I flopped onto my back. Four nights in a row, I hadn't been able to sleep easily. I had gone to bed quite late the previous night too. I'm going crazy. I dully stared at the ceiling trying to pull myself back into some form of rest. Minutes after I started to doze off but the next thing I knew, my sister was knocking on my door to wake me up for the day. 

I wheezed and sat up awake as I saw Bomi push the door open. "I'm already up."

"You look like a panda. You stayed up late again last night, didn't you?"

"I didn't..." I rolled out of bed as I tried to shake off the sleepiness that still clung to my body. 

She watched me hurry past and shook her head slowly. "There's something you aren't telling us, Eunji. Do you have problems? Perhaps, boy problems? Is it Kibum again? Or that boy, Baekhyun?"

"Bomi..."

"Eyyy... two pretty boys are chasing after you. Who you gonna choose?" She wiggled her brows at me. 

"Ugh... don't start." I growled and practically sprinted the distance to my bathroom to get myself ready. I stared at myself on the mirror, frowning at the dark circles under my eyes. I applied concealer to cover it up but it still was visible. After trying for a few minutes, I finally gave up. I looked away from the mirror with a heavy sigh and grabbed my backpack. 

I headed outside the room.

"Eunji!" My older sister, Chorong, exclaimed at the sight of me leaving. "Aren't you gonna eat breakfast?"

I looked at the time and grabbed a toast from the table. "I'm running late for my class. I have to go unnie, bye! Bomi! Bye!"

I started walking towards the bus station when I heard a voice call me. I turned around and saw Baekhyun standing beside our gate with a goofy smile on his face. "Good morning!"

I quickly chewed the toast and answered him. "Good morning. Why are you here?"

"Isn't it obvious? I'm walking you to school."

"Again?"

"Again."

"But yesterday you already---"

"I'll be doing this everyday from now on." He skipped up to me with a charming smile. "Is that your breakfast?" He pointed towards the bread.

"Yeah."

"Just that?" He asked back, shocked. "You should eat more, you know."

I rolled my eyes at him but smiled. "I'll get fat." I continued walking.

"Fat or not, you're still pretty to me."

"Shut it." I looked away so that he wouldn't see me smile. "You're so greasy."

Baekhyun caught up and grabbed my bag away from me. "Give this to me. I'll carry it for you." He then smiled at me with his special eye smile. I felt a faint blush creep up to my cheeks at his simple gesture and Baekhyun, seeing my red face, stopped walking and looked at me with a concerned expression. “Are you sick?” He said, putting the back of his hand on my burning face.

I flinched. “Y-yah, I'm not sick. D-don't touch my face.” Feeling his hand on my face made me nervous. 

Baekhyun smiled cheekily. "Why?" 

"Just... don't." 

He shrugged before we continued walking. 

We both waited for the bus and when it came, it was packed. Baekhyun had let me go in first and then he followed. We both had to stand because there were no empty seats. 

"Hold on to me." Baekhyun said as he dragged me, squeezing our way through. He pulled her towards the pole for back support and held on to the handle above it. My head was sort of resting on his shoulder.

"Yah... isn’t this too c-close?"

"The bus is crowded so... no choice." He smirked.

Dang. He smells so good. He smells like peach... and what the hell am I thinking about in the middle of the bus? 

I need to stop this train of thought.

Soon we were standing in front of our school. I looked at Baekhyun and felt his hand again on top of mine. I tried to slide my hand out, but he just tightened his grip. "Baek? My h-hand?" 

"I know it's your hand." 

"Do you want me to hit you? That's not what I mean, stupid. Aren't you going to let go?" 

He kept staring at me. "I'm not.”

"Baekhyun I'm going to be late..."

"What time is your lunch break?"

I looked at him, confused. "Eleven thirty. Why?"

"Let's have lunch together, okay? Don't dare start without me!" 

"Uhm... okay? So... can you let go of my hand now?" 

"Oh, right." He chuckled softly. "See you later!"

My stomach is performing a freakin' circus inside me. Flutter. Yeah, my heart is fluttering. My heart is trying to tell me something my mind clearly has no idea of. It's funny, because my brain should know it best.

What is this? Am I actually developing feelings for him? But... how about Kibum? 

I decided that I really am going crazy when I snuck one last peek at Baekhyun. As if feeling my glance, he turned back and... smiled.

Flutter.

No, come back to your senses, Eunji!

Shaking my head, I glance at my watch. I'm 10 minutes late. “No! This is your entire fault, Bacon!” I hissed before running as fast as I could towards my classroom. I reached the room and scanned the area. Our professor wasn’t there yet. Thank goodness. I relaxed for a bit and entered the room, panting.

"Eunji!" I looked up and saw Kibum at the middle row, waving at me. "Come here!" He said, standing up and grabbing my backpack before carrying it over to the seat beside him.

“That is not my seat.”

 "You're going to sit beside me from now on during Chemistry." 

My eyes widened as he pulled me down to beside him. "W-what? Why?" 

Everyone started in the class started to watch us. I even heard one of my classmates whispering, 'She must be really lucky to have two pretty boys chasing after her', 'Baekhyun and Kibum? Wow, she's not even pretty.'

"Our professor changed the seat plan.”

"Suddenly? Why though? We're in the middle of the semester."

“He just did.” He answered nonchalantly.

“Ahh.”

"Why? Do you not like it?"

“N-no. Why would I don’t”

Kibum mumbled. "... is it still awkward for you?"

"... kind of." I admitted.

"Sorry... if you're still not comfortable... I just wanted to sit beside you... because... I miss you."

"H-hey... isn't it too early for that?" I faked a chuckle trying to lighten the situation.

He ignored me and continued. "I hope it's not too late for you to accept my feelings, Eunji. I don't care how long will it take... I won't stop trying." 

I could tell by the look in his eyes that he meant it. He showed me a dazzling smile and I smiled back. "By the way, how are you and B..Baekhyun? Is he nice? Do... you... like him?"

Do I like him? "He’s nice. He actually walked me to school this morning."

"I see..."

There was nothing but silence between us. There was nothing left to say to each other. All that was left was an awkward silence that I hoped wouldn’t last forever. "You know, I miss the old us." I said, finally breaking the silence. “I feel like everything has changed since...”

"What do you mean?" 

I shrugged. "I miss all the bickering and stuff. You pranking me... me hitting you back... those kind of things."

"We can still do that. I'm still Kibum and you're still Eunji."

I didn't answer.

"It's just that nothing is permanent in this world. Especially people and... feelings. Friends become lovers, lovers become friends or heck-- even strangers... and... and people leave."

Why did he have to add that? ".... just like Arisa?" I asked.

Our professor entered the class before he could answer. Everyone stopped talking and greeted him. "Oh, Kibum, do you like the new seat plan?" Our professor turned to look at me. "Eunji, did you know that he's been pestering me for days about it?"

I turned pink at that. "Well..."

"Of course, I can't refuse a love struck boy."

Our classmates hollered and Kibum looked away with a gulp. His face was red. 

Our professor chuckled and started the lesson. I started taking notes like a good student that I am but soon I found myself getting distracted. Without looking up I let out a sigh. "Kibum, stop staring and pay attention." I whispered.

"Have I told you that you look so pretty today?"

"Pay attention." I shook my head and continued with the note taking process. Soon, I was distracted again. I turned my head slightly to see if Kibum's still staring at me but instead I found him asleep with his head on the table on the top of his folded arms, facing me. How can he fall asleep that fast?

I smiled at the innocent side of him.

I miss him. I miss my bestfriend.

I snapped out of my thoughts and concentrated on class. Our professor told us to read passages on our books and to take notes of certain ideas. 

The lunch bell rang not long after and everyone scattered out of the classroom. I stood up and packed my things up. I got startled when I felt a light poke on my shoulder. "What?" I asked as I found Kibum smiling at me.

"Come on, let's have lunch."

"Su---" Baekhyun. Right, we are having lunch together. I contemplated on how to answer Kibum. "Uhm... I'm eating with--"

"Let's go, I'm starving." Before I could say anything, Kibum dragged me out of class. The halls were filled with students and of course, once we stepped out we heard whispers about us.

We arrived at the cafeteria in no time. I catched a sight of Baekhyun standing by the front door.

“Eunji!” He beamed. He instantly stopped as he tensed at the sight of me and Kibum. Our eyes locked for half a second before his eyes traveled down to Kibum's hand on mine. I yanked my hand away immediately.

Oh god. Why do I feel like I'm cheating? 

"Eunji, I was waiting for you." Baekhyun said, pouting.

"I'm sorry, Baek. We got dismissed late."

I heard Kibum mutter something beside me. 

"Uhm... guys. I'm hungry." I said, breaking the accumulating silence.

 "Why are you with him?" Baekhyun asked.

I tore my eyes away from him and casted my eyes on the ground. 

"We are going to eat together." Kibum answered.

Baekhyun shot him a look. "No... we are eating together."

"No. We are."

"Eunji promised me this morning." Baekhyun insisted.  

An uneasy feeling settled into me as I let out a sigh. "Can we just eat together? U-us... three? I'm really hungry so..."

"Okay." Baekhyun stood up and took a hold of left hand. He gently pulled me down beside his seat.

He failed when Kibum stood firm, and held my other hand instead. "Let go.”

"Stop trying to hog Eunji, Kibum."

"Hog?!" Kibum sputtered, his head whipping between mine and Baekhyun's.

"Guys..." I sighed in exasperation. I held out my hands in surrender and seated myself in between them. "L-let’s just eat, shall we?" 

Kibum loosened his expression and grabbed a hold of my hand again. "Okay." He said as he pulled me along with him towards the food aisle. I gave an apologizing look at Baekhyun as he followed.

I picked my food and took out a can of soda from a vending machine nearby. Kibum stepped on my right and Baekhyun on my left as we navigated our way back to the table.

We started to eat.

"Here, Eunji. Have some of my kimbap. It's really good." Kibum picked up pieces of his kimbap and placed it on my plate.

I thanked him with a smile.

"Try out this croissant sandwich, it the best." Baekhyun on my left nudged me.

"S..sure. It’s looks delicious."

Kibum dragged his smoothie beside my plate. "Eunji, here, have a sip of this smoothie. It's mango."

"This strawberry smoothie is better. Here. Have a sip."

"She likes mango more."

"No, she doesn't."

I wanted to gag seeing the two. "Guys..."

"She does."

"No, she--"

"Yah! You two, can you just let me finish my food in peace?" I snapped.

"Wait. You have something... on your..." Baekhyu and wiped off something beside my lips with his pinky finger. I stared back at him with widened eyes as I felt my cheeks getting red.

Kibum groaned on my side. "Yah, why wipe it off with your hands? You can use tissue, you know."

Baekhyun rolled his eyes and ignored him.

"Kibum?" 

We all shot our head up from the sudden voice that came behind us. 

"Kim sonsaengnim!"

"Are you busy?" The teacher patted Kibum's shoulder as she roamed her eyes around our table. "Are you done eating?"

Kibum nodded a bit. "Yes, Mrs. Kim. I'm about to finish... why?" 

"We kind of need you now at the faculty room. There's an emergency meeting for the upcoming ball and we need the student council to be there. The meeting might take a few hours so you'll be excused on your next class."

Kibum turned to look back at me. "Will you be okay here, Eunji?" His eyes met mine, waiting for my answer.

"Of course, she's with me." Baekyun snorted but Kibum ignored him. 

I simply nodded. "Yeah. Go... you’re needed there, Mr. President." 

Kibum stood up and gathered his things. "See you later." He smiled at me before walking away. 

I watch Kibum exit through the door before turning back to Baekhyun and kicking him on the shin, earning a yelp from him. “What was that for?”

"What's with you guys?!"

"What’s with us?” He asked, feigning ignorance. Baekhyun rubbed his injured shin and leaned in with a frown.

"It's so annoying."

"I-I'm a-annoying?" He pouted.

I instantly regretted my words and sighed. "No... you’re not annoying." My eyes tracked his movement. "Hey. Why aren't you eating?" 

"I lost my appetite." 

"You should eat, you have a soccer practice later, right?"

“How did you know?”

“You mentioned it yesterday.” 

"You remember?" He lifted his head and a slight smile broke out in his face. Cute. In a split second, his lips curved into a frown. "But still I'm not eating anymore..."

"Are you upset? If it's because of Kibum, it's because he suddenly grabbed me. I had no chance to say--"

"I'm not upset!" But even as Baekhyun spoke, he pouted and sounded like a whiny child. He folded his arms as he took a deep breath and cast his eyes down. "I'm not upset... you promised me..."

I let out a loud huff as I perched my hands on his shoulder. "I'm sorry..."

"Can I ask you a question?" 

I nodded, waiting for him as I watch him stumble over what to say. He looked intensely serious as he pursed his lips and his eyes narrowed in thought. 

"Strawberry or Mango?"

Jeez. What have I gotten myself into?