“Yoona, when will we go out to find dresses for the formal dance this Monday?” Jihyun asks excitedly when we’re in the midst of lunch at the cafeteria. “Today’s Thursday already! I think that we really have to go out this weekend, Yoona.”

“Oh, sure.” I give her a soulless nod. “But you know, do we really have to look for dresses? I mean, you have a lot, don’t you? I can just borrow one from you.”

“No, I want a new one.” A chuckle escapes her lips. “I want you to buy your own dress too, Yoona. It’s not that I don’t want to borrow you one or anything. I just don’t want you to take that night for granted. You have to look for your own dress, do make-up and hair… everything like other girls do.”

“Well, okay, then. Let’s go out this Saturday.” I don’t have a choice, do I? “Will your boyfriend come along, Jihyun?”

“I think Hyunsik’s got some stuff to do, so he won’t be coming,” she says. “By the way, is Lu Han coming to the formal dance? You haven’t told me a single thing about him since that night you called me!”

I was about to sip my drink when the name slips out of her lips.

Lu Han.

As strange as it sounds, my hearts feels like it’s shriveling up my chest. It’s excruciatingly painful I feel like dying whenever I hear the name.

“Are you okay, Yoona?” She gives me a worried look.

“I’m… okay.” And whenever I heard his name or think of him, what happened that afternoon lingers back at the back of my mind.

“Lu Han!” I follow him out of the campus. I’m panting so hard, but I cannot let the sight of him go just like that. I solely believe we haven’t met to a closer.

He doesn’t listen to my wailing; he just dashes down the street using his man’s strength and doesn’t look back at me. I guess his mind’s too clogged up with everything I just shoved him at once.

At a certain point, I barely manage to follow his pace and ultimately grab his sleeve. Jesus, I feel like fainting already. “Lu Han….” I whimper. “Stop it at once.”

Unable to get out of my firm grasp, he has no choice but to turn around in defeat. The moment our eyes meet, his gaze is burning with rage I feel a bit terrified. Those burning eyes and that darkened face—this is a completely new side of Lu Han.

“What else do you want, Yoona?” He’s on the verge of breaking down as though his energy has all dissipated. “After what I learnt from you and… you betrayed me, what else do you expect me to do? Do you expect me to smile even though I’m breaking down inside? Or do you expect me to forgive you, Yoona? That’s it?”

“No, I don’t. None of them,” I say weakly. “I… just don’t want to lie to you anymore. If Jinki sunbae-nim hadn’t interrupted us, I would have intended on telling you the same thing. I just wanted you to know that I didn’t betray you, Lu Han. I didn’t become your friend just because I needed you to attend the formal dance. I...” I don’t know why I stopped, so I quickly regain my momentum. “I was sincere, Lu Han. I mean it, really.”

“Give me a break, Yoona.” He snorts. “I barely held myself back when you told me the whole story. If… if you had just told me the truth… that you wanted me to attend the stupid formal dance, you could have told me right from the start. Now that you shoved everything in my face today, do you think I’m able to swallow it?”

“How can I tell you when I’m always distracted by you?!” I shout, unable to hold back any longer. A tear almost trickles down my cheek, but I just let it be. I don’t care anymore. If he wants to say that I’m pretending or anything, I just don’t care. Nada.

“W-what do you mean by that?” Surprise hits him. “I always distracted you?”

“That’s not the main point right now.” I look away. “The main point right now is, you may lash your anger out at me, but don’t ever say that I became your friend just for my own sake. I wasn’t that nasty, Lu Han.”

A minute passes just like that. He’s not saying anything. I wonder what he’s planning on saying as he just keeps looking down on the ground.

“Lu Han,” I say his name.

“I’m going now.” He opens his mouth at last and turn around.

“But we haven’t finished yet.”

“Give me a break,” he reiterates the same words he said earlier. “I don’t want to talk about this anymore… nor do I want to see your face at this point.” He looks over his shoulder, but doesn’t actually look at me. “It pains me a lot when I think about you and the whole friend-making and formal dance thing.”

Well, I think that sums up everything. It has been several days since I last saw him. He’s practically been avoiding me—both at the officetel and the campus. His cell phone’s always off, too. I really wonder how he’s doing at the moment. I haven’t seen Jun, either. I miss that little kid and his adorable smile. Hmm.

“No, he’s not coming to the formal dance.” I finally get back to Jihyun. I sigh. “Lu Han… he’s not coming.”

“But why?” she questions.

“I’d rather not talk about it, Jihyun. My heart…. it feels like…” I close my eyes. My chest hurts again—a lot that one could’ve ever thought. “Whatever. I don’t want to talk about this anymore.”

“Seems like you did follow my advice and come clean,” she says, squeezing my shoulder. “It didn’t work, did it?”

I guess a forced smile would enlighten her the best. No offense, but if she still doesn’t comprehend what the smile means, she must be really dense.

“Well, you right. Let’s not talk about him. I know you’re hurt a lot.” she says. “So here, let’s talk about something else!”

“Like what?” I’m glad she understands me. Nam Jihyun has been my super close friend since our freshman year and she just knows everything about me. When I’d rather stay silent than speak, it means that I’d rather not delve deeper and prefer to get it over with.

“Has someone asked you to be his date?”

“Well, I guess so.” I remember having been approached by some guys I don’t know who they are, asking if I still have got no date. Oh yeah, Joon did ask me too. I told him I’d think about it, but it has been days so I guess it’s not valid anymore.

“So have you agreed to be that person’s date?”

I shake my head. “Not interested.”

“Do you want me to look one for you?” Jihyun’s all giddy like, her eyes are shining enthusiastically. “You know, I heard a rumor saying that Joon has a thing for you. Do you want me to ask him whether he’s still available for a date or not, Yoona?”

I laugh. “Actually, I have already decided who my date is.”

“You have what?” She seems pretty taken aback. “Why didn’t you tell me sooner? I thought you still hadn’t got one, you nasty!”

“I didn’t get a chance to tell you.” I keep laughing. Well, this is so much fun that I thought it would be. Well, at least this is going to lift my mood.

“Who is he, Yoona?”

“He is dashingly good-looking, romantic, humorous, humble… and has got everything a girl would dream of.” I pause there. “In short, he’s like the epitome of perfection.”

“Wow, he sounds so cool!” Jihyun claps her hands enthusiastically. “You are so lucky to have him, aren’t you? Tell me already who that perfect guy is, Yoona! Wait, does our university even have a perfect guy like you just described?”

“Are you curious?”

“Hell yes!”

“His name is…”