"Hayeon, what do you think?"

What did he ever see in her? she thought, sighing. Her gaze was fixated on a table on the left side of the cafeteria - or rather at the couple sitting by it. The male was wearing his usual poker face but even from a distance, Hayeon could clearly see that he was enjoying the attention his girlfriend was giving him. It wasn't just them sitting by the table, though; their friends were also with them but the two were acting as if they were the only people in the world. You've never looked at me like that before, though.

"Ryu Hayeon?"

A slight shift of her gaze made Hayeon blush. Cha Hakyeon was seated beside the couple but his gaze was directed towards her, and he smiled.

"Ow!" She felt something hit her forehead and immediately rubbed it to soothe the pain. Looking in front of her, Hayeon frowned at her friend who was sitting across the table with her arms crossed. "Hanhee, that hurt!"

"Thank you for finally gracing me with your attention," Hanhee sarcastically scowled. "I've been talking to myself all throughout lunch period, you know. What are you looking at, anyway?"

She didn't answer and discreetly glanced at that table again, only to see him talking to another girl. Hayeon sighed and looked down on her lunch tray.

"Oh," Hanhee said, understanding. "You ok? I mean, you're not jealous, are you?"

"Of course, I'm not jealous!" she quickly denied. "Hakyeon and I are just friends."

"N oppa?" the other girl frowned in confusion. "I'm talking about Leo, idiot."

Before she could even scramble her brain for a witty answer, the bell had rang signalling that lunch break was over. Hayeon followed as Hanhee stood and cleared their table then made their way to the next class. It wasn't until they were already sitting in class did Hanhee grin at her.

"Don't worry, Yeonnie, your secret's safe with me."

 

---

 

Hayeon felt the stares on her as she stepped inside the room for her last afternoon class. But who wouldn't look, though? Months may have already passed but everyone knew this was where the currently famous love triangle at school spends their last period every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, and they're still probably waiting for a scene - any scene - to unfold.

The entire student body knows who Jung Taekwoon is (or Leo as what he's famously known as) so the news about him dating Ryu Hayeon weeks before the previous class year ended spread as easily as it was to write her name. Most of the school population didn't care, but there were others who questioned their relationship. But it wasn't until the first-day-of-summer party did she learn about Park Sojin and her past with Leo. As it turns out, they've hooked up a few times before, but Leo dating Hayeon had somehow made them both realize of their feelings for each other.

Just the classic cheerleader and jock love story, nothing special, Hayeon tells herself. And maybe it was the fact that he was the first guy she'd ever dated, but personally seeing him kissing her that night had hurt so much, especially after learning that it was indeed Sojin who'd set the party up and Leo only tagged Hayeon along just to get a reaction from the pretty cheerleader. Huh. Got what you finally wanted, right, buddy?

As Hayeon propped her chin on one hand, she suddenly caught a whiff of a musky scent and felt her hands moisten. Turning her head to confirm who it was wouldn't be necessary, because she'd know it was him. Just his unique cologne was enough, but he still has his own way of announcing his presence to her. And this time, he simply decided to directly pop a piece of mint candy on , causing her to jerk.

"Hakyeon-ah!" she gasped, then coughed when she almost choked on the small candy. "Are you trying to kill me?"

"You're welcome, Hayeon." He grinned. "And that's 'Hakyeon oppa' for you, by the way."

He chuckled when she only rolled her eyes and propped her chin again to stare out the window. How long have Hakyeon been sitting beside her through last period again? Right, about four months now. Hayeon could still remember how he'd helped her during the first meeting. The sight of Leo and Sojin at the last row almost made her want to bolt and run, but she suddenly felt an arm drape around her shoulders and assisted - no, dragged - her to a seat on the third row by the window. He'd sat beside her, of course, and he has since then made it a part of his day to either make her smile or piss her off.

A substitute teacher entered the room not more than five minutes later and gave them something to work on in pairs to be passed to the class representative by the end of the period. Hakyeon, by no surprise, pulled his chair beside her and volunteered to be her partner.

"Everyone's paired off, Hayeon," he said when she looked around the room and saw students not just in pairs but also in groups. "And we can't join the others, they're too noisy."

Rolling her eyes, she muttered something about how he was the noisiest in the room, to which he just laughed and gave her another mint candy with his finger touching her lips. Then he too, popped a mint and touched his lips in the process, earning another gasp from her. Wasn't that an indirect kiss?

"You ok?" he asked.

"Why are you suddenly feeding me candies?" she blurted out. "You're not drugging me or something, right?"

He snorted and showed her a half-filled container of tictacs. "I already ate half of it, Hayeon. I stole this from Ken this morning, so I'm giving you some for free."

"Oh." She flushed, feeling embarassed. "Sorry."

Chuckling, he sat back and placed an arm on the back of her seat. "Let's just get this seatwork over with. I wanna go home."

Despite the whole room buzzing because of how the other students were busily discussing their answers, Hayeon and Hakyeon still managed to work together in peace. He was one of the smart kids so they finished their papers in half the time, but she'd occassionally find herself staring at him and he only responded with a smile when he caught her twice.

Get a hold of yourself, Hayeon, she mentally scolded herself. Ignore that loud drumming on your chest and finish this seatwork so you could go home.

"Hanhee still likes to flick your forehead?" Hakyeon whispered and she felt her cheeks heaten up when she turned to him and found his face close to hers. "Just making small talk. I saw what she did at lunch. Does it hurt?"

He surprised her yet again when he leaned forward and gently touched her forehead.

"I'm f-fine," her voice cracked, so she cleared . "Friends usually hurt each other as a sign of affection. Besides, I think I bully her more than she bullies me."

He lowly chuckled. "Sometimes I forget that you're the youngest in the entire batch. By two years, right?"

Hayeon nodded. He was talking about how she'd skipped kindergarten and went straight to first grade. She'd been bullied through grade school for being the youngest but it changed when she reached middle school and transferred where she was automatically pegged as a smart kid.

"Was it hard?" he asked. "You know, you have to talk to everyone formally."

She had to laugh at that. "I dropped the honorifics some time during year 1."

"Why can't you do it to me, then?" He shrugged when Hayeon frowned at him. "You still talk to me formally, so why can't you speak to me like you normally do with Hanhee or the others?"

She looked down at her paper. "I don't know."

"And you know what else I find weird?" He only continued when she turned to him again. "You talk to me formally yet you don't call me oppa. I wonder why."

"I honestly don't know," she mumbled under her breath. "I'm sorry, I guess."

Hakyeon smiled and tilted her chin up so she would face him. Instinctively, she cowered when he slowly leaned towards her until she felt his hand on her back.

And then it happened.. his lips grazed hers for a chaste kiss, but she still felt breathless when he pulled back after a split second. Releasing the air she didn't know she was holding, Hayeon could only stare at him in shock and wonder. He grinned and used his other hand to lightly touch her cheek then leaned in to kiss her again. And this time, it was longer than the first and her hand eventually found its way to his shoulder. But remembering where they were, she used it to weakly push him away.

Hayeon desperately wanted to avoid his gaze, but seeing Hakyeon's eyes this close for the first time made it hard for her to look away. He smiled sweetly at her and asked if she was done with the seatwork. She nodded and watched as he stood up to pass their papers to another student.

Did that really happen? And right in the middle of homeroom, for heaven's sake! Are you out of your mind, Ryu Hayeon?

"Ready?" he asked when he went back to his seat to pick up his bag, then worriedly squatted in front of her when she didn't move. "What's the matter?"

She quickly shook her head and fixed her things, only to be taken aback when Hakyeon held one hand in front of her.

"Let's go?"

Looking around, she noticed that majority of their classmates were discreetly watching their scene, including Leo who briefly glanced at them before looking back down at his paper. Hayeon turned her attention back to Hakyeon who was smiling down at her, and she felt her heart beat faster when she finally took his hand as she stood up. Yes, I'm definitely out of my mind.

Her breaths were rapid and shallow, and the first words she told him when they reached the empty hallway were: "I need to go to the comfort room."

He lightly chuckled and walked beside her on the way to the comfort room at the far end of the hallway, all the while holding her hand.

"Omo," he exclaimed after trying to open the door with his free hand. "It's locked, I think they're cleaning it right now."

She only nodded and looked down at the floor, half-squealing when she found herself being shoved gently into the wall. Before she could process what was happening, Hakyeon was already kissing her deep and hard.

"Stop thinking," he'd said, but she couldn't help it. Hayeon may have been kissing him back for a number of reasons, but she still knows they were at school, in the hallways, where someone could see them once classes end.
She slightly pushed him back with one hand, while the other was already unknowingly clutching his hair. "Oppa, wait.."

He stared at her with heavy-lidded eyes, then grinned. "You called me oppa."

She wasn't sure why but it made her smile. They straightened out their clothes and she caught his hand as they started walking; the smile on his face seemed to grow wider and it seemed to make her heart beat faster than it already has.

When did I start liking you, Hakyeon? Hayeon asked herself as she studied his side profile. She tried comparing him to his friends, but she couldn't. Cha Hakyeon was uniquely.. him. Breathing deeply and mustering the confidence she needed, she slightly tugged his hand to stop him from walking and stood on tiptoes to kissed his cheek. His response was a tighter grip on her hand as he lead them out of school.

"Where are we going?" she managed to ask.

He looked back at her. "A cafe down the block."

But.. isn't that where he and his friends meet after school? she thought. "What are we doing there?"

He didn't look back this time but she could imagine the smile on his face when he answered. "I'm showing my girlfriend off."

He's already putting a label on us? And he's bringing me to the cafe? Leo oppa didn't even bring me there once.

"Hey." She didn't even realize they had stopped walking and was standing face to face in the school garden. He held the sides of her face. "You're thinking too much again. Do you trust me, Hayeon?"

She refused to see his face when she answered. "I don't know."

They were quietly still for moment until he sighed. "I guess I have to work real hard to earn that, no?" But he slightly chuckled when she frowned and bit her lip in frustration. "It's all right, Hayeon, I understand why."

Falling for someone comes naturally, but why can't I easily give him my trust? I'm not used to seeing Hakyeon dejected, she told herself. "I'm sorry."

He smiled and placed an arm on her shoulders as he started ushering her out the school gates. "I should be the one apologizing. If only I confessed before Leo did, then we would've been an item for almost a year now."

"Hmm?" she looked at him in astonishment. "You mean..?"

"I've liked you since year 1." He briefly glanced at her. "I mean, I already took notice of you during middle school but when I saw you cry-"

Hayeon stopped walking, suddenly remembering that day when the honor roll was posted and she drastically dropped from top3 to the eight. "You saw that? But Hanhee said.. she gave me.. really?"

"That was my handkerchief," he confirmed, pulling on her again. "She's been covering up for me ever since.. or at least that's what she tells me."

Hayeon caught sight of the coffee shop and let him drag her inside and settle them both by an empty spot at the back, then thanking her lucky stars that his friends weren't around yet before speaking again. "Was that why she was so against me and Leo before? But why didn't you confess first?"

"Leo may be my bestfriend but nobody knows what's running through his mind," he explained. "I didn't even know he had his eye on you until I heard the rumours."

"Can we talk about this some other time?" she asked out of the blue. "I'm still processing the fact that you've liked me for a while now."

He chuckled. "Ok. I'll order something for us while you sort your mind out. Do you need anything?"

"I don't drink hot coffee or teas, so a cold blended drink will do and.." she trailed off when she noticed his amused expression. "What?"

"That's the first thing I learned about you."

Rolling her eyes, she simply shooed him away. "And a cookie, oppa. I'm hungry."

He mock-saluted and went to the counter, leaving her alone. That was until his friends Ken and Hyuk arrived.

"Hello, noona," the youngest smiled at her and she did the same.

Ken was grinning when sat on her left side. "I see hyung had finally confessed."

"Umm.. yeah?" Hayeon tried hard not to feel flustered, so instead she let our a forced awkward laugh. "You know about that, too?"

The two nodded. "But we only learned about it recently," Ken admitted. "He's good at hiding his feelings. I mean, about dating. Because it's really obvious when hyung is happy or sad."

The three then heard Ravi's voice even before they saw him, and he immediately froze after seeing her. "Oh, you're-"

"Noona?" Hongbin appeared behind Ravi, his brows knitted together. "What are you doing here?"

"Hello to you, too, Kong," she said, ignoring the three other boy's curious looks. Hakyeon came back with a tray full of drinks and sat back on Hayeon's right side, then told the latecomers to sit with them.

"What's wrong?" the eldest asked when nobody was talking, and the rest of the boys shrugged and pointed at Hongbin who was grinning at Hayeon.

"Been a while since I last saw you on a different setting, noona," the dimpled boy lightly laughed. "Because usually, we see each other at your house or at school."

"Or at your house, too," she added.

He nodded. "So what are you doing here? And why are we sitting with you? You're not tutoring any of us, are you?"

"Oh, no.." Hayeon gestured towards Hakyeon.

"N hyung?" He raised a brow, then grimaced when he finally understood. "N hyung? Really? But noona.."

"Hayeon, what's going on?" Hakyeon interjected. If he didn't know any better, he'd think the younger was jealous. But that couldn't be the case, could it?

Hongbin huffed. "If you ever hurt her, too, hyung, I swear I.."

"Kong.." she silently pleaded for him not to make a scene. He may be younger than her by a year but he still acts like an older brother when he wants to. And the last time Hongbin threw a fit was after confirming that Hayeon's so-called relationship with Leo had ended, and it was fortunately just the two of them that time. But today, he seemed to want a repeat of his tantrum performance inside the cafe in front of his friends.

"Fine." Hongbin pursed his lips. "I just don't want to see my cousin get hurt. By one of my friends. Again."

"You two are cousins?" Ravi asked, baffled, and the two nodded. "Well, that's definitely a new-found fact."

"But wouldn't this be awkward, though?" Ken added. "I mean, you're dating N hyung now but Leo hyung is still your ex. Then there's also Hongbin."

"Don't mind me," he muttered.

Hakyeon shifted in his seat to face her and held her hands. "Leo and I will talk, but definitely not today. He said he has to go help Sojin with something."

Everyone quietly nodded and it took a few more moments before Hyuk suggested that the new couple needed a couple name, making Hongbin roll his eyes.

"That's real mature, Hyuk."

But Hakyeon was already grinning and clapping his hands with the youngest's idea. "Our baby's such a genius. You're exactly like your umma."

"Are you talking about his real mother or yourself?" Ravi snorted. "Because last time I checked, you're the mother in this group, and you don't seem like a genius, hyung."

"Then that changes now," he answered Ravi with a scowl then smiled sweetly at his girlfriend. "Because Hayeon's your new umma, and I'll be the appa."

"Ah, hyung!" Ken tried to catch the eldest's attention by hitting his arm and he did it by crossing over the table in front of Hayeon. "H couple, hyung! You could be the H couple!"

Startled and amused at the same time, all Hayeon could do was look at Hongbin, but he was laughing and shaking his head at her as if to say 'we're part of the package if you really wanted to date N hyung.'

​"Last chance, noona," Hongbin mouthed but she just smiled and shook her head.

What am I getting myself into? she asked herself as she slided her hand on top of Hakyeon's. He turns to her and smiles, then brings up their clutched hands to his face and kissed the back of her hand.

 

 

 

---

And there you have it. Of course the original ending for each of my dream would be me opening my eyes and finding myself alone in my room. Well, anyway, that's that. But this is just my second and third dream, and I'm still thinking if I could write a sequel with my first N dream.

And I'm sorry for making Leo a bad guy, but in my dream I turn to him and just feel hurt (do you get what I mean? no, ok then). And Sojin, yeah.. well, Leo's girlfriend didn't exactly have a face in my dream.