WooYoung couldn’t stop thinking about girls. Well, two girls in particular: Dara and SooYoung. He had no clue what he thought of Dara anymore. He still loved her, but he couldn’t spend time with her anymore because she was too busy stalking G-Dragon. He couldn’t stop loving her, though. He’d tried, he really had. He knew that she wasn’t perfect, but to him, that didn’t matter. And then there was Soo. She was quickly becoming one of his closest friends, and he’d completely forgotten NichKhun’s theory of her liking him. He didn’t want to seem oblivious, but he really didn’t know if it was true or not, and he didn’t want to make assumptions.
He knew he couldn’t bother his brother, as he was stressed out about something that he wouldn’t mention, but he was in desperate need of help. He didn’t know who to turn to. The boys with the most girl experience were Taec and Nich, and although Woo though Taec was a nice guy, he wasn’t sure if he was the best advice-giver. He had no clue what was up with Junho and NichKhun, either. For the past week, both of them had been extremely quiet and he was almost positive there was something both of them weren’t telling him.
He sighed and rolled over on his bed so that he was facing the back of Khun’s head.
“Hey Nich,” He didn’t look up from his laptop, where he was typing away feverently.
“Hmm?”
“I need your help.”
NichKhun snorted. “When do you not?”He groaned and swiveled around. “What is it this time?”
“It’s about Dara.”
His best friend let out a frustrated sigh. “Let go. That’s all I have to say.”
“But—“
“Look, I know it’s hard, but you have to learn from your mistakes. Dara’s a mistake. She’s a nice girl, but she’s just not…mature enough. She’s living a fairytale, and she’s dragging you into it. I know what I’m talking about.” He ran both hands through his hair. “She’s being so unreasonable. We’re third years. We graduate next year. All of us have so many important things to worry about. Does she think we have time for drama?”
WooYoung stared at his friend for a long time without saying anything, and then finally opened his mouth. “What’s going on with you and Junho?”
“It’s not anything.”
“It is something,” Woo insisted. “You always say that we’re growing apart, but you’re not doing anything to mend our relationship, either. I know I’ve made some stupid mistakes for a girl, and I don’t want to repeat them, but this isn’t right. We’re friends.”
NichKhun tugged his caramel-colored hair, a habit that he was slowly picking up from SooYoung. He hesitated for a moment before speaking. “I think I know something,” he looked around the empty room, “about Junho’s past.”
WooYoung’s eyebrows went up. “Explain.”
Nich thrust a thick folder into his hands. “This is a list of people and names that I found in one of his notebooks. I tried my best to connect them to each other, but I can’t make much sense of it. Take a look inside.”
**
Yoona and Taec walked down the long hallways, their hands entertwined. Yoona held her head high, her long hair swaying from side to side for the first time since elementary. She had never felt so free before. With Taec’s help, she’d gotten over her humiliation, and was now living the way she wanted to. It was her senior year, anyways. She wanted to live it to its fullest with the ones she loved.
She looked at her now-public boyfriend and smiled. He squeezed her hand and together, the new It Couple walked on.
**
“Oh. Ma. GAWSH! That dress is soo cute!”
SooYoung couldn’t help but roll her eyes at Jessica’s broken English and horrible pronounciation. She watched on as Sunny, Yuri, and Jess fawned over Bom’s clothes. SooYoung found it weird how she’d come just a week before Yoona was thrown. It was almost as if someone had planned it all out. She stared at Sunny, who was stuffing discarded clothes into a black trash bag. Just a month and a half ago, she would have been scurrying around the room trying to pick those clothes up for herself before Yuri threw them out. She’d been so miserable in their group; and she’d also been a bit pathetic, trying her best to please everyone in WooYoung’s friend circle and throwing herself around to make people like her.
What had changed?
SooYoung kept staring, and soon, they locked eyes on each other. SooYoung raised an eyebrow and gave Sunny a quizzical look, which she fully ignored. Instead, she wrinkled her little nose ever-so-slightly and turned away in what SooYoung supposed was disgust. She wasn’t surprised. She frowned and got up, ready to exit before the girls made her slave to one of their fashion shows, when she noticed a shadow cast on the floor, close to the window. She whirled around but only saw the four girls, now in the bathroom. There was no way that shadow had been any of them. The Dolls were all size zeroes. That shadow…hadn’t been.
Someone had been watching them, but who? And more importantly, why?
**
An hour later
Sunny stared at the back of Seungri’s head, instead of working on her music-making skills, contemplating what shape it was. She suddenly remembered that time in the café when SooYoung had been scrutinizing WooYoung’s pear-shaped head.
She lightly tapped Seungri on the shoulder and he looked up from his sheet and gave her a small smile.
“Hey there.”
“Hello,” Sunny said, leaning forward. “So, Seungri, how are your parents?”
Seungri’s face fell. “They’re okay. I’m still working on making money.”
Sunny pouted. “Poor, poor Seungri. There’s nothing in your life to cheer you up, is there? Not even a girl. That’s unfortunate.” She let her hands wander to his collar. “Don’t you ever get tired of doing things for others?”
“No…”
“Don’t you ever want to do anything for yourself?”
“Um…”
“Look, Seungri, we both know that I’m a close friend of yours, and I’m the only person besides Daesung who knows your secret. And I’m available.”
Seungri raised his eyebrows. “Are you saying—“
“Mhmm.”
Sunny looked around to make sure the teacher wasn’t looking—he wasn’t. She praised herself silently for choosing the very back seat and yanked Seungri by the collar so that their noses were touching.
“So…what do you say?”
Seungri thought for a moment, then shrugged.
“Why not?”
Sunny nodded briefly. That was the answer she’d been hoping to hear.
**
Junho, NichKhun, SooYoung, Minzy, Daesung, and WooYoung were all sitting at a round table during lunchtime, all of them talking in little groups among themselves.
Minzy was the first to notice when the cafeteria went silent.
“What’s wrong?” she asked loudly.
They all turned to look in the direction of the double doors to which everyone was pointing. None of them saw anything unusual: Yoona and Taec were walking in, looking like the perfect couple that they were. But…what was that? Two blonde heads followed them. CL and G-Dragon sauntered in, their chins held high, firmly holding hands.
“They’re not…” Daesung didn’t finish his sentence.
“I think they are,” SooYoung whispered back.
Usually, with the exception of Minzy and Daesung, other people’s love lives weren’t something that really interested this group, but this was different. Everybody was staring at WooYoung, who was staring at Dara. She had a shocked expression on her face, her fork lifted up, spaghetti dangling dangerously from the end. It seemed as if none of the other seniors or juniors had known, either. Most of them had interested expressions, but nothing matched the astonished look on WooYoung or Dara’s face.
“When did this happen, exactly?” Junho asked quietly, casting glances at G-Dragon.
As if on cue, the double doors opened once again, and in walked in Sunny and Seungri. Daesung made a choking noise.
“What is going on with the world?” NichKhun muttered.
“They are close friends. Maybe we’re judging too quickly. Maybe we’re judging both couples,” WooYoung said, but he didn’t look so sure either.
“Sure doesn’t look very friendly,” SooYoung mumbled. Sunny’s arms were thrown around Seungri’s neck in a careless way, and every two words she said to him contained the word “oppa”. They all watched on as she planted a kiss on his cheek.
“Yup, definitely not judging,” Minzy said. Daesung kept staring at his cousin, who gave him an apologetic smile as they passed by. Sunny turned around and gave SooYoung a satisfied smirk.
A wave of realization sweeped over SooYoung: this was a game that Sunny was playing, and Soo was one of the chess pieces. How had she been so stupid and missed it? She was an enemy to Sunny all along, and she hadn’t even noticed.
I’m not stupid enough to get myself involved in your immature games, she thought, but I am going to find out what sort of trouble you’re stirring up. Something just isn’t right about all of this.
She watched as Sunny whispered something to Seungri, got up from their table, and strolled over to Suzy’s table. She sat down, ignoring eye contact with the monotone girl, while she spoke in a low voice. Suzy nodded, then slipped an envelope into Sunny’s hands. They nodded at each other, and Sunny walked back.
SooYoung was reminded of those questions in the back of magazines: There is something that isn’t right about this picture. Can you figure out what it is?
**
After lunch
All of the third and fourth grade students were gathered around the bulletin board when Taec and Yoona reached it.
“What’s going on?” Yoona craned her neck, trying to get a good look at the board.
Taec chuckled and lifted her up. “Read what it says.”
Yoona peered at the board. “Family Christmas Event: Each student is required to bring at least one member of their family (cousins, parents, siblings, etc.) to our special gala. All students are required to submit at least one piece of work, such as a painting, a written piece, or a special performance. The event will take place on the weekend before Winter Break. Be there. Be ready.”
Taec hoisted Yoona down and frowned. “That barely gave us any information. Sounds like something Principal Ha would write.”
“This is insane,” Yoona stuck out her lower lip. “They’re just asking for trouble, aren’t they?”
*
“Have you heard about it?” Minzy yelled, storming into History of Dance class. “This is insanity. Ha is crazy, he really is. The old man has some nerve to plan something like this. We’re teenagers. The last thing we want to do is bring our families to the only place where we can get away from them. And they expect us to perform for them? Give me a moment, I need to rant.” She started pacing up and down, muttering to herself.
“I think it’s an okay idea,” WooYoung shrugged. “Better than the six-weeks final.”
“That’s ‘cause you have a cool brother,” SooYoung said, making a face. “I’m an only child. I’m gonna bring my mom.”
NichKhun stretched lazily. “My family’s in Thailand, so I don’t have anything to worry about.”
“Lucky,” Jessica said, seating herself on the seat across from him and stretching her long legs over his. He pushed them aside, got up, and switched seats. Jessica followed. NichKhun rolled his eyes.
“I have to bring Krystal, since the ‘rents probably won’t want to come,” Jessica continued. “I hate her,” she added, as if everyone was dying to know.
“You guys are all lame,” Minzy stopped pacing. “I’m bringing my dad. He’s the bomb.”
WooYoung shook his head and smiled as everyone kept discussing who they were going to bring. He took out his cellphone, hoping Teacher Lee would be late, per usual.
“Hey, hyung? We’re having an event at my school. You’re invited.”
He knew he couldn’t bother his brother, as he was stressed out about something that he wouldn’t mention, but he was in desperate need of help. He didn’t know who to turn to. The boys with the most girl experience were Taec and Nich, and although Woo though Taec was a nice guy, he wasn’t sure if he was the best advice-giver. He had no clue what was up with Junho and NichKhun, either. For the past week, both of them had been extremely quiet and he was almost positive there was something both of them weren’t telling him.
He sighed and rolled over on his bed so that he was facing the back of Khun’s head.
“Hey Nich,” He didn’t look up from his laptop, where he was typing away feverently.
“Hmm?”
“I need your help.”
NichKhun snorted. “When do you not?”He groaned and swiveled around. “What is it this time?”
“It’s about Dara.”
His best friend let out a frustrated sigh. “Let go. That’s all I have to say.”
“But—“
“Look, I know it’s hard, but you have to learn from your mistakes. Dara’s a mistake. She’s a nice girl, but she’s just not…mature enough. She’s living a fairytale, and she’s dragging you into it. I know what I’m talking about.” He ran both hands through his hair. “She’s being so unreasonable. We’re third years. We graduate next year. All of us have so many important things to worry about. Does she think we have time for drama?”
WooYoung stared at his friend for a long time without saying anything, and then finally opened his mouth. “What’s going on with you and Junho?”
“It’s not anything.”
“It is something,” Woo insisted. “You always say that we’re growing apart, but you’re not doing anything to mend our relationship, either. I know I’ve made some stupid mistakes for a girl, and I don’t want to repeat them, but this isn’t right. We’re friends.”
NichKhun tugged his caramel-colored hair, a habit that he was slowly picking up from SooYoung. He hesitated for a moment before speaking. “I think I know something,” he looked around the empty room, “about Junho’s past.”
WooYoung’s eyebrows went up. “Explain.”
Nich thrust a thick folder into his hands. “This is a list of people and names that I found in one of his notebooks. I tried my best to connect them to each other, but I can’t make much sense of it. Take a look inside.”
**
Yoona and Taec walked down the long hallways, their hands entertwined. Yoona held her head high, her long hair swaying from side to side for the first time since elementary. She had never felt so free before. With Taec’s help, she’d gotten over her humiliation, and was now living the way she wanted to. It was her senior year, anyways. She wanted to live it to its fullest with the ones she loved.
She looked at her now-public boyfriend and smiled. He squeezed her hand and together, the new It Couple walked on.
**
“Oh. Ma. GAWSH! That dress is soo cute!”
SooYoung couldn’t help but roll her eyes at Jessica’s broken English and horrible pronounciation. She watched on as Sunny, Yuri, and Jess fawned over Bom’s clothes. SooYoung found it weird how she’d come just a week before Yoona was thrown. It was almost as if someone had planned it all out. She stared at Sunny, who was stuffing discarded clothes into a black trash bag. Just a month and a half ago, she would have been scurrying around the room trying to pick those clothes up for herself before Yuri threw them out. She’d been so miserable in their group; and she’d also been a bit pathetic, trying her best to please everyone in WooYoung’s friend circle and throwing herself around to make people like her.
What had changed?
SooYoung kept staring, and soon, they locked eyes on each other. SooYoung raised an eyebrow and gave Sunny a quizzical look, which she fully ignored. Instead, she wrinkled her little nose ever-so-slightly and turned away in what SooYoung supposed was disgust. She wasn’t surprised. She frowned and got up, ready to exit before the girls made her slave to one of their fashion shows, when she noticed a shadow cast on the floor, close to the window. She whirled around but only saw the four girls, now in the bathroom. There was no way that shadow had been any of them. The Dolls were all size zeroes. That shadow…hadn’t been.
Someone had been watching them, but who? And more importantly, why?
**
An hour later
Sunny stared at the back of Seungri’s head, instead of working on her music-making skills, contemplating what shape it was. She suddenly remembered that time in the café when SooYoung had been scrutinizing WooYoung’s pear-shaped head.
She lightly tapped Seungri on the shoulder and he looked up from his sheet and gave her a small smile.
“Hey there.”
“Hello,” Sunny said, leaning forward. “So, Seungri, how are your parents?”
Seungri’s face fell. “They’re okay. I’m still working on making money.”
Sunny pouted. “Poor, poor Seungri. There’s nothing in your life to cheer you up, is there? Not even a girl. That’s unfortunate.” She let her hands wander to his collar. “Don’t you ever get tired of doing things for others?”
“No…”
“Don’t you ever want to do anything for yourself?”
“Um…”
“Look, Seungri, we both know that I’m a close friend of yours, and I’m the only person besides Daesung who knows your secret. And I’m available.”
Seungri raised his eyebrows. “Are you saying—“
“Mhmm.”
Sunny looked around to make sure the teacher wasn’t looking—he wasn’t. She praised herself silently for choosing the very back seat and yanked Seungri by the collar so that their noses were touching.
“So…what do you say?”
Seungri thought for a moment, then shrugged.
“Why not?”
Sunny nodded briefly. That was the answer she’d been hoping to hear.
**
Junho, NichKhun, SooYoung, Minzy, Daesung, and WooYoung were all sitting at a round table during lunchtime, all of them talking in little groups among themselves.
Minzy was the first to notice when the cafeteria went silent.
“What’s wrong?” she asked loudly.
They all turned to look in the direction of the double doors to which everyone was pointing. None of them saw anything unusual: Yoona and Taec were walking in, looking like the perfect couple that they were. But…what was that? Two blonde heads followed them. CL and G-Dragon sauntered in, their chins held high, firmly holding hands.
“They’re not…” Daesung didn’t finish his sentence.
“I think they are,” SooYoung whispered back.
Usually, with the exception of Minzy and Daesung, other people’s love lives weren’t something that really interested this group, but this was different. Everybody was staring at WooYoung, who was staring at Dara. She had a shocked expression on her face, her fork lifted up, spaghetti dangling dangerously from the end. It seemed as if none of the other seniors or juniors had known, either. Most of them had interested expressions, but nothing matched the astonished look on WooYoung or Dara’s face.
“When did this happen, exactly?” Junho asked quietly, casting glances at G-Dragon.
As if on cue, the double doors opened once again, and in walked in Sunny and Seungri. Daesung made a choking noise.
“What is going on with the world?” NichKhun muttered.
“They are close friends. Maybe we’re judging too quickly. Maybe we’re judging both couples,” WooYoung said, but he didn’t look so sure either.
“Sure doesn’t look very friendly,” SooYoung mumbled. Sunny’s arms were thrown around Seungri’s neck in a careless way, and every two words she said to him contained the word “oppa”. They all watched on as she planted a kiss on his cheek.
“Yup, definitely not judging,” Minzy said. Daesung kept staring at his cousin, who gave him an apologetic smile as they passed by. Sunny turned around and gave SooYoung a satisfied smirk.
A wave of realization sweeped over SooYoung: this was a game that Sunny was playing, and Soo was one of the chess pieces. How had she been so stupid and missed it? She was an enemy to Sunny all along, and she hadn’t even noticed.
I’m not stupid enough to get myself involved in your immature games, she thought, but I am going to find out what sort of trouble you’re stirring up. Something just isn’t right about all of this.
She watched as Sunny whispered something to Seungri, got up from their table, and strolled over to Suzy’s table. She sat down, ignoring eye contact with the monotone girl, while she spoke in a low voice. Suzy nodded, then slipped an envelope into Sunny’s hands. They nodded at each other, and Sunny walked back.
SooYoung was reminded of those questions in the back of magazines: There is something that isn’t right about this picture. Can you figure out what it is?
**
After lunch
All of the third and fourth grade students were gathered around the bulletin board when Taec and Yoona reached it.
“What’s going on?” Yoona craned her neck, trying to get a good look at the board.
Taec chuckled and lifted her up. “Read what it says.”
Yoona peered at the board. “Family Christmas Event: Each student is required to bring at least one member of their family (cousins, parents, siblings, etc.) to our special gala. All students are required to submit at least one piece of work, such as a painting, a written piece, or a special performance. The event will take place on the weekend before Winter Break. Be there. Be ready.”
Taec hoisted Yoona down and frowned. “That barely gave us any information. Sounds like something Principal Ha would write.”
“This is insane,” Yoona stuck out her lower lip. “They’re just asking for trouble, aren’t they?”
*
“Have you heard about it?” Minzy yelled, storming into History of Dance class. “This is insanity. Ha is crazy, he really is. The old man has some nerve to plan something like this. We’re teenagers. The last thing we want to do is bring our families to the only place where we can get away from them. And they expect us to perform for them? Give me a moment, I need to rant.” She started pacing up and down, muttering to herself.
“I think it’s an okay idea,” WooYoung shrugged. “Better than the six-weeks final.”
“That’s ‘cause you have a cool brother,” SooYoung said, making a face. “I’m an only child. I’m gonna bring my mom.”
NichKhun stretched lazily. “My family’s in Thailand, so I don’t have anything to worry about.”
“Lucky,” Jessica said, seating herself on the seat across from him and stretching her long legs over his. He pushed them aside, got up, and switched seats. Jessica followed. NichKhun rolled his eyes.
“I have to bring Krystal, since the ‘rents probably won’t want to come,” Jessica continued. “I hate her,” she added, as if everyone was dying to know.
“You guys are all lame,” Minzy stopped pacing. “I’m bringing my dad. He’s the bomb.”
WooYoung shook his head and smiled as everyone kept discussing who they were going to bring. He took out his cellphone, hoping Teacher Lee would be late, per usual.
“Hey, hyung? We’re having an event at my school. You’re invited.”
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