“You did what?!”  Taejoon gasped as Dok Mi told him the news.  Hye Ri patted her on the back and Minah tried to bring her brother back to normal.  “You agreed to be in a challenge…  With that guy?!”  He pointed to the Infinite table.  Dok Mi turned to see Woohyun and all of the guys of the band looking at her.  As if on cue, all seven of the members smiled and waved to her.  Dok Mi scrunched up her nose and turned away.  

   “They’re trying to mock me,” she hummed.  “But it’s okay.  I’m going to win this.”  

   “No offense, honey, but how do you win something as arbitrary as happiness?”  Minah asked.  Dok Mi hadn’t thought about that and hit her head lightly with her fist.  “Isn’t it basically a followers battle?”  

   Hye Ri laughed and began to feel sympathetic for Dok Mi.  “Poor thing.  Now she has to have more followers than the Kingka.”  Dok Mi shrank in her seat until she felt a finger run up her spine.  At first she thought it was Taejoon and she whipped around and softly slapped him.  He looked at her with fear in his eyes and she turned to see Woohyun behind her.  

   “You.  Me.  Let’s talk,” Woohyun commanded.  He took her wrist and dragged her over to the Infinite table, despite all of her protesting.  “This is pretty much the kingka table.  You know all of them, right?”  

   Dok Mi blushed and shook her head.  In fact, she didn’t know who they were at all. “I’ve never made it a point to hang around people unless they come to me first.  So no, I don’t know their names.”  

   All of the guys laughed and looked at her with admiration.  Why would they do that?  Weren’t they on Woohyun’s side?  Woohyun groaned and started introducing all of the members.  Dok Mi felt bad; she had gone to one of the school concerts and had seen them all before, yet she didn’t know the names of any of them.  Except for the dirt bag.  

   “So, Sungjong had this brilliant idea.  Bring it up, maknae,” Woohyun ordered.  The youngest one nodded and clasped his hands together.  

   “I was thinking…  We could do a poll.  That would be the quickest way to see who’s at an advantage here in terms of a popularity contest.”

   “I didn’t sign up for a popularity contest,” Dok Mi argued.  She didn’t mean to snap at Sungjong and frowned.  “Sorry, I didn’t mean to be so angry.  But I don’t need people to give me things in order for me to be happy.  I’m fine just giving.”  She looked up to see the boys staring at Woohyun in anticipation of an answer.  He shook his head and wrapped an arm around her shoulder.  

   “Look.  ‘Giving’ takes too much effort.  No one appreciates it anymore. And—“

   “Bull.”  Dok Mi blurted.  She shook Woohyun’s arm off of her and saw him clench his jaw.  “I appreciate it.  Because when someone shows that they care enough to do something for you, they must appreciate your existence.  And it’s a responsibility to return the favor, because you appreciate their existence.  You don’t know the feeling, and I understand.  You don’t appreciate because that which is given to you is given out of fear, meaning that you’re not appreciated but rather cast off.”  She looked at Woohyun and saw him completely vexed.  She bowed her head and stood up.  “That’s enough for today.  I’ve just proven to you why I’m happier than you are.”  With that, she walked away and Woohyun passed his lunch to the guys.  He was too eaten up with guilt to eat anything.  He knew she was right, but he couldn’t let her be.  

   He couldn’t let her think that he was actually wrong, even if it was true.  

   When Dok Mi made her way back to her table, more people had come to hear what she had said.  

   “Nothing.  I just gave him details of the challenge.”  

   The next day was unexpectedly difficult for Dok Mi.  People kept coming up to her and telling her how much they admired her.  She smiled and told them they were too kind and that they were just as good as she was, but she felt like she was cheating them.  She didn’t know half of the people that came up to her, yet she accepted their whole-hearted compliments and gave them back half-hearted ones. 

   Like usual, she went to copy her notes for Hye Ri at cheer practice.  When she got up to leave,  she failed to recognize that someone was trailing behind her.  Before she could step off school grounds, a figure raced past her and stopped in front of her.  She looked at the man in confusion and sighed when she discovered who it was. 

   “Someone got a lot of compliments today,” Woohyun stated.  Dok Mi nodded and kept walking at a rhythmic pace.  “I noticed you had a hard time giving compliments back.”

   “You did?” She stopped and turned to look at him in worry.  He smiled and patted her head. 

   “You know, you’re kind of cute when you’re not arguing with me.”

   “Oh, stop trying to distract me,” she mumbled in a broken voice.  She was not going to have him flirt with her.  Nope.  Not happening.  “Did I really seem overwhelmed?”  

   Woohyun chuckled and shrugged his shoulders.  “A bit.  But you overcame it.  I think everyone in the school likes you now.”

   Dok Mi cocked her head to the side, thought about it, and began walking.  “That’s really weird.  I haven’t done enough for them.” 

   “I agree,” Woohyun added.  Dok Mi started getting angry.  “You haven’t showcased a talent to them, you’re not a heartthrob, and you don’t---“

   “You can stop,” she warned.

   “Let anyone finish speaking,” he finished with a laugh.  He saw her turn into a restaurant and followed her in.  “You work here?”  

   “No; my aunt does.  I stop by on Wednesdays because…”  She hesitated.  “Because she gives me free ice cream.”  Woohyun grinned and resisted patting her head again.  

   “Would she give me free ice cream if I told her I was your friend?”

   “Yes.  But I could tell her you’re not my friend,” Dok Mi argued.  

   “You don’t have the heart to,” he said and sat down across from her.  Dok Mi frowned and started playing with her phone as if she was texting someone.  “I know you’re just trying to avoid me.”  

   “Good,” she murmured.  She put her phone away and started looking for her aunt.  Never had she ever wished to see her so much.  “Oh!  Auntie!”  

   A tall, large framed woman walked over to the table.  Woohyun noticed that she had no similarities with Dok Mi and wondered what her sibling that was Dok Mi’s parent looked like.  

   “Dok Mi!  We’re all out of cookies and cream ice cream today.  What else do you want?  Would your friend like some?”  

   “I’d like…  Strawberry ice cream,” she said sweetly.  Woohyun watched her eyes twinkle and wondered how she could be so enthusiastic.  He felt guilty when she looked at him and all the light in her eyes was gone.  She managed, however, to ask him politely if he wanted anything.  

   “I’d like some strawberry ice cream, too,” he said while staring at Dok Mi.  His objective was to see if he could make the lights turn on again, but she looked away quickly and swallowed a couple of times.  “Are you nervous or something?”  He blurted.  She darted her eyes at him, then to her aunt who was walking away, then to the table. 

   “I just…  I don’t hang out with many people outside of school.  Just Hye Ri.  And now my aunt is going to think… Well… I mean, you know,” Dok Mi mumbled.  Woohyun smiled and rested his chin on his palms. 

   “Is she going to think we’re a couple?”  He questioned teasingly.  Dok Mi winced and made the shape of an X with her arms.  

   “I hope not!”  She cried.  Woohyun laughed and leaned back in his seat.  

   “You know, I thought you were just an innocent girl who had an unrealistic view of society.  But now, I think you’re still a little girl,” he told her.  She placed her arms down and looked at him with sad eyes.  

   “I’m not a little girl.  I’m just happier this way,” she admitted.  He finally tore his attention away from her and looked around.  She was innocent, yes; to the point of aggravation, but she was honest.  

   Her aunt came out with two cones of ice cream and kissed Dok Mi on her forehead.  “Tell your mom I said hello and that she needs to call her sister once in a while,” she chuckled.  “And you, I didn’t catch your name.”

   “My name?  Oh, it’s Woohyun.  Nam Woohyun.”  

   “Woohyun.  What a nice name for a nice young man.  You take care of our little Dok Mi, okay?  She’s as stubborn as it gets, but she’s the kindest girl you’ll ever meet.”  

   Woohyun nodded and escorted Dok Mi out.  He held the door for her and she thought she was going to die of embarrassment.  Still, she managed to tell him thank you, and he walked her home.  

   “Thanks for walking me home,” she said sincerely.  “I’ll see you tomorrow.”  

   “You will?”  

   “Yeah, at school.”

   “Are you sure, or are you just hoping?”

   “Oh stop it.  I see what you’re trying to do,” Dok Mi scolded.  “This silly banter is just so you can try and get me to be one of your fangirls.  It’s not working.”  With that, she her heels and stomped into her house.  

   “You’re actually quite fun, Lee Dok Mi.”