Yona was not jealous. Really. Yona was so not jealous. She was so un-jealous, in fact, that she was officially, royally Not Jealous, capital letters and all.

What was there to be jealous of? Those girls over there, swooning over her best-friend-since-birth's skills with a soccer ball? Please. The sun was shining, the flowers were blooming, and her father had packed her sweet dumplings for lunch. Today was a wonderful day.

So why did she feel… so… angry?

Wait. She didn't. She wasn't angry. No. Her cheeks were just flushed because she was hot. Her fists were just clenched because she liked to be prepared. In case someone tried to assault her and she needed to punch them in this face. Obviously.

Punch someone in the face… how come she had never punched anyone in the face before?

Because punching someone in the face is mean! And morally reprehensible! Duh! She knew this. This was Kindergarten stuff.

A voice trickled down from the heavens. Herself, at five years of age. It's not mean if they deserve it. Hehe!

Holy Hiryuu, what was wrong with her today?

Okay. It was time to go inside. Obviously all this sun was going to her head. She had heat flash. Or Father had accidentally slipped some LSD in her dumplings. Really, either one was more plausible than the third option. Because the third option was…

No. No, it couldn't be that. It couldn't be, because she was Not Jealous. That had already been established.

She was just going to pack up her lunch and go eat inside, maybe find Yun (he claimed the sun was "hard on his complexion") and have him braid her hair or someth-

Abi have mercy. He was taking his shirt off.

Wait a minute. He was taking his shirt off? For those… oglers? It wasn't even that hot out!

Yes. Oglers. For there they were, ogling. Ogling at her best friend! In full daylight! Had they no shame? No sense of propriety? She felt her indignation rise- but not because she was jealous, mind you, no, no, she was Not Jealous- because she was protective of her best friend, as any decent best friend would be!

She had to put a stop to this, to this… indecency. Yes, that's what this was. It was evident in their admiring gazes, the way they batted their lashes. They were taking advantage of him with their eyes!

It made her sick. She stood abruptly, spilling Lili's drink in the process, ready to march over there and ask them how dare they?

Because really, how dare they? How dare they objectify his rippling pectorals and his washboard abs and his toned arms and his chiseled jawline and his silky hair and his amazing personality and his eyes you could get lost in and-

Wait. What was she doing again?

Indignant! She was being indignant!

"Yona dear, close your mouth. You look like a guppy. A darling guppy, of course, but still, a guppy nonetheless." This was Jae-ha.

"Yeah, quit ogling." This was Yun. (What? When had Yun come outside? Wait. She meant- she had noticed when he'd come to the lunch table. She'd know the exact second he'd arrived. Of course she had, because she hadn't been distracted by certain… distractions. And that was the truth of it.) "Obvious, much?"

(She'd liked Yun better when she thought he was inside.)

"I am not ogling! They are ogling! Look at them, tripping all over themselves! Kami, they're like leeches!"

"It's called flirting, darling. You might've pick up on that if you weren't so inept at the art. I suppose that's part of your charm, though. It's so cute watching you trip all over yourself." Jae-ha winked at her.

"I am not tripping all over myself. And it's not flirting, it's a travesty, and it should be illegal. I'm just embarrassed for them, is all. Aren't you embarrassed for them, Lili?"

"You got chocolate milk all over my new dress."

"Lili! Can't you see there are more important issues to deal with right now?"

"My dad got this for me in Xing! It was like, really expensive!"

"For the record," Yun inserted, "you do trip all over yourself whenever a cute boy is involved. Well, whenever a certain cute boy is involved."

"It's me." Jae-ha said. "He's talking about me."

"If it bothers you so much, Lil Miss, why don't you do something about it?" This was Zeno.

"Thank you, Zeno. I was going to. I am going to. I'll do it right now." She got about five steps away from the table before turning back around.

"Uh… what should I do about it?"

"Buy me a new dress."

"Just bone him already, cutie."

"A love confession, perhaps?"

"Move a little to your left. Little more. Little more- wait, too far! Oh. Oh, that's perfect, thank you, Yona, thank you for your shadow. Ugh, the sun is really hard on my complexion."

"A love confe- what- no! That's not what this is about, guys! I am not in love with Hak. Why would- why would you even think that?"

"You're sputtering." Yun observed.

"Where is Kija? He'll back me up on this."

"You could say that two-plus-two equals sixty-three and Kija would back you up on it." This was Shin-ah, hitting his daily word quota. Everyone turned to stare.

"Pkyuuuu!" This was Ao, speaking Squirrelenese. The rough translation is, "the man does have a point!*" (*Cussing has been censored.)

"A ladybug landed on Kija's sandwich like five minutes ago, and so he screamed and ran inside. Which you would know if you hadn't been so busy ogling. Hello? Earth to Yona?"

"Huh? What?" Yona jumped, startled out of her soccer-induced reverie.

He shook his head. "Unbelievable."

"Unbelievable? I was just distracted! Sorry for liking soccer!"

"Oh, it's the soccer that had you distracted. Right."

"It was! The game is getting really intense!"

"Oh, yeah? What's the score?"

"Um… sixteen to eeeeeeeight. Teen. Eighteen. I mean, eight-y. Eight. Eighty-eight. Just kidding, eight. Just eight. Final answer, sixteen to eight."

"Yona. There is no game. He's literally just shooting the ball at the goal, practicing by himself."

"You're wrong! He's playing against himself! That's what all the best athletes do."

"No, I'm pretty sure he's just showing off for those girls."

Yona gasped. "Lili, how can you say that? Hak would never encourage them like that."

"Really? Then how come he keeps bowing to them every time he scores a goal?"

"That's just… good manners. You know what, I need to go over there. I need to stop him, I really do. He's making this into a much bigger debacle than it needs to be." And with that, Yona stomped away.

"I think she's projecting." Zeno commented.

"Pkyuu.*" Ao agreed.

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"Hiryuu in the Seven Heavens, he's hot!" the black-haired girl tittered, while the other three giggled their agreeance.

"Hi!" Yona interrupted, breaking their gossip huddle apart. "Mind if I join you?"

"Uh…" the girl exchanged glances with her companions. "Sure…"

"Great! So what are we talking about?"

"That guy over there," one of the brown haired girls chirped overenthusiastically. "He's, like, so gorgeous. He's like a god."

"A sex god." This was the black-haired girl, fanning herself.

Yona nearly choked on her own spit. "Um- w-what?"

The girl laughed. "Honey, relax. It's just an expression."

"Relax? I'm very relaxed. Why wouldn't I be relaxed?"

She laughed again. "I'm Aro. And your name?"

"Yona. Why wouldn't I be relaxed?"

"Well Yona, it's nice to meet you. Aren't you his best friend? Hak's? I've seen the two of you around together."

"Yes. I am. We are. Best friends." She nodded perhaps a bit too vigorously.

"But you want to be more than friends." This time, Yona really did choke on her spit. Just as Hak scored another goal and flashed a victory smirk over to his cheering squad. Because of course.

Hak's eyes widened when noticed his best friend flailing. He jogged over. "Yona? Are you alright?"

Yona, coughing uncontrollably and completely red in the face, was definitely Not Alright. Wait- no, Not Jealous. She was definitely Not Jealous! Yona tried to wave his worry away. "I'm-cough cough cough-fine! Cough cough cough-really, you don't-cough-have-cough-to worry about-cough cough-me!"

Hak was torn between amusement and concern. "Did you swallow another bumble bee, princess?"

Yona's eyes bulged. "No! And that was one-cough cough cough- time!"

Hak's eyebrows knit together. "Asthma attack? Do you have your inhaler? Do you need to go to the nurse?"

"No, it's really-cough-not-"

"Okay, we're going to the nurse." And without further ado, he scooped her up in his arms bridal style and began to trudge away, leaving four very sad, very jealous girls in his wake.

Aro let out a sigh once they were indoors and out of sight. "Figures. They always go for the clueless ones." Her friends murmured their assent. They began to walk away, already in search of their next pair of abs to ogle at.

"Did you hear him call her princess?"

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"Hak… really, I'm fine now…"

Hak grunted.

"I'm telling you, I don't need to go to the nurse!"

"Mhmm."

"Hak!"

"Your cheeks are red. I think you might have heat stroke."

"I don't think it has anything to do with the heat."

"Are you a doctor, princess?"

"No! I just- I'm really very certain that it has absolutely nothing to do with the heat! And how many times have I told you not to call me that?"

"What does it have to do with then?"

"Um…"

"Hm?"

"Well… you're carrying me… "

"I am. So?"

"So… I mean… you're not…"

"Feel free to finish that sentence any day now, princess."

"Shut up! You're not- wearing a shirt!"

Hak stopped abruptly. "Is that what this is about? Skin-to-skin contact? Of course! Too much body heat. I can put you down-"

"No!"

"...Oh?"

"I mean-! You don't. Um. Have to put me down. If you don't want to."

He resumed walking. "I don't think I understand."

"Just forget it. Maybe I do have… heat stroke…"

"Shhh, princess. We'll be to the nurse's office soon."

"Oh. Well… it's okay if you… take your time…"

"Eh? You don't mind if I stop here and take a break then? I think you've put on weight, princess."

"Imbecile! Don't call me princess!"

Hak set her down for a moment, leaning against the wall. He chuckled to himself. "You get so worked up over it."

Yona crossed her arms in a huff. "No, I don't."

He grinned. "You do."

She glared at him. "Oh, shove off." But she moved to stand next to him.

He glanced sideways at her with a smirk. "Princess."

"Stop it."

"Princess."

"Stop it."

"Princess."

"S- stop it!" but she was laughing now. She slid down the wall, letting the giggles subside, before resting her forehead on her knees. After a moment, she felt him slide down too, and an arm settle itself around her shoulders. She lifted her head, all too aware that her cheeks were probably as red as her hair, and let it droop sideways into the crook of his neck. She closed her eyes.

She felt silly now, sitting here like this with him, for how she'd acted before. The shirt, those girls… What was there to be Not Jealous of? This… this was the most natural thing in the world.

They sat like that for a couple of minutes, nothing but the quiet sound of their breathing to fill the silence of the empty hallway.

Hak coughed. "Yona…"

"Hm?"

Just then, a girl burst out of a nearby classroom, clearly in frantic pursuit of the bathroom. She began to bolt down the hallway, but stopped and did a double take when she noticed Hak in all his chiseled, near-naked glory. She looked torn for a moment, but apparently her bladder won out over stopping to appreciate the view, because she muttered a "shit!", spun on her heel, and speedwalked away.

Um. Seconds passed between Yona and Hak in awkward silence. And then, like a dam breaking, laughter burst from both of them, and they rolled along the floor, hooting and hollering.

"You shouldn't- be- laughing at her!" Yona managed to get out between wheezes. "You're so- cruel!"

"Did you see her face though? Must have been a real emergency!"

"She was just caught off guard, that's all. It's not every day you see a-" she cut herself off abruptly, stumbling over the term sex god. She shook her head rapidly. "Never mind. It's a girl thing. You wouldn't understand."

"Hey now," Hak defended himself. "After sixteen years of friendship with you, I know lots of girl stuff. I've even bought-" he tossed a shady look down the hallway, then leaned in close to Yona's ear, "tampons for you." He said tampons like it was a dirty word.

She fought the urge to grin at his childish antics by rolling her eyes. "That was one time. And you're five years old, you know that?"

He stuck his tongue out at her in response, then straightened, grinning. "C'mon. We should get you to the nurse. And I should- ah- I should probably put a shirt on." He held out a hand.

She giggled, and accepted, allowing him to pull her up. "Yeah, you probably should. I think your abs have had enough time in the spotlight for one day, don't you?" Hak's cheeks tinged pink. Yona stifled a laugh. "Oh ho ho, don't tell me you're embarrassed now? You weren't so shy earlier when you were showing off for your oglers."

"Oglers?"

"Leeches. Admirers. Whatever you want to call them."

"Admirers? What-"

"Don't you even play dumb."

"I wasn't showing off for them!"

"You so were showing off!"

"Not for them!"

"Oh Hak, you're so manly-"

"Stop-"

"You're like a god-"

"Yona-"

"Watching you score a goal is, like, a religious experience-"

"Okay, that's eno-"

"I mean, I just love the way you handle the ball-

"You know what, thank you, that really means a lot to-"

"Do you think I could handle your balls?"

"..."

"Hak?"

"..."

"Hak...?

"..."

"Hak! Your nose is bleeding!"

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"Here's an ice-pack for you, young man. Just keep applying pressure and the bloodflow should stop very shortly."

"Thank you, sir."

"There's no need for 'sir'! Just call me Ik-su. Now, as for you, Yona, all your vitals look clear. No sign of heat stroke. Would you like me to do another test? You could pee in a cup…"

"No, no! I'm fine, Ik-su, that won't be necessary!" She shot a glare at the neighboring cot, where Hak lay, not even bothering to try to conceal his laughter.

"Well, if you say so! I've just received an urgent distress call from Kan Tae-Jun-don't worry, it's probably just a paper cut or something!-so I'm heading down to the Fire Wing. You two stay as long as you need to."

"Thank you, sir."

Two trips and a stumble later, Ik-su was out the door, leaving Yona and Hak alone to enjoy the antiseptic atmosphere. They stared at each other for a few heartbeats before Yona hurriedly rolled over on her side to face away from him.

She heard rustling coming from behind her, and an unexplainable panic started to build in her chest as she felt Hak's weight settle at the foot of the cot. "Hak, I know what you must be thinking! Since I'm not sick or anything! There must be a reason I was acting so strange, right? With the girls and the coughing and the cheeks- I mean- whatever, you know what I mean!" Hiryuu help her. She was hyperventilating.

She pressed on, afraid that if she didn't say this right here, right now, in this germ-infested nurse's office, she never would. "The truth is-" she gulped. "I mean, you see- well, actually it's just that-" Ugh. What was she even trying to say?

She tried one more time. "Okay, the real fact of the matter is- that is to say, when you get down to the real heart of the issue- um, what I mean by that is- you know, a wise man once said that there are plenty of fish in the sea, but…" oh, for crying out loud. She was so far past the point of return now anyways.

She screwed her eyes shut. "Hak… I… I… I…"

"Yona, are you-"

"Iwasjealous!"

After the past hour (and, let's face it, lifetime) of verbal and emotional constipation, the words sputtered out of her mouth like a bowel movement after a big bowl of beans.

Her eyes flew open. Did I really just-?

Quick as a wink, she was bolt upright on the cot, staring straight at Hak. I did.

He stared back at her, eyes wide, ice-pack still held to his nose. I said it! I really did!

His brow furrowed. I can't believe I said it!

He coughed and set the ice-pack down. I did it! I actually did it!

"Um… could you repeat that?"

I really freaking di- wait. What?

"I'm not sure I heard you right…"

The gods really did hate her. All that work to get the words out and he hadn't even understood her! Her elation fizzled away like air leaking out of a balloon.

"What do you mean you didn't hear me right?"

"It's just… now I'm not trying to be conceited or anything, but… it sort of sounded like you said… you were jealous."

Fwump! The balloon reinflated. "That is what I said! That's what I said! Can you believe it?! I finally said it!" She was smiling, she was laughing, she was floating on air.

"Wait a minute, Yona! I don't get it. You were jealous of those girls? Or- that can't be right, because… that would sort of mean…"

She scooched closer to him on the cot, impatient. "Yes?"

"Well wouldn't it mean…"

She mimicked his deep baritone voice. "Feel free to finish that sentence any day now, Princess."

"...It would mean that you like me, right?"

"YESITMEANSTHATILIKEYOUWHATELSECOULDITPOSSIBLYBE?" Seriously! Gods, some people were so slow when it came to matters of the heart! (Some people. Not her. Definitely Not Her. She was Not Slow at all.)

Hak looked at her dumbly. "Well, it could be… I mean, are you sure?"

She laughed. "Yes I'm sure! What, are you trying to talk me out of it?" Like whiplash, her mood sobered. "Oh gods, you are trying to talk me out of it, aren't you? Okay, I'll just go now-"

"No!" he grabbed her hand before she could run away. "I just need a minute to process, is all. It's a lot to take in. It worked, you know? I can't believe it worked."

She narrowed her eyes. "You can't believe what worked?"

"You know, the thing. With the soccer and the girls- you got all worked up."

She gasped. "You were trying to make me jealous?"

"No! I was just trying to show off."

"You said you weren't showing off!"

"I said I wasn't showing off for the- what did you call them? Leeches?"

"You're such a liar!"

"I wasn't lying! I wasn't showing off for them." He cut himself off. He mumbled something, but it was too faint for her to catch.

"What was that? I couldn't hear you."

Hak rubbed the back of his neck in the way she knew he only did when he was embarrassed, looking like he wanted to melt into the ground. "I said… I was showing off for you." His cheeks turned pink.

She let that sit there for a moment, hanging in the air between them, revelling in the fact that he was the one blushing for once. Then she brought her face close to his and kissed him.

When she pulled away, they were both grinning. Hak's smile turned mischievous as he looked down at her. "Honestly, I was just trying to impress you. But the jealousy… that was a nice bonus."

She smacked him on the arm. "I was not jealous!"

"Uh, you literally just said you were, like, two minutes ago."

She scoffed. "Please. Why would I have been jealous? You obviously only have eyes for me."

"Woah, don't get full of yourself now, princess."

"You still don't get to call me princess."

"What should I call you then? My girlfriend?"

"Cough cough cough cough cough-"

"...Nah, I think I'll stick with princess."

"You- cough cough cough-"

"Ah, choking on your own spit again, I see. It's a good thing I find that tendency attractive in a lady."

"I- cough cough- hate- cough cough cough- you."

"No. You liiiiiiiiiike me, remember?"

"Five- cough- years- cough cough- old!"

He smiled and nodded. "Yep, since we were five years old. That's how long I've liked you."

That did the trick. Her spittle-show subsided. "What?"

"It's true. So maybe I was trying to make you jealous. Just a little. A last-ditch attempt, you know? I'd kind of written you off as a lost cause."

"You never thought that I…?"

"I mean, sometimes I thought, maybe. But I always convinced myself I was just seeing what I wanted to see." He laughed to himself. "I can't believe I'm saying this. I can't believe that you-" he shook his head.

"Is it really that hard to believe? After I was acting so weird earlier?"

He smirked. "But… you're always weird, princess."

She blanched. "I am Not Weird!

He raised an eyebrow at her and put his arms in the air in surrender. Yona tried her best not to ogle, but really, she was only human.

His smirk widened as he noticed her staring. And then, just to be cheeky, he flexed. She flushed. "Oh, would you just put a shirt on!"

He laughed and, just to be cheeky, he kissed her again. Hak figured that was enough feeling-hashing for one day. As to whether the red-haired girl was weird or not… well, that was one form of self-denial they could work through another time.

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A/N: Happy HakYona week (like four weeks early lol)! Hope you liked this one; thank you always for reading and thank you extra for reviews!