I Dare You

['Oh no! Oh nonononononoooo!'] Ji An moved her legs as fast as possible until she reached the class and sat beside Han Sung. "Why did I rejected him?!" The words that were in her head actually came out.

"Rejecting who?"

Ji An looked at Han Sung with her eyes widened. "Nobody." She smacked her lips lightly not to say anything carelessly. She returned to fighting with her conscience.

['It was a good chance to ask him for advice on my song!'] Okay, Min Gi Hoon has really annoyed her since the last festival, but on the other hand after knowing the little secret of Gi Hoon's profession, Ji An really wanted to exchange opinions.

She already asked Han Sung about the songs that Vampire made and was a little surprised that some of them were already on her mp3 playlist. It turned out that all this time she had been listening to Gi Hoon's work.

From there, she knows the stage name Gi Hoon used in each song's credit: SUIKER. She doesn't know where the name came from. But she know it's a Dutch. Maybe he likes sugar or sweets, or because of his pale white skin?

The songs that Gi Hoon produce are all very good. Even that Vampire also won several awards, it's just that his face isn't plastered anywhere. Maybe the boy doesn't want to crush the expectations of the fans who think that this boy is as cute as his stage name.

Ji An fantasized that if her song was produced by Gi Hoon, would it become a hit like the song that was already released. Then she will debut as a Singer not a MUA. Is this good or bad news?

"You're spacing out? What are you thinking? Who's being rejected?" Han Sung furrowed his brows. He was too curious to be given an answer without reason.

Ji An had no other choice. She answered softly, "Min Gi Hoon. I was asked—"

"He confessed to you?!"

"No! It's not that! Lower your voice. Let me finished my words first—"

"Hey! What's up?!" This time it was Yeon Hee who cut the conversation when she just came out of nowhere.

"Where have you been during the recess?" Ji An turned her gaze to Yeon Hee.

"I called Ji Seob, on the school grounds. Didn't I tell you?"

Ji An blinked and just commented, "Oh." Because she doesn't remember that her friend told her.

"So what are you guys talking about?" asked the girl again, sitting sideways facing her two friends.

Ji An hesitated to answer. Because she remembered that Han Sung said Gi Hoon's profession as a secret. She didn't want to slips-up like Han Sung did.

"Just about our work to do at the shop later." Han Sung answered with a small smile.

Yeon Hee nodded and said nothing more. The girl turned her attention when her name was called by Jo Min.

"Keep going." Han Sung whispered.

"Oh ... okay," Ji An sighed and spoke softly, "So I went to the music room because I was lazy to find Yeon Hee. I was singing half a song that I made for a long time—"

"Oh, that orange sun song?"

"Yes. Well, it turns out that Gi Hoon was already in class, maybe he fell asleep before, I don't know. The point is, he heard I'm singing and when I was about to run away, he held me and said he liked me — like my song I meant, and wanted to listen to my demo-tape, but— Shit! He's come! Cover me!"

After telling the incident quickly like a rapper, Ji An tried to shrink her small body behind Han Sung. Fortunately this childhood friend was willing to follow what Ji An's told.

"Don't swear suddenly like that ...."

"Ops, sorry."

Han Sung glanced at Gi Hoon, who entered the classroom, sitting in his chair, then lay his head on the table— that boy had no intention of studying.

Just then a teacher entered the classroom. The students returned to their seats. Mr. Kang is a math teacher. He is a teacher who really likes to point his students to come forward to solve the problems on the blackboard when class time is almost end. And today's victim is Ji An.

"Go ahead and solve this question, Lee Ji An." exclaim Mr. Kang.

Ji An gasped loudly. She jumped a little in her chair. "Can't Han Sung who solve it, Mr. Kang?"

"In my class there is no bargaining. Go ahead. Now."

Ji An closed her eyes for a moment in annoyance. She stood up slowly and momentarily her eyes locked ... on Gi Hoon who was also staring at her!

That boy smirk at her. ['Oh no. What was that boy thinking?']

"Come on, hurry up, Lee Ji An." Mr. Kang ordered impatiently.

"YES!" Ji An quickly headed to the front of the class. She picked up the chalk and stared blankly at the blackboard.

['Where's my angel? I'm trapped in these irregular formulas !! Someone come and save me, pleaseeeee!']

“Have you got the answer?” asked Mr. Kang, impatient.

"Uhm ...." Ji An slowly wrote down a big number at the bottom of the problem: a big round zero.

There was a snort of laughter behind her. Yea yea yea, she knows she looks really stupid to her classmates.

"The class has been studying it for 2 weeks, and your answer is a big zero?"

Ji An fake her smile. "There are too many other interesting things in my brain that these formulas have no room to enter, Sir."

Hee Seok laughs the loudest. He clapped his hands, amused by Ji An's response. The boy always goes overboard when responding, but Ji An likes him because it's one of the characteristics of the cheerful Jung Hee Seok.

Mr. Kang massaged the side of his head and quietly said, "Oh, God ...." he looked at all the students. "Then, are there volunteers to help this wolf kid?"

"Sir! How can you equate me to a wolf kid?"

Ji An knows she's not like some girl students in class who are mostly feminine, maybe she's a bit ... wild? Always wears her school sweatpants under the skirt, so she can sit, like at home, with one leg up on the chair. And her character is completely opposite to her dream of becoming a MUA.

Mr. Kang ignores Ji An's whinning. He asked again if there were volunteers. Just when Han Sung was about to raise his hand, someone was already ahead of him. And it made Ji An gasp in surprise.

"I'll solve the problem, Mr. Kang." Gi Hoon immediately got up from the chair to the blackboard.

"Woah ... are you possessed?" said Hee Seok surprised, but Gi Hoon didn't answer.

"Maybe I dreaming of seeing Gi Hoon come forward at this time." exclaimed Ha Joon, blinking.

"This is your first time going forward, student Min," Mr. Kang's face turned happy. He knew this student was indeed smart but chose not to show this side. "Looks like a progress is made."

"Just ... no reason." Gi Hoon replied quietly.

"I'll go back to my seat." Ji An exclaimed, but Mr. Kang stopped her.

"Stay there and see how Gi Hoon solve this problem."

Ji An groaned in her mind. She caught a glimpse of Gi Hoon and then turned her attention especially to Han Sung, who currently only had an expressionless face.

Gi Hoon stared for a few seconds at the question and then his hand moved quickly to write down the answer. There were several whispers of admiration from the students, especially the girls.

['Wow. I didn't know that he was good at math. Hmm, though I don't know what he wrote.'] Ji An furrowed her brows as she looked at Gi Hoon's side-profile. ['Han Sung is right. He is beyond expectations.']

After Gi Hoon put down the chalk, he turned his head to Ji An, ignoring Mr. Kang's praise. "Let's talk after school hours are over. I'll be waiting." And he returned to his seat, leaving Ji An wide-eyed.

Students in class immediately "Awooo awooo" after hearing Gi Hoon's words. Even Mr. Kang said, "Are you guys dating?"

"N-no!" Ji An cursed herself in her mind for stuttering. She returned to the seat, hoping that the classmates' mouths would stop howling like wolves and choking on the dust of the cosmos.

"Am I missing something important?" Yeon Hee grumbled, her eyes following Ji An, who returned to her seat.

"There is nothing important."

"Ehey, Lee Ji An. I remember the last time you were not that friendly with that Vampire." Yeon Hee talked about things during the school festival.

"I am not friendly with him."

"Then what was that?"

Ji An was silent for a moment. She glanced at Han Sung, who raised an eyebrow, and looked back at Yeon Hee. "I think he's trying to apologize for making fun of my makeup."

Yeon Hee furrowed her brows and was about to say something, but Mr. Kang brought the students' attention back to the front of the class.

♡♡♡

School hours ended, Yeon Hee immediately got up and left after saying that her college students boyfriend had picked her up.

Ji An's hands suddenly got sweaty, she wiped them behind Han Sung's uniform.

"Hey, what are you doing ?!" Han Sung glanced at her.

"Han Sung, stay with me."

"What for?"

"Gi Hoon," Ji An whispered as she peeked over Han Sung's shoulder. "He's coming ... he's coming .."

"Just give him the demo-tape, what's so hard?" Han Sung whispered back. He tried to release Ji An's grip from his shirt.

"Hey," Gi Hoon said, which made Ji An and Han Sung gasp, turn their heads in unison.

"Oh, Gi Hoon." Han Sung managed to escape from Ji An. He stood up and tapped Gi Hoon's shoulder. "I'll go first, Ji An. Your mom asked me to immediately go to the bakery shop."

"Hm, okay." Ji An could only smile resignedly. She glanced at Gi Hoon.

"Let's talk on the way."

Gi Hoon turned around and went out of the classroom. Ji An sighed as she walked to follow Gi Hoon with lazy steps. Until they passed through the school gate, no conversation was spoken, even their distance started to grow apart. After 10 minutes some distance from school, Ji An who was walking while looking down, suddenly stopped because she hit the wall in front of her— oh no, it's not a wall, it's Gi Hoon's chest.

"Ouch .." Ji An looked up. Her eyes become wide because of her close distance to Gi Hoon, she almost tripped while back off.

"Are you a snail or a sloth? So slow."

Ji An stared sharply. "What did you sa-"

"Let me hear your demo song."

['What a straightforward boy. After insult me now you command me, huh?']

"Why should I give it to you?" Ji An blurted out irritably.

"I didn't ask for it, I just wanted to listen."

['And what's the difference, boy?!'] "It's my song. I don't allow just anyone to hear it."

Gi Hoon scratched his temples which were not itchy and said hesitantly, "Ah well ... I know a genius who works in music industry. I can bring your song to that person ..."

['Is he talking about himself?'] Ji An just silent while staring at another direction.

"You've probably heard his name ... in some news, uhm ... his name is Suiker."

"Never heard of it."

Gi Hoon nodded and smiled bitterly. "Okay... So, let me hear the demo-tape."

['He didn't even say the 'please' word.'] Ji An restrained herself from exploding, because on the other hand she also wanted her song being heard by the famous music producer in front of her. But she has to keep her image so it doesn't look easy. She intends to prank on Gi Hoon.

"I'll let you hear it ... on a condition," Ji An could see the look on Gi Hoon's face which was a little excited but immediately turned annoyed when Ji An continu said, "Your friends played inner circle dare, and I"ve got mine from Han Sung. So I will give my dare to you."

"Are you kids? Why play this inequality game?"

Ji An shrugged. "I don't know. Ask your friends. Those who have the idea of this game. So, Yes or No?

Gi Hoon let out a soft sigh. "What's the dare?"

"I dare you to : queued up for my lunch at recess and bring it to the table. Be nice to me, then I'll let you listen my demo-tape. Oh, you should apologize too. "

"What the fuck kind of dare is it ?!" Gi Hoon snapped.

Ji An flinced. "Why? You don't want to do it? Then say bye to listen to my—"

"Bye! Why should I listen to your stupid words." Gi Hoon turned away while ruffling his hair in annoyance.

"There.. .there... how rude ...." Ji An wanted to throw a fist at Gi Hoon's head.

♡♡♡

"Ough! I'm so pissed off !!" Ji An tore the croissant bread and ate it like a hungry dinosaur.

"What's the matter this time?" Han Sung put the empty bread tray on the metal table in the bakery kitchen, and leaned against the side of the big fridge. He frowned at the way Ji An ate the croissant.

"I know your friend is a great person in the world of music. But his attitude really pissed me off. He hasn't even apologized for what he said about my silly makeup, but made fun of me again. He said I was a snail and sloth, and he even said the dare that the one I gave him was stupid. Aaarghh!"

Lee Ji An really looks like a T-Rex who is ready to devour anything in her path. The girl already finished her fifth croissant.

"Maybe he's just shy." Han Sung didn't know what else to answer, because he just found out with Gi Hoon's new attitude. Usually his friend doesn't say much, never even says words and doesn't care about the girl who approached him. Min Gi Hoon, although he looks cold to others, actually he has a caring attitude, which only DS might know.

"Shy my ass!" Ji An grumbled. "His attitude is rude!"

"And watch your rude words, Miss Lee."

The bakery owner entered the kitchen and narrowed his eyes at the gasping Ji An. "Girls do'nt talk rude words."

"I'm sorry, dad ...." Ji An looked at her dad while putting on a face like a cute kitten.

Han Sung smiled a little and pinched the girl's cheek lightly as he passed her to get the dirty trays that needed washing.

Ji An immediately started fake coughing, trying to cover the blush of her cheeks from being seen by her dad.

"Ah, Han Sung. Just leave the tray, son." Ji An's dad took out a wallet from his pocket. "You can go and buy ice cream on the way home." He gave the money when Han Sung came to him. "I think Ji An needs to cool her mouth and mind."

"Thanks, Uncle Lee." Han Sung chuckled.

"Oh yay!!! Ice cream! Han Sung, let's go!" Ji An immediately went out of the kitchen to the employee locker, where their belongings were. Ten minutes later they got ice cream from the nearest shop and headed home.

"Too bad there's no mint-choco." Ji An took a small bite of the strawberry stick ice cream.

"You can put your toothpaste in the fridge and eat it tomorrow morning." Han Sung sneered.

Ji An snickered. "You and your jokes .... I'll make sure to bake your face."

"You keep saying it but you never do, Bae ~"

"Just wait. I am a man who keeps my word — Oh! It should be woma—" Before Ji An could correct her words, Han Sung was already laughing out loud.

"Woa, man! I didn't know if you had the same 'thing' as me!"

Instantly Ji An's face heated up. "HEY!! What are you saying?!"

The ice cream in Ji An's hand fell because she was chasing after Han Sung, who was running and still laughing at her. The chase continued until they approached the house. Then Han Sung stopped suddenly, causing Ji An to hit his back and fall backwards with her butt first.

"Ouww.. Hey! Why did you stop?!"

"Gi Hoon? What are you doing here?" said Han Sung, panting with his short breath.

"Yo."

Ji An, who had rubbed her buttocks, immediately stopped. She looked up and stared at Gi Hoon who returned her gaze lazily.

['What is he doing in front of my house?']

-------♡

Hope you all have a nice day

-Autumn Notes