"I hear your voice and my body tenses with a sparkling sensation, you look at me and my heartbeat skips, when you smile I can't help but smile with you, is this the feeling they call love?" —Siyeon.
❀❀❀❀❀
As I entered the classroom, I immediately searched for my friends, who I found all sitting at a table in the back staring at me strangely.
"Did I interrupt something? Why did you guys suddenly stop talking?"
"Good morning to you too Siyeon." Seol replied, making me roll my eyes at her.
"Good morning."
"You're lucky," Joey said pointing ahead, causing all three of us to turn around as Mr. Ko entered the room and class soon began with a few late comers piling in and immediately being given detention. "that could've easily been you."
We then continued our conversation, careful as to not get caught talking during class.
"Why are you so late? Don't tell me it's the hamster again." Sua whispered, raising her eyebrow and I nodded, refusing to go into detail.
"I remember you saying you were going to buy coffee, so why exactly are you still so grumpy after that?" Seol commented, well aware that the only thing that could cheer me up so early in the morning was some good coffee.
"I did get my coffee but before I could even take a sip BAM! some idiot bumped into me so I left empty handed."
"Woah, no wonder you're so grumpy." Seol laughed.
"It's not funny."
"Was he a handsome idiot?" Joey suddenly asked.
I paused for a moment as the image of his beautiful features graced my memory, I remembered how genuinely sorry he was and how sweet he seemed. I then regained my consciousness shaking those thoughts out of my head. "I don't wanna talk about this anymore, just thinking about it makes me mad." I replied, massaging my temples.
The girls all looked at each other sharing some kind of secret agreement.
"What are you guys up to?" I asked in frustration that they were keeping something from me.
"Oh my," Seol breathed out. "Hey, just relax and stop frowning so much, smile a little." Seol reached her arms out, stretching my cheeks, trying to make my mouth form a smile to which I swatted her hands away.
"Anyway, Sua did you finish filming the video for your assignment?"
"I did, with Seol's help and amazing editing skills." she responded taking her phone out to show me.
"Woah, this cover is amazing, I'm sorry I couldn't help you with it this time." I apologized, complimenting her with a smile.
After being given a group assignment to work on by Mr. Ko our English teacher, we now had the freedom to talk without so much caution. As I read the text book trying to focus on completing the assignment the girls all silently talked to each other again before Joey said, "Hey Siyeon, when you weren't here we had a pretty interesting conversation."
I looked up from the book. "Is that so? About what?"
"Well I was like 'I can't believe Siyeon is still single, at this rate she'll die alone' and Seol said 'I bet she'll never be able to stay that way for long, you know the real reason she is so closed off is because she easily falls in love' and then I was like 'really?' and she said 'yeah' and then I said 'yoummh—" I used my hand to cover her mouth having heard enough as I glared at Seol.
"Oh? So I easily fall in love huh?" I grumbled at Kim Yoon Seol —Seol's full name though she preferred to be called Seol.
She leaned in. "Yup." she said, popping the 'p.'
"You and I both know that's not true."
We continued to stare at each other as both Sua and Joey looked between us sensing the tension.
"Why don't we bet on it." Seol suddenly suggested.
"I'm listening." I raised my eyebrow with interest.
"I bet you can fall in love with someone in a day." Seol challenged with an arrogant smile.
I laughed. "Yah! —meaning hey— Kim Yoon Seol, what kind of bet is that? You really want to lose don't you? There's no way someone can fall in love in a day."
These girls must really not take me seriously.
"Well then you have nothing to worry about or... do you?" she asked, her purple hair falling perfectly over her shoulder.
"Fine then, at what price?" I sighed, rolling my eyes.
"100 dollars to the winner, so if you don't fall in love you win."
"Deal." I agreed and she immediately smiled and the others began to giggle for reasons unknown to me, I already started thinking about how I was going to spend my money. "You know Seol for someone who is currently single you somehow can still find time to worry about me."
"At least I'm not afraid of dating, I just haven't found the right person yet." She folded her arms.
"Oh?! How do you know it's not the same for me?" I raised my eyebrow at her.
"Because I know you, we both know that's not the reason why you're like this, I know Sin-jae hurt you in the worst possible way, I know, but, it's been two years already, every guy isn't like that, you need to move on!" she raised her voice, saying the forbidden name making Joey and Sua both go silent as they looked at her in disbelief and I stared at her; for a good two minutes the four of us stayed like that until the bell rang ending first period.
"See you guys later." I said, standing to my feet, gathering my things preparing to go to my next class alone, the next few periods I had by myself, so we usually met up togther at lunch.
I would be lying if I said I didn't want to be alone right now, because after what Seol just said I wanted to be.
***
As I watched Siyeon gather her things and left with a few words, giving me one last side glance, I started to think that maybe I was a bit too harsh, knowing how sensitive a topic that was with her.
"Maybe you over did it a bit Seol." Joey commented with a pout, making me look at her feeling a bit guilty but deciding not to show it.
"I agree, you shouldn't have said the forbidden 's' word, you could've hurt her feelings."
"She'll recover, stop making a fuss over nothing, this doesn't change our plans, in fact this just proves why we should help her more." They just looked at me and sighed in response. "Don't give me that look, let's just hurry and leave." I picked up my bag.
As we went our separate ways I took the opportunity to put my plan in motion, I knew plenty of guys in my music class I could potentially bribe.
As I entered I saw my first subject, I walked up to his desk with a smile on my face and sat in front of him, I stared at him as he wrote music lyrics on a piece of paper, waiting for him to notice my presence. He continued writing, ignoring me for awhile but then he slammed the pencil on the table and looked up at me in annoyance and sighed. "What do you want Seol?"
As my eye began to twitch at his rude tone, I cleared my throat and maintained my smile. "Kai-ji, my dear, how would you like to earn some easy money." I said in a high-pitched voice, acting as cute as I could, shooting him a heart as he looked at me completely unbothered by my flattery.
"No." he said bluntly, causing me to immediately go back to my actual personality, folding my arms in annoyance as I ran my tongue along the inside of my mouth.
"Yah! What do you mean no? You haven't even heard what it is yet, far from that you didn't even think about it."
"You're right let me think again," He paused before leaning in, so that he was almost inches away from my face. "No. There, my answer is still the same." He finished and I clicked my tongue, rolling my eyes at him.
"Pish, kill joy." I mumbled. "At least tell me why you won't do it."
"Because it's you, so it can't be good, ask someone else." he said, going back to writing.
Just then Sun-hoon approached us and sat down. "Seol? Why are you here?"
I gave him a look. "What do you mean, why am I here? This is my class."
"I didn't mean it like that, I meant why are you sitting here."
"Up to no good as usual." Kai-ji commented, making me give him the stink eye as I mouthed 'you want to die' to him.
I cleared my throat and leaned closer to Sun-hoon. "By the way Sun-hoon, you're single right?"
"Yeah..." he replied slowly, getting suspicious.
"You know Sun-hoon you can always ask me for anything and I'd help you right," I patted his back in a friendly manner, drawing closer to him as Kai-ji rolled his eyes. "so Sun-hoon could you do me a favor and maybe spend the rest of the day with Siyeon?"
"Okay, I'm officially confused." he replied looking to Kai-ji for help.
I then explained the details of the bet to him and Kai-ji's response to the whole thing was: "Like I said, up to no good as usual."
"So you want me to get her to like me in a day for 100 dollars?" Sun-hoon confirmed and I nodded.
"Technically, I just want you to spend time with her, but you get the idea." I said biting my bottom lip as I waited for his response.
"Can't, I have guitar practice after school." I slammed my hands on the table in frustration, making Sun-hoon jump at my sudden action.
"What the hell is wrong with you two?!" I shouted at them standing to my feet losing my temper.
"I should ask you the same thing, aren't you supposed to be her bestfriend? How can you so easily mess with her like this?" Kai-ji said, making me scuff.
"Yah! Be careful with your words, I'm not messing with her, I'm trying to help her, don't question my methods, you don't know her like I do, believe me when I say this is for her own good."
"Did you ever think that maybe you'd end up hurting her?!" Sun-hoon added, and I thought for a moment.
"I don't see how, it's not like she's gonna fall for the guy, like I said I know Siyeon, she doesn't easily catch feelings, so why worry? If you two won't do it that leaves only one other option." I smiled at them with a knowing look, folding my arms as they both looked at each other in thought.
"Baekhyun!" They yelled in unison as the realization hit them making me nod, my evil smile widening.
"Where is he?"
"I don't know." Kai-ji said, as he gave Sun-hoon an unreadable look.
Sun-hoon looked at him confused and thought for a moment, licking his lips as if he didn't know what he should or shouldn't say. "Uhh... well... uhh... he... umm..." His unsure eyes went to the classroom door and Kai-ji's eyes followed his, I was about to do the same when Kai-ji suddenly grabbed my face, forcing me to look at him.
"Like I said we have no idea where Baekhyun is, no idea at all. He is definitely not here right now!" he said, rather loudly.
He gave Sun-hoon a look as if to tell him something to which Sun-hoon nodded. "Yeah, he isn't here, nope."
"What are you guys talking about? I'm standing right in front of you." A voice announced from behind me, making Kai-ji sigh as he released me, standing to his feet, grabbing Baekhyun, putting his arm around his neck.
"I tried, you missed your chance to run, didn't you see me mouthing 'run' to you?!" he asked, hitting Baekhyun on the head.
"Oww! Why should I run? Why?!"
"Forget it." Kai-ji said, returning to his seat in frustration, leaving a confused Baekhyun behind.
"Have a seat Baekhyun." I said as I pulled out a chair for him and he sat down with the rest of us. "By the way I have a favor to ask..." I began choosing my words carefully having been turned down twice already.
"What kind of favor?" he asked leaning forward with interest. I did my best, explaining the situation to him.
"How much will you give me?" he asked, making me smile.
"100 dollars."
"I don't know, 100 doesn't seem fair enough, how about 200." He proposed to my surprise.
"What?! 200?! Are you crazy?!"
"Hey! It's 200 or I won't do it, you're the one who needs me since no one else wants to do it, so pay up." he said, confidently holding his hand out to me.
"Unbelievable." I mumbled, he did have a valid point though, I didn't have many options left they were the only guys Siyeon didn't know. I'd have to suck it up and pay him. I sighed, "Fine, but I'll pay you afterwards, deal?" I held my hand out for him to shake.
"Deal." He smiled shaking my hand.
"I can't believe you." Kai-ji said, shaking his head at his friend in disbelief.
"What? I have my reasons." Baekhyun argued with a pout.
"Oh really? What reasons?" Sun-hoon asked folding his arms.
"Video games." Baekhyun replied with a smile.
Sun-hoon nodded. "He has a good reason."
"Yah! Why are you encouraging him all of a sudden? I swear, it's like I'm the voice of reason or something."
"Game is life." Sun-hoon replied, making Kai-ji roll his eyes.
"Fine, do what you want, but someone is going to get hurt." Kai-ji warned.
"Anyway, Baekhyun, Siyeon has Art class after lunch, she asked me to be a model for her portrait but I'll let you do it in my steed, you're free after lunch right?"
"Yes."
"Perfect, just go in and sit in the front 3rd row to the right, if she asks who you are, say I sent you, got it?"
"Okay I got it." He nodded and I smiled as my plan was finally coming together.
...
If you liked this book and want another exciting book to read you can check out my contracted work: 'The Claytonia's Curse.' as well!