I Know I Love You

@ mikrokosmos.

“Mean? Like a bully?” Emily asked. If what Beomgyu was saying was true, she wasn’t sure if she wanted to be associated with Jake and his friends after all. She wasn’t sure if Beomgyu understood her question though, by the look on his face.

Kai smiled and chuckled. “Yes. I was born in Hawaii, but only lived there….short time…before moving to China and then here.” He explained. “Where…are you from?” He asked, trying to express his question through hand motions.

Beomgyu nodded. “Bully.” He repeated, unsure if he was even getting the right message across - he was certainly trying. Sighing in frustration at the barrier in language, Beomgyu saw Yeonjun at the door and waved. Turning around, he smiled gently at Emily. “I… can teach Korean, if you want.” He nodded.

Rose nodded with Kai’s words, watching him with a sweet smile, finding the boy so endearing. “California.” Rose answered easily, saying the word slowly so Kai could understand.

@ mikrokosmos.

Emily smiled. “I would love that. I can help you with English, if you want.” She smiled. The professor looked at them, “get to class before you’re tardy.” She told them as she got her own stuff packed up.

Kai looked at her for a moment before it clicked. “Oh! Like Hollywood?! That’s cool!” He smiled before looking at the teacher. “I can…teach you Korean, if you like?” He said as he put his bag over his shoulder.

Beomgyu nodded. “I would like that… a lot!” Beomgyu smiled happily. “I’ll see you later, okay?” Beomgyu asked Emily, waiting for Kai with Yeonjun. “Be safe.” Beomgyu frowned then, at the thought of Jake getting to her before he could at break, but he had to let that thought go. “Have a good lesson.”

Rose laughed, nodding happily. “Just like Hollywood!” She nodded, clapping happily, but hearing Kai’s offer, she blushed, her hands falling into the pockets of her cardigan. “I’d love that a lot… I can help with English too, if you want.” She smiled.

@ mikrokosmos.

Emily smiled. “Thank you, Beomgyu. You too!” She smiled as she watched him leave to the door. She waited for Rose to finish talking to Kai.

“Yes! I would like that! I will see you later.” Kai smiled. “Have a good lesson and be safe.” He bowed before following Beomgyu and meeting up with Yeonjun and Taehyun outside the classroom.

“So, how’d it go?” Yeonjun asked them as the four of them made their way towards the next lesson which they all had together except Soobin.

Emily looked at Rose. “They seem nice.” She smiled as they left the classroom to go find their next room.

Beomgyu blushed at Yeonjun’s question as he looked over his shoulder once more to Emily, who was distracted by Rose. “Foreign exchange students.” Beomgyu explained, stuffing his hands into his pockets. “And Jake and Heeseung, those assholes, got to them before we could. But they seem nice.” Beomgyu looked to his elder then. “How about you? You didn’t kill anyone, did you?”

Rose giggled as she followed Emily, checking their shared schedule. “Well, Kai was a sweetheart.” She shrugged softly. “Okay, so we’re with Korean History in 460.” Rose internally groaned, because the building was so large. “They’ll excuse us for being late, right?” She asked, looking to Emily. “But who was that boy you were just talking to?”

@ mikrokosmos.

Yeonjun chuckled. “No, I haven’t killed anyone yet and of course they did. Jake knows English, so he probably swooped in as soon as he could.” He sighed.

“We are going to talk to Ms. Woo about teaching the girls Korean and they are going to help us with English.” Kai smiled.

Emily looked at Rose. “That was Beomgyu. I think that’s how his name is pronounced?” She smiled and then shrugged. “I hope so, since we don’t know where the place is.” She said as they left the home room.

Taehyun listened to the conversation carefully, frowning. “Heeseung and Jake?” His frown deepened then, knowing what those two were like. “They’re so… gross,” he sighed, running a hand through his dyed blonde hair. “If you want, we can go to Ms. Woo’s office now? It’s a better option than having them around those creeps.” Taehyun shrugged, walking alongside his friends.

Beomgyu listened to Taehyun, nodding eagerly. “That would be good… it means we can spend some time with them.” But then, Beomgyu’s shoulders dropped. “But who would want to get seen with a bunch of nerds?” He frowned, his hands clenching into fists in his pockets. “Face it, Kai and I, we’re outcasts. Losers. Nobodies.” Beomgyu sulked. “And Jake and Heeseung know that.” Although his curiosity about Emily was certainly piqued.

Rose smiled with Emily’s explanation. “He seems to be good friends with Kai.” Rose looked down at the map that was provided with their schedule, and frowning, Rose wasn’t sure if she was reading it correctly. “Well, at least the home room teacher seems kind enough.” Rose shrugged, walking alongside her best friend with ease. “Okay, so, this way.” And leading Emily down a corridor, Rose looked to her friend with a smile. “Well, who was that other guy?”

@ mikrokosmos.

Yeonjun stopped, “Beomgyu, you’re not a loser. You and Kai are two of the smartest people I know, why do you think you two are always winning the best at anything academically?” He said.

“Yeonjun is right, fuck what Jake and them think. All they care about is how many girls they can pull and where they can party and get high.” Soobin said, trying to cheer Beomgyu and Kai up.

Emily followed her best friend. “The other one? His name was Jake, I’m assuming he is friends with the guy that was talking to you? Since they walked out together.” She said as they went up a flight of stairs and turned another corner to get to their home room.

Beomgyu listened to the reasoning of his friends, shaking his head. “You might as well admit to it. Kai knows it, I know it.” Beomgyu lifted his shoulders then, before adjusting his bag. “I’m going to sign up for teaching Korean, and then I’m going to get to class. We all should get to class.” Beomgyu frowned; although he really didn’t want to see Jake again. Walking ahead of his friends, Beomgyu ran his hand through his hair, exhaling heavily.

Taehyun watched Beomgyu with a gentle frown, concerned for his friends. “C’mon, let’s get them signed up,” he murmured to Yeonjun and Soobin.

Rose nodded. “It looked like they were friends, but the guy I was talking to is called Heeseung.” Rose grinned, shaking her head in amusement. “He was sweet, but he totally cut Kai off. It was kind of annoying…” Rose frowned then. “Ready to get stared at?”

@ mikrokosmos.

Soobin and Yeonjun nodded before following Beomgyu and Kai. They got them signed up to teach the new American students Korean, before heading off to their classes.

“I hope they don’t mind hanging out with us.” Kai said whenever he and Beomgyu got into their next class. This was their last class together before they would be split up after morning break.

Emily nodded and looked at her. “Yeah, Jake did the same thing to Beomgyu, it was kind of rude, but he did seem nice.” She said as they walked into the class. The teacher told them to take any available seat they could find.

Beomgyu got comfortable at his desk, looking over to Kai. “Well, I mean, this is our chance to make an impression on them, right?” Beomgyu smiled, although he definitely didn’t feel confident. “I’ve never had a crush so bad before; and I barely know Emily…” he cringed then, knowing he probably sounded ridiculous.

Rose sat down beside Emily, nodding along to her words as students stared at them for the second time that morning, whispers erupting around them. “So does Heeseung.” Rose nodded. “It would be nice to make some connections here.”

@ mikrokosmos.

“I know what you mean. I barely know Rose but I already have a huge crush on her.” Kai sighed as he got his books out for class. “I just hope Jake and his friends don’t do something to ruin this…but knowing them, they will.”

Emily nodded. Class started but not even five minutes in, and the door opened. “Choi Yeonjun, Kang Taehyun. You’re late.” The professor said as Yeonjun and Taehyun walked in.

Emily noticed how a lot of the girls seemed to act like these two boys were celebrities, by the gasps and the “aww’s” they made as they passed, eventually sitting down in front of Rose and Emily.

Yeonjun turned in his seat as the teacher turned back around, “you two must be the new students everyone keeps talking about.” He smiled.

Beomgyu pulled a face at the mention of Jake. “Why does he get whatever he wants?” Beomgyu mumbled with a hint of bitterness in his voice, clearly bothered by the whole scenario. For years, he’d known Jake, and he’d never gotten nicer - Beomgyu would go as far to say he’d just gotten meaner. Opening his book, Beomgyu found it hard to concentrate, but knew he had to, to maintain his excellent grades.

Taehyun simply pointed finger guns at the professor and winked with a cheeky grin. “Won’t happen again, sweet thing.” Following Yeonjun to the empty seats, he turned around as Yeonjun did, studying the girls. “Ah, the ones Kai and Gyu keep talking about?” Taehyun asked in Korean to his friend, before looking to the girls again, ignoring everyone else. “Hi,” Taehyun smiled, his English a little shaky.

Rose pulled a face. “Everyone’s talking about us?” She asked, her own Korean struggling. “Hey, we saw you with Beomgyu and Kai earlier!” Rose smiled then, looking to Emily and then back to the boys. “Are you good friends with them?” She asked, settling back into her seat.

@ mikrokosmos.

Kai also opened his book to try to focus on the lesson but he kept thinking about how unfair it was that Jake and his friends could get away with literally anything without any repercussions. “This sucks.” He mumbled as the professor wrote some stuff down on the chalk board for them to the study.

“Yes. We are some of their best friends.” Yeonjun tried to speak slowly, since his English wasn’t any better than Taehyun’s.

“They’re really sweet.” Emily smiled. “Yeah? They are. They told us they want to teach you Korean.” Yeonjun smiled before sighing whenever the professor called their names again, telling them to turn around and pay attention.

“It really sucks,” Beomgyu sighed, speaking quietly to avoid attention and trouble. “Maybe we can run to the cafeteria to get there before Jake and Heeseung?” He suggested, still writing down the equations from the board, solving them easily, not even needing to study.

Taehyun paid no attention to their professor, instead trying to think of what to say without exposing how hung up their friends were on crushing on these girls. “They’re good boys. Sweet.” Taehyun nodded.

Rose smiled with Taehyun’s words. “I’m Rose.” She introduced herself. “We’ll probably be seeing a lot more of you, with Kai and Beomgyu and all.” She grinned.

@ mikrokosmos.

“Good idea.” Kai said, also writing down the equations and solving them just as fast. “As soon as class is over, we need to go, without waiting for Yeonjun hyung or Taehyun.” He whispered.

“Probably. We hang out a lot.” Yeonjun smiled as he also ignored the teacher. “Maybe you can help us with English?” He asked with a smile.

“Of course we can.” Emily smiled. “I think we should pay attention now though, the professor looks irritated with you two.” She giggled softly.

Beomgyu nodded with Kai’s words. “We need to just run for it, before anyone can catch us.” He murmured. “And then we can wait.” And when Beomgyu had solved his equations, he started to doodle, trying to spell EMILY in the margin of his notebook. “Because I’m not letting Jake win this time.”

Taehyun smiled and nodded when the girls said they would be happy to reach the boys English, and turning around to face the front, he rolled his eyes. “Don’t get your hernia up sugar, we were just making the new students feel welcome.”

Rose took a sip of her water bottle to disguise her laugh at Taehyun’s words, shaking her head as she looked to Emily, clearly amused. “I like it here already.”

@ mikrokosmos.

Kai nodded and watched Beomgyu. He chuckled softly, “are you trying to spell her name?” He asked him as he poked him in the side with the eraser of his pencil. He couldn’t believe how fast he was falling for someone.

Emily giggled. She wrote down what the teacher wrote on the board. Soon, the teacher had to leave to go speak with someone, leaving the class to fend for themselves. “Do you guys know a Jake and a Heeseung?” Emily asked Yeonjun.

Beomgyu laughed, nodding bashfully. “Trying to, at least. You know English, Kai, how do I spell it?” Beomgyu asked, although when Kai poked him, Beomgyu was quick to poke his friend back, laughing. “Yah, you’re a brat!” Beomgyu stuck his tongue out at Kai, grateful to the distraction, because every other thought seemed to linger on the beautiful American girl, Emily (or, as he had spelled it, EMYLY.)

Rose wrote down the work on the board, noticing the teacher had English translations written down for herself and Emily. Smiling with the gesture, Rose listened to Emily’s conversation with the boys closely.

Taehyun nodded. “We do know Jake and Heeseung… they’re not very nice.” He interrupted before Yeonjun could even open his mouth to speak. “They bully people, like Kai, and Beomgyu… they think just because they’re popular, they run the school.”