"Do you know why you're here?"

Sungjae rests his chin on the desk and taps his finger against the fishbowl in front of him.

"Please... Please don't do that, Sungjae."

Sungjae sits up and looks over at his principal. "Sorry. What was that?"

The principal sighs and clears his throat. If he hadn't dealt with the kid for three years now, he probably would've had less patience, but there's a great deal of mental strength a person has when they constantly have to make sure Yook Sungjae stays out of trouble. Believe it or not, he's only one of many people with the daily task. "I asked if you knew why you were sent here."

Sungjae in his lips and blinks. "Oh man, it could be anything, really."

The principal doesn't know how he can feel so worn out so early in the semester. He blinks behind his glasses. "Right. Well, you've been skipping an awful amount of classes. In fact, I don't think you can afford to skip any more."

Oh, that. Sungjae saw that one coming. He gives the principal a slight smile as he sits up in his chair. "Yeah, but to be fair, I got sent out of most of those classes."

"Oh, boy."

As the principal mumbles some other things, Sungjae looks around the room and sighs contentedly. This room is much cozier than his classrooms. Maybe if he were taught in a room like this, he would actually want to stay. Paying attention, on the other hand...

"Sungjae, stay with me."

Sungjae looks back up from the carpet. "Huh? Oh, sorry."

"If you want to graduate, you're going to have to meet me halfway," the principal replies as he bundles his hands on his desk and gives Sungjae a pointed, but sympathetic look. "I know it may be hard given your current situation, but it'll all work out in the end if you at least try, I promise you."

Sungjae nods. He's been told all of this. He has. But these warnings only stick in his head for so long before they float off into another world. It's why everyone has to repeat themselves over and over again. And even that isn't enough.

"You should probably get back to class," the principal finishes as he realizes Sungjae has nothing to say to that. "I don't think it's a good idea for you to skip any more class time."

Sungjae nods and gets up from his seat, the contents of his half open bag nearly spilling all over the place. It's a wonder how he can have so much stuff and yet there's still complaints from his teachers that he's never prepared for class. 

Well, Sungjae is Sungjae. Even though he's honest, he's still a mystery.

Sungjae walks onto the school lawn and glances up at the clear blue sky. He grins contentedly and spreads out his arms. Does he need to go back to class when the weather is so nice? No, he doesn't think he will. He throws his bag aside and lies out on the grass with his arms tucked under his head. He hums and closes his eyes. 

"Oi! Sungjae!"

Sungjae peeks an eye open at the figure above him. "What's up, Ilhoon?"

"You know, we're learning some important stuff in World History, right now," Ilhoon says as he blocks all light from the sky and casts a dark shadow over Sungjae's body. "You should really think about getting back."

Sungjae lets his head fall back on the grass and he closes his eyes. "I don't want to. No one wants me there, anyway. Can you please move over? You're blocking the sun."

Ilhoon shifts slightly to the side. "Sungjae, come on. If you just sit still and stop talking, people won't be irritated by you as much. Everyone's just trying to learn."

Sungjae shakes his head and exhales contentedly. "It's okay. I'm not in the mood for class."

Ilhoon sighs heavily and Sungjae hears his footsteps continue on and reach the walkway. "Suit yourself."

Sungjae wakes up to a new shadow. At first, he opens his eyes to ask whoever it is to stop blocking the sun, when, no... there's an entirely new sun when he looks up.

"I like this sun much better," he mumbles under his breath.

The girl giggles as the wind pushes through her long black hair and she tucks a strand of it behind her ear to keep it out of her face. "Cute."

Cute? No one's ever called him cute. Annoying, maybe, but not cute.

He sits up and pats the grass out of his hair, even though it's no use; his hair is a mess (not that it's something that really occurs to him). He squints up at her. "Who are you?"

"Joy," she answers, her voice as light and calm as the wind around them. "What are you doing here?"

Sungjae shrugs as he looks around. The yard is completely empty and he wonders just how long he's been sleeping and how many classes he's missed. Doesn't feel like very long, though. He looks back at her. "Nothing."

Joy sits down on the grass with him and giggles again, her eyes turning up into small half-moons. No girl has ever smiled like that at him, or even around him, much less someone as pretty as her. He points straight at her face, another centimeter and he'd touch her nose. He blinks. "You must be new."

"Yup," she answers, still smiling. His mind can't process it. How is she not weirded out by him yet?

"Okay, well you're free to join me if you'd like," Sungjae says as he lies back down on the grass and laces his hands under his head. 

And she does. Her long black hair splays out on the grass as she lies beside him and Sungjae looks at her in awe, surprised she's so close he can smell the strawberry scent of her hair. She looks back at him and smiles, not looking away probably because he isn't.

He blinks. "I'm just looking at you because it's bad for your eyes to stare at the sun."

Joy nods, her smile not even dimming despite the nonsense he's just said. "Okay. I'll do the same."