinned sheepishly before walking over to the sink. As she dip her hands under the cooling tap water, her mind went over Jimin's words. Someone who doesn't like sugary stuff? She huffed to herself. She wasn't stupid, and it was so obvious who Jimin was referring to when she said that.

In truth, she regretted everything that she did the moment she ran out of the room that day. She knew Jongkook wasn't good with words, but she asked a stupid question and didn't even let him have a chance to explain. He wasn't the kind to take the first bold step, nor was he one to be all mushy and romantic.

She knew. She knew all that. However, no matter how tough she was, she still had her insecurities. As a woman, she was selfish. Yes. She didn't want to share him with anyone else. He was hers, and she was his alone. She just needed some kind of proof that he loved her to stomp down all those uncertainties she had. Was that wrong of her to do so?

"Are you washing your hands or are you there spacing out?" Jimin's voice instantly broke Jihyo out of her reverie as she turned off the tap and whirled around to face her friend with a stiff smile. If Jimin had caught the weird smile, Jihyo was just glad she didn't mention anything about it.   

"Aish, stop nagging and make your chocolates."

-

School was over for the day and the hallway was bursting alive with students mingling here and there. Jihyo tightened her hold on the strap of her bag as she trudged down the corridor, squinting her eyes at all the lovey-dovey couples publicly displaying their affection for each other. She used to think that it was sweet, but right now she was just antagonized by it.

Along with the fact that her two best friends had practically left her alone all day long did nothing to salvage the situation.

The vice-captain muttered under her breath as she opened her locker and dumped her heavy books in. She stopped and stared as the edge of the gift box came into view from inside her bag. Despite all that she had said, she still ended up making chocolates for him, claiming that it was only because she didn't want to waste all that chocolate Jimin had so painstakingly slaved over. Jimin pointed out that there was no need for all those crappy explanation. She decided to shut and focused on decorating the chocolates instead afterwards.

She sighed. Not that it mattered. She had yet to see him the whole day. It was as if he had disappeared or he was purposely avoiding her. She could almost hear her heart breaking into more shattered pieces if he was really staying away from her on purpose.

"Jihyo..."

She whirled around in shock when the voice she had been longing to hear suddenly rang from behind her, as she slammed the locker door shut with a loud bang in the process. She never felt any more luckier that the hallway was noisy so no one really took noticed of her. Maybe except for that one or two people.

Jongkook looked at her with an expression mixed between amusement and astonishment, and Jihyo could felt her face reddening at his scrutinization. But then she remembered that he had been ignoring her for two weeks, and suddenly she was scowling at him.

As opposed to being intimidated by her, Jongkook burst out laughing instead. When he finally stopped laughing and stared intensely at her, Jihyo found herself fiddling with the hem of her skirt.

"Mianhae Jihyo."

Jihyo looked at him confusedly, but before she could register what was going on, his lips was suddenly on hers - all warm and soft with a faint smell of cinnamon and sandalwood lingering around. He was kissing her, and despite being still somewhat angry at him, her body instinctively reacted by kissing him back. At this moment, she didn't even notice that the noises in the hallway had relatively hushed down, because all she felt was the fluttery sensation and the taste of his lips against hers.  

It all ended too quick though, and when their lips parted from each other, she realized that she missed him more than she could ever imagine. She wrinkled her nose and Jongkook smiled fondly at her.

"Don't you think you can get away with everything by kissing me," Jihyo scoffed.  

"Wasn't expecting that," Jongkook grinned and replied, grabbing hold of her hand. He never failed to marvel at how her hand seemed to fit nicely in his every time he held her, like the connecting dots of a puzzle. "Although, we might need to get out of here first."

It was only then did Jihyo become fully aware of the whisperings and stares they were receiving. She had totally forgotten that they weren't alone in private. They had just kissed in the middle of a crowded hallway! She decided that this was a big downside of being well-known, and didn't know whether or not publicly announcing to the school that they were dating was a good idea after all. What on earth was she thinking before that?  

"Come on," Jongkook tugged her hand and led her out of the building when he saw that Jihyo seemed to be in a daze. It wasn't until they were out of school before Jihyo finally regained her sense.

"That was actually... scary," Jihyo sulked. Jongkook chuckled stopped in his path before turning to face her. He grasped both her hands in his.

"If I made you angry or sad, I'm really sorry. I... you know I don't know how to express myself, but I really love you, Jihyo-yah. You asked me if I love you, my answer is yes, I love you. You're all that I think of day and night, did you know that?" Jihyo could feel the sincerity in Jongkook's voice and almost teared up.

"Babo oppa," Jihyo sniffed, yet she was smiling happily at him. "Be honest. Who taught you this?"

A sheepish look crossed his face. "Well... Jaesuk hyung did enlighten and teach me some stuff."

"Remind me to thank him tomorrow," she remarked and giggled, before noticing the silver necklace that hung elegantly around her neck. She widened her eyes. "When... how...?" Jongkook gave an incredible look.

"Silly Mongji, I put that on while you were lost in the kiss." Upon the mention of the kiss earlier on, Jihyo immediately blushed and tried to cover up by pretending to be mad, though it obviously wasn't working well since Jongkook was all smile. She took a closer look at the necklace and noticed the intricate yet simple design of the ring.

"This ring is...?"

"Proof that you're going to be my future wife."

"What!?" Jihyo gaped at him in surprise. "Wh-who said I'm going to marry you? And... and you need to ask for permission from my parents too!" Her flushed face was even redder than before.

"I already asked, they agreed and were very eager to marry their daughter off to me," Jongkook answered leisurely, grinning at Jihyo's pouting face. He brushed her cheeks gently.

"Why the face? I don't see why this is something you should be worrying. Beside, did you forget that when we were still children, you promised I'm the only one you'll get married to when we grow up?" Jihyo could feel her heart beating at rapid rate with the way Jongkook was looking at her affectionately.

"I didn't forget!" She huffed and protested, encircling her arms around him and nestled her head against his broad shoulder. His arms sneaked around her waist without thinking. "You could at least warn me about it, I feel so childish for getting mad at you for no reason."

"You are like a child in some way."  

"Yah!" Jihyo jerked away and slapped his arm. "I'm not a child. I want you to treat me like a woman." She saw his gaze darting from her eyes to and back to her eyes. She felt her face burning up at how suggestive that sounded.

"I'll treat you like a woman after you get married to me," Jongkook laughed and kissed the tip of her nose.

"After we graduate then..." Jihyo mulled over. Jongkook reached over to hold her hand as they continued walking down the pathway.

"Whatever my future wife says."

"Aish, stop being so mushy. I don't think I can get used to that."

Jongkook just smiled at her.

"Wait!" Jihyo exclaimed, suddenly remembering the chocolates she had stashed in her bag all day long. She dug the thing out and smacked it against Jongkook's chest on purpose. "Valentine's Day gift," she paused, and then continued on, "Youngjee told me you didn't accept her gift, and even rejected every single girl that came to you with gifts... is that... true?"

"Ne, because my yeobo will get mad at me if I accept any of them."

Jihyo did not retort him this time, and smiled contentedly instead, gripping his hand even tighter.

-

//end

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