“Take a picture, it’ll last longer,” Hyeongsung told the group of girls staring at her as she passed by. She didn’t bat an eyelash at them, just kept walking with her head held high. As far as she was concerned, she was not and would not allow herself to be Jeongguk’s plaything. She had twelve idiots to look after; the least she needed was another numbskull to ruin her day.

“Noona! Noona!” Jongin cried, running up to her. Hyeonsung stopped walking and turned to glare at Jongin.

“I told you to call me Hyeonsung, Jongin,” Hyeonsung reminded, knocking on Jongin’s skull once.

“But I like calling you noona,” he pouted. His eyes were so big and shiny, but Hyeonsung hated him like this. Hyeonsung loved him when he was grinning like a madman. She loved him when his smile reached his eyes.

“Well, I don’t care, so stop,” Hyeonsung ordered, crossing her arms. “What did you call me for, anyway?”

“I heard you were going out with-“ Jongin suddenly stopped, looking some ways to the left of Hyeonsung, the subject of his curiosity suddenly appearing before him. An arm s itself onto Hyeonsung’s waist but she didn’t cringe or jump. It was as if she was so used to it and it didn’t bother her at all anymore.

“Going out with?” the male beside Hyeonsung asked, raising an eyebrow.

Jongin gulped, looking frightened for a moment, but in the next moment he set his face into a look of determination. “You. I heard she was going out with you, but that can’t be true because we’re going out, right, Hyeonsung?” Jongin asked with the sudden change in demeanor.

Jeongguk laughed obnoxiously into the air and took Jongin by the collar, lifting him up effortlessly. He dragged Jongin close to his face and asked menacingly, “Well, that can’t be right, can it? Considering she’s dating me.” Jeongguk released Jongin who toppled to the floor, looking helpless as he looked up at Jeongguk and Hyeonsung.

Hyeonsung put her fingers to her temples before speaking. “Okay, one, I am NOT dating Jeongguk. Two, Jongin, just because I said I liked you, doesn’t mean we’re together. Now, give me your hand,” Hyeonsung gently commanded, offering her hand to Jongin who was still on the floor, making no move to get up. Eventually, he extended his hand and let himself be pulled up by the girl of a thousand faces.

“I really thought we were dating, Hyeonsung,” Jongin said, not letting go of Hyeonsung’s hand. Jeongguk cleared his throat loudly, causing Jongin and Hyeonsung to look back in his direction with quizzical looks on their faces.

“Yes?” Hyeonsung asked, looking Jeongguk in the eyes.

Jeongguk sighed irritably and tugged Hyeonsung’s hand out of Jongin’s, holding her wrist tightly in his hand. He pulled her towards him until only a few centimeters were separating their faces.

“What did I tell you about you being mine?” he hissed, anger and jealousy raging in his eyes.

Hyeonsung tugged her wrist out of his grip. “I don’t belong to anyone.”

Jeongguk stared dumbfoundedly at Hyeonsung as she walked away, that pesky flower boy in tow. His posse walked up to him to get the updates on the situation.

“Looks like force isn’t working,” Namjoon suggested thoughtfully, putting a hand to his chin.

“Time for plan S,” Suga said, wiggling his eyes suggestively.

“Plan S?” They responded in chorus.

“Plan Suga. Give her some Suga lovin’.” Suga winked at Jeongguk reassuringly.

“What, like, making out?” Jeongguk asked, genuinely wondering.

“No, idiot. I mean, give her flowers and ,” Suga told him, making exaggerated gestures with his hands. “Make her happy with the things chicks dig. You feel?”

“I guess,” Jeongguk said hesitantly, getting his cellphone out and looking up numbers of flower shops.

Hyeonsung stepped out of her homeroom to be met with a bouquet of red roses in her face. She coughed at the smell, she never really liked roses, preferred tulips, to be honest. She tried to look beyond the flurry of scarlet flowers to see the face of her assumed admirer to see Jeongguk looking nonchalant as ever and looking off to the side.

“Here, take it,” Jeongguk said, shoving the bouquet into her arms. She took it and looked at it silently, wondering what she’d tell her mother once she set foot in the house with a bouquet of red roses. Oh, she’d never hear the end of it.

“Will you be my woman now?” Jeongguk asked, meeting Hyeonsung’s eyes with an indignant glare.

Hyeonsung sighed. “No, Jeongguk. Thanks for the flowers, though.”

“But don’t chicks dig this? Aren’t you all over me yet?” Jeongguk asked consecutively, trying to prevent Hyeonsung from ditching him again.

“Well, first of all, you have to at least act sincere when you’re giving them,” Hyeonsung explained, ticking off the point on her finger. “Also, I think you’ve got the wrong girl. I’m got a lot of on my plate, all right? Find someone who has the time to mess around.”

As Hyeonsung made a move to walk away, Jeongguk blocked her path, grabbing her wrist and pulling her towards him. “Make time for me,” he ordered threateningly.

“Don’t be an about it,” Hyeonsung replied, trying and failing to tug her wrist out of his grip. “Let me go,” she told him but the look in his eyes told her he wouldn’t be letting go very soon.

“Say you’re mine.”

“I’m not anybody’s property.”

“You are mine.”

“Tell you what, I’ll find you someone ever better than me to be your plaything, deal?” Hyeonsung offered, hatching a plan in her head as she spoke.

Jeongguk looked interested, released her wrist and said, “I’m listening.”

“I have a friend, Kim SooKyung, she’s pretty, smart, nice, and she likes you,” Hyeonsung explained in a hurry. Jeongguk thought to himself a little before nodding in approval.

“It’s a deal,” he said with a smirk, walking off to his next class.

Hyeonsung breathed a sigh of relief. Killing two birds with one stone was easier said than done.