THE NEXT DAY...

After school, Youngjae and JB decided to stay in school to play soccer so I went to meet Bambam at a ddukbokki shop that was near the cafe we were working at. It would be easier that way since afterwards we could just walk a bit to the cafe. We ordered two plates of extra spicy ddukbokki. I loved spicy food because they made my heart race without pain. My parents hated spicy food so people always found me weird but that's the usual.

"Oh? Pretty Sowon?" a familiar voice said.

It was Jackson Wang. He was wearing a white muscle tank top with black jeans with a white apron tied around his waist. He placed the food on the table, all the while smiling.

"Oh! Hi, Jackson!" I exclaimed, happy that I bumped into someone I knew.

"Wah~ Are you stalking me?" He asked.

"Huh?! No, no, no! I swear I'm not!" I said, panicking.

Bambam and Jackson started laughing like hyenas when I said so.

"Oh my gosh, chill, chill... It was a joke. Its fun to tease you~ Hahaha! If you guys need anything just let me know," Jackson said before walking back into the kitchen.

"That guy's funny..." Bambam said, still laughing a little.

Funny? It was scary for me! I thought he really suspected me of stalking him and he would call the police!

I taught Bambam mathematics that day. He really surprised me. He got concepts almost straight away. It was a pity that he couldn't continue school... he would've been number one in our cohort for sure. After 2 hours of teaching him, we decided to have a break for an hour before going to work at the cafe.

"Ah! You know Kim Yugyeom?" Bambam asked suddenly.

I choked a little on a piece of ddukbokki, luckily I was able to swallow it and breathe again.

"Ah... Yes, I... I know him," I said.

I recalled my first encounter with Kim Yugyeom. His cold, distant eyes etched into my memory like a spell.

"No wonder he knew your name," Bambam said as he ate another piece of ddukbokki.

"He remembered?!" I asked, a little too happily because Bambam seemed shocked.

"Errr... Yeah..." Bambam said, not knowing how to respond to my sudden outburst.

I mantained my expression. I had no idesa what came over me? I guess this was what I read in books about puppy crushes, where the girl just likes a guy without actually knowing the guy in depth. Was I supposed to be this happy though? Was it safe for me to have a crush?... Was it safe for Kim Yugyeom? Just then, Bambam smiled as he looked behind me.

"Yugyeom ah!" he exclaimed.

My eyes widened and I turned to the side and looked behind. There was Kim Yugyeom walking towards us... then we made eye contact. You know like in those movies when a guy and a girl look at one another... and everything else turned to slow motion? That was what it was like, it was like time stood still for a few seconds. Bambam scooted to the side and Yugyeom sat beside him and as per usual, he slept. Then the imade shattered and I raised my eyebrow questioningly at him.

"We both worked at a convenience store... well, I worked and he ate the snacks for free," Bambam explained.

YUGYEOM'S POV

She laughed. Her laugh was like a melody, like the one she played last night at the cafe, it was heart warming.

Just then, Kim Yugyeom looked up and looked at me with his dazed, distant eyes.

"Hi..." I said, not knowing what else to say.

He simply nodded.

"You know my name but I didn't get to introduce myself. I'm Yugyeom," he said.

"Sowon..." I said.

"Yeah, I remember..." he said.

All of a sudden, my heart skipped a beat... in a good, painless way which felt nice.

"Sowon taught me mathematics. Yah, she's better at it than you!" Bambam scolded.

Yugyeom looked at Bambam angrily.

"So? I'm not good at stupid stuff like Mathematics and Science. I want to be good at other stuff! I choose to be that way!" Yugyeom argued.

"Like?" I asked, regretting that I did because Yugyeom turned to glare at me.

"From the moment we could talk until the day we get our first stable job, people will always tell us what we should do. Like go to school, do your homework, obey the law and crap. I choose not to to do that. I don't want to live for others, I want to live for me and me only. So, yes, I'm not great at mathematics like you because I want to do more greater things," Yugyeom said coldly.

Bambam's jaw opened wide at Yugyeom's words and was just about to speak up when I did.

"You live for yourself... I'm not saying that's bad but isn't that too egocentric?" I asked.

YUGYEOM'S POV

"Egocentric? Its the right way to live, not caring about what other people say and just doing what you like to do," I argued.

"There is no right way to live but it is wrong to live for others and it is also wrong to live for yourself only. Since the day we were born, we were helpless. Our parents, relatives, neighbours helped one way or another. If they do have certain expectations then what's wrong with you meeting those expectations? They helped you, why not you at least make them happy? If you grow up living only for yourself then how about those people who have helped you before?" she fought back.

"Woah..." I thought to myself.

"Then, how about you? Since you're so smart, how are you planning on living?" Yugyeom asked spitefully.

"Making the people around me happy until the day I die," I answered.

"That's living for others," Yugyeom said, thinking he got me.

"No, its not. Making other people happy makes me happy so I'm living for both me and everyone else around me," I replied.

Yugyeom narrowed his eyes at me and shook his head in utter disbelief.

"What kind of person sees other people's happiness as their own? Are you from a kid's fairytale book? " he said insultingly with a chuckle.

"No wonder adults hate teens like you. You're mean, selfish and just down right disappointing," I said angrily before getting up.

"Um... Bambam ah, I'll just go to the cafe first. See you there," I said hurriedly before leaving.