July 26, 2004

"H-Hey! Gimme the ball already!"

Yoonmi stared rather blankly at the two figures in the basketball court: One was a taller brunette who was holding a basketball with his hand high in the air, and the other was a shorter, delicate-looking girl who was trying to reach for it.

She held onto her backpack straps as she watched Byun Baekhyun give a soft laugh towards the girl on her tippy-toes right in front of him.

Yoonmi made a face of genuine confusion.

"Why doesn't she just kick him in the stomach and make him bend down..... That'll get her the ball instead of hopping around all day." She muttered under her breath.

But then again, although it was hard for her to admit, even Yoonmi had to say that the overall picture of the two looked amazing on the outside: Cute people, cool and fresh weather, jumping around in their good and old Suwon school uniforms. This was Im Yoona, after all.

Yoonmi made a face.

Maybe this was why he didn't think of her as a girl at times. She'd never make such an image with any guy.

"Whatever," After a couple of seconds, she turned around to go the other way. Somehow, she didn't feel like going home and spending another Friday night waiting for Byun Baekhyun to come over for late-night cookies, when he always did.

Because Yoonmi suddenly had a very good idea of what that whole secretive topic that the boys had been hiding from her the other day was.

------------------

July 27, 2004

"So... will you go to the dance with me?"

Yoonmi looked up at the guy in surprise.

"Huh?!"

The boy gave a sheepish laugh.

"I-I know you probably barely know me, but... my name's Lee Hyunwoo, and I'm in that class across the hallway," He pointed to Class 2-B with a shy smile. "And I just think you're really cute."

Yoonmi only gaped at him, not knowing what to do. She had never really encountered situations like this with a guy who was actually cute.

And thus, Sulli took over. Just like she had done for the past three other guys.

"Hahahaa, thanks and all, but my friend over here already has a date," Sulli smiled. "But then again, if Yoonmi changes her mind, we'll always be ready to call you back again. Thanks, though!"

Sulli waved at him, waiting for him to leave.

"Oh..." Hyunwoo rubbed the back of his neck in thought. "Really?"

"Yes, really," Sulli tried not to tap her foot. "And seriously... didn't you hear about what happened with Kim Myungsoo? About how that upperclassman from Class 3-C went up to him and threatened him to stay away from Yoonmi." She crossed her arms. "That upperclassman's Byun Baekhyun, Yoonmi's somewhat-of-an-older brother, as if that's not enough to shoo you away--"

"Alright... I guess I'll wait, then." Hyunwoo suddenly said, much to Sulli's shock. He turned to smile at Yoonmi. "See you!"

The second the boy walked out of the classroom, Yoonmi jumped up from her seat.

"OhmyGod what am I gonna DO?! He said he's gonna WAIT."

"What the heck?!" Sulli frowned at the boy across the hallway. "I expected him to just give up like the others did!"

Yoonmi threw her head back and made a loud groaning noise, turning heads in the classroom.

"What's wrong with this place, these days.... First, Kim Myungsoo, then Hanbin, then Jungkookie, and now," Yoonmi slapped her cheeks. "It's this cute guy! Now I actually have to think!"

Sulli rolled her eyes. "Lee Yoonmi, both you and I know that you can't go with that Hyunwoo guy in a million years."

The girl scoffed. "Why not?!"

"Byun Baekhyun would flip out!"

Yoonmi made a face, narrowing her eyes. "What is he, my mom?!"

Sulli only looked at her friend with a raised eyebrow.

"Hey... did you and Baekhyun oppa fight?"

"... No," Yoonmi muttered. "We were always like this... Why are you even surprised?"

After a few moments of silence, Sulli sighed, crossing her arms.

"Fine. But, seriously, at this rate,"

She pointed at a random guy outside in the hallway.

"He'll ask you to the Summer Dance."

"... Who's that?"

"Exactly!"

Yoonmi gave her a look. "You're overreacting, Sulli."

"I'm being serious! And even if it's just for that Hyunwoo guy, you gotta make it known that you already have someone... An ACTUAL date. The lie that I just pulled off can't go on forever, ya know! What if Hyunwoo finds out that you actually don't have a date?"

The girl groaned. "But I don't wannnaaa have anything to do with Kim Myungsoo."

"Exactly."

Yoonmi stopped and looked up at her friend. She dropped her jaw.

"No. I know what you're thinking, and I don't--"

"He'll be perfect."

----------------------------------

"So, if you wanna get home safely today, don't even look at her again, understand?!"

Hyunwoo didn't look twice back before making a curt bow and making his way out of the courtyard.

Kai turned and looked at Yoonmi with a grin--a 360 degree change from the entire possessive aura he had held on his face just a few seconds ago.

"Hey, this is fun!"

The girl only rolled her eyes. "No, it isn't. Now go home, I don't need you anymore--"

"Are there any more? Especially guys like that Hanbin guy from before," He burst out laughing. "He was downright hilarious--"

Yoonmi got up and pushed him out of the school gates in annoyance. Already, she was cursing Sulli's stupid idea under her breath. Of course... it would've been a bad idea from the start to bring Kim Jongin into anything.

"I can handle Jeon Jungkook by myself.... So go home, now."

Kai suddenly turned around with wide eyes. "Jungkook? Suwon's beloved Jeon Jungkook?! Jungkookie asked you?!"

"Yeah, why? Got a problem with that?"

The guy only gaped at her, in complete shock.

"I can't believe Lee Yoonmi got a date faster than me. Lee Yoonmi."

Yoonmi shot him a glare. "Shut up. And I am not going to the dance with Jungkook."

"What, why?! My dear Yoonmi, girls like you need to grab such golden, one-in-a-lifetime chances like this--"

That earned him a good smack on the head.

"Because," Yoonmi muttered. She contemplated on whether she should tell him the truth: That she was pretty sure Baekhyun would get mad at her for going to the dance with even Jungkook, despite the fact that they'd known him all their lives.

"Hey, I'm sure Baekhyun hyung would be okay with it," Kai suddenly began, as if he had read the girl's mind. "I don't know about that Hyunwoo guy, but we've known Jungkook from the beginning of time.... And he's a nice kid, too!"

Yoonmi let out an annoyed breath.

She really hated how everyone around her was pretty much assuming Baekhyun was her older guardian or something, when he wasn't. In fact, she wanted it to be known that Lee Yoonmi was a separate being--With her own authority, and with her own choices.

And yet, she found herself giving into this entire thing each year, as if she had no say in anything.

"You know what," Yoonmi said after a while. A mischievous sparkle formed in her eyes, much to Kai's genuine fear. "You're right!" She looked up at him. "Why should I not go to the dance with Jungkookie--"

Kai gulped, a bad feeling beginning to form in his stomach. He suddenly saw a distant image of Baekhyun kicking the life out of him.

"Um, hold on..." He stopped in front of her. "Now that I think about it, maybe it wouldn't be so much of a good idea, after all--"

"Jungkook's popular with the girls, too, now that he's tall! Why not take this golden chance like you said, Kim Jongin--"

Kai laughed nervously. "D-Did I say that?!"

"And have my own fun, for once!" Yoonmi placed her hands on her hips, very determined. "Even Baekhyun oppa's going this year with Yoona noona, so he can't say anything to me, right?"

Kai sighed. "Okay, even if he is,"

Yoonmi flinched at his confirmation. She immediately shook her thoughts away, choosing to ignore the topic.

If anything, it only made her want to go with this plan even further.

"That's different from you!" Kai insisted. "You're a girl, even if it doesn't seem like it at times. And that's different! Just think about it, Yoonmi. Myungsoo's one hell of a good-looking guy, and Baekhyun hyung said a few threatening words to him to scare him off. But Jungkookie? He's one hell of a good-looking guy, has a nice personality, good manners, is ADORED by all the ahjummas in town--"

Kai raised his hands into the air in defeat.

"I don't know WHAT hyung will do to him."

Yoonmi gave him a very long look.

"You're definitely overreacting."

Kai groaned.

"It's not even as if I'm dating Jungkook, or anything! We're just going as friends!"

"I'm telling you, all these girls think the exact same thing--" He muttered to basically no one.

"And even if Oppa does get mad," Yoonmi leaned closer to the guy in front of her with a smug smile. "You'll be there to support me, right? After all, you're the one who first thought of this idea--"

Kai groaned again, this time while turning around and slamming his head against the school gates, regretting this entire day.

He looked up after a while, looking twice as defeated.

"Fine," The guy muttered. "But when Baek Hyung finds out, don't come to me complaining, okay?!"

".... Or.."

Yoonmi suddenly looked up, the mischievous glint back in her eyes.

".... If he finds out."