"I'm home.." I placed my shoes on the rack just next to the door.

"Hey sis!" answered my younger sister, leisurely eating ice cream while laying down on the couch, eyes fixated on the television.

"Seolji-yah, you've returned?" I heard my mom's voice and craned my neck to find her.

"Oh! Mom's home?" I asked her, who turned out to be in the kitchen.

"Yes, I'll just grab a few utensils then go back to the restaurant," she said, opening the kitchen drawers.

I took a brief look on the plastic bag I was carrying and quickly hid it behind my skirt, hoping she won't see it.

Gotta rush before she finds out.

"Okay then. I'll go clean myself and catch you there later, Mom," I said, hurriedly tiptoing to my room so that the plastic wouldn't make any sound.

"Sure Seol-- Wait!"

I stopped my steps and furrowed my brows.

"What's inside the plastic bag?" my mom asked.

"N-nothing.."

"It's more cat food isn't it? How many times do I have to tell you to stop buying that! You're wasting your money on those ungrateful stray cats and all they do is dump on my lawn!" my mom walked towards me, nagging.

"Well I can't just throw these away, I mean I've bought it.." I said in a small voice, looking on the floor.

"You say that every single time but you keep buying it anyway. Go get yourself some ice cream like your sister!"

"Arasseo! Are you not going back to the restaurant?"

I heard my mother sigh and mumble as she scurried to our restaurant's truck that was parked in front of the house.

"I'm leaving!" she shouted.

"Okay!"

I frowned and turned my head towards my sister.

"Why do you always buy ice cream only for yourself? Get your sister one too, would you?"

"Eonni, get it yourself with your money! Don't spend it on cats and blame me!" she answered.

I let out a short breath and marched towards my room.

After closing the door of my room, I sat on my bed and took out the things inside the plastic bag I was carrying.

A pack of cat food.

And a blue drinking bottle.

I stared at the bottle for some moments before throwing my back to the bed.

How am I supposed to give him this...

A few days ago.

"Eek! Why is the floor wet?!" Park Sohee exclaimed, abruptly stepping back after almost slipping.

"Yah, Seongwoo! Your water bottle is leaking!" said Mijoo, pointing on Seongwoo's bottle that was placed next to his table.

"Oh, really?" Seongwoo glanced at his bottle and picked it up, trying to find any crack.

"Ahh, now I see!" he said, finding a crack on the upper part of the bottle.

He drank the water until the bottle was half empty and placed it back on the floor.

"Problem solved," he said, before turning back towards Hwang Minhyun and continuing whatever their conversation was about.

All I did was stare at incident from far away before finally shrugging it off and going back to read my book.

Then everything was fine, Seongwoo only filled his bottle half full every single day. He would constantly went outside to refill his drink, but it was okay, it didn't really bother me.

Until at PE class.

We were playing volley, when Seulgi's serve accidentally knocked off his bottle. There, the water started seeping out to the grass. I was hestitating whether to fix it or not, but it would look weird if I just walked out my team only to fix Seongwoo's bottle.

So I tried to bear with it and continued playing, feeling bothered.

It was then the end of the game, Seongwoo's team defeated the other boys' team and they were shouting out of celebration. All hot and sweaty, Seongwoo lied on the grass and was about to gulp some water when he suddenly realized that his bottle was also lying on the ground, empty.

"N-nooo," he tried catching his breath, "Seongwoo thirsty."

"Seongwoo thirsty!" he said, grabbing Minhyun's legs who was passing by.

"Get yourself a new bottle!" Minhyun said, throwing his bottle towards Seongwoo.

"Get yourself a new bottle!"

Is something almost everyone in the class had said to him by then, he would always grin and said "Okay," but never did so.

It was the next day after I bought the bottle.

I had wrapped the bottle inside a plain paperbag and was sneaking around the corridors, making sure that no one is here yet. I jogged to the class and closed both doors shut, before walking to Seongwoo's locker and opening it.

Phew, thank goodness his lock is still broken from when Namjoon sunbaenim accidentally bumped at it.

I placed the paperbag inside before rushing to my seat, afraid that someone would suddenly barge in into the classroom.

"WOW LOOK AT THIS! SOMEONE'S GOT A FANCY ON SEONGWOO!" was what Kang Daniel shouted when Seongwoo took out the bag from his locker.

Kim Jaehwan approached them and laughed, "Seems like Prince Seongwoo's charms is finally noticed by someone."

"Oh shut up, it's probably from you guys, right?" Seongwoo asked Daniel and Jaehwan.

"You got a new bottle?" Sohee said, placing her shoes inside her locker, which was next to Seongwoo's.

"Ah, or maybe it was you who gave me this? Princess?" Seongwoo asked Sohee, his eyebrows jiggling up and down.

"Yuck? The only reason I care is because your bottle keeps wetting the area near my seat. I ain't  your wife," she answered.

"Girl? A prince and a princess doesn't always have to be married. I mean, you could be my sister? But if you want to be my couple instead, then... what can I do?" Seongwoo made a ridiculous face and lifted his hands up.

Daniel and Jaehwan laughed sheepishly as Sohee shook her head and left them.

"But seriously though, thank you," Seongwoo smiled at them.

"Us? We told you it's not us!" answered Daniel.

"Whatever," Seongwoo took the bottle to his seat, still smiling.

I tried to hold the corner of my lips from rising, I don't want to look weird but can't help to feel happy that I was able to help someone.

Then it all just sort of happened.

My goody-goody self took over me, and it came to his folder, his handkerchief, and even his shoe laces. I took every festive event as an opportunity to give him things, days like Chuseok, or even just the Children's Day.

It was not because I like him or anything, it was plainly my form of sympathy. Everything Seongwoo owns, it's either ragged, shabby, stretched, or items just fine, but then he had been using them since the beginning of middle school.

He was just..... so helpless.

What makes me happy is that he uses every single thing I bought for him.

I don't think he knew exactly who gave him all that, and he didn't really care. All he knew was to appreciate what has been given to him. His friends keeps making theories about how a freshmen is probably crushing on him, but he keeps saying that it's probably them who gave him the stuffs.

"I don't think she's a freshmen. I think she's in this class. Someone that's not close to him couldn't know exactly everything he needs!" Minhyun said, his hands folded and his eyes staring to a nonexisting point far away, trying to think.

"Wait a minute, who's the first person to come to class every morning?" he suddenly said.

I, staring from my seat, hid my face behind the textbook I was holding.

"It changes everyday.." I heard Jaehwan mumble.

I peeked from the top of the book and breathed a sigh of relief.

"But usually it's Seolji!" Jaehwan suddenly pointed at me, who dropped my book in surprise.

Minhyun stared at me for some seconds, his gaze sharp and intimidating, before finally saying, "Ayy, that can't be.."

I picked up my book and dusted it off, then pretended to continue reading.

"Come on guys, stop bothering her," Seongwoo chuckled.

"But for real, if you get a Christmas present, this girl is really into you!" Daniel said.

Good thing I don't have any plans to give him anything near Christmas.

I thought.

I don't want them, him, to misunderstand.