"Figures. They're here. Once we're outside, act like we're close so they don't get suspicious," Hanbin said.

I looked outside. The streets were empty except for a few black sedans parked outside the library.

Who was here? Why did we have to act like we were close? Why would they get suspicious? What would they get suspicious of?

Before I had the chance to ask Hanbin the questions in my head, he threw his left arm around my shoulder and took me outside.

"What are you doing? Don't touch me, people might get the wrong idea," I said, flustered and squirming to get out of his arm. It felt awkward because I had never been touched on purpose by the opposite .

"That's the point, ," Hanbin said gritted through a fake smile we finally pushed open the library's glass doors.

I was confused. What was going on? Who were we being watched by? Why were we being watched?

As we walked, I noticed there were 5 black sedans of the same brand parked outside the library.The car windows were too dark for passersby to look inside.

My confusion must have been apparent because Hanbin squeezed my shoulder and said, "Play along or they'll be after you."

At those words, I quickly and awkwardly put my right arm around his waist and faked a laugh as if he had told me the funniest knock-knock joke in the world. I myself had never purposely touched the opposite .

Boys had never thought of approaching me and I never thought of approaching them. My mother always told me my coldness drove those boys away.

"We'll take the subway," Hanbin said, resting his left cheek above my head as part of the act.

"Where are we going?" I asked, still putting on my fake smile.

"Somewhere where we can talk," Hanbin said.

We walked quickly and quietly without exchanging a single word. One black sedan followed us from afar.

After a five-minute walk, Hanbin and I arrived at the Seoul National University subway station, still wrapped around each other. Realizing that we were no longer being watched, we let go of one another and made a silent pact to never talk about it.

Hanbin bought us two tickets to Insadong and we waited for the train. I started to open my mouth to ask him who the hell was following us but Hanbin beat me to it.

"Intelligence. Appointed by the president," Hanbin said without looking at me.

Oh my god. The president even had intelligence following a teenager. I fumed at the thought of that evil bastard of a president.

"Why are they following you?" I asked as we took a seat while waiting for the subway.

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