"Hak, what do you think?" Yona asked, her smile brighter than it had been in months. She twirled around, the material of the long dress following after her movement.

"What do you mean?" Hak's voice was bored when he answered, and Yona frowned, watching him continue to read instead of looking up at her. He was settled into the cushion seat next to the largest window in Yona's room, one knee bent, supporting his arm which held the book to his face. The perfect picture of ease, but Yona knew better than that; Hak was never at ease.

Huffing out a sigh, Yona responded, her hands making fists around the extra material of the dress. "I mean, do you think this dress looks good on me? The sophomore dance is only a few days away, and Soo-won in seeing me off, so it has to be perfect!"

"Everything looks good on you," Hak said, his tone never changing. He still wasn't looking at Yona.

"Ugh!" Yona shouted, hiking up her dress and turning to walk back into her bathroom to change. "You're useless, Hak!"

"Hey, princess, you okay?"

"Huh?" Yona blinked a few times, readjusting to her surroundings. She was sat at a table. As she turned her head, she registered every person sitting around her. Zeno, Shin-ah, Kija, Hak, Yoon, Jae-ha. There were lunch trays before them. Of course, Yona thought to herself. They were eating lunch just moments before she got sucked into an old memory. "Uh, yes, I'm okay. Sorry, just spacing out."

"Are you sure?" Jae-ha asked, a pleasant, comforting smile crossing his face. "If there's something wrong we'd love for you to share with us, Yona dear."

Yona took a moment to look at her friends again. Her gut twisted with guilt over the concern she was constantly causing them. Forcing a smile, Yona nodded once. "I'm fine. Zeno, you were in the middle of a story?"

"I finished telling it, miss," Zeno smiled widely, his eyes turning into small slits as he took a drink from his juice pouch.

"Oh," Yona said dumbly, looking down. She felt a blush rise to her cheeks, but couldn't quite figure out why she was embarrassed.

"I can tell it again, if the little miss wants."

"No, that's alright," Yona said, right as the lunch bell rang.

The group walked out together, blending in with the rest of the crowd rushing towards their next class. Just as Yona was about to turn the corner toward her English class, she felt a tug on her arm, and for a moment panicked.

"Let go!" Yona cried, tugging back so hard the sleeve of her fancy dress ripped. Her vision was blurred with tears, and maybe blood, she couldn't tell.

"I had to do it Yona, you know I had to do it!" Soo-won yelled back.

"Princess." This was Hak's voice. It snapped Yona back to attention immediately. He was speaking directly into her ear, awkwardly holding her back against his front. He slipped something into her hand; looking down, Yona realized it was a pack of her favorite cookies. "Here, I noticed you didn't eat much of your lunch. I don't want to have to carry you home later because you've passed out or something. You're heavy, you know."

"Hak -!" Yona said firmly, whirling around to face him. Her voice broke off when Hak used the same hand he was still holding to pull her flush against his chest before leaning down and placing a kiss on her forehead.

"I know this day is hard for you," he whispered against her skin. "I will always be by your side, Yona."

The sound of her name so effortlessly rolling off of Hak's tongue sent a shock through Yona; it always happened when Hak spoke her name casually, it made her heart pound in the best way. "Hak…" Yona trailed off, pulling back to look up into Hak's ever sad eyes. She hated seeing Hak sad, and her body reacted before she could stop it. She watched as her hands flew up and cupped both sides of his face, pulling his head down just enough so that when she stretched up on her toes, their lips met.

And Yona froze.

What am I doing?! she panicked silently to herself. This was her first kiss. With Hak. In a busy hallway. Again, with HAK!

Good thing for Yona, this was not Hak's first kiss. He moved his lips against hers slowly, forcing her to follow his lead, even if a bit unsurely. After a very short moment, he pulled away, his face more stunned than Yona had ever seen it.

"Wha-wha…." he mumbled, seeming to be staring off into space. Yona took this as an opportunity to run.

Bending down quickly, she picked up the cookies she'd dropped in the processes of kissing Hak - kissing Hak! "Thanks for the cookies, I'll see you at home!" Yona squeaked, running down the hall.