Saying the words, "I like you" to your long-term crush... what kind of feeling would it be?

"I'm really sorry but," Jung Kook put on an uncomfortable expression like someone had found out he peed his pants last night. He ruffled the back of his dark sleek hair in frustration as little drops of sweats tickled down on his PE jacket. "I would like to put my full concentration on club activities."

"What? Why?" A girl with dark maroon hair screamed at Jung Kook. Jung Kook took a step back as he was stunned by the girl's sudden uproar. This was the first time he experienced seeing someone got so aggressive after being rejected by him. "Jung Kook-ssi, you don't even have a girlfriend!"

Jung Kook turned to ask for his club member's help, but all of them quickly hid away in a corner as they too, were scared of the girl with dark maroon hair. "Um... well, you could say basketball is my girlfriend."

"What? Jung Kook-ssi, I really can't understand you! Fine!" The girl ran away before Jung Kook could even utter another word.

"Jung Kook-ahhhhhh," Kim Tae Hyung ran and hugged Jung Kook from the back. "I'm so glad you rejected that scary witch. You do know I always love you, right?" The club members shouted 'eww' in unison.

Park Ji Min bounced the ball a little then threw it at Seok Jin. "Wae? That girl is pretty cute."

"That's the advantages of a pretty boy," Jung Ho Seok huffed softly like he was the worst guy on earth. "No matter how many girls they rejected, there are still millions lining up."

"That's what I'm saying," Kim Nam Joon patted Ho Seok on the back. "You have no hope at all, Ho Seok-ah."

"Yah!" Ho Seok tried to hit Nam Joon on the head but accidentally hit Min Yoon Gi on the face. "Oh my god. Yoon-Gi hyung, are you alright? Please don't-"

"I bet he's gonna cry," Seok Jin nodded his head silently.

"He's gonna cry for sure," Ji Min laughed awkwardly but watch out for Yoon Gi's expression. 

Min Yoon Gi, also known as Suga watch blankly out of space. Drops of red thick blood start to form from his nostrils. And he burst... into tears. "WHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA! MY NOSE IS BLEEDING, MY NOSE IS BLEEDING!!" Yoon Gi cried in his Satori accent.

Ho Seok hugged Yoon Gi and tried to calm him down by patting his back, but Yoon Gi roughly pushed him off and slapped his face. 

"Okay," Jung Kook rolled his eyes after seeing Yoon Gi had calm down and Ho Seok trying to calm his pain. "Let's start the practice!" Jung Kook stopped his track as he sensed someone was looking at him. "Kwon Min Jee?" A girl with brownish long hair looked startled by his sudden voice. "What are you doing here?"

"Jung... Jung... Jung Koo... Jung Kook," the girl named Min Jee stammered his name softly.

"You want to buy something?" Jung Kook asked. "What do you want to buy? I'll help you."

Min Jee stared at the ground while trying to get her words properly. "A... App... Apple..."

"Oh," Jung Kook smiled a little at Min Jee. "Okay, I know. Apple juice on the way!"

Jung Kook turned and asked for an apple juice from the beverage counter. Min Jee felt a little bad asking her childhood friend for this favor. She knew she was different from others. Her voice is softer than others. Even if she was just a little nervous, she would sound like a mute.

I still remember that day during elementary school...

"Min Jee-ah, Kwon Min Jee!" I heard and all too familiar voice. I slightly looked up, embarrassed he would see my crying face. He was my classmate and my friend. We knew each other because of our mothers as they are college best friends. "Look, look! I helped you to get back your teddy bear!" He swung the white fluffy teddy bear in front of me.

Jung Kook was always there for me. He was there to protect me.

"Next time," he hugged the teddy bear tightly. "If anyone wants to snatch your teddy bear, just hold it really tight and shout 'This is mine! Don't you dare to take it away from me!’” He handed me the teddy bear and I demonstrated it to him. "It's okay if you don't say it out loud. I can understand what you're trying to say just by looking at your eyes."

I always like that Jung Kook who always protect me.

"Here," Jung Kook turned and looked at Min Jee who was waiting patiently for him. "Your apple juice."

"T...T...Thank...Thank yo..."

"Jung Kook-ah, we're starting the practice now!" someone shouted from the basketball hall.

I... failed to talk to him again. Aissh, just because I got all nervous and panicked.

"Min Jee-ah!" Goo Haera, Min Jee's best friend called out to her from afar. "I'm sorry for being late! There's just too many people in the toilet-" Haera stopped and stared at the apple juice that Min Jee was holding. "You bought that by yourself? Wah, you've improved Min Jee-ah!"

"It's... It's wasn't me..."

"Ehhhh?! Don't tell me-" Min Jee nodded her head a little at Haera's question. "Wow, Jung Kook's still the same, huh? Taking care of you, I mean. He's only a first-year student and he already became a qualified player playing for the school. He's good looking too. I bet he's very popular with the girls, don't you think so?"

"I..."

"You and Jung Kook are childhood best friends. I'm sure you're very worried about him getting popular, right?" Haera nudged Min Jee playfully.

The truth is... after both of us entered high school, we weren't that close anymore. To Jung Kook, club activities and new friends are something more important to him.  I wish... I could spend time with him more often. 

"ARGHH. THIS IS DRIVING ME INSANE!" The same dark maroon hair girl screamed while walking back home. Min Jee quickly hid behind a street light. "That Jeon Jung Kook! I've confessed to him billions of time, but he just won't accept my confession!"

"I bet he's got a girlfriend!" One of her friends said.

"Ah," another one spoke up. "Is it that girl? That... Kwon Min Jee or something?"

"You mean Jung Kook's childhood friend?"

The dark maroon hair girl snickered at her friend's assumption. "Impossible. Which guy wouldn't get tired of her if she's their girlfriend?"

"True," one of them said. "I can't even hear what she's saying when the teacher points her out to read the texts."

"Even if Jung Kook wants to couple with somebody, he should find somebody who’s more qualifying like me, don't you think so?"

"That's what I'm saying hahaha!"

I... Am I a burden to Jung Kook?

"Min Jee-ah, KWON MIN JEE!" 

Min Jee quickly looked up after hearing Haera's voice. "Huh?"

"You don't look so well... are you alright?" Haera sighed in relieved after seeing Min Jee nodded her head. "Oh, have you heard? Jung Kook injured himself during yesterday's practice. He might not be able to join next month's basketball competition."

Poor Jung Kook! I should encourage him at times like this... right?

GRAAAAAAAAKKKKKKKK! 

"Min Jee?" Jung Kook turned and looked at the door from the basketball hall. "Why are you here?" He slowly walked towards Min Jee. "Ah, this?" He rose up his injured hand and showed it to Min Jee. "It can't be helped anyway. I deserved it because of my carelessness." He smiled a little and turned back to get his things.

'Cheer up!' Why can't those words come out from my mouth?

"...." Jung Kook slowly turned as he heard something. To his surprise, he saw Min Jee smiling while putting her hands up in a fist like she was trying to say... "Cheer up!". Jung Kook blushed a little after understanding what Min Jee was trying to say.

"Pabo," he snapped her forehead. “Go home first. You being here do not help me."

Ah... did I become a burden again?

Min Jee quickly rushed out of the hall, not even hearing her name being called by him. "Min Jee-" Jung Kook stopped and saw an apple juice box that was placed beside his backpack with a note saying, "Hope you have a fast recovery!" Without anyone knowing, the dark maroon hair girl and her friends had saw and heard everything.

Today, I failed to tell him again. I... should just go home.

As Min Jee opened her locker, she saw her notebooks and other stuff had all been scribbled and torn. On the other side, Jung Kook saw a bunch of girls laughing while running away as he was walking out of the hall. "Min Jee...?" Jung Kook called out as he saw Min Jee on the floor, trying to pick up all the messed-up books. 

"Min Jee-ah!" Jung Kook quickly got down and pick up a torn up book. "What happened? Who did this? Who dare to bully you? Tell me!" Min Jee shook her head and said nothing. "It must be those girls, am I right?!" Min Jee pulled Jung Kook's shirt to stop him from chasing after those girls.

"It's... it's okay..." Min Jee said softly. No sound, there's no sound coming out from my mouth! I want to tell Jung Kook that it's fine! I don't want to be a burden to him anymore! I don't want to but-

"You're crying! I need to ask them to explain this matter!"

"N...No..."

"Why not?! Kwon Min Jee!!" Jung Kook shook Min Jee to come to her senses. "If you want to say something, say it loud and clear!"

Jung Kook softened his gripped as he saw tears started flowing out of Min Jee's eyes. "M-Min Jee-ah, pabo-ya, I-I'm not..."

I hate it, I hate it! Min Jee rushed to the nearest fire alarm and hit the button. The siren of the fire alarm started to ring and Min Jee hid away from Jung Kook to hide her tears. Why? She let herself collapse on the ground as people started to stare at the scene. Why do I always ruin things?

You can't express your feelings without speaking up... even if it's to convey a message to a person...

The following next day...

I better apologize to Jung Kook... Min Jee stopped as she was entering her classroom. "I've told you! That is not our doing!" She slowly peeked in to see what was going on. She spotted two girls from the day before talking to a guy. Jung Kook?

"Is there any proof or evidence? There's none, right?"

"The look in your eyes tells me that this is your doing!" Jung Kook argued angrily.

"What? How can you judge people based on their looks?!" The girl bit back. "Who knows? Maybe Min Jee planned this all along to get your attention!"

"That's right! That is the biggest possibility!" The other girl backed her friend up.

Jung Kook glared at both of the girls. "Kwon Min Jee would not do such thing!"

"Jung Kook, nobody knows what that girl is thinking, how could you trust her so much?! On the contrary, we told you that it wasn't our doing, but you don't trust us?"

Jung Kook stayed quiet for a moment after listening to the girl's statement. "Are words that important?" 

"Of course because-"

"If words are that important, then why are you using it to lie or to hurt other people?" The dark maroon hair girl was taken aback by the question stated by him. "Kwon Min Jee is different. She may not say anything much but once she started smiling, it would surely bring happiness to someone."

Min Jee could feel her tears started to flow out from her eyes endlessly after hearing Jung Kook's words. "It's okay if you don't say it out loud. I can understand what you're trying to say just by looking at your eyes." Yes, Jung Kook was the first person who told me that. Jung Kook-ah, thank you... but, because of that, I too can actually tell you... Min Jee rushed in the classroom and back hugged Jung Kook.

...I like you.

The whole class was shocked at Min Jee's sudden action. "Hey! What the hell are you doing?" The dark maroon hair girl barked. Min Jee ignored the girl's question and refused to let go. Instead, she hugged Jung Kook even tightly.

Jung Kook slightly grinned at Min Jee's action as he remembered what this means. "'This is mine! Nobody can take it away from me!' End of translation." Min Jee cried even harder as she knew Jung Kook understand her feelings.

"W-What?" The dark maroon hair girl had no idea what he was saying.

"I'm sorry," Jung Kook pulled Min Jee out from his back and hugged her. "I think Jeon Jung Kook had already belonged to Kwon Min Jee."

The whole class cheered at their confession and congratulated them. Jung Kook pulled Min Jee out of the class as Min Jee followed behind him.

There's no need to beat around the bushes. As long as my feelings can pass to you, even if it needs me cry out a few times, I'm willing to use my own way to convey it.

"Aissh, it will be noisy if we head back to class." Jung Kook said as he stopped his steps. He saw Min Jee quietly stayed behind him, not daring to look into his eyes. "What happen to you? Why are you so nervous?" Min Jee just blushed and kept quiet. "Ah, I almost forgot something." Min Jee looked curiously at Jung Kook. "My answer to your confession."

Without expecting that, Jung Kook kissed Min Jee on the lips. "I've heard it, very clearly." Min Jee blushed at his kiss. She cried in his answer to her confession.

My feelings finally passed to him. Jeon Jung Kook, the one who I fell in love with. At last...

... He heard it.