The ball shot past and made it into the goal.

                I groaned and collapsed to the ground, wiping my sweat away as I watched the other team cheer.

                “This ,” I complained to my friend as she sat beside me on the grass.

                “What, the fact that we’re getting pummeled in the game or the fact that Junhui’s getting a little too intimate with some of his female teammates?” she asked with a mischievous grin, nudging me with her elbow. 

                I looked over to where Junhui was standing.  He held up both palms in a double high-five to another girl in our class, then clasped her hands and waved them in the air a bit before releasing them. 

                “That doesn’t really bother me,” I said, pulling up a few blades of grass.  Junhui was just friendly, with both guys and girls.  “Why should it, anyway?  He can do whatever he wants.”

                She laughed.  “You’re a terrible liar.”

                I shrugged.  The first time Junhui did skinship towards me, I had been surprised, even a bit flustered.  I briefly went through a period when I thought I might be special.  But in reality, that was just the way Junhui showed that he was comfortable around a person.  I trained myself to stop blushing whenever he slung his arm around my shoulders or put his hand over mine on the mouse when we shared a computer.  After all, there was nothing romantic about it. 

                He came up to us as the gym teacher blew his whistle to summon us back to the building. 

                “You lost,” he taunted as he pulled me to my feet.

                “Shut up,” I said, smacking him in the arm.  “It’s only because you had the good people on your team.”

                “Hey, I have some skills, too,” he said, kicking an imaginary ball across the field as we walked towards the entrance. 

                I laughed at his dorkiness, not paying attention to what was ahead of me and almost crashing into another girl.  She gave me a strange look and directed her gaze to Junhui.

                “Can I talk to you?” she asked. 

                He glanced at me.

                “I’ll go ahead,” I said slowly, ignoring my friend who was trying to signal something to me from behind the girl’s back. 

                He nodded.  “I’ll see you at lunch.”

                I headed into the locker rooms, leaving the pair behind. 

                I was letting my hair down from its ponytail as I left the gym when my friend came up to me.

                “I tried to tell you it was a bad idea,” she said.

                “What?”

                “Leaving him with the girl on the field!  Everyone knows she has a huge crush on Junhui.  Apparently, she confessed to him and he hugged her.”  She scanned my face, checking for a reaction.

                I kept my expression steady, but I had a weird feeling in the pit of my stomach, like I’d been punched. 

                “A hug doesn’t mean anything.  Junhui hugs a lot of people.”

                She swatted me.  “Just admit it already – you like him.”

                “I don’t know,” I said.  Maybe, whispered the voice in the back of my mind.    

                I tried not to think too much about what my friend told me as I waited at the usual lunch spot.  The real concerning thing was that I was starving from running around and all my mom packed me was a few rice balls from the convenience store.  With a sigh, I unwrapped one and bit into it. 

                Junhui appeared after awhile, his hair slightly damp.  He must have taken a shower after the soccer game.

                “Hey.  Where’s everyone else?” he asked as he sat down next to me. 

                “They’re probably buying their lunches,” I replied.  He nodded.

                “So,” I tried to say as casually as possible.  “What happened with that girl from earlier?”

                He shrugged.  “Nothing, really.  She confessed to me and I turned her down.”  He took my wrist and maneuvered my half-eaten lunch to his mouth so he could take a bite.

                I felt a bit relieved, but then that stupid voice couldn’t help but wonder – He hugged a girl he turned down?

                “You do this with everyone, don’t you?” I murmured as he dropped my arm. 

                “Hmm?” He chewed and swallowed.  “Do what?”

                “Sharing food, holding hands.”  I glanced at him.  “Hugging.”

                An amused smirk found its way to his lips.  “Are you jealous?”

                “No,” I said a bit too quickly, staring intently at the reddish filling of my rice ball.

                “Well, if it makes you feel better, I would only kiss the girl I like.”

                I scoffed.  “Why would that make me—”

                Suddenly, I was cut off by a quick peck on the cheek.

                I looked over to Junhui, stunned.

                “What was that?”

                He smiled, slightly embarrassed.  “I kissed the girl I like.”