The lunch bell was going to ring in a few minutes. I stared at the wall clock in preparation to dash out. Today is the day that I decided that I would approach him. You know, that day when the butterflies in your stomach urge you to tell him how you feel. I've been waiting for this day for a while.

 

I remember the first day I met him. We were by the bus stop when I noticed that someone was wearing the same uniform as I did. He had headphones around his neck and was reading a small novel. His face was pretty brand new and it was definitely pretty captivating. When he was first introduced to the class, many girls seemed to instantly admire him and I was one of them. However, while some of the other girls would openly go up and ask to hang out with him, I mostly ended up being with him by coincidence.

 

At first I wasn't that much interested in him. He was the so-called 'popular boy' (and he still is) yet he was very humble. Maybe that's why I started to like him.

 

The second day of the semester I was at the cafeteria about to line up at the counter. He and I both walked to the counter at approximately the same time. I expected him to be all snobby about it but the scenario played out the opposite of my thoughts:
 

"After you…" He bowed slightly.

 

I was a little shocked by his action. "I-I...thank you…."

 

"It's no problem. You're Hyorae, right?"

 

My cheeks felt slightly hot. "Yeah, how did you-?"

 

He smiled. "We're in the same class. Of course I'd know your name."

 

Awkward. I didn't know his name. "Uh...sure, haha. Thanks."

 

That memory really stuck to my mind. Hardly anyone except for my friends would have known my name. Sure they call out your name for attendance every morning, but who would actually be paying attention to that? Curious about his name, the next time we were called for attention I managed to listen for it: Yixing. Apparently his name was hard to remember or pronounce for some classmates, so he gave himself a simple nickname: Lay.

 

Three weeks into the semester, I walked into the music room. Last year I found the perfect spot where it was quiet and sound-proof enough that I could listen to my favorite songs on my phone and sing along without anyone else hearing my fail attempts at being good at singing.

 

Lo and behold, I noticed someone in that room holding a guitar. Of all the rooms he could have chosen, he chose this one? Unsatisfied, I entered the room without warning.

 

"Excuse me this room-" I was interrupted by the blend of vocals and guitar.

 

It was him and his voice. Mellow yet very captivating, I paused.

 

He stopped playing and looked up. "Oh, hi Hyorae! I'm sorry, I didn't know this room was double-booked." He brought out his smartphone to take a glance at the schedule.

 

Wait...there was a booking system for the music rooms? I always came in without booking, so he probably had the advantage of keeping the room.

 

"Uh- maybe I got the time wrong." I pretended to look at the schedule on my phone. "Oh yeah, I did. Uh, see you in class later."

 

After that encounter, I wondered why he never showed his musical talents to others. With talents like his, he could probably amaze the entire school if he wanted to.

 

It was these little incidents that built up my feelings for him. I didn't even notice the exact moment when I first felt as if my heart skipped a beat. That was when I started to not be able to look at him in the eyes without blushing. I believed that we had a special connection, since we keep on bumping into each other. Maybe he was too shy to admit it. Well whatever, if he wasn't going to be the first to approach our relationship, I will step up.

 

Split seconds after the lunch bell rang, I stood up and approached Lay. "Lay, do you have a moment?"

 

Lay stood up and appeared to be flustered. "Oh sorry, I gotta go meet someone right now. How about at the end of lunch?"

 

I paused. "U-uh yeah sure." Skeptical about what his meeting was with, I sneakily followed him to the rooftop. He appeared to be talking with Suhye, a less outgoing girl in our class that doesn't really stand out at all. Why would Lay be meeting with her?

 

"Suhye," Lay began, "This might be a bit sudden, but I've been liking you for a while."

 

I think my heart fell a few floors when he finished that sentence.