[] Exams are done and we surprisingly made it out alive! Sorry for the long wait and thank you so much for being very patient with us, we appreciate it, thank you. - kiiesaa, axidreinn 

The alarm had been ringing for a few minutes for the 5th time already and the body lying comfortably on the bed still doesn’t want to get up. He did wake up eventually, but solely for the reason that he’d snooze his digital clock and go back to sleep again.

Unintentionally, he looked at the time while he’s still half asleep with drowsy eyes and what he saw woke him up completely and made him nervous. To make sure that his clock was right, he reached out for his phone, then it doomed into him.

He was 20 minutes late!

He got out of bed as quickly as he could, tossing his blanket unto the floor as he did, and went straight to open the door to shout for his mom to hear him.

“MOM! WHY DIDN’T YOU WAKE ME UP?” after doing so, he went back inside to prepare the fastest he can and by that, it means a preparation under 5 minutes.

As he was changing into his school uniform, he kept on telling himself how stupid he was.

“Stupid, stupid, stupid! Why did you even let yourself get tempted? Why did you watch those things even though you know that will keep you up at night? Why did you do that, you stupid human being?” he ranted to himself.

Okay, he wasn’t like this most of the time. Really, he wasn’t. He usually is sane. Trust me.

After looking into the mirror and deciding he was decent enough, he went downstairs, dashing, only to argue with his mom when he saw her at the kitchen counter.

“I am not the one who watched anime ‘til morning, Na Jaemin,” was his mother’s reply to his statement earlier.

“I am your son! Why didn’t you do me the favour of waking me up?” he defended as he hurriedly prepares a sandwich for himself. Even though he was late, going to school in an empty stomach just seemed like a bad idea.

“For you to take responsibility of your actions last night,” his mother simply added as she took a sip from her coffee.

“Oh my god, mom! Are you happy I look like trash right now? You could have woken me up and just let me reflect on my actions later on tonight!”

“I told your brother to wake you up,” she asserted as she went near him to at least soften his hair that’s all over the place.

“So now you’re telling me you did your part? Wow mom. You’re such a good person,” he replied with a tone of sarcasm.

“You’re welcome,” she smiled, dismissing her son’s attempt of picking a fight with her entirely. “Now, go already. The driver’s waiting for you; I already gave him instructions to drive you as fast as he could. Let’s just continue this argument later. Bye sweetheart.”

“Can’t you take sarcasm?” disbelief can be heard on his voice.

“I do. But not taking you seriously is the best way of disregarding your sarcasms,” she explained. “Just go already, time’s ticking, you know.”

“I hate you mom,” was what he said yet he slightly bended down and gave his mother a soft kiss on her cheeks before he went outside.

There were only the three of them living on this big house of theirs at the moment, Jaemin’s dad works overseas and isn’t usually home most of the time, well, except during holidays. It may not seem like it but Jaemin really loves his mother very much, more than anything, more than his anime!

“I love you too. Be safe on your way to school,” he heard his mother tell him but he wasn’t able to answer back since he was running towards the car that been waiting for him.

Jaemin walks to school most of the time so he would usually wake up early to do so since his house had quite a distance from their university. But today wasn’t like one of those days.

Even though the car ride was fast; so fast that it had Jaemin silently praying that they won’t hit anyone walking on the streets – the driver was a speed maniac today, it still wasn’t fast enough for him as he kept looking at his wrist watch, watching the time tick as if it was slipping away from him.

When they arrived at the now almost isolated entrance of the university, he let out a very relieved sigh; he could finally breathe properly as he got out of the car. He made it out alive!

After he thanked their driver, he sprinted with high-speed inside the halls of the high school department of the said university, not caring if he was already out of breath.

He dashed through the halls, ran as fast as he could while skilfully dodging other people who weren’t in their classes as he passed by them, making sure to not hit anyone. And since his classroom was on the third floor, it was physically taxing.

Jaemin was panting heavily as he was in front of his classroom. He peeked through the transparent window of the room to see where their teacher was.

Apparently, classes had started since his classmates all had their attention focused on the one who has in front.

He first conditioned himself because he was nervous and definitely out of breath.

Do I even look decent enough?

Because from what he knows, the teacher they had for their first period was not only a strict one but rumors has it that she hates late comers more than anything as well.

“Ok, Na Jaemin. You can do this,” he told himself. “You will enter the classroom without your teacher noticing you. You will be as quiet as a cat stealing food. You will be able to sit down in your seat as if you’ve been there all the time. You can do this!”

He opened the door slowly but surely, trying to make no sound. He crept inside, walking carefully.

Some of his classmates saw him as he went inside. They gave him looks that clearly says he needed to move faster before their teacher catches him. He nodded at them and smiled, making a mental note to thank them later for their concern.

Donghyuck noticed him from his seat and grimaced when he gave Jaemin a look.

“Na Jaemin, you know I don’t tolerate tardiness in my class,” said a feminine voice yet held this tone that was full of authority, coming from the front.

Jaemin froze on the spot from where he stood, caught by surprised. Did he just get caught? How was that possible? He was so sure he didn’t made a sound as he crept inside.

He turned to look at her only to realize that the teacher was still facing the board and is currently in the midst of writing something and had her back turned from him. How did she know that someone had entered the room if she wasn’t even looking in the first place?

She’s psychic.

Jaemin straightened himself before bowing apologetically. “I’m so sorry Miss. It won’t happen again.”

“It better won’t,” the teacher sternly said, not bothering to look around and continued writing what it is she is supposed to be writing. “Go to your seat.”

Jaemin didn’t need to be told twice. The latter rushed towards his seat at the backmost part of the room, conveniently besides his best friend. He almost tripped when he did - it was a good thing that he caught his self before he could actually fell down.

“You look like a mess,” was the first thing Donghyuck had said when Jaemin settled down on his seat beside him. “Didn’t bother tidying up, did you?”

“Well, good morning to you too,” Jaemin greeted his so-called best friend.

Trust Lee Donghyuck to criticize his appearance before even attempting to greet him first.

But the latter just shrugged, leaning back into his seat. “I’m serious.”

“Thank you for reminding me,” Jaemin rolled his eyes as he took out a notebook from his backpack and placed it on his desk. “Didn’t have time to - had been running ever since I got inside the campus.”

“What happened anyway?”

“I overslept,” he reasoned. “I was up all night doing something.”

“You were up all night doing ….” He faked a surprised gasp, even covering his mouth with both his hands in an exaggerated manner. “Ya! Na Jaemin, does your hyung even know you watch that stuff?”

“What?!!” Jaemin smacked the slightly older male’s hand that was on their shared desk. “Ewww. No! I was up watching anime.”

 “Aren’t you too old to wat--”

“LEE DONGHYUCK, NA JAEMIN, IF YOU DO NOT WANT TO BE THROWN OUT FROM THIS CLASS, I SUGGEST THAT THE BOTH OF YOU TO KEEP QUIET!”

Jaemin flinched as their teacher raised her voice at them.

That woman is scary.

Both boys immediately ducked their head, momentarily looking at each other, making this mental message to not talk to each other anymore unless classes are over before their homeroom teacher kills them alive.

--

“She scared the hell out of me,” Donghyuck said when the bell rang and their teacher went out of the room. “I swear, one day, I’m gonna get a heart attack because of her.”

“Yeah. That sure was intense. I’ve been waiting for the bell to ring since the moment I arrived here,” Jaemin said as he tried, yet again, to fix his unruly hair.

“You’re always waiting for the bell, Na Jaemin,” the other stated and did an eye roll.

“I am not!” the former denied.

“Duh, who looks at his wrist watch almost every minute that passes?”

“Hey! You’re exaggerating it. I only look when I think class is taking too long!” he defended himself.

“See? You even admitted it yourself,” Donghyuck said, making his point.

“You! You cheater!” Jaemin exclaimed when he realized he took the trap set out by the slightly older male.

“What? I’m still right about it.”

“Don’t try to act like you love classes so much. You watch the time pass by as much as I do!” he argued back.

“Well, I don’t deny that I do it occasionally, unlike you,” the other stated, dismissing the conversation entirely, trying to not be the one talked about. “And you know what? Stop trying to comb your hair with your fingers,” Donghyuck pointed out. “You’ll be running at the field and we both know that that won’t make you look any nicer.”

“You’re clearly evading the topic.” Jaemin frowned at the other but then followed what had he been told.

“I’m not, and come on already, I know you’re itching to be at the field right now,” he stood up and started walking towards door, which was shortly followed by Jaemin.

“Am I really?” his tone seemed to be curious and teasing at the same time.

Donghyuck gave him a glare which only made Jaemin giggle.

Arriving at the field, to their usual spot just close to the bleachers, Donghyuck, as Jaemin has noticed, can’t keep his eyes still; it was as if he simply looking around for something in particular.

“He’s here,” Jaemin said as he spotted a certain familiar figure not far from where they were.

“Who?” the older asked as he looked at Jaemin questioningly.

“Who else?”

Donghyuck then turned his head to where Jaemin was looking at and he saw Mark waving at them, coming their way.

However, not watching where he was going, Mark stumbled upon a girl which caused the said girl to trip on her feet, the books that she was holding all fell down to the ground.

Jaemin and Donghyuck both watched in silence as Mark helped the girl up and bowed, showing how sorry he was. The girl just waved him off with a small smile, telling him that he doesn’t need to be sorry and that she was alright but Mark just won’t stop and kept apologizing.

“You seem irritated,”Jaemin amusedly stated as he caught a glance of his best friend’s darkened demeanour as he was still the watching the sight infront of him.

“Stop being a Jaemin and just shut your mouth up,” the other said through knitted eyebrows.

He was irritated alright.

Jaemin snorted, not really affected by what Donghyuck had said. The latter was like that most of the time. “You really are irritated,” he seemed to be enjoying himself, seeing the other pissed at him.

Donghyuck was the one usually annoying Jaemin, so now, being the one teasing the former, Jaemin liked it. Mixing it up a bit is nice.

“I am not, okay? And what would have made me irritated huh?” the other dared him.

“Well, you do know that I know you pretty well, and you only say those kind of words when you really are irritated, and I don’t know, but maybe it has something to do with what had just happened,” he talked so fast that Donghyuck didn’t almost caught a single word he had said. Jaemin had to be fast for he knows that they won’t be able to bicker as much as they would like to once Mark is near them.

“What? What do you mean by ‘what happened’?”

“Oh, nothing really. It depends on how you interpret it,” he shrugged and did this dismissive gesture with his hand. “Hey, he’s coming this way now,” Jaemin said to cut the topic off, motioning that the other was close.

When Mark was just a few paces from where they were, Jaemin decided to greet him. “Hey hyung,” he waved at him.

“Hey Jae,” the slightly older male greeted back with a nod as he neared them. “What are you up to?” he asked, seeing that the other was wearing a t-shirt rather than their school uniform.

“Gonna play football with some guys, wanna join?”

“Nah, I’ll pass.” Mark smiled, rejecting the offer without second thoughts.

“Oh. I really wanted to see how well hyung has taught you.” Jaemin seemed like he wanted to confirm something when he said it. “Hyung told me you’ve been asking him how to play.”

“Uhh,” he lagged and was somehow looking for an alibi but couldn’t think of one.

“It’s okay hyung if you really don’t want to. I won’t hold grudges,” Jaemin laughed at what he said.

Mark scratched the back of his neck and laughed along, awkwardly.  “I’m really sorry that I can’t right now, but how about next time? I’ll play next time. I’ll even bring a friend along if you want me too.”

“Is he trying to please me or is he just trying to compensate for not being able to play today? Oh well. I’ll think it’s the former,” Jaemin said in his thoughts as he smiled at older one before he said, “Okay hyung. I’ll count on that.”

Suddenly, a classmate of Jaemin and Donghyuck’s went to where the three were and had a chat with Jaemin about the game that they’ll be having, making Mark having no one to talk to besides Donghyuck.

 “What are you doing here?” Donghyuck said in an almost ‘trying to be irritated’ tone when he noticed that the other has now turned his attention to him.

“You ask that almost every day.”

“Cause you keep following us during lunch every day,” he stated in a matter of fact, like it was already an obvious thing and Mark just didn’t get it.

“I have my reasons,” Mark answered easily as he shrugged and settled down to sit beside Donghyuck.

Donghyuck then moved away from Mark, trying to keep a distance between them.

Jaemin raised a bemused brow at the two when he saw what had just occurred.

He wished that his classmate won’t leave him alone but he knew it won’t happen since the other guy already left and went to talk to their opponents. He didn’t have a choice left; he sat down at Donghyuck’s right side, preventing him from ever moving if Mark would move closer to him.

This didn’t seem like a bad idea, Jaemin thought as he saw Donghyuck struggling to keep himself away from the older.

“So I heard he's back,” he heard Donghyuck told Mark when the former finally gave up on his pathetic attempt of avoiding the latter. How do you even avoid someone who sits just besides you?

Huh? Who’s back?

He knows he might be probably eavesdropping on a conversation he has no business on whatsoever but who cares? Only he knows of it anyway.

“Yup. I’m glad he is,” Mark replied easily.

Who the hell is ‘he’?

“Was he the reason why you can’t play with Jaemin?” he heard curiosity in his best friend’s voice as he asked.

“So you were eavesdropping on us?” non-belief was evident in the elder’s voice, he resisted the urge to smile but failed terribly.

“What?” Donghyuck looked at Mark like he did absolutely nothing wrong. “I had nothing to do! Of course I’ll eavesdrop!”

“Why are you being so defensive all of a sudden?”

Oh, they’re starting at it again.

“What? I was only explaining why I did so!” the younger retorted.

“Okay, okay. C’mon, I was only teasing. Relax,” Mark reassuringly said