The incandescent lighting and music that played lightly in the café screamed a posh atmosphere, but did nothing to keep Jieun awake. She rested her head on her arms, unsure if she was sleeping or dreaming of sleeping.

"Kang Jieun, why are you sleeping again?" A slam of the textbook on the table and an echo of a familiar voice was just enough for Jieun to jolt awake. Not again, she thought to herself. Cursing under her breath, she bowed her head multiple times apologetically. 

"I wasn't! I..I mean... I was. But I'm so sorry! I stayed up late last night to... to... complete my bio project! I was just really tired. I won't sleep in class again, I'm so sorry, I promise I won't do this again." Jieun rambled on, still keeping her head down. Half of her expected the teacher to scream some nonsensical words and send her out of the classroom, while the other half expected, or rather wished, that she would be taken pity on and spared. But, only silence hung within the both of them. (Or did she fall asleep again? )

It took her awhile to take in her surroundings: 'Chocolate' by The 1975 was playing softly in the background, and the clinking of glass and occasional laughter seemed to echo around in her drowsy state. Confused, Jieun lifted up her face, only to see Taehyung staring at her with a somewhat amused expression and his lips slightly parted. 

"Taehyung!"Jieun shot him an angry glare. "I thought I slept in class again! I was really scared, I thought I was gonna get kicked out of class this time!" 

"You're really annoying, "Jieun clicked on her pen and stabbed her textbook, irritation splashed over her face. Her little movement caused her brunette hair to fall and cover half of her face, and with her bloodshot eyes and deadly glare, her appearance kinda looked like that of a mad woman.  And because her best friend found that pretty amusing, a laughter escaped from in between his soft lips for a second but he quickly caught himself and shrugged. 

"You look horrible. Have you not slept for days?" Taehyung asked with a false look of boredom. It was rather obvious from his voice that he was somewhat concerned about Jieun current state, but thought it would be too embarrassing for him to admit it. He slowly sat down opposite her, staring down at her blankly from across the table. 

Taehyung playfully chewed on her pen, turning away from him. " That's none of your business." Like a kid, she crossed her arms and huffed several angry puffs.

"Woah, you're angry?" Taehyung laughed a little forcefully. Such are the times where he starts to wonder why is he even friends with someone so desperately childish. 

But eventually, he figures it out.

"Okay, then I'm angry too," Taehyung folded his arms, imitating Jieun "And I'm leaving."

He was just as immature as Jieun was. 

Taehyung turns to leave but Irene grabbed his arm, blinking a few times at him with confusion written all over her face. "Don't go, why are you even angry." 

"Why am I angry? " He glared at her with an unbelievable look, raising his upper lips a little on the side.

"Because I specially took the effort to come down to meet you, when I could have been sleeping in the whole afternoon, just because you were whining over the phone for me to help you with you stupid grades! But who knows I would be yelled at for waking someone up by childishly acting like a teacher when it was clearly her fault for sleeping like a log and making me have to resort to that. " 

"Do you know why I'm angry now, Jieun?" Taehyung questioned her with the tone of a mother reprimanding her kid, and Jieun had to bite her lip to stop the laughter crawling up from escaping. 

"Yes, yes..." She said a little awkwardly, a shy grin plastered on her face. "I'm sorry, I'll buy you coffee. "

" Please stay here. " 

Jieun went forward to the cashier, occasionally looking behind to make sure that he is still there. Alexander noticed this, thus he sat back comfortably in his original position and shot her a small smile.  But as soon as she turned around, his smile dropped. 

( Yes, I will stay here, 

but you won't ) 

Always, whether it was false or not, Taehyung surrounds himself with an air of nonchalance. It was something that everyone always found charismatic about him and makes him stand out from the rest. Why? Of course, everything fibre of his being screamed attractive (even Jieun can't deny the fact that she stared at him for a little too long more than once or twice in her life), but he definitely wasn't the only hot guy to check out in school. It was such image that he carried around that makes him cross people's mind multiple times a day. Because they want to get close and see beneath the blank and bored look, if he was hiding someone else, if he was a different person, they want to find out. 

Although Taehyung knew that he was something more than this image he put on, that his facial features are capable of way more expressions than this, he thought that he would rather gladly limit himself than be the broken boy boring and forgotten and meaning nothing to anyone.

 But even when she saw his childish jokes and giggles, Jieun stayed. Even when it was clear as morning that he was just any ordinary boring guy, she would join in with his laughter, and she always stays. 

( No, she'll leave one day. Just like everyone else. She will get sick and leave... )

Jieun came back with two warm cups of caramel macchiato-- his favourite coffee, and placed one before him and herself as she took her seat.  "Here you go, please accept my apology"  She grinned brightly as she watched him eagerly send the coffee into his mouth. 

"It's good right, isn't it? Now please teach me, I really can't fail this time " she pushed her worksheet and pen forward and gave him a meaningful look. 

Taehyung sighed, taking another sip of the coffee and flipping open the pages. It was barely a few seconds after he started looking at the worksheet that he started let out a low chuckle. Jieun look up at him weirdly, wanting to ask what happened but as soon as she saw his face all the words disappeared.

Like a Cheshire cat, he was smiling widely while he traces the sums with his fingers. Irene clenched her fists under the table. She so badly, so badly wanted to tell him that he looks so amazingly beautiful when he smiled and she really loved how he looks and she's sure anyone would too. But she held herself. She knew she doesn't have to have Taehyung spend any more than a second thought on his laughter. Right now, what she needed was to have him to laugh without any worry and without any regrets. 

"What?" 

"Look here. This is not how you calculate the area. And you didn't even apply the wrong formula correctly. There's a calculation error over here." Taehyung managed to speak through small snickers.  

"See how I do it. Do you understand?" 

Jieun glanced over at the scribbles of the numbers and symbols he written, and pressed her hand to her forehead,  shaking her head slowly and regretfully. 

"Seriously though, what are your brains for?" Taehyung looked at her, eyes wide and twirling the pen in his hand. "Listen carefully as I explain."

_____________________

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.
.

"Oh, I get it! " Jieun finally exclaimed after what seemed like years. "Thank you, you're the best!" 

Chirping ecstatically, she gave Taehyung a thumbs up, who looked quite like he was half-alive. 

"That's great." He said as he ruffled his hair and finished the coffee in one gulp. "If you don't pass the test next Monday, you'll definitely get it from me. "

"Don't worry, Taehyung, I'll surely pass. " Jieun slammed the textbook shut. Grinning, she asked,

"Come with me to the arcade?"

"No."

"No? Why? I haven't gone there in a while..." Whining, she pouted sadly. 

Taehyung exhaled loudly , gave the im-so-done look and gently flicked her on the forehead, though it still hurt. " A while as in a week? Are you still a kid? I'm going back to sleep. And you should sleep too, you look horrible."

Jieun caressed her forehead with a pout still hanging on her face. "You didn't have to hit me! And, if you didn't know yet, it's not like you look really good now either." 

" I'm like this because I was trying to teach you math! " Taehyung argued , sitting up straight aggressively.

"Yes, it's all my fault. And if we are heading back to the dorm, we should hurry before it rains." Irene said as she stood up and took the cups to the return tray.

Taehyung turned curiously to look out of the window. There was a painting of dark clouds at the other side of the sky, slowly seeping into the blue pigmentation. He stared up at the birds flying in circles in the vast space and smiled mirthlessly. 

( They'll leave, because the dark clouds only bring a thunderstorm and colour their world grey. Same for me, I'm just a broken boy who does nothing but hurt people ) 

Taehyung slowly follows Irene out of the cafe, the cold harsh wind hitting them as soon as the door opens. He shivers a little. 

"This won't do," Jieun shook her head, feeling that something is missing. But then her eyes lit up and she glanced up at the taller boy mischievously. "We won't make it back in time. How about..." 

"No, we are not going to the arca-" Before Taehyung could finish his sentence, his phone was snatched out of his hand. 

"Who said we were going to the arcade, looking through your phone is just as fun!" She spilled the words out along with fits of laughter, and clicked on his home button.  

Panic shot up him and Taehyung quickly reached out to get his phone back; but as soon as she realised that she could not resist his tackle, Jieun started to run, with Taehyung hot on her heels. 

Words that they tried to speak only came out as mad shrieks, 

and as the whispering of air brought along rain that poured down on them, the screams and laughter just become louder. 

A sheet of rain came by and the sound of the pitter-patter intensified, the drops drumming on the canopy. 

( You know, the thunderstorm waters the thirsty flora and brings a rainbow afterwards. I think grey is a beautiful colour and I hope I can stay and be your friend ) 

( No, you'll leave me ) 

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