Youngjae hated the popular kids. Okay, maybe hate wasn't the right word. She strongly disliked the popular kids. Honestly, Youngjae didn't know if she was unconsciously jealous of them (she was smart, antisocial, and a nerd in general) or if she truly disliked them. But that didn't change the fact that she did not want anything to do with the popular bunch, especially the girls.  It irked her to no end when they stood around talking and jamming up the entire hallway while people like her were trying to make it to class on time. The scent of perfume hurt her nose and made her want to gag. Every time she had to use the restroom, they were there meticulously fixing their makeup and hair in front of the mirror. And finally, all they talked about were boys. Boys this and boys that. Who was hot and who was not. 

Speaking of boys, there was one guy that all the girls wanted to get their hands on. Jung Daehyun. Even Youngjae's best friends, her fellow nerds, wouldn't stop talking about him. Whenever she asked them for help on her math homework or her English essay, all she got back was how handsome Daehyun was, how perfect his lips were, or how his mysterious eyes could impregnate any girl he looked at. Of course, Youngjae had to admit, he was pretty damn hot, but she didn't give a .

Daehyun was also a mysterious one, and the girls loved solving mysteries, especially ones concerning boys. Sometimes he talked so much Youngjae wanted to duct tape his mouth shut (after strangling him of course), but other times he would stare out the window, absentmindedly nodding to everything his friends said. She’d caught him watching her a few times before, but never really gave any thought to it. He was also always seen at lunch, wolfing down piles upon piles of food without gaining a pound. Secretly, Youngjae wondered what his secret to maintaining his weight was, not that she would ever admit aloud that she cared about it. All the other girls made it their personal mission to learn how to cook. After all, the way to a man's heart was his stomach. Finally, what intrigued people the most, was the fact that he never showed any interest in any girl despite his popularity. Whispered rumors were constantly passed around about the reason behind it all. Maybe he promised a girl he left behind that he would never love another, Youngjae had heard a girl say. Aww how sweet, another had responded. Or maybe he's heartbroken over his first love. I bet he's gay, one of the boys had snickered. 

Sometimes it worried Youngjae how she knew so much about Daehyun, but she told herself it was simply because she was observant.

And so, there she was, lost in her train of thoughts, and stuck in the lunch line at school. Her earlier complaints about the popular kids had stemmed from her current situation. They had gathered in a big group, cutting, and leaving everyone behind them to wait for the line to straighten out. Youngjae just had to be the person they chose to squeeze in before. 

She wondered what she had done to displease karma. 

As her patience wore thin, Youngjae pulled out her phone in hopes of passing time, but those hopes crushed as she stared blankly at the screen. None of the games appealed to her and there was no one to text. She could study for a test next period, but didn't want to add on to her darkening mood. Instead she slipped her phone back into her pocket and resorted to staring at colorful student-made posters hanging limply from the cafeteria walls. 

Eventually Youngjae managed to get her food, but her friends were all gone for an orchestra concert. In other words, she was alone. She had two options: to be a loner in the cafeteria or to be a loner in an empty classroom. Naturally, Youngjae chose the latter... But she wasn't alone as she had hoped.

Youngjae breathed a sigh of relief. It was only Daehyun, and his friends were nowhere to be seen. She could never stand it when she was the one loner in the midst of a group of friends. Winding her way between the desks, she picked the seat farthest away from him. Briefly, Younjae wondered what he was doing in the classroom. Most of the popular kids spent their lunch off campus, doing who knows what. 

She set her food down on the desk and dumped her backpack on the floor beside it. Then, with a big sigh, she plopped down into the chair, staring distastefully at her lunch. The school lunch wasn't that bad actually, but the fact that she was lonely left an unpleasant feeling in her stomach. Plus, the food didn't look as appetizing as it normally did; today the chicken strips had a suspicious tinge of grey, the bread roll looked similar to cardboard, and the fries were soggy. Sighing again, Youngjae picked up her fork. It wouldn't do her much good to drag herself through the rest of the day on an empty stomach. Her glasses were starting to get foggy, so she took them off. Wiping the lenses, she made a mental note to herself to buy herself a new pair, preferrebly one that didn't fog up so easily.

Just as Younjae finished lunch, she sensed movement in her peripheral vision. Turning around, she spotted Daehyun moving in her direction. She turned back to her empty plate not really thinking anything of it. People like him didn’t talk to her. However, she totally did not expect him to sit down right next to her.

Karma must’ve been really pissed, and Youngjae couldn’t figure out why.

Without bothering to hide her surprise, she looked at him questionably.

“Hey,” Daehyun said, “You’re in calculus aren’t you.”

“And you would know because…?”

“Oh. Well, you’re…” he struggled to explain.

“Me, right?”

“Ah, yes! N-no, I mean,” he stuttered seeing Youngjae’s annoyed expression.

“What? Because I seem like a nerd so I must be in calc?” Youngjae snapped without meaning to, but not sorry about it at all. Daehyun shook his head.

“Forget it. I don’t get this one problem from last night’s homework and I thought maybe you could help.”

“You’re in calc too?” Youngjae asked incredulously.

“Yea, is it really that surprising?” Daehyun sighed, “But you’ll help me right?”

“No… I mean, I would, but the thing is, I don’t really get it either.”

Youngjae laughed awkwardly and Daehyun just stared at her, unconvinced.

“But I thought you were smart!”

“Not that smart. What period are you in?”

“Fifth. Right after lunch.”

“Then ask the teacher. He would know.”

“Wait,” Daehyun narrowed his eyes, “You’re not saying this because you don’t want to help me, are you?”

“I wouldn’t do that.”

“Oh yea, give me your number”

“Why?”

“Why not?” Daehyun held his phone out to Youngjae expectantly. When she didn’t budge, he explained, “None of my friends are taking calculus, and it would be nice to have someone to work with for a change.”

“Ohh okay,” Youngjae took his phone and pulled out her own, just in case she remembered her number wrong.

“You don’t know your own number?”

“Never needed to.” She handed his phone back, shrugging.

They continued to sit next to each other, working on their own stuff. It wasn’t awkward, but actually quite comfortable. She thought it was odd. His loud voice and obnoxious laugh had always annoyed her to death. Plus, she had always imagined him as a stuck up jerk, and yet, here she was, almost enjoying his company. Suddenly, out of the blue, Daehyun asked, “Why do you always wear glasses?”

"Well, maybe it's because I'm partially blind?"

"Oh. Well, you're pretty without them," he blurted out.

"What," Youngjae muttered, not really paying attention to what he said, “Do you expect me to go around without being able to see?”

“… Never mind.”

He blushed before turning away from Youngjae, who stared at him for a few more seconds before fully processing his words. 

"Oh, okay," Youngjae coughed out awkwardly. I take back what I thought earlier, her inner voice cried, No, Daehyun is not good company. He’s Daehyun for god's sake! He’s a jerk, an , a— Ahh, whatever, I’m overreacting. No one had ever said that to me before. They continued working, but now in a stifling silence. Finally, after what seemed like hours, the bell signaling the end of lunch rang and Youngjae breathed out a sigh of relief. She grabbed her stuff and escaped the classroom, unaware of Daehyun's eyes boring into her back.

She spent the rest of the school day unable to keep her mind off of Daehyun and his offhand remark. It annoyed her. She was never one to pay attention to boys, and yet her mind was currently refusing to focus on her psychology teacher’s lecture, too preoccupied by a certain someone. And that certain someone just had to be Daehyun of all people. On a side note, Youngjae normally would be upset about missing a lecture, but her teacher was talking about… awkward topics, so she was somewhat glad for the distraction.

The bell ending school rang, accompanied by the buzz of Youngjae’s phone. Curiously, she peeked at the screen, where a text message was floating around.

hey :) u free after school? meet me at the 900 building. its daehyun btw

She wasn’t sure if she liked where it was going especially after the episode at lunch, but decided it was just because she watched too much drama, so she typed a response.

sure

Moments later, Youngjae received a reply back.

okay cool! see ya

She made her way to the 900 building, stopping by her locker to pick up books. Sure enough, Daehyun was waiting there, alone again, thankfully. He looked nervous for some reason, and all of Youngjae’s suspicions came back. In all the dramas she watched, this was the part where the girl confessed to the boy, or vice versa. But, considering who she was, Youngjae pushed all of those thoughts to the back of her mind. She curiously watched Daehyun fidget awkwardly. It was intriguing, how someone like him had become a nervous wreck in front of her. Finally, after what seemed like forever, he spoke up, barely audible.

"So... Um, do you want to... Go out with me?" He muttered. Youngjae stared at him. And then stared some more. 

"Me? Go out with you?"

Daehyun nodded hesitantly.

"Of course n—"

Youngjae cut herself off. She was automatically about to turn him down, but it wasn't everyday that a school hottie asked her out... Or that she got asked out in general. Plus, she had nothing to lose. She wasn't even interested in him in the first place. It would also be fun to show those popular girls that she, of all people, had managed to get Daehyun. The only thing she had to worry about was if Daehyun really did have feelings for her and how to not hurt him if he did, but it was worth a shot. And so, putting on her best smile, Youngjae replied, "I mean, of course. I'd love to."

When Daehyun's eyes lit up innocently, Youngjae couldn't stop the tiny flutters in her stomach. Maybe not all popular kids were so bad.

Ahhhhh, I always have these ideas that sound totally awesome in my head, but when I put them out on paper… they don’t seem that great anymore. When I first started writing this, I was on a roll, but as I got further and further into the story, I kind of just ran out of ideas. But anyway, I’m considering doing a continuation to this someday.

Thanks for reading guys! Constructive criticism always welcome ;)

By the way, I only posted the description yesterday, and getting more than 10 subscribers for it was a pleasant surprise. I have a fanfiction account and I usually only get like 1 follower per 2 chapters. I’m somewhat new to this site, so I’m still trying to get used to the way things work here. Thanks again! :3