"Thank You,"  I tell Vernon as he handed over my morning coffee to me, taking it in one hand and my card back from the other. 

Walking out of the coffee shop with my coffee in my hand , I make my way towards class. Unfortunately I overslept, sleeping over my alarms, and ended up missing my second period class, also my first in the day. 

By the time I had woken up, it was already half way through the second period so I just decided to get dressed and get ready for my next class, seeing how it isn't worth it to even try and instead make it for my other class. It would just be awkward to walk into the classroom when the lecture is right about to end. 

Since most people are sitting in their lectures right now, the campus is pretty deserted outdoors with only a few people lazing around on our humongous lawn outside, taking advantage of the warming weather and the soaking in the sun, getting that tan ready for the summer. 

Climbing up the white stairs to the main building of our University campus, where my lecture is being held, I turn around the corner when I reach the top only to nearly run into someone. 

"Oof," I let out as I narrowly prevent myself from making any collisions and successfully managing to not let my coffee overspill or drop to the ground. 

Strong arms grab me, as if to stabilize me and keep me from falling on them, while keeping me at a safe distance form then. 

I blink a couple of times, looking up as I say, "Sorry, I wasn't looki-Mingyu?"

Mingyu raised his eyebrows as if to say 'finally' while his face remained neutral of any other expressions and he removed his arms from my side. 

"It's you," I say. 

"It's me," Mingyu confirmed. 

"What are you doing not in class?" I ask, noting that our lecture timing has yet to be dismissed. 

"It ended early," Mingyu told me, "I noticed you weren't in class today."

"I overslept," I explain and noticing that Mingyu seemed to be in a bit of a rush, asked "Were you going somewhere?"

Mingyu briefly looked behind me, which is easy for him since he is so much taller,  and curiosity made me turn my neck around to see what was behind me as well. I was expecting to see a person or a thing that had caught Mingyu's attention but I see no such thing in sight and turn myself back to facing Mingyu. 

"No where," Mingyu answered, "Are you going to the lecture already?" 

I nod my head and say, "Yeah, I was headed that way." 

"Come on. Let's go together," Mingyu told me stepping to the side to give me space so we can walk side by side together. 

"How was your weekend?" Mingyu asked me as we fell into step with one another. 

I shrug my shoulders and say, "It was normal. Just like any other weekend. Didn't you go out with your friends to the nearby canyons?"

Mingyu gave me a curious side look and said, "How do you know?" 

"Miyeon had told me last week. Besides, I kept seeing pictures of it on all of your Instagram stories. Stuff like this always ends up on social media," I remind him. 

"Of course it does," Mingyu said, "You know actually while we were there, we all thought that we should have invited you. We just didn't think of it earlier?" 

"invite me?" I ask in higher pitch. The confusion on my face and in my voice probably couldn't be more obvious. Why would I be invited to a weekend out with his exclusive group?

"Yeah. Everyone likes you," Mingyu told me. 

"Everyone likes me?" I repeat in absurdity, "Are you sure they even remember me? Everyone was pretty drunk at the party." 

"Of course they remember you," Mingyu said, "Why wouldn't they?"

"I don't know. I have a pretty forgettable face," I tell him sincerely as we enter our classroom, which is still empty, "People don't tend to remember me easily." 

Mingyu gave me another one of those weird side look and said, "You don't have a forgettable face. Besides, I didn't forget you. From the day I dropped my coffee on you. I remembered you. . .and everyone else."

I roll my eyes at that and say, "Oh please, they only remember that because I became the center of everyone's afternoon tea time gossip for a week. And then for another week since Seungcheol made that huge banner in the coffee shop. Then another week since he publicly announced we were dating. Then maybe another week cause I smooched him in the cafeteria in front of everyone else."

I let out a deep sigh as I sat down in the chair, "Damn. . .I guess I have been popular this year. Maybe your friends actually did remember me. I must have been a hot topic for them at one point too."

Now that I think about it, my social status at Sebong University must be through the roof at this point. I'm sure everyone is probably aware of the public declaration Seungcheol had made and knowing by how word spreads like fire here, I'm sure most people also know my name and my major and probably my background history. 

I should ask Soyeon to check the Sebong popularity ranking and see what number I am. I'm sure I must be higher than Eunsoo as of the current time period. A sudden devilish thought has me wondering if I can taunt Eunsoo with the Sebong popularity ranking. Even though I don't care much for it, I know for a fact Eunsoo does and I invite anything that can hurt her ego as of now. 

I also can't help but wonder if I can now get one of the first years students to run errands for me. Damn, life as a popular person surely is different. 

"Speaking of that," Mingyu said, breaking me out of my chain of thoughts as I divert back my attention to him, "So you are in an actual relationship with him?

I can't help but give Mingyu a confused look and say ". . .yes? . . .what is that supposed to mean?" 

Mingyu seemed to have realized how awful he was sounding because he quickly corrected himself and said, "No, no don't get wrong. I was just wondering." 

"Wondering what?" I can't help but naturally get defensive. I'm just sick and tired of everyone having opinions of my relationship with Seungcheol, including my own friends. I know that my friends probably have my best interests at their hearts, including Mingyu, and that they only want to see me happy, but at the same if they cannot bear to keep their negative comments to themselves, then I don't want to hear anything. 

It's bad enough that most of the University is trash talking about me right now, not to mention Eunsoo and Jessica and most likely a lot of Seungcheol's friends, having my friends not on my side just makes me more anxious and insecure. Surprisingly enough, despite our different personality, I have started to find a good friend in Mingyu and I do not want to loose it because of some stupid opinion he has formed. 

"Nothing. I was wondering nothing," Mingyu said, clear that he was defending himself, "I just had never seen Seungcheol in an actual relationship with actually keeping the girl around before so I just thought it was weird." 

Right at the moment, I couldn't help but let annoyance get the best of me.

"Have you ever seen me date before?" I asked Mingyu. 

"What?" Mingyu gave me an absurd look. 

"Have you ever seen me date before. I know we've only started talking recently but we've known each other for much longer than that. Have you ever seen me date before?" I  repeated myself. 

I could see Mingyu thinking hard and fast before he replied, "No. . .?"

"Do you think anyone else has seen me date before?" I ask him and once again I can see the confusion and the hard thinking behind Mingyu's eyes as he shakes his head lightly and says, "No."

"Then I guess that must also make me a player and a heartbreaker," I conclude, "After all, no one's ever seen me with a guy in public and no one's ever seen me date in this college so that just means that I'm messing around with Seungcheol and I'm just going to dump him in a week after I'm done using him for my pleasure. Poor Seungcheol. He's so naive and stupid, just like a baby lamb, for falling right into my deceiving trap."

Mingyu remained silent, most likely dumbfounded at my response. 

I took advantage of this silence and continued, "I didn't expect these double standards to come from you either. Just because Seungcheol has never publicly dated someone and hasn't bothered to declare his private life to the mass public, doesn't automatically mean he is a player and a serial dater. I'm not some sort of stupid, dumb, naive, starstruck girl who is getting wooed away because Seungcheol is rich and handsome. I have a brain of my own and I am capable of making smart decisions on my own. I don't need to add you on the list of my mockers."

Mingyu wanted to respond more but the lecturer entered the room and I turned away from him in my seat, signaling the end of the conversation as I wanted nothing more to do with Mingyu as of the moment. 

When the lecture ended, I aggressively put my laptop away in my bag and leave the hall, not bothering to wait for Mingyu although I'm sure he probably did want to clear the air with me. 

As I walk out of the lecture hall and into the hallway, I nearly walk into someone due to my rushing, my second time today. This time too, strong hands held me to stability as I blink multiple times, trying to make out what is going on. 

"Whoa. Careful there, baby doll," A familiar deep voice spoke and I look up to see Seungcheol in front of me. 

"Someone is in a rush," Seungcheol commented, "Do you have somewhere to be."

"Sorry,"  I mumble, apologizing was colliding into him, "I was just going back to my dorm." 

"You weren't in class today," Seungcheol stated but I knew that he was really asking why I wasn't present. 

"I overslept," I told him, "By the time I woke up, it was already to late to come to class."

Seungcheol nodded and this time I asked him, "Where are you going?"

"My next lecture," Seungcheol said, nodding in the direction behind me. 

"Ah. . ." I nod, suddenly fidgeting with my fingers as I remembered something. 

Seungcheol seemed to have noticed this as well because he gently put his hand over my fingers and made me halt my fidgeting and asked, "What's wrong? Why are you nervous?"

I bite my lower lip, wondering whether I should speak up and decide it is really now or never and say, "About last night. . .thank you. . .for. . .for. . .you know"

"Hugging you," Seungcheol finished for me, "What? I just wanted to hug someone. Now I can't hug Shua or Jeonghan lovingly in front of the whole crowd can I? Shua would just push me away violently and Jeonghan would do something weird like stick his hands in the back pocket of my jeans. So you were the only viable person left." 

I couldn't help but smile at Seungcheol's explanation, knowing that he is trying to brush it off as casually as possible to make me feel better about myself. 

"Shua is. . ."

"Joshua," Seungcheol confirmed, "We all just call him Shua. He complains it ruins his "intelligent" image but really he loves it."

I nod, stil smiling as I take in this information, "And, Jeonghan won't really stick his hands in you. . ."

My voice trails before I could even complete my sentence because just visualizing the action was weird. 

"He will," Seungcheol spoke with strong conviction, "Trust me. You don't want to know." 

"Anyways, I should go," I say, "You should go too. You have to attend your lecture."

Seungcheol nodded and I stepped to the side to give both him and me enough space to walk away. 

"Wait," Seungcheol said, "What are you doing on Thursday afternoon?"

"Thursday afternoon?" I question with a blank face, "Nothing." 

"You don't have tutoring?" Seungcheol confirmed. 

I shake my head and say, "No. . .I don't."

"Then would you come to my game?" Seungcheol asked, "It's a home game. Our first game of the school year. I would love it if you came."

I nod, understanding what he is asking of me and say, "I'll come, but I'm really not sporty. I don't know much about the game rules. "

"That's alright. You just need to look at me the entire time," Seungcheol said. 

"Just look at you," I ask him, not sure if he is actually serious or just pulling my leg. 

"Yeah," Seungcheol said, "You just need to look at me. I'll do rest of the work. Just cheer on me."

"Oh and also," Seungcheol suddenly dug into his bag and searched around before pulling out a serenity and rose quarts colored hoodie, "Wear this. It's my team hoodie. I'll be able to spot you immediately in the crowd."

I take the hoodie from his hands an examine it, noticing how the back had CHOI written in big words with the number 08 underneath, his birthday month as well as his number. 

"Do you want me to come in with a proper cheerleader outfit with this as well. With those skirts and pompoms," I joked as it felt like I was being instructed how and when to cheer. 

However I almost instantly regretted saying that as I saw Seungcheol's eyes twinkle with interest as he raised his eyebrows and said, "Excellent idea. Why didn't I think of that? Do you want me to buy you a skirt and a crop shirt?"

I give him a dumbfounded look and say, "It was a joke. Go. You have to go to class." 

Seungcheol mocked disappointment and said, "That's unfortunate. I was looking forward to seeing you in a cheerleader outfit."

"Just go," I tell him, already walking away, knowing that he won't stop with the cheerleader outfit unless I leave. 

"Remember to only cheer for me!" Seungcheol says loudly behind me as I'm walking away and I just shake my head at his instincts. 

Hello hello hello.

An update after a while. I got sick last week with and now that I look back, I'm a hundred percent sure it was covid. I was still feeling down and sick on Monday too and just couldn't find the energy to write a chapter. 

But I'm okay now so here's an update. Hope you all enjoy it! 

EDIT 1!!!!

I forgot to post this first but I need help!!! I'm planning on publishing a Joshua book in the next month or two and I need help selecting the book cover. The title is bittersweet and this book quite literally with be bitter and sweet.

Option 1

Option 2

If you guys could vote then it would really help me out!