It was cliché, he knew, but it was true.

 

It was a normal day like any other.

 

There was nothing new, nothing particularly interesting. In fact, dreamless sleep would be more interesting than his day was. And probably more productive.  And he knew, if someone later asked him how his day had been, he would simply answer “Boring”. That was what it was. Boring.

 

Kai felt bored out of his mind as he left his class, leaving behind his not-as-smart friends who had not passed their quiz and had to stay back to make it up. But walking alone was boring – not that his friends would be much help with that, he thought. In fact, he deeply considered whether or not he should find a different place to sit at lunch, rather than with the loud group of friends he always sat with.

 

It’d be a change, definitely.

 

But Kai knew he couldn’t do that to them. Sadly, with shoulders slumped in defeat, he jumped the last few steps on the stairs down towards where his friends sat. He could see them way in the distance, but they couldn’t see him.

 

It was probably for the better. He’d be taking his time to get there anyway.

 

Taking slow, measured steps, Kai began to hope that none of his friends saw him yet, just so he could have a few more moments of hardly-thrilling-rebelliousness. But then, a tug on his sleeve made him turn around, and he saw himself looking down at a rather small girl with long, dark hair, black rimmed glasses, and wide, nervous eyes.

 

He cocked an eyebrow. Who was this? Or rather – what  was this?

 

“Y-you’re Kai.” She said in a quiet voice, one that he was barely able to hear, let alone comprehend.

 

“Yeah. Who are you?” He replied in a louder voice, hoping to encourage her to speak up so he’d stop having to lean down to hear her.

 

But instead, she squeaked at the sound of his voice and began to fidget with her hands and hair. “I-I’m Jinhee…”

 

Jinhee. Kai didn’t know a Jinhee. But she seemed to know him. Odd.

 

“Okay, well, is there something you want, Jinhee?”

 

She looked up at him. Those wide eyes blinked quickly before she covered her cheeks, bowing her head, seeming to be blushing furiously. “I—I – uhm…” She looked up a bit and began opening and closing without any sound coming out.

 

Kai waited a few moments before his patience began to wear thin. She was definitely an unexpected spark to the day, but if she wasn’t going to say anything, he had no reason to stay around her. “If there’s nothing important, my friends are waiting for me.”

 

He’d only turned around and taken a step in their direction before Jinhee shouted out in a voice louder than he thought would have come from the little, mousy girl.

 

“K-Kai, I like you!”

 

He froze, unsure of how to react. Here, was an utterly random girl, mousy and quiet, probably an underclassman, too.

 

And she was giving him a confession, when he didn’t even know her?

 

What was he going to say?

 

And where were his friends when he needed them? One of the few times he actually wanted them around him, shooting in random comments and words – and they weren’t there to help him out.

 

He turned around slowly and forced a gentle smile onto his face. “Uhm… I’m sorry. I… er… I like someone else?” The image of another girl’s face flashed through his mind for a moment, before he bit his lip and shrugged his shoulders in what he hoped was a cool, apologetic movement.

 

Jinhee bit her lip, and began trembling with what Kai suspected to be sniffles.

 

Oh dear lord, no. Was she crying?

 

“I-I’m sorry.” He said gently, stepping over to her and putting his hands on her shoulders. She sniffled, and he thought he saw a streak of water going down her cheek.

 

Erk.

 

He pulled her to him and gave her a gentle hug, keeping his face out of her line of sight so she wouldn’t see the entirely awkward, uncomfortable expression on his face. “I’m really sorry, but I think you’ll do better with another guy, okay?” He let go and looked at her, seeing more water go down her cheeks.

 

Now would be a good time to run.

 

“I-I’m sorry. B-be happy and find a better guy, okay?” He said awkwardly before running off towards his friends – suddenly thankful that they were there.

 

Well, at least the day was no longer entirely boring.

 

But nobody had to know about his rejecting a girl like that. He wouldn’t tell them, he chided himself as he approached his friends.

 

Jinhee stood still for a moment, watching him go, before taking off her glasses and wiping her face. She stopped sniffling and pulled a small bottle out of her pocket.

 

Fake tears never failed, she thought, grinning.

 

Jinhee turned around and held the glasses and bottle up in the air, waving to a girl standing upstairs.

 

Amber could barely stop laughing long enough to wave back.

 

That was, by far, the best ten dollars she’d ever spent.