Lunchtime was no doubt one of the best times of the day – the others being breakfast and dinner. However, Jugyeong found herself cornered by Seojun in the hallway again, looking handsome as ever with a smirk that could haunt your dreams for years. When she managed to flee, Soojin hunted him down and told him not to bother her. The warning would clearly go ignored.

A few minutes later, Jugyeong arrived at the rooftop, which had various furniture pushed to the far side. Next to the mountain of school desks and chairs, she set up her lunchboxes on the lone table that was just covered with a school poster. The rough, blue floor matched the colour of the sky. If she peered over the edge, she could even see the tiny figures of students playing on the field or strolling beside the toy-sized hedges. Waiting for Suho, she made sure there were no specks or crinkles in her makeup.

Jugyeong wasn't asked to make him lunch, but she thought that he might appreciate it and that they could build their friendship – or more than that. While girls got turned down by him left and right, she thought that she had hope with the way that they spent hours comfortably at the comic book store.

Fiddling with her fingers, she sat on a chair in front of the table and took a deep breath of the fresh air. Her mind wandered the longer she waited.

"Why did you want to have lunch with me here?" Suho asked when he arrived, adorning his usual maroon blazer.

He stood in front of the doorway to the rooftop with a blank face, a good few metres from the other girl.

"It's such a beautiful day so I thought it would be nice to eat up here," Jugyeong smiled lightly, gesturing for him over. "And you've been studying so hard. Come and sit down."

With less enthusiasm than an ant, Suho sat in the seat opposite her, glancing down at the display. Several lunchboxes of colourful foods laid upon the pink school banner – rice, beef bulgogi, kimchi and more. They were packed neatly and made well with the love of a mother.

As Jugyeong started eating, the boy just stared at her, watching her chopsticks survey the selection of food. His ebony hair hardly moved in the slither of wind they received up there and his dark eyes reflected his uncertainty he felt. Although Suho's stomach growled, he was like a child who had never seen Christmas presents before.

"What are you doing? You should eat. These are just leftovers from dinner," Jugyeong took a large bite of an egg roll. "Mm, it's really good."

Since Suho still didn't budge, Jugyeong mixed up the side dishes with the rice and gave him a spoonful. Suho carefully chewed it, his eyes widening ever so slightly. It tasted like a mother's home cooked meal, which got him wishing he could have this every day instead of eating alone at home. They finished the food with few words but a more pleasant atmosphere than when it started.

"You know... let's call it even with a big one," Jugyeong suggested, her eyes burning with passion.

The ends of Suho's mouth nearly turned all the way up to his ears. He finally wouldn't have this girl chasing him for a secret that he wasn't even going to tell.

"Maybe making me track down the first edition of a classic horror or a difficult mission," she pondered, hoping for something that wasn't too hard.

As they both thought, their gaze travelled until it landed down on the poster under their meal. Suho knocked once on the table, a great idea appearing in his mind. He couldn't help the small grin on his face.

"Why are you tapping on the table instead of telling me what to do?"

With his eyes pointing down, Jugyeong slowly read the poster that she had a feeling she wouldn't like: 'Saebom Festival – Talent Show Audition'. She cursed in her head, her eyebrows curling down with her lips. Why did it have to be right there?

Suho thought it was harmless – having fun for a talent show and then she wouldn't feel indebted to him. Realising he didn't get a chance to learn anything about Hanbyeol through her, he knew it was too late to change his mind or add anything into the deal. Besides, he still felt the pain from her rejection earlier.

* * * *

Jugyeong was far from being a singer. Her dancing, though, was watchable. After a week of practice, she was bursting with fiery energy.

The school auditions were entertaining with various acts, and Hanbyeol and the band performed near the start, finishing with impressed faces from the judges. After Jugyeong rushed back from the bathroom, she entered the wide and dark stage. She set up the music on the side and then danced to 'Maria' by Hwasa, every inch of her body feeling the beat and all the sensual waves.

A captivating show, especially for the teachers who occupied the front shadows of the audience. Jugyeong just danced, not realising that the auditions had already ended, and that it was now a staff meeting.

At the back of the auditorium, Seojun spotted her through the tiny door window and decided to watch. He quietly opened the door and stood inside, blending with the black at the top of the rows of seats. With his arms crossed and an amused chuckle, he wished there was an encore, but she ran off with embarrassment at the end. He could never listen to the song the same way again, but he wasn't complaining. Seojun's eyes were quite lit up with joy.

Later that day, Hanbyeol had tteokbokki with the band to celebrate their great audition. They performed a song they could do with their eyes closed, while saving the more energetic song for their big gig at the end of next term. She took the bus home, feeling relaxed but alive when she got changed into comfy clothes and removed her beautiful makeup. Flopping onto her stomach on her azure blue bed, she browsed some social media on her phone, the soft blanket cuddling her body.

"Hanbyeol," her mum shouted from downstairs. "You got more deliveries. Put them away now! And why do you have to buy so much? You should be studying."

With a drawn-out groan, the girl exited her room and lifted up the large cardboard box at their front door. Hanbyeol rolled her eyes as big as she could, not that anyone saw.

She was coming down from her high, crashing down to the complex feelings of a teenager and the harsh reality of growing up. Of course, she loved her mum, just like everyone else, but she sometimes felt caged and pressured with her mum wanting her to be the best. It was even worse as her mother was a teacher, someone who always frowned at bad grades and could find out about her from other teachers.

"I do study, mum. All I do is study and study. When do I have time to live my life?" the long-haired girl pushed back loudly as she hauled the heavy weight up the stairs.

She didn't wait for an answer, returning to her room to unpack her new skincare products. While guitar gave her a burning energy, displaying her beauty products on her dresser soothed her. The pristine bottles with pastel colours lined up like students for their class photos in groups, the varying shapes and sizes providing a creative aesthetic.

Hanbyeol's mum was overbearing but not as much as other parents or her grandparents. It was nature to compare, and she often suffocated from her own pressure since her sister was succeeding in law at one of the biggest universities.

No matter how hard Hanbyeol's heart clenched, she had no one to turn to and let it all out. Her sister wouldn't be able to relate since her academics never saw any flaws, and Hanbyeol could never bring herself to voice it. It seemed trivial, and she could imagine Hanbin brushing it off, even though it was more than that. Being controlled, unable to sleep, studying instead of playing with friends you would be compared to – she shuddered, shaking her ruffled head.

"Byeol," Hanbin knocked on the door and poked her head in. "My friends are coming over now, just letting you know."

"What? Now you tell me?" the younger sister sighed in disbelief from the seat at her dressing table.

"Sorry, they'll just be here for a few hours."

Hanbin thanked her with fluttering eyes before quickly shutting the door and disappearing. All the beige walls now saddened, despite the music posters and the stars stuck above her.

It wasn't that Hanbyeol was too awkward with strangers, but her hair was currently cotton candy and her mum would force her to greet their guests. Debating whether she should fix her look, she decided she was too lazy. Hanbyeol slid on her jacket, stuffed her phone and earphones in her pocket and headed out after letting her mum know.

* * * *

The twilight sky welcomed her as she strolled with no destination along the concrete tiles, her hands cosied in her jacket pocket. Hanbyeol's blemished and pimpled face felt the raw and cold air. Listening to a rock song, she passed by lit up shops and young adults getting drunk along the crooked grey pavement and trees that stood tall on the side.

A drop of water splashed on the shoulder of her fluffy, grey jacket and she glanced down. Suddenly, it started pouring, and Hanbyeol cursed that she didn't bring an umbrella. She ran to the nearby park with arms over her head, finding haven on the round bench under a wooden piece of shelter. The constant tiny beats made her gently smile as she sang along to the music playing through her earphones. Wrapping her arms around herself, she watched the curtain of water sprinkle down.

Behind her, someone sat down as well. His black hair was stuck together, and he carried a basketball under his wet arm. It had been a while since he felt so at peace; he let out a sigh. Closing his eyes, Suho enjoyed Hanbyeol's singing, their backs nearly touching.

When the rain died down, the girl stood up and stretched. She slowly turned around, taking in the quiet slide structure she would climb on as a kid, accompanied with the mini forest blooming with flowers. Her eyes enlarged when she saw Suho sitting there behind her.

"What are you doing here?" Hanbyeol asked, her hand gripping her tracksuit pants.

The tall boy in a grey long-sleeve stood up to face her with a softer expression than usual.

"I was playing basketball," Suho replied, lifting up the basketball as if declaring his proof.

"Looks more like sitting down to me."

He shared a chuckle with Hanbyeol. A cold breeze swept by, tickling the ends of her wavy and tangled locks. With her earphones now tucked away, silence coated the empty playground, but distant cars and voices could be heard. She wasn't sure what to do now, but she didn't dare to speak yet.

"Wanna play?" Suho asked cautiously, his head gesturing to the court behind him.

Hanbyeol shrugged. She didn't have anything better to do and it had been a while since she's played. "Sure."

She followed him to the basketball court next to the park. The dampness on the hard ground was spotlighted by the lamp, but he went easy on her. Shrouded by trees on the edge, the shadows danced on the floor.

Suho had spent the past few hours thinking about how she rejected him and what he did so wrong. Perhaps he went too fast. Shaking the thought away, he passed the ball to Hanbyeol. They dribbled and jogged around the court, making several shots. When Hanbyeol got it in the net for the third time, she let out a cry of joy, her hair flying as high as her raised hands.

"You're pretty good," Suho complimented, bouncing the wet ball.

"Thanks," she nodded at him, calming her wide grin. "So are you."

His heart did a little celebration flip. Hanbyeol didn't realise he was quite sporty, but she could tell why the girls all swooned at his sturdy form. As they played, she didn't notice the time flying by until she looked up at the dark sky glaring at her. The smell of rain was gone.

"I should probably head home now," the girl eventually said, her breathing returning to its normal pace.

Before she could leave, Suho quickly asked, "Why don't you want to go out with me?"

Hanbyeol looked at him in slight alarm, not expecting that question. Thinking for a moment, she licked her lips. Her long, frazzled hair blew in the wind, but she didn't even realise.

"You're rude, you don't care about other people, and you disregard other people's feelings," she stated.

Suho blinked, his deep, nearly-black eyes swimming with confusion as his sharp jaw tightened.

"I'm sorry, but I have to go now. I'll see you tomorrow at school," Hanbyeol apologised before starting to walk off.

"Friends?" the dark-haired boy took a step towards her, still gripping the basketball for comfort.

She turned to face him again as her cherry blemish mixed with her blush. "Sure."

Shooting a 3 pointer as she vanished, Suho's adrenaline was still running. He did a small fist bump to his side as he thanked the stars.

Although he didn't know why he was already feeling so strongly about her, he was glad that they were getting somewhere, and they were both comfortable around each other to be themselves. He was just Suho, not God Suho, and she somehow manages to brighten his day. Even though she didn't look perfect like a doll, her pure eyes and smile with her personality were the truest beauty he's ever seen – giving the hug he never knew he needed. He also wanted to run his hands through her hair. 

On the other hand, Hanbyeol couldn't believe that he wanted to still be friends when he saw her in her worst state. Playing with the ends of her wild hair, she crinkled her lips as if trying to stop a smile. She started subconsciously looking forward to talking about music with him and playing basketball. 

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I'm so sorry. I know I said Wednesday and I was going to, but my sister wanted to watch a kdrama with me and it's so hard to get her to watch kdramas with me. 

I'm also trying to work on getting the chapters a bit longer so I'm happy that this one's longer.

Thank you for reading! Please vote and comment!  Love you all :)