“She’s beautiful,” JiMin murmurs, his gaze fixed on the new girl who sits in the window seat on the bus ride home. TaeHyung rolls his eyes at his slightly older friend.

 

“You’re really creepy, you know,” TaeHyung smacks JiMin on the back of his head. JiMin winces, rubbing his head and pouting, his eyes never leaving the back of the new girl’s head. Her long, dark curls bounce every time the bus hits a rough spot—and JiMin loves it.

 

“She’s in our class, TaeTae,” JiMin mentions.

 

“Don’t call me that.”

 

“Her name is Choi MinHee.”

 

“Wow.”

 

“I think I love her.”

 

“Good for you.”

 

“Help me out, TaeTae!”

 

“No. Don’t call me that, punk,” TaeHyung hits JiMin again.

 

“Buuuuuuttttttttttttttttttttt! I’ve never asked a girl out before and I really like her and—”

 

“It’s not my problem. Dude, you’ve known me how long? You know that I don’t like to talk to girls.” TaeHyung stands up, dragging JiMin with him; they move to get off the bus. “Why don’t you ask NamJoon-hyung?”

 

Why don’t you ask NamJoon-hyung?

 

Brilliant idea.

 

--

 

[Science]

 

JiMin taps his foot nervously. TaeHyung glares at him from across the lab table. JiMin’s eyes dart from the empty beaker in his hand to MinHee, who’s standing on the other side of the room. MinHee moves towards the supply closet and JiMin stands up abruptly. He walks by her and then stops, tapping her on the shoulder.

 

Her curious brown eyes look up at him and JiMin’s stomach is filled with a thousand butterflies. Don’t freeze up, JiMin thinks, remember what NamJoon-hyung said: Have confidence.

 

“Do you believe in love at first sight or do I need to walk by again?”

 

Silence.

 

MinHee stares at him. JiMin stares back.

 

“Please,” MinHee starts; JiMin crosses his fingers. “ off.”

 

MinHee turns and walks back to her table briskly. JiMin shuffles back to his own table.

 

“How’d it go, Romeo?” TaeHyung raises an eyebrow at the sight of his friend’s shocked face. “You got rejected?”

 

“She’s…” JiMin trails off.

 

“She’s…? A ? Not worth your time?”

 

“She’s….perfect.”

 

“Oh my God.”

 

--

 

[Math]

 

“You’re not really gonna try this again, are you?” TaeHyung sighs as he doodles aliens all over his worksheet. JiMin nods with a fiery determination. “You’re a , you know.” JiMin nods again, not really paying attention as his eyes focus on MinHee. He breaks the tip of his pencil as he slowly stands up. JiMin thanks every deity ever for letting MinHee choose to sit on the way to the pencil sharpener. It makes things natural, as NamJoon-hyung likes to say.

 

JiMin walks up to MinHee and clears his throat. She looks up at him and glares when she recognizes his face.

 

“What now?”

 

“Life without you is like a broken pencil…” JiMin begins, holding up his pencil, “…pointless.”

 

JiMin holds his breath.

 

“The pencil sharpener is right there. Bye.”

 

Dammit.

 

--

 

[In the library]

 

“Why are we here? You don’t even read books.” TaeHyung carves an alien into the library table.

 

“MinHee reads books.”

 

“MinHee this, MinHee that. Why do you—”

 

“Shhhhhhh TaeTae! There she is! I’m gonna do it.”

 

“Good luck, asshat.”

 

JiMin walks to the aisle opposite of the one MinHee is browsing. He times his movements so he mimics her position on the other side of the bookshelves. Be charming, NamJoon-hyung said.

 

MinHee stops and pulls out a book. JiMin does the same on his side so they can see each other through the bookshelf.

 

“Do you have a library card? ‘Cause I am checking you out~”

 

MinHee puts the book back on the shelf. JiMin shivers as he listens to her footsteps moving away from him.

 

“She’s so cool,” he murmurs to himself.

 

--

 

[English]

 

“Hey, MinHee very pretty,” JiMin says confidently, paying no attention to the book in his hands. TaeHyung sighs and resists the urge to hit JiMin with the neglected book.

 

“You Englisheu bad.” JiMin sticks his tongue out at his younger friend.

 

“You more, alien.”

 

“What are you gonna say this time?” TaeHyung asks, glancing over at MinHee.

 

“I’m gonna say it in English! Look, this one here, I’ve memorized it.” JiMin points excitedly at the phrase he’s scribbled down on a sticky note. TaeHyung reads the phrase slowly, digesting the information and then realizing what it says.

 

“You’re lame.”

 

“I’m classy,” JiMin shoots back, setting the book down and walking over to MinHee. She sees JiMin, rolls her eyes—but is that a hint of anticipation JiMin sees?—and puts down her own English book.

 

“What is it, ?” JiMin falls in love all over again. MinHee’s English is wonderful.

 

“Ip…I could rearrange da alpabat, I’d put U an I togejuh.” JiMin struggles to pronounce everything correctly. MinHee laughs—light, distinct, like bells—and JiMin’s heart threatens to jump out of his chest.

 

“You’re funny, kid. Try again next time.” MinHee smiles at JiMin, picks up her book and hits him with it. JiMin rubs his arm as he dazedly makes his way back to TaeHyung.

 

“Was okay?” TaeHyung asks, eyeing the red mark on JiMin’s arm.

 

“Amajing.”

 

--

 

[History]

 

“What year did World War II start?” TaeHyung asks, staring at the worksheet on his desk. When he doesn’t get an answer he looks up, annoyed and unsurprised when he finds that JiMin is staring at MinHee. And drooling. “JiMin. Hey, dumb, what year did World War II start?”

 

“1995.”

 

“What the ?”

 

“That’s the year MinHee was born.”

 

“Wow. Okay, listen to me: You’re dumb.” JiMin turns to look at TaeHyung, hurt written all over his face.

 

“Hey! If I’m dumb, then NamJoon-hyung is dumber! He’s the one giving me this advice, anyway,” JiMin defends himself. TaeHyung frowns, rolling his eyes.

 

“Whatever. Just go do your thing.”

 

“I will!” JiMin storms off, not looking back.

 

MinHee sees him coming before he has even decided on what he’s going to say. She takes a deep breath, preparing herself for whatever cheesy pick-up line JiMin is going to throw at her this time.

 

“Hi, MinHee,” JiMin smiles, waving at her. She nods. “Man, I’ll tell you, if looks could kill, you’d be an atomic bomb.”

 

“Do you even know when the first atomic bomb was created?” JiMin pauses, he thinks. “Exactly,” MinHee snaps. “Get a brain before you talk to me next time.”

 

JiMin doesn’t go back to TaeHyung this time. He moves to sit in the front row so he can learn all about World War II and atomic bombs. He needs to impress MinHee. Even NamJoon said that girls only like intelligent guys.

 

Besides, JiMin thinks, TaeHyung will be glad to be rid of me anyway.

 

--

 

[Economics]

 

This is the only class JiMin doesn’t have with TaeHyung. Not that he cares, but he kind of wishes he could get the usual degrading pep talk from his best friend before he talks with MinHee. The negativity somehow pumps him up, driving him to do his best.

 

JiMin takes a deep breath, repeating the words that NamJoon had yelled at him: Be sweet. Be as sweet as Suga. JiMin doesn’t really know who Suga is, but judging from the pleased look on NamJoon’s face, he could tell Suga is someone special.

 

JiMin stares at the smooth curve of MinHee’s shoulders and taps them. She turns around, an amused smirk playing on her lips.

 

“If I received a nickel for every time I saw someone as beautiful as you, I’d have five cents.” JiMin smiles, infusing every last ounce of sweetness and aegyo into his smile. MinHee exhales and JiMin thinks he’s won.

 

“Your economy must be on the brink of failure, then. Good luck living in a world of bankruptcy,” MinHee grins, turning back around.

 

If TaeHyung were here he’d stop drawing aliens on his notebook to call JiMin a .

 

--

 

[Gym]

 

TaeHyung breathes heavily beside JiMin as they jog around the track. They don’t speak, but JiMin can tell what TaeHyung’s thinking anyway. Probably something about how much he hates physical exercise or how, if you tilt your head, the clouds look like aliens. It’s always aliens with TaeHyung.

 

JiMin feels energized. He feels like he’s at the top of his game; nothing can stop him now. MinHee is as good as taken by his charm. He speeds up, running to meet up with MinHee a few yards ahead.

 

“Hey! MinHee!” JiMin calls. MinHee suppresses a grin as he jogs beside her.

 

“What is it this time?”

 

“Are your feet tired? ‘Cause you’ve been running through my mind all day.”

 

“My feet aren’t tired; this track has more distance to run than your brain, I bet.” MinHee takes off, leaving JiMin stopped in his tracks. Be a bit cliché, NamJoon had said. JiMin is beginning to doubt NamJoon’s dating expertise.

 

--

 

[After school]

 

JiMin is giddy. He and MinHee were assigned cleaning duty today. That means a whole hour and a half with his dream girl.

 

He watches as MinHee dusts the erasers out. He leans on the broom in his hands, forgetting that brooms aren’t exactly the most stable thing to lean on. He topples to the floor, drawing MinHee’s attention.

 

“Your friend, the one that draws the aliens, is right. You are dumb.” MinHee laughs and JiMin gets up, rejuvenated by that marvelous sound. He picks up the broom and stalks over to MinHee. It is then that JiMin realizes how he towers over her; it leaves a warm tingle in his stomach.

 

“Baby,” JiMin says in a husky voice, “You must be a broom, ‘cause you just swept me off my feet.”

 

MinHee stands there for a few moments, her eyes, unblinking, staring up at JiMin. Her hands reach out and JiMin thanks NamJoon for all the advice. It was finally working.

 

JiMin thought too soon.

 

MinHee yanks the broom out of JiMin’s hands, violently, literally sweeping his feet out from under him. She chuckles as she looks down at him.

 

“You’re close, JiMin. Try again later.”

 

That is the first time she’s ever said JiMin’s name. JiMin mentally notes the time, date and place of this milestone.

 

--

 

[On the way home]

 

JiMin hops off the bus after MinHee, with TaeHyung lazily, unwillingly, trailing behind.

 

“MinHee!”

 

MinHee turns, a knowing smirk on her face. She waits patiently for JiMin to approach her, waving at TaeHyung who stands a couple of feet away.

 

“Which cheesy line is it this time?”

 

This is it, JiMin thinks. Be honest. That’s the last piece of advice from NamJoon he has left. JiMin prays that it works.

 

“MinHee…Choi MinHee. I like you, a lot. And I won’t stop! I will pursue you until the soles on my shoes wear through, until my knees give out!” JiMin stares at MinHee fiercely; everything in him seems to be paused, waiting for a release. He holds his breath. TaeHyung hiccups.

 

MinHee taps her chin thoughtfully, a smile playing on her lips. “Hmm…well I guess I’ll tell you to quit now. There’s no use pursuing me that far.”

 

Everything crashes down onto JiMin’s shoulders, and he can feel his heart plunge into depression. TaeHyung sighs.

 

MinHee steps forward, pressing her lips to JiMin’s cheek. “There’s no use pursuing me that far since you’ve already got me.” She bursts out laughing and JiMin can feel his spirits lift. A huge smile explodes onto his face and he pulls MinHee in for a hug. She laughs some more, leaning into the embrace. TaeHyung hiccups again.

 

“Wait…why did you reject me all those other times?” JiMin pulls away to study her face.

 

“Do you honestly think an intelligent woman like me is gonna be easily captivated by those mediocre pick-up lines?” MinHee fakes an offended expression, hitting him playfully on the chest. JiMin grins stupidly, kissing her on the forehead. “You’re dumb,” she says, but there is no hint of hate in her voice.

 

All that’s there is love.