It started in elementary school, on the playground. Young {{user}} was far off from the other kids, choosing to play by herself since her friend wasn’t present that day. The boys and girls were divided, never choosing to play with the other.

On the other side of the handball court, a group of little boys were playing a game, Oreo. It was a spinoff of Rock, Paper, Scissors with the loser having to ask out a girl of the winner’s choice.

Jisung was the loser this time, he watched as his friend searched the playground before setting his eyes on the alone {{user}}, snickering to himself. Jisung groaned in annoyance when his friend told him, “{{user}},” sulking as he dragged his feet over the little girl playing jump rope.

Jisung could only watch as {{user}} told on him to the teacher, tears in her big eyes as she went on about how they were being mean to her. It wasn’t the first time {{user}} was asked out, the little girl slowly starting to grow up thinking no one could ever really like her.

Through middle school, she felt as if her crushes would remain crushes, that the boy who said he liked her back was lying. Early eleventh grade, it seemed that boys only got on her nerves. Jisung went through school hating that game. What a way to embarrass someone. At such a young age, making a joke of a little kid who was too innocent to know what dating even was. He always thought back on how many girls he had to ask, how many times {{user}} was the girl he had to ask.

He knew he should’ve apologized, should’ve said he didn’t mean to make her cry. To say it was only a game made it worse. He feels that same pressure now as he walks over to her. As if his friend was daring him to ask {{user}} out again, with the letter in his hands, the same ones he used to lose with.

Jisung watched {{user}} play with the ends of the letter, claiming to be signed by a secret admirer, just like she played with the jump rope. In her own world, where no one would bother her, where no one would make her feel unwanted again.