“KIM JONGIN!”

                That is how my day usually starts because goddamn Kim Jongin will find a way to piss me off the first thing in the morning, just like today. The bastard has snatched my precious freshly baked croissant that is my breakfast. And I had just a bite of it. A measly bite!

                This started years ago when I was in second grade and the beastly creature was just in first grade. He tried to bully me by stealing my precious artwork and laugh at it but something inside me click. I’m not exactly brave looking but I’m not a pushover either. I just thought of yanking him back by his bag and kicking his heel to get his on the ground and behold! The snotty brat Kim Jongin is on the ground, wishing his bottom to not be sore for days.

                Apparently, my brain is too much dragging because of the dramatic theatricals it plays and my body just can’t stand it so it seems to act on its own. Before I could even think of what to do, my body does it for me. More of like a knee-jerk reaction, if you may. Jongin does one stupid act, I’ll retaliate. Third law of motion covers it.

                “, Kyungsoo! This pair is new!” Jongin pointed to his pants. It did look new but the hell I care.

                “, Jongin! You started it!” I spat back. I don’t know why it seems like nothing goes into that thick skull of his. I’ve proven that I’m not the one to be bullied. I bite back, hard. But this idiot keeps on coming at me like he’s having a death wish. Seriously? Since I have wasted minutes of my precious time, I gave him a not-so-light shove and continued walking towards school.

                “KIM JONGIN!” I rubbed my temples in annoyance. This jerk just had to reach out across our lunch table to get my last kimbap. That was my last kimbap. MINE. To my left is Junmyeon hyung’s discarded chopsticks and before anybody knew it, even me, one of the wooden sticks were flying towards Jongin and hit his forehead with precision. I could be trying out to the archery club. I’ve got lots of practice.

                “You’re so stingy, Kyungsoo!” Jongin covered his forehead where a small red mark is starting to appear.

                “Can’t you just leave me alone? Like forever?” I shot back, angrily.

                “Guys, can it down,” Junmyeon hyung was shaking his head, yet again. He had taken the role of peacemaker between me and stupid Jongin since this war has started. The people in our table copied him. It’s such a surprise that Jongin and I will share the same group of friends when we’re super mortal enemies to the core. I’m even surprised myself.

                “Tell it to him!” Jongin and I chorused. I shot the insolent idiot a glare for copying me.

                “You know what? This bickering of yours had been fun to watch but it gets old,” Baekhyun groaned beside me.

                “Not my fault,” I countered.

                “Here, have this, Soo,” Luhan hyung handed me his last piece of kimbap. I smiled at him brightly with a thank you.

                “Hey! Why is it that Kyungsoo gets all the attention? How about me? I was shot with a chopstick!” Jongin pouted like a puppy. A puppy that I won’t hesitate to kick.

                “Serves you right, ,” I muttered with a smug face aimed to crush his phony heart.

               “They’re here!” Baekhyun nudged me with a little more force than necessary but I didn’t mind. Especially when I spied who he was talking about. See, we have this popular group in school who we dubbed as the Towers because they are all tall. The four of them are all six footers. And, well, Luhan hyung, Baekhyun and I have eyes on three of them.

                Luhan hyung is strangely attracted to the youngest of them, Oh Sehun. When he is all angelic-looking and bubbly, Sehun is all expressionless and bored but he’s handsome, alright. At least for Luhan hyung.

                Baekhyun’s choice is not a surprise because if Baek is the loudest among us friends, Park Chanyeol could definitely be the loudest in the whole school. My head just hurts when I imagine if the two of them get together.

                I, on the other hand, has a lifelong crush on their eldest, Kris Wu. Who wouldn’t swoon over that overflowing charisma whenever he wears sunglasses, even more when he removes them? Just his presence in the room demands for you attention and he’s damn smart. And he’s damn athletic. And he’s damn caring to his cousin, Huang Zi Tao (the fourth Tower). And he’s just damn perfect.

                “Drool,” a very irritating voice came from my right and before I could contemplate on smacking him, my hand already stung a little and the precious ‘Ow!’ followed.

                “How did you even get here, you ? Got your eye on one of them, too?” I tilted my head towards the direction of our objects of affection.

                “What? No way! I got my eye on him now,” he cocked a challenging eyebrow at me. I looked around for who Jongin might be talking about. I should go warn whoever that is. He’ll be living in hell with this annoying bastard.

                “Who you might be referring to? Luhan hyung?” the Towers might be popular but so is his Luhan hyung. He’s the Little Prince of everybody. Hyung turned to look at me curiously when I mentioned his name.

                “That’s like , stupid. Try again,” Jongin knocked on my forehead. I swatted his hand away. If that’s the case, then anybody in our group is out of the question. Hmmm. I don’t even know why I’m thinking about this. Maybe I’m just curious? If Jongin has somebody else to mind, then he wouldn’t bother me anymore, right? Well, that’s fantastic. I smirked.

                “Spill it. I’ll call it a truce and help you with her… or him,” I tacked it at the end. Who knows who this jerk’s preference is right?

                “I’d love to see you help me, hyung,” he taunted. Okay, scratch that. How did I even consider helping this idiot? He can go himself over whoever that unlucky person that he likes.

                I doubled over when I saw something peculiar inside my locker. I was about to get my stuff for lab when I opened my locker door, I saw a note, folded in half and made a triangle with my physics book. I took the liberty to get it because it had my name on it. Clearly, it’s mine, right? What was written there made me drop everything in my hands, as well as the note. Well, I’ve been getting hints the past few weeks but I wasn’t expecting this.

                “Hyung!~ What’s up?” how can Jongin just appear out of nowhere? I have no idea. Same goes as to why he seems to be everywhere lately but he’s been keeping down. Something that he has never done before. Terrifying. Nonetheless, I’m just on my guard if ever he tries to do something funny again. I know he will, he’s just waiting for good timing or whatever that is. But I will be ready as hell for that. This idiot will not catch me off guard.

                “Piss off, brat,” I shooed him away as I picked the note up again to make sure that I’ve read it right. It hasn’t sunk in yet to me. I might’ve been just dreaming. Oh dear. I didn’t think waking up in the morning with sunlight shining on my face will sound unappealing to me, ever.

I’m over with the subtleties, Kyungsoo.

I want us to talk personally.

Will you honor me with your presence?

I hope you will. Please do.

I’ll be waiting for you.

-Yi Fan

                “Ohh, another note? Lemme see!” of course, Jongin will snatch the note from me and the automatic smack that comes after landed on the back of his head.

                “Where are your manners, Jongin? Oh, right. You don’t have them,” I rolled my eyes at him and snatched my note back and I was able to do so in just one try. My shock made my hand hang mid-air. Did Jongin just let me get the note without resistance? I don’t know why but I felt like checking on why that happened. He’s been acting weird lately that it scares me. I peeked at his face and it’s blank.

                “Where’s your tongue now? Got cut?” I mocked him with a nudge on his rib but he didn’t react. Oh. My. Gosh.

                “It’s Kris…?” Jongin choked.

                “What’s gotten into you, Jongin? And yes, in case you’re too caught up in yourself, Yi Fan is Kris’ real name,” why am I even having this conversation with him? I have a lab to attend to. And maybe a date later? What did I do to deserve this luck? I giggled in my head.

                “Well, whatever your issue is, leave me out of it,” I sassily waved my hand in front of him when he showed me no reaction and you can’t imagine my shock when he caught my hand. My breath hitched and my heart beat faster. What the hell is this? Too bad my body doesn’t report back its activities to my brain to make sense of it. I’ve never thought of Jongin holding my hand so how will my head react to this?

                “Yah, let go,” I said with less power than I intended to. I’ve promised that this bastard will not catch me off guard but he just did. Ugh.

                “Are you going to meet him up?” he asked solemnly.

                “Nah, Kris is only my crush all these years so why would I go meet him?” sarcasm may be the lowest form of wit but Jongin isn’t exactly fit for any higher form of wit because he’s stupid.

                “Oh…”

                “Now, please. I have a class to attend to so stop wasting my time and leave me alone,” I didn’t realize that he has my hand up until then so I pulled my hand gently (though I would’ve opted to pull my hand back harshly. Why didn’t I?), and turned my back on him.

              “Soo? Are you okay?” Kris looked at me with concerned-filled eyes as he draped an arm on my shoulders and pulled me closer to him. “You haven’t touched your food. Do you want anything else? I’ll go buy…”

                “No, Kris. I’m fine,” I smiled at him and his sweetness. Kris is one of the best things that have happened to me. Meeting him that afternoon when I found the note in my locker is one of the best decisions I’ve made. He’s just perfect and he baby me too much. Not that I mind, though.

                “Are you sure? You haven’t eaten anything…” I pecked him on the cheek to silence him. I shouldn’t burden him with something nonsense.

                “Really, I’m fine,” I patted his arm as I blushed. I was just