Still, I had to admit that there was something stimulating about our battles. I was a little disappointed when I got off the bus one morning to find that, for the first time in a week, Junhyung wasn’t waiting for me.

I told myself that a day without Junhyung would be a welcome change. Stopping at my locker, I checked the calendar taped inside the door. One, two, three, four weeks and two days left. Next week the great campaign to discourage Lee Joon would be half way over.

“Yoseob?”

Looking up, I recognized Junhyung’s brother, Hongki, the same one who had been harassed by Joon.

“Yoseob, Hyung wanted me to tell you that he’s not here this morning. He had to go somewhere.”

For some reason, I felt a pang of regret at the news.

“He says he ought to be back around lunchtime,” Hongki continued. “And that you shouldn’t buy your lunch at school because he is bringing you back a hamburger from town.”

I brightened. “Fantastic! They’re serving liver today in the cafeteria!”

“Then he’d better bring me a hamburger, too!” Hongki paused. “Yoseob, can I ask you a personal question?”

“I guess so,” I said warily.

Hongki edged closer. “What is going on between you and Hyung?”

“We-we’re going together,” I stammered.

“Come on, Yoseob. I may be only a sophomore, but I’m not pabo,” Hongki said. “Hyung never calls you and I know for a fact that he doesn’t take you out on weekends. So what’s going on?”

I hesitated, trying to decide what to do. It was obviously useless to try to convince Hongki the Junhyung and I were romantically involved. I would have to trust him and hope for the best. “Hongki, you haven’t told anybody else about this, have you?” I asked.

“Of course not!” he smiled mischievously. “I just wanted to find out what’s happening. If it’s good enough, I may even blackmail Hyung, just to keep him on his toes.”

“Do you remember Lee Joon?”

“How could I forget?” Hongki remarked, rolling his eyes.

“Well, Joon was pestering me and I didn’t know what to do. So I-I sort of told him that I was dating Junhyung, and Junhyung backed up my story.”

Hongki gave me a measuring look. “You’re the guy who run into Hyung and dented his car, aren’t you?”

“He ran into me,” I corrected him.

“Oh, I’m so glad!” Hongki cried, throwing his arms around me.

I was completely baffled. “What are you talking about?”

Hongki giggled. “It’s like this. People have been making fools of themselves over Hyung ever since he was about thirteen years old and he’s never cared the least bit about any of them. But ever since that accident he’s been talking non-stop about the crazy brunette who ran into him. Honestly, I think he’s got it bad for you, Yoseob.”

“Oh, no, Hongki. You’ve got it wrong. Junhyung doesn’t even like me. He’s helping me get rid of Joon, that’s all.”

“Then why is he helping you?” Hongki asked bluntly. “Hyung is my brother, and I love him, but there’s no way he would do something like this unless he was getting something out of it.”

I didn’t agree with his conclusion, but Hongki’s words were stuck in my mind.

By lunchtime, I joined the gang in the cafeteria.

“Hey, Yoseob, where’s Junhyung?” Seungho asked.

“He’s gone to do something,” I answered. “He said he’d bring me back something from town. I wish he would hurry, I’m getting hungry.”

“Now, that’s what I called love.” Hyunseung sighed. “If a person bought me real food on liver day, I’d love him for the rest of my life!”

“If only I had known,” Kikwang groaned.

Everybody laughed. Kikwang’s unrequited love for Hyunseung was well known. I thought of my own plans to check out eligible people, and decided to start while I waited for Junhyung to show up.

Looking around the table, I decided that Jaejin was the best-looking. Unfortunately, he was also more reserved than the others, which made him harder to get to know. Kikwang was really cute and he had a terrific personality. He had quickly become my favorite of all in the group, but, of course, he was crazy about Hyunseung. As for Seungho, I wasn’t sure he could ever love any girl as he loved football. Doojoon was already taken.

I spent the next ten minutes looking over the rest in the cafeteria. Although, I spotted quite a few, none of them really stood out.

Just then the cafeteria door opened. My heart gave a little leap as Junhyung strode in, a Burger King bag clutched in one hand. It has nothing to do with Junhyung, I told myself sternly. I’m just glad to get my lunch.

 He arrived at the table amid a chorus of greetings. Kikwang offered Junhyung his place beside me. Junhyung sat down in Kikwang’s seat and draped his arm across the back of my chair. I opened the bag he gave me.

“I offered to share my liver with Yoseob, but he wasn’t interested.” Jaejin remarked.

“Smart cutie,” Junhyung said, and smirked at me. To my annoyance, I blushed.

“If Yoseob’s so smart, why is he dating you?” Seungho joked.

“Oh, you’d be surprised at the reasons,” I said, and received a kick under the table from Junhyung.