sunk-cost fallacy. ᵖˢʰ

prologue.

2 Years Earlier.

Sunghoon first heard of the girl with beautiful brown round eyes' name in the brisk cold of December, just before their Christmas break.

He doesn't remember how exactly it all happened, but the last thing he knew, he's being dragged by Jake into the school's auditorium for the History's trivia quiz on a random Friday morning.

Sunghoon stayed silent for the last 15 minutes of the quiz after Maeve told him to give her and Jake the chance to answer the other questions. He agrees anyway, since he's answered almost half of the 50 questions for the past 30 minutes.

And right now, the girl from 10-B is looking at their direction with nothing but pure annoyance—or even disgust—in her eyes after Maeve answers another question just only half a millisecond faster than her.

"One point to 10-A," Ms. Kang announces over the mic.

A dark expression washes over her face, and it's as if Sunghoon can feel her frustrations on his forehead. "Whatever. Just give me the next question." Then, perhaps realising she is speaking to a teacher, adds hastily, "I mean—please, Ms. Kang. Thanks."

Ms. Kang's lips twitch, but gestures for the girl Sunghoon recognised to be in her third year in Calvert to read the next question. She nods to Ms. Kang and clears her throat. "In which year did World War I begin?"

Jake sighs, running his fingers through his hair, "Man, this is so easy—"

"In 1914," The girl from 10-B answers, as fast as a speeding train. Her lips curve into a smile when she realises she answers the question before Jake. "It was a global conflict that started with the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary in June 1914."

"Correct, Chanelle. One point to 10-B," Ms. Kang says, with a hint of pride in her tone. "Now we're down to the last question. And as promised, whoever wins will get free tickets to the Museum."

The prize is kind of silly, but Sunghoon doesn't mind visiting the Museum for the nth time in his life.

Maeve glares at Jake, and says with gritted teeth, "Get your shit together, Jake."

"Last question," The third year girl says as a reminder for both teams to get ready. "Finish the line President Franklin D. Roosevelt said during his speech addressing the attack on Pearl Harbor: "Yesterday, December 7, 1941..."

Silence ices over them. Sunghoon has read about it somewhere, but he's not sure of the answer. Even if he did answer it, though, he knows Maeve is not going to stop yapping in his ears about how he stole the spotlight from her.

Jake glances over at Maeve and whispers, "Well? Aren't you going to answer this one?"

"Don't interrupt me, I'm thinking," she snaps without even looking their way. "Oh! He said, a date—"

"A date which will live in infamy," Chanelle cuts Maeve off with a lopsided grin. The girl knows she already won. "That's what he said."

And all hell breaks loose as Ms. Kang walks over to the centre of the stage. "The winner for Calvert's History trivia quiz: first year's category is 10-B."

The other students from 10-B all cheer as Chanelle and her team walk over to Ms. Kang to get their prizes from her. Sunghoon watches silently from the side as she poses for the pictures.

He doesn't even know he's been smiling the entire time until Jake taps on his shoulder. "What the hell are you smiling about? That we lost? Or that we..." His words die on his tongue as he follows Sunghoon's eyes. Jake gasps before turning his eyes to his friend again. "No way. No way?"

Sunghoon only shrugs. "No way what?"

"Dude, the look on your face says it all," Jake deadpans, then lowers his voice, "Is this your silent way to say you like her?"

On his left, Maeve glowers over at them, seething, arms crossed tight over her chest, and both of them has no doubt she is envisioning their slow, painful demise.

"I should've taken Heeseung and Ciara with me," she says, rolling her eyes and walks away from the stage.

Jake looks over from Sunghoon's shoulder and sighs, "That girl surely needs some help with her anger issues."

But Sunghoon is already far too gone when his eyes locks with another pair of beautiful brown eyes from across the stage.

She smiles at him, her eyes and pink cheeks from her blush glows from the stage's light above them. Even her lips seems to glow too from whatever lipgloss she has on. Or maybe it's just because Sunghoon is so pathetically in awe of her. She's perfect. Because of course she is.

And Sunghoon knows it's love when he sees one.