When I awoke the next morning, I made a mental list of things to do:

-          Clear things with Hyun Joong

-          Help Bom & Junsu

-          Entertain Min

-          And – somehow – get over Jae

I had another week left at home. I could moon around and feel sorry for myself or do some things I’d be glad for later.

I called the Kim’s first and was relieved when Uncle Hyun Bin, not Jae, was the one who answered the phone. He was delighted to know that I’m planning to go out with Min and his friend at the ice skating park that afternoon. The next item on my list, talking to Hyun Joong, wouldn’t be quite as easy to handle. Face-to-face was always better, but Chaerin was home, so I couldn’t invite him over. While my sister was eating breakfast, I snuck into her room, found her red address book (she’d already entered Jae!), and copied down Hyun Joong’s number and street. Then I pulled on my running togs and headed off, conveniently passing by Hyun Joong’s house on my route.

Actually, I passed it twice while trying to decide what I would say. If his flirtation with me was just a way of getting to Chaerin, it was no big deal. Chaerin’s actions in the last two days had extinguished any concern about hurting her feelings. As for my old rage against guys who might be using me, I was tired of being angry; a guy who’d use me wasn’t worth getting all wound up about. But the little gold heart hidden in the box, that worried me.

When I’d first met Hyun Joong, I readily pegged him as an egotistical jock. Now I wondered if I was guilty of the same thing as some of my sisters’ crowd – judging someone too quickly. Looking back, the scene in the grocery store and the tug-of-war with the bags in parking lot with Hyun Joong had been pretty funny. I suspected that when Hyun Joong’s ego didn’t get in the way, he was a nice guy.

I had also come to realize that unexpected feelings can spring up between the most unlikely pair – Bom and Junsu, for instance. Though last week I would have thought it impossible, what if Hyun Joong was actually getting a crush on me? I didn’t want the heart of anyone to get bruised as mine felt right now.

I stood before Hyun Joong’s large green-and-white house for the third time, then sprinted up the driveway and rang the bell. The door opened, and I was confronted with a pretty girl who looked about eleven and had Hyun Joong’s eyes. The startling thing was there were four younger versions standing behind her. They couldn’t stop giggling when they saw me.

“Do you want Hyung Joong oppa?” the oldest girl said. Before I could answer, she yelled for him, just like I yell for Chaerin.

A minute later Hyun Joong came down the steps. “Dara!” he exclaimed. “I didn’t know you were coming.”

“I guess I should’ve called first.”

“No, I like surprises.”

Another chorus of giggles.

“This is Dara Park,” Hyun Joong said to the girls.

“I thought her name was Chaerin,” one of them replied.

“They’re sisters,” he said shortly. “Don’t you all have something to do?”

They gave me mischievous grins and reluctantly headed toward a room in the back of the house, disappearing one by one.

Hyun Joong led me into the living room. I’d noticed from the outside that the house had a turret at one corner, and I immediately walked over to the circular area with windows and deep-pillowed benches. Hyun Joong smiled. “Girls always like this corner,” he said, joining me.

He sat on the floor, then reached up for two pillows, placing one behind his back and one next to him – for me, I figured. But I took a seat on the floor across him instead. He laughed and scooted over me. “Lean forward,” he said, placing a pillow behind my back. He smiled. “No, you’re not shy at all,” he teased.

“I’m not,” I insisted. “I came over here, didn’t I?”

He nodded. “And I’m glad. I get tired of girls playing hard to get.”

“Hyun Joong, I’m not playing at all.”

“Good, then I won’t have to,” he replied. He seemed honest. “Chasing a girl is tough enough without having to wonder whether she wants to be chased, you know.”

“I don’t want to be chased,” I told him.

“It can be fun for a while, as long as it doesn’t take too long to get to the kissing.” He gazed at me intently.

“I don’t think you understand,” I said, trying to figure out another way to explain. “I found the chain and heart last night. It’s very pretty.”

He glanced down at my neck. “How does it look on you?” he asked. “Did you put it on?”

“No.”

“Why not?” He sounded genuinely hurt.

“Because…because I’m not going out with you,” I replied.

He laughed softly and put his arm around my shoulders. “How could you be? I’ve only known you for a week, and for the first three days of them I was after your sister.”

“Then why did you give it to me?”

“I wanted to. I didn’t know there had to be another reason to give a gift.”

I was silent for a moment. The idea of giving a gift just because you want to – not because it’s expected, and not to get something back – touched me.

But still, this gift was a heart. I tried to explain one last time. “Here’s the problem. If you’ve ever fallen for someone – fallen hard – and that person doesn’t fall for you, it can really hurt. It can hurt as bad as anything you’ve ever known.”

“I know, Dara,” he said, “and I can’t promise anything. But I hope you’ll take the chance anyway. I don’t intend to hurt you.”

Hurt me? He had it all backward! Or…else I did.

“I was wondering,” he said, “are you coming to the game tomorrow night? Everybody will be there – we’re playing our biggest rival, SMU.”

I pulled up both knees and wrapped my arms around them, wrestling with the strange idea tha