===========================================

The next day after Tao started to go to college…

“Can you please stop following me ?”, Tao asked angrily.

“I just wanted to make sure that you don’t have to be with Sulli”, Kris answered.

“You don’t have to. ‘Cause you’re just being a burden and that makes me wanting to be with Sulli even more”

“Well, I don’t care. At least that’s all I can do to keep you away from her”

“Tch !”

Tao ran away from Kris and makes sure he doesn’t follow him. He hid himself inside an empty classroom. Trying to catch his breath, he stopped and sat down at the corner of the classroom.

That guy is just a burden. He’s the same as when we’re kids. I can’t even talk to Sulli. Each time I had a chance to talk with her, he’ll be pulling me somewhere and then told me not to get close to her with a really “handsome” smile of him.

Tao was thinking about how he missed Sulli ever since he moved to China when he was small. He always remembered her one and only hero when he was being bullied by the other kids, and how that hero always smiles at him every time he cried. That has always been his most precious memory since he never had a friend before.

When Tao thought of that, a single drop of tear fell out from his eye. Tao was known as a crybaby ever since he was small. But, he wanted to change and become a better guy for her, for his hero.

And so, Tao trained martial arts when he was in China. Then, he was recruited as an action movie actor by an agency in Korea when he came back.

Suddenly, the door opened. Sulli came in bringing a stack of book with her. She saw Tao who was crying silently at the corner of the class.

“Why ?”, Sulli asked.

Tao quickly wiped off his tears and stood up.

“Please just pretend you didn’t see it”, Tao said, embarrassed.

“Why ? Is it embarrassing ?”,  Sulli asked.

Tao only nodded his head quietly. He wished that Sulli could just pretend she didn’t see it.  Today has gotten even worse.

“It’s okay. Even boys cried sometimes”, Sulli said, smiling sweetly.

Tao looked at her with confusion. She doesn’t even feel it’s weird to be seeing a boy crying at this age ?

“Even my father cried sometimes because of economic problems”, Sulli said, and she smiled again.

“But, doesn’t it feels weird ?”, Tao asked.

“Nope. It’s common after all”

She really is my hero.

“By the way, Kris was looking for you. He’s waiting for you at the canteen”, Sulli said.

“Kris did ?”, Tao asked.

“Yep. Don’t make him wait too long. Go there now”

“Ah… Okay”

Sulli walked towards Tao. She patted his head and smiled.

“You’re better when you’re smiling”, Sulli said.

Tao smiled. He was actually feeling a bit sad inside. Why am I the one who got comforted ? I was the one who supposed to be comforting her, not to be comforted. I really don’t match her at all.

================================

“What took you so long just to meet me ?”, Kris asked.

“Why did you always did this to me ?”, Tao asked back, feeling annoyed.

“Did what ?”

“You just pretend not to know”

Kris lift up his shoulder, saying that he didn’t know what he was talking about. Kris smirked, “handsomely”, as usual. Tao felt that his anger was already on the highest part right now. He could even explode right now if Kris continued his talk.

“Just shut up”, Tao said.

“I already did, but… Okay”, Kris answered calmly and he became silent as Tao ordered.

Tao turned his back and walked away. Kris only looked at him and smirked “handsomely”. He ate his bread, and this time too, “handsomely”.

“He’s still a kid”, Kris said.

Just then, Sulli came. She walked towards Kris, holding a bread on her right hand. She seems to be looking for someone. Kris walked towards her while Sulli was still looking around. Kris stopped in front of Sulli.

“Oh ! Kris !”, Sulli said, surprised.

“Hi”, Kris said, with a handsome smile on his face as usual, “What-“

“Have you seen Tao ? You were supposed to be with him right ?”

“Ah. Tao. He… Was on his way to class”

“Oh. Okay then, thanks !”

Sulli ran past Kris who only looked at her, going farther from him, with a sigh. He walked to the opposite way and stopped in the middle.

“Tao can never have her”, Kris said, “It’s impossible anyway”

========================

“Are you going to class without having lunch ?”, Sulli asked.

“I’m not in the mood to eat right now”, Tao answered.

“Well, at least if you’re hungry, here’s a bread. And by the way, have you been crying again ?”

Tao’s eyes were red as if he was crying before Sulli came. Well of course, he was. Since he was a sensitive guy and was a kid who used to be bullied every day, of course he’d cry even though Kris only talked “handsome” things (that’s what his fans always said) to him.

“I’m not”, he said.

“You’re lying. Your eyes were really, really red”, Sulli said.

Tao quickly wiped his eyes. He was really embarrassed right now and for the second time today. Sulli took her handkerchief and hand it to Tao.

“I don’t need it”, Tao said.

“Just take it”, Sulli said, smiling.

“I don’t need it. Just put it back”

“Take it”

Tao gave up. He took Sulli’s handkerchief and Sulli smiled. He can’t never refuse if it was this girl. Just then, the bell rang. It was time for class.

“Remember to eat the bread !”, Sulli said as she was running.

Tao looked at the bread Sulli gave and he smiled happily. As expected, he was cuter if he smiled. Sulli always liked his smile when they were small, and maybe, even now.

Kris who was hiding and looking at the both of them since before, sighed again. Kris walked towards Tao with a “handsome” smile on his face. Tao noticed that he was coming towards him. His expression quickly changed. It becomes an annoyed expression.

“What do you want ?”, Tao asked.

“What do you think ?”, Kris asked back.

Tao shoved Kris out of his way and he walked past him. Kris smirked.

“Don’t think you already win just because she gave you something”, Kris said.

“I don’t think that way”, Tao replied calmly.

Kris smirked once again. He walked the opposite way, and Tao only stood there like a stone. Tao sighed. He looked at his bread once again. I wish I could just have her. Then, he continued to walk.

On the other side, Kris who walked the opposite way of Tao stopped in front of his classroom door. He hesitates to go in ‘cause his heart always beat faster each time he saw Sulli smiled. He only acts cool every time he met her. But actually, his heart was beating very fast as if it could jump out from inside.

“Oh ! Kris ! Aren’t you going in ?”, Sulli asked him suddenly.

Kris was very surprised that his heart jumped up and down. But still, his cool guy image never disappear. He smiled “handsomely” to Sulli and Sulli only replied with her big grin.

“Oh, yeah. I was just… relaxing”, Kris said.

She appeared so suddenly until I barely managed to keep my cool guy mask.

===================

“Thanks for the bread”, Tao said.

Sulli replied with a big smile. The both of them were on the way to the library, and Kris was following them from behind. But the both of them didn’t know ‘cause Kris’s fans were covering him.

Sulli kept glancing back but she didn’t see Kris. The whole fans of him were all jumping up and down and shouting in chaos after seeing Kris. They saw him every day but they always act like a crazy people every time they saw him. And well, Kris’s a cool guy so he know how to handle these kind of girls.

“Is every day like this ?”, Tao asked.

“Yep. ‘Cause girls go head over heels for him”, Sulli replied.

“You too ?”

“I’m not. If I liked him then all his fans would kill me for sure”

“Is that so ?”

“His fans have all prepared weapons behind them if someone they knew was his girlfriend. And, I was suspected to be his girlfriend once but Suzy saved me”

Tao and Sulli kept telling stories to each other until they arrived at the library. And well, as for Kris… He was still in the middle of the girls, smiling “handsomely” to all of them, and at the same time, confused. And when the bell rang, all the girls stopped the chaos and walked back to class, and all of them went back waving to Kris. This has been a habit to all of them.

Well, after his fan disappeared, Kris’s glance quickly changed and he ran off to the library. He seems to know all Sulli’s favorite place, and one of them is the library. Really, a crazy fan of her.

So, when Kris arrived at the library, he can’t find Tao and Sulli anywhere. It seems they already gone to class since the bell already rang. Kris sat on the library’s bench and catch his breath. He looked up at the roof and sighed. It was the worst day for Kris. I will really gonna finish him off tomorrow. But did the two already gone to class ? Sulli can stay here for at least 3 hours even though it was already time for class. Weird.

And well, where are Tao and Sulli ?

Kris left the library with an annoyed expression on his face. After he left, someone came up from the bottom of the table. It was Tao and Sulli. They were hiding in the bottom of the table three seconds before Kris came. And Kris didn’t even know. Well of course. They hid so well.

“Why did we hide ?”, Sulli asked.

“I just didn’t want Kris to see us”, Tao answered.

“Why ?”

“Ummm…. Well…. It’s a secret”

“Can you tell me ?”

“Sorry but this time I can’t. It’s a boys’ problem”

“Oh. Okay”

The both of them sat down after picking some books. Sulli picked a novel she used to like while Tao picked a martial arts book. Tao really loved martial arts since he was really good at it. Tao looked at Sulli while she was concentrating on her novel. Can I ask her this ? Will she hates me after I said this to her ? I’m afraid I don’t have a chance to be with her ever again if I ask her this. But, I really wanted to know what her answer will be. Sigh. I’m so frustrated. But, I need to ask her this since Kris wasn’t around this time.

“Umm… Sulli ?”, Tao called Sulli, shyly.

Sulli turned at him and smiled.

“D-Do you….”

“What ?”, Sulli asked since Tao asked her with a really small voice.

Tao inhale and he encourage himself to ask Sulli.

“Do you have someone you like ?”, Tao asked at last.

“Huh ?”

“Do you…. Have someone you like ?”, Tao asked once again.

That time, Sulli became quiet and her expression became serious. But then, her cheeks started to became red as if she was shy to admit something. She looked down and gulped. It’s you. It’s you.

“Sulli ?”, Tao asked if she was alright.

“Huh ? Huh?”

Sulli seemed confused to answer him or not. Sulli looked at Tao shyly.

“H-How about you ?”, Sulli asked. Her voice was trembling.

“Me ?”

“Yeah, you”

“Well, I….”

Tao seemed to be nervous too. His cheeks was as red as Sulli’s right now. The both of them liked each other but they can’t even admit it. They were afraid how the respond was. Tao encourage himself to answer. Let me say this to her at least. I like you.

“I have. It’s-“, Tao said.

“It’s me right ?”, Kris said, hugging Tao’s back.

He appeared so suddenly that it made Tao’s heart almost jumped out. Tao looked back and saw Kris grinning at him. Tao quickly notice what he meant behind his smile. Don’t say it or else. Tao was almost going to cry that time, as if he was already rejected by Sulli when he didn’t even confessed to her yet.

“It’s me right ?”, Kris said, hugging Tao’s back even tighter.

Tao turned the other side so Sulli can’t see his tears on his eyes. Just please don’t cry here. Sulli noticed that Tao was about to cry so she only laughed to Kris.

“Is that so ? Well then at least don’t hug him to tight, or else he won’t be able to breath”, Sulli said, “By the way, isn’t it time for our English class Kris ? We need to go there soon”

“Oh right. C’mon”, Kris said.

Kris walked in front of Sulli. Sulli silently handed out another handkerchief for Tao without Kris noticing. She looked back at him and smiled.

“It’s okay to cry”, Sulli whispered to Tao. Then, she left him on the library alone so he could cry without anyone there. So that he was comfortable crying there.

Tao only looked at Sulli’s back. He imagined that one day, that back will be hugged by him and then the two of them will be together. His tears started to fell out and dropped on his cheeks gently. He wiped his tears using Sulli’s handkerchief. He was glad that at least he can smell Sulli’s scent from her handkerchief. He wiped all his tears and looked up. Sighed.

“I need to be stong”, Tao said, encouraging himself.

Tao didn’t know that someone was watching him from the outside. That person smirked after seeing Tao cried.

“He seems to like that girl. Well then, should we start this operation ?”, that person said.

==================

That night,

Tao who was practicing his martial arts at the training room got a message from someone. His phone rang that time and a message came. Tao stopped his practice for a while and went towards the table where he puts his phone. He took his phone and read the message.

About that question you ask me and the question I ask you, we both haven’t answer it yet. And well, I’m texting you the answer. So… Um… Read carefully ‘kay.

Once when we’re little, I was always your hero right ? You always told me that. And well, I admit that I was feeling sorry each time you cried, but still, I laughed and called you “Crybaby” so that you won’t cry anymore and be strong. But, that didn’t work.

And well, the next day, the kids kept bullying you and I’ll come to stop them from bullying you. And then, you will always smile at me. You made me happy even though I don’t like it before. But, maybe, that smile had changed me.

One day, when you gave me a white daisy that you took from the school’s garden, I was really happy. I kept that daisy and I treasure it very much. Since then, I have always liked you.

But then, you moved. It was very sudden that I was very, very surprised. I was about to cry when the teacher told us that you moved. You didn’t even told me. I was really sad and when I got home I cried all night. I felt like I have lost someone important.

I tried to forget you. I tried to like the other guy but that never happened. Each time I saw the other guy, I always told myself that you were better than all of them. So, I tried to forget you by studying. And, I succeed in forgetting you.

But, you came. You came again. You came into my life the second time. And for the second time, I fell for the same guy who was a crybaby. I didn’t even know why I liked you. But, my heart always beats when I did something to you, when I met you, when you smiled. Maybe you didn’t notice it. But, I really, really do feel it.

And so…

My answer was….

I have someone I like,

And it’s you.

-Sulli-

As soon as Tao read the message from Sulli, he fell to the ground. He still can’t even believe it. He covered his eyes with his arm and smiled widely. Is this a dream ? He was too happy that he cried. Then, Tao stood up and jumped all around the room until he was exhausted. But still, he grinned widely. His happiness was already on the top of his head and it seems like he can even shout to the whole world that he’s happy. He laid down on the floor and laughed.

“I’ll confess to her tomorrow”, Tao said to himself.