Eunji quickly pushed the taller away and wiped with her hand. She looked disgusted with the kiss and her eyes filled with anger. “What do you think you’re doing?!” She screamed.

“I’m…” Chanyeol was speechless, he couldn’t find good words to say.

“Don’t play around with my feelings, sunbae. I’m not a game!” Eunji half sobbed.

Chanyeol quickly shook his head. It wasn’t his intention at all. He did that not because he wanted to play around and mess with her. He wanted to show her that none could make her feel like that. “No, no, no, no. I’m not playing around, Eunji. I’m not. I’m not that low.” He walked closer to her, and his heart ached seeing Eunji took a step back.

She sobbed. “It’s my first kiss, sunbae. Do you know that?” She looked at him, eyes puffy. “It shouldn’t be you. It couldn’t be you. It should be Jongdae, not you.”

Chanyeol tried hard to suppress his smile, because that little fact made him feeling a bit victorious, “… I’m sorry, Eunji. I’m terribly sorry…” He walked and reached her with his long hands into a tight hug.

“Let me go…” Eunji tried to move, but the hug went tighter than ever.

“I can’t…” Chanyeol answered, with two different meanings from that. The first was he couldn’t let her go and see her dating Jongdae and the other was he refused to let his arm go.

“Sunbae, let me go…” Eunji said, “… We both are not meant for each other.”

Eunji could feel Chanyeol was taking a deep breath. “I know…” He rested his chin on her head and continued, “… Just give me a chance, will you? I’ll fight for us. I’ll make us happen. Have a faith on us, Eunji.”

When the younger didn’t say anything, Chanyeol tightened his hug.

***

Jongdae looked at the paper very carefully, before he shifted his eyes to a smiling man in front of him. “What is this, Seonsaengnim?” He politely asked.

“Remember when I asked you several times about your future plans? You told me you’re planning to major in performing arts, right?” Lee Seonsaengnim, his homeroom teacher asked back, with wide smile carved on his old face.

“Yes, Seonsaengnim, and then why was that related to this?” He stuck out the paper and looked at him confusedly.

“I’m giving you a chance, son. They are giving five full scholarships for free and I got one for you. You only need to write down your basic information on that paper and send them a video of you singing.” Lee Seonsaengnim explained. “You won’t miss this chance, right, son?”

Jongdae looked at the paper and then to Lee Seonsaengnim. He didn’t say anything, just let out a fake smile, hoping he would buy it. And he did, because he smiled back at Jongdae, still with the same wide smile.

After excused himself, Jongdae walked out of teachers longue and stepped slowly. He sighed deeply and ruffled his hair, he really was in dilemma.

His steps halted when he saw a familiar figure was standing near the front gate, her feet was stomping and her head was moving, maybe following the music blasted out of her earphones.

Jongdae felt his burdens were taken away.

He patted over her shoulder, caused the younger startled a bit. When she turned around, she smiled at him. “Hello.” She greeted him with an eye smile.

“Have you been waiting for me too long?” He asked.

“Nope, there was Baekhyun sunbae, but he took off few minutes before you came… Oh. Your hair…” Eunji tiptoed and caressed his brown hair. “Your hair is so messy. What did you do?” Eunji narrowed her eyes, “Did you just make out with somebody else?” She accused with a teasing smile.

Jongdae liked this. The way Eunji teased and treated him, the way she took care of him. It’s been two weeks only, but Jongdae seemed really happy about their relationship.

“What if I did make out with somebody else?” He raised a brow, his tone was teasing as well.

“Oh, really?” Eunji nodded slightly. “Okay then. Do you mind to tell me who she is? I think I have a mouth to be cut.” She said leisurely.

Jongdae burst in laughter and when he wanted to hold her hand, Eunji refused to do so.

“Don’t. I don’t want to make your somebody else jealous because you hold me.” And she walked first, leaving him with furrowing eyebrows behind.

Eunji knew it was a bad joke, she knew Jongdae was joking about making out and stuffs, and she shouldn’t act like this. But really, she really couldn’t talk or see Jongdae in the eyes. She was afraid, afraid that she would be caught and Jongdae would find out the truth.

“Hey.” Jongdae finally caught her forearm and turned her to see him. “Why are you mad? I was joking, really. I don’t have anyone else beside you. Don’t you know it?” He was panting.

Eunji nibbled her lower lip, still refused to look at him. Poor Jongdae, he even didn’t know the reason Eunji went mad like this.

“I’m really sorry for that bad joke, okay? My hair is messy because I was ruffling it a lot in Chemistry class. And I don’t fix it back. There is no one else, Eunji, you really have to trust me.” Jongdae sounded desperate.

Eunji was always lost to his pleading. She settled her feelings, trying to erase Chanyeol’s face, and she looked at the boy. “Promise me there won’t be anyone else.” She pouted.

Jongdae smiled. “I promise.”

Eunji held out her right hand and grabbed Jongdae’s left hand, and intertwined them. “I’m craving for ice cream…”

Jongdae chuckled. “Come on, let’s buy two scoops for each.”

Eunji nodded in happiness. “Are you really letting me have two scoops?” She asked worriedly, because it was rare moments for her, remembering after they dated, Jongdae never let her to have more than one scoop of ice cream, reasoning she would get cold if she ate ice cream too much.

“Well, today is an exception, because my tiny little girlfriend was being cranky today.” He ruffled her tousled hair and smiled charmingly.

“I hate you.” Eunji said.

“I like you, Jung Eunji.”

And without waiting for her response, he led the way to the nearest ice cream shop.

Chorong was sitting under the pine tree with slump shoulder and tired face. She was deep in thoughts, because she didn’t realize there was someone stopped by and sat beside her.

“You look tired.”

Chorong shifted her eyes and found Junmyeon was smiling at her. “What are you doing here?” It was the first question popped into her brain, seeing her ex-boyfriend.

“Where is Chanyeol?” Junmyeon asked back.

“He’s in the room with Ara.” Chorong replied.

“Coffee is not really good for relaxing your mind…” He pointed at few plastic glasses of coffee. “Green tea is much better.” Then he handed her a cup of warm green tea. Junmyeon looked at her and said, “What are you thinking, if I may know?”

Chorong shrugged. “Just few things, nothing’s important, to be honest.” She answered in hushed tone. “About how great I am at ruining my brother’s life, for example. It’s not important for me, but seeing how ruined his life, how bad I forced him to enter a living hell, made me thinking. What am I, actually? There is no sister, who would force her brother to do something, just because she thinks they will pull out a good couple.”

Junmyeon stayed still.

“And now, when I’m trying to fix everything, things went worse. She dates your brother and he needs to stay with my friend. I really am a terrible friend and sister in a package.”

“You’re not.” Junmyeon disagreed.

“I am, admit it, Jun, I am.”Chorong smiled faintly. “Why did this happen? Why?” She asked and let out a deep heavy sigh.

“Sometimes, Rong, you need to accept things without asking. You can’t ask why that happened. You can’t ask why you did that. And more, you can’t blame on yourself for things already happened. You have to accept and live with it, like it or not. I know, Rong, I know, maybe you will think I’m only good at talking, but, hey, you also have no right to do anything. It’s their life. What you will do, may or may not, affect them all, just like a domino effect.”

Chorong looked at Junmyeon, “But—”

“They are grown ups, Rong, they can fix their own problems.”

Chorong looked down at the cup and sipped it.

Chanyeol was changing the flower pot and saw Ara smiled seeing fresh roses Chanyeol brought.

“How’s school?” Ara asked.

“It’s fine, Baekhyun misses you, by the way.” Chanyeol was busy with the flower.

“He does?” Ara giggled. “Tell him I miss him too.”

Chanyeol nodded. “I will.”

“What’s for lunch today?”

“I asked the nurse and she said it will be chicken soup. Again.”

Ara pouted. “I’ve been eating chicken soup for the whole week. I need something else, Chanyeol, something tastier. Please be a good kid and buy me ramen or tteokbokki. I’m craving for them.”

Chanyeol shook his head. “Sorry, my lady, that can’t do.”

Ara frowned deeper. “You’re being a jerk.”

“I am always a jerk.” He said meaningfully.

Ara watched Chanyeol tentatively and she knew something was going on with him, because Chanyeol didn’t seem very cheerful as always, Chanyeol wasn’t really cheerful when he was only with her, though, but she knew this was different. And more, his eyes weren’t sparkling like how they used to.

“How is Eunji?” Ara slipped out that question.

Chanyeol stopped for a good three seconds, before continued to put the fresh roses inside the pot. “She’s doing fine. She’s Jongdae’s girlfriend now.” His heart thundered after saying that.

“But you said she is not his girlfriend.” Ara pouted.

“She wasn’t, but she is now.” Chanyeol pressed his tone and looked at Ara, who understood what that meant.

“Are you okay?” Ara asked, worried.

“I am.” Chanyeol answered and sat on her bed. “Whoa, Ara, really, why are you being so nice after we broke up?” He questioned jokingly. “Should we get back together?”

Ara chuckled, even her heart raced faster, but she knew, she really knew, he was joking. “Precisely. That is my reason to be nice, you know, so you would take me back.”

They both chuckled.

Ara held his hand and tightened her grasp, looking at Chanyeol right in his eyes. “Are you okay?” She repeated her question.

Chanyeol let out a thin smile. “I’m trying to be.” He answered it honestly.

“Will you be okay?”

Chanyeol nodded lightly. “I will, Ar