Just a word of caution, there is British slang in this chapter because I needed some confusing language for Avery and since I'm not Korean I didn't want to offend anyone by putting a Korean word in. It may not fit the two languages present but please just roll with it.  

So if you aren't familiar with British slang, 'bird' is another way of calling someone someone else's girl. 

BIRD TALK

If we wanted to get technical, I was essentially stalking Do Kyungsoo. 

I mean, I had a good reason. I had to make sure that he knew that I wasn't dating/having any sort of romantic/ual relationship with someone who could've have been his best friend, but that didn't subtract from the fact that I was stalking him. 

I wasn't new to the whole stalking thing, either, because I'd definitely stalked the god that is Kim Minseok during my freshman year at Hanyang. 

Of course, the Minseok thing was totally an accident and I hadn't gone out of my way to make sure that I had access to all of his emails. That was all because of a freak electrical storm, and while I may have appreciated that, I didn't enjoy the several months that I spent wondering if I could go to jail for receiving someone's personal information. 

Not that Minseok did anything particularly interesting. Like, he never got any scandalous emails from anyone because it's the twenty-first century and people don't share their secrets like that anymore and it wasn't like I suddenly got an eyeful of an insight into Minseok's life, but, yeah, I knew a lot more about him that I probably should have. 

But that's not the point. The point was that I was pretty sure that I was stalking Do Kyungsoo and I was also pretty sure that Kyungsoo thought that I was dating Jongin, which was why Sehun had stormed into the bookstore screaming about how betrayed he felt because first Minah wouldn't invite him to her party and now I wouldn't tell him that I was romantically involved with his best friend. 

I knew that I had to go and tell Kyungsoo that Jongin and I weren't dating. And, like, that wasn't even a problem because I genuinely did not want for people to believe that I was dating Jongin because he's strange and he looks like he's fourteen, but it was more of how Kyungsoo was never alone. 

I mean, I knew that he was popular. He radiated popularity. Even before I'd met him, I was fully aware that Kyungsoo had a lot more friends that I could ever imagine. He'd added more people on SNS than people that I even knew. I'm pretty sure that if you grouped together 5,000 people and made them fill out a six degrees chart that Kyungsoo would be on at least half of them. But I didn't count on him literally never being surrounded by other people. People that I didn't even know went to Hanyang. It was like Kyungsoo had summoned over people from the rest of the world to trail him. Girls, boys, everyone. Not to mention that it always looking like they were having a great time and I'd feel rude if I interrupted that. 

And because I have the social skills of a fruit bat, it wasn't like I was going to jump in the middle of him and his 'crew' and be like, 'Hey, I'm not dating your best friend!' 

"I am going to eat my unborn child," Chorong moaned as we sat in the library. We were supposed to be studying but Chorong was more absorbed in whining about how hungry she was and I was stalking Kyungsoo from seven tables away, which really wasn't the worst thing because it meant that I was also killing time before I had to walk across the sidewalk so that I could work a quick shift at the bookstore. "And stop staring at Kyungsoo. Just go and talk to him so that we can leave and so that I can go and get some real food." 

"But he's with people," I stressed. "Why is he with people? Why is he even here? He doesn't even go to school here!" 

Kyungsoo had gone to Hanyang at one point but then took time off so that he could go and explore the world. He'd always hinted that he'd go back eventually, but it wasn't like there was much of a need because he had enough money to be set for life. 

"I don't know why Kyungsoo does anything. And I also don't care. What I care about is how hungry I am and how little that you seem to care about that!" Chorong hissed, slamming her book shut and shoving it out of the way so that she could lean forward and stare into my eyes. "Avery, I know that you are a very sensitive individual and that you take pride in your soft demeanor and inability to expose yourself, but I swear to God that I will crush your entire existence if you don't just go over there and say something to him." 

"But he's sitting next to Public Enemy Number One!" I really did have every intention of finding out what her name was, but there was a lot of other things on my mind at that point in time. "I cannot go over there while he is talking to Public Enemy Number One!" 

My best friend rolled her eyes at me but was still polite enough to play along. "And why can't you go over there while he's talking to Public Enemy Number One?" 

"Because she has straight hair." Seriously, Avery?

Not even Chorong was kind enough to dismiss that one. "Okay, I knew that you're big on those sentimental pincushions that say that we're 'best friends through thick and thin' and all of that , but I hope you know that I'll drop you just like the weight that I'm about to drop when this baby comes out if you keep up with your ty arguments," she said, looking me dead in the eye. 

I let out a sigh. "I deserved that," I admitted, "but you also didn't let me finish. Along with having ridiculously straight hair, Public Enemy Number One has also managed to captivate the attention of Do Kyungsoo, who currently happens to be the object of my desire. Listen, the only reason that I got Kyungsoo's attention the first time is because I ually harassed him, and I really don't want for that to happen again. Something bad always happens when I try to do something in public. You of all people have to be able to attest to that. Remember the wedding? 

"Okay, but I still played a major role. So now how am I supposed to win over the affections of the one that I love?" I pouted, looking longingly in the general direction of Kyungsoo's table. He didn't notice me because he was still too busy talking to Public Enemy Number One. 

"Why do you sound like you have no friends and read too many romance novels?" 

Because I have no friends and read too many romance novels. 

Still, I narrowed my eyes at Chorong. "Seriously, how am I supposed to impress Kyungsoo now? The first time had basically been an accident and I don't think that I can accidentally make my ex-boyfriend fall in love with me again. I'm not really the same person that I was when I first met him, so I don't think that an oddly ual fact about giraffes is going to give me any advantage this time," I explained, hoping that this made a little more sense. 

Thankfully, it did. 

"Well, I can see why this is going to be quite difficult for you," Chorong nodded after a moment. "But this is not my area of expertise. I'm not sure how I'm supposed to help you with this one." 

That was because this had always been Minah's specialty, and I wasn't sure if I was able to ask her for advice right now. I mean, partially because I wasn't sure if we were even friends and partially because she'd know that this was about Kyungsoo and I wasn't sure how she was going to react to me saying that I wanted to get back together with her old fiancé. Probably badly and I wasn't trying to get in even more over my head. 

"What am I supposed to do?" I tangled one of my hands in my hair and then instantly regretted it because it had quite literally gotten tangled in my hair and then silently feared that I was going to have to scalp myself and there was no way that Kyungsoo would want me if I had a bald spot. 

"I can actually help you out with that one: go talk to him." I hated how Chorong was so direct. Yes, it helped and it was a very effective method, but I am an introvert and putting myself out there takes a bit of time to do. 

"What if he doesn't want to talk to me?" I was back to whispering. 

"I don't know why he wouldn't want to speak to you, but I knew that he won't turn you away in public. He's a lot nicer than that," my best friend reminded me. She was right, Kyungsoo never went out of his way to publically humiliate someone. I hoped that he wasn't going to start with that today. "Besides, I'm pretty sure that I've already caught him looking over here around five times and I really don't want for him to come to us because I'm trying to work." 

Kyungsoo had been looking at us? Way to not wear your glasses, Avery. That was why you were always missing out on things. 

I thought that I was going to swallow my tongue. It really didn't matter if Kyungsoo had been looking at us if I was going to go and talk to him anyway, but something about already knowing that he'd seen me and made me feel like my lungs were going to explode. I could not do this. How had I gotten myself into this situation in the first place? Where had I gone wrong? 

"Chorong, I need your guidance," I practically pleaded to my severely pregnant best friend that was currently regretting ever talking to me in the first place. "What am I supposed to do? What am I supposed to say?" 

"You're seriously just going to go and tell him that you're not dating Jongin and then walk away." 

Well, it sounds so easy when she says it. 

"But-" 

"Go, Avery," Chorong commanded sharply. And loudly, so people were now glaring at me and they were going to be very angry if I didn't actually go and talk to him. Sometimes all you need is an audience full of angry, studious Hanyang students to get the job done. 

I feel like I out on my way over to Kyungsoo because I could not for the life of me remember the steps that I took to make it over to him. One moment I was by Chorong and my books and my sanity and the next I felt like I was and exposed to the rest of the world. 

Alright, Avery, you could do this. People did much more difficult things than this all of the time. Amelia Earhart flew that plane. Well, okay, she also mysteriously disappeared in the middle of the ocean, but she's still, like, a hero. So if she could do that then you can obviously talk to a boy that you dated. 

Anyways, once I came to and realised that I was standing in front of Kyungsoo and Public Enemy Number One, I knew that I was either going to have to think quickly or die.

Thankfully, Kyungsoo still had a soul and remembered how I was locked in a tower for most of my life because he was the one that made the first move and spoke instead of me. Unfortunately, Public Enemy Number One was still there and she was unnecessarily glaring me down. I was not a threat. She had to have known that. Yes, I wanted Kyungsoo back, but I don't exactly know if I'm considered to be competition. 

"Hi, Avery," Kyungsoo greeted me warmly even though I could tell that he was confused as to why I was speaking to him in the first place. What was I supposed to do with my hands? I should've brought a book wit