“You’re not seriously going to help him, are you?” Chanshik hissed as I walked towards the school gates the next Monday morning. I decided to ignore him the rest of the way since there were some other students walking to the school, some of them noticeably staring at me. It wasn’t all surprising given the scene I (technically, we) made during lunch last Friday.

It didn’t get any better as I entered the campus. And even as I stepped into the classroom, I could feel people’s observing eyes following my direction. Yet no one said a word to me (or even just loud enough for me to overhear), as if there was some sort of unspoken rule that prohibited people from directly talking about last week’s incident in front of me. Except for, maybe, my friends—who followed me with their gazes as I approached my desk and sat down my chair.

I mentally braced myself for Jae-eun’s inevitable questioning, trying to recall the excuses I made up for the last two days.

“So how did your weekend go?” It was Yaehee who spoke first. It took me almost a whole two seconds to process what she said, but when I looked at her she seemed like she was really interested about what I did the last two days so I responded, “Not much, actually. My mom just sent me on some errands—“

“Really? Did you finish the homework Yoo-ssaem gave us?” She asked again before I could even finish talking, as if she didn’t want me to. And just like that, Yaehee kept firing questions at me in a pace that made it difficult for me to even think of anything else, and she kept at it right until our first teacher arrived in class.

It was only right as the teacher started her lecture that I realized all Yaehee’s questions gave Jae-eun no chance to ask me about what happened last week. And while I slightly appreciated the help, I couldn’t help but wonder what she had to gain from doing it. But since the situation did not permit me to ask, and I wasn’t sure I wanted to know, I resorted to staring at her curiously throughout the first few morning classes.

I became certain of Yaehee’s intentions when she whisked me out of the classroom right as the short morning break was announced, with the excuse of needing someone to go to the girl’s bathroom with. She didn’t even give me a chance to refuse, but it wasn’t like I actually minded. Even as we walked in the hallways, she kept on talking about tiny random topics that made me feel she didn’t want to give me an opportunity to ask questions just like Jae-eun. But like I said, I wasn’t exactly sure I wanted to ask.

Yaehee almost bumped into someone as we rounded the corner, but it was probably me who was the most surprised at the encounter.

“Chanyeol?”

Both of them looked taken aback at first, but then I noticed it again—the short exchange in gazes, as if they had a way of communicating just between themselves. As if I wasn’t around. It lasted about a split second, but there was an intensity in that wordless exchange that made me feel a little out of place.

“Paran.” Chanyeol finally addressed me, sounding like he just realized I was there. “I was actually on my way to your class.” He hands me a lunch box, which I received with a curious look.

“My mom asked me to give that to you. She says you should come over again some time.” I panicked for a few seconds at his words, unsure if Yaehee was meant to hear about the fact that I had been to his house. But when I glimpsed at her, she just smiled at me innocently, like she hadn’t heard anything.

“Oh. Uh…Thanks.” I replied, dumbfounded by the situation. I mean, why does it seem like I was the only one who didn’t quite understand the situation? They hadn’t even said a word to each other but why were they acting so normal? I was dying to understand but the more I tried to figure it out, the more my head hurt.

“Oh, and meet me after school. Same place as before. I need to introduce you to someone.” It sounded like he didn’t expect me to refuse, yet he still looked at me expectantly for a response. It took me a few seconds to realize he actually wanted me to answer, so I nodded, then he smiled.

“Give me your number so I can contact you, just in case.” He took out his phone, and we exchanged mobile numbers in the middle of the hallway, earning the interest of a few onlookers. As we parted ways, I pushed back the thought that this was going to add fuel to the rumors already circulating about us.

When we arrived back in class, Yaehee effortlessly turned her attention to Jae-eun, leaving me alone to contemplate all the confusing events that have occured since this whole thing started.

Ever since I met Chanshik on the streets on that fateful afternoon, things have happened all over the place. And while I didn’t want to admit it, I was still having a hard time keeping up with everything. It made me anxious thinking of all the unanswered questions I had, much less the doubts and second thoughts that had been crossing my mind for the last few days.

It wasn’t that I regretted helping Chanshik and Chanyeol. True, I agreed to help them out at first because I felt some sympathy for their case. But now, I was beginning to realize that maybe it was because I felt needed all of a sudden. And I wasn’t sure if that was a good thing.

To me, school used to be something that changed like the seasons. It was boring, uneventful, and mostly I just waited for the months to pass, until we moved to the next town or city, and I was the new kid once again. I never made friends, the real kind, never joined any clubs, and I never made the effort to up to teachers. Because really what was the point?

But then I was suddenly thrown into this situation where I was the only one who could help. And I don’t know. Maybe it was me being used to the routine that was giving me such a hard time coping with my suddenly changing, suddenly chaotic school life. Maybe it was the fear that when I finally move with my parents in a couple of months, I would be left with a sense of longing to be someone—all because I had let my guard down. Maybe I was just over-thinking things. Yet, it was those very thoughts that left a bad taste in my mouth as I trudged through the afternoon towards the dessert shop I had to meet Chanyeol and whoever he wanted to introduce to me.

“Hey.” Chanyeol greeted me with an excited smile when he saw me approaching him and his companion. By the time I saw who he was with, I had no idea what to expect anymore.

“So, why don’t you take a seat, first?” He suggested, and he had to lead me by the hand to my seat as my eyes were glued on the person sitting in front of me.

"Here's who I wanted you to meet." I look at him dumbly, before fixing my eyes towards the other person in the table.

“Hi, Paran.” I almost couldn’t believe it when Kang Yaehee greeted me.  

A/N: Heyyyy~ I'm back!! Haha. So, how do you think Chanyeol is going to introduce Yaehee??