CHAPTER 8: Waiting You

1st weekend in 2012

It was still in the winter break, but Jonghyun and Minhyun needed to go to school to study for the Olympiad preparation. The school was empty, really different with its usual atmosphere. The boys directly went to the class to meet the teachers and the rest of the Olympiad team.

The girls were already there, one was busy over her book and the other welcomed the boys with a warm smile. "Annyeong Minhyun ah.. Annyeong Jonghyun ah."

Minhyun only nodded and smiled back as he went to sit.

The one who greeting back was Jonghyun. "Annyeong Jisoo ya, have you waiting for long? Where is the teacher?" He asked as he sat on a chair across the girls.

Before Jisoo answered his questions, Teacher Lee already showed up.

"Hello guys.." He greeted as he entered the class.

As the president class, Jonghyun has a habit to show gratitude every time the teacher went inside the class. So this time he also signed his friends to stand up and bow.

But Teacher Lee smiled and told Jonghyun, "You don't need to do that here, Jonghyun ah.. It's not a formal class."

"It's okay, saem.. You're still the teacher, so we need to show gratitude.." Jonghyun said with his smiling face.

That made Teacher Lee to smile back, proud at the manner his student had. He naturally praised Jonghyun. "At this level you can be nation's school representative, Kim Jonghyun.."

Jonghyun could only smile back. But Junghwa sneered at that word, felt that it was exaggerating.

Ignored Junghwa, Teacher Lee continued saying, "Okay.. thank you for coming here. And I'm sorry for taking your precious winter break, but we need to prepare for the Olympiad. If you succeed on it, it will give you benefit. So just endure this time, work hard, and hopefully you can win the competition."

The students were nodding.

"Have you finished the test book I gave you last time? Just collect them here, I'll check on it while you're doing a new one." Teacher Lee started to give new test books to the students.

"Chemistry for Kim Jisoo"

"Math for Park Junghwa"

"Biology for Kim Jonghyun"

"And Physics for Hwang Minhyun"

But Minhyun looked up and softly told Teacher Lee "Mm, saem.. I haven't finished it yet"

A bit surprised with Minhyun's confession, Teacher Lee asked back, "Ah, really? Why?"

Minhyun looked like searching for a reason. "I had a lot things to do for the past week, so....."

Knowing that his students was just searching for a mere reason, Teacher Lee cut his words, "Well, you can finish it now. I'll give you the new one once you finished."

"Yes, saem." Minhyun nodded in embarrassed.

"Since the teachers still have a meeting right now, I'll excuse myself to go to the office. I will be back soon here with the other teachers to check your homework and after that we'll have discussions."

"Yes, saem."

"Okay.. good luck." Teacher Lee said it as he went out the class.

And once Teacher Lee went out from the class, Junghwa told Minhyun coldly, "Ya, Hwang Minhyun, if you're not taking this seriously you better go home."

Jisoo directly defended Minhyun, "He said he had another things to do. That doesn't mean he's not taking this seriously."

Seeing how Jisoo passionately defend Minhyun made Junghwa chuckle. "And you Kim Jisoo, if you come here just want to see Minhyun then you better go.. both of you.. don't make nuisance for others."

Listened to the girls’ argument, Jonghyun had to meddle. "Park Junghwa, you're the nuisance right now. Can we just do the test peacefully?"

He asked Junghwa in the eyes and it shot her down. But still, she grumbled over why she should study with the other three.

If Jonghyun was known as the brainy male representative, the female version of it was Park Junghwa. The difference between those two, Jonghyun was willing to help the others to study but Junghwa was the otherwise. She hated working with other people. She was cold and cynical. The students didn't really like her as friends but the teacher loved her because she is the daughter of School Head Committee.

Basically, Junghwa is Jonghyun's rival in term of academic achievement. They always compete to get the highest score in exams and tasks, but mostly she lose from Jonghyun. The students who dislike her, sometimes called her as ‘the second place’. And it made her to hate Jonghyun even more. She often showed hatred towards Jonghyun with her harsh words, but that made the teachers even matched them up as the brainy couple. Hanna ever caught the teachers talking about the two, hoping that those competitive atmosphere between them turned into love-hate relationship. Listened to it Hanna was boiled with jealousy.

Not enough with Jonghyun, Minhyun sometimes unintentionally stole the highest score from her making Junghwa burnt in anger. So having those two in the Olympiad squad was something Junghwa never wanted. Moreover with the addition of the School's Princess, Kim Jisoo, whom she saw as someone who supposed to be brainless. But just like Minhyun, Jisoo is blessed with not only looks but also the brain. The tittle of School Prince and Princess that Minhyun and Jisoo got from the other students, made her disgusted. She looked at them as the people below her level. So if there any option to kick the two from the Olympiad squad, Junghwa would definitely choose it.

They spent the whole afternoon with doing test and discussing the answers with the teachers from every subjects.

They just finished the study at 4 p.m. and Minhyun directly whining as they walked out the school. "Aaah I'm tired. Why do I have to study hard in holiday??"

"If you succeed in this Olympiad, you'll get more credit point and it will be give you benefit when you apply to the university or even when you applying for a job." Jonghyun tried to explain.

But Minhyun didn't listen to it. "I don't wanna think about it now, Jonghyun ah.. let's just get dizzy when the time comes.."

Jonghyun could only shake his head softly before he said, "I gotta go.."

Minhyun turned to look at him. "You'll go to the restaurant?"

Jonghyun nodded. "Bye.."

With that, Jonghyun waved his hands as he walked to other direction since the restaurant he worked is quite closed to the school.

Minhyun heaved a sigh as he waved back to Jonghyun. He always felt somewhat painful every time he sent Jonghyun to work. It always reminds him the time when Jonghyun's mom left him.

Throwing out that sad thought, Minyun then continued walking to the bus stop. He was standing there alone for quite moment before going inside the bus and sat on his favorite spot, the back of the bus. Not familiar with being alone, Minhyun sent a text to Hanna.

I'm coming home.

Minhyun was giggling when imagining the reply from Hanna he would get.

It was either

So what?

or

Why would I care?

He knew that his message was basically meaningless and would only get a mere response from Hanna, but that was what he like. He loved Hanna’s sassy words.

But then he felt a bit bitter when his imagination give him another possible response from Hanna,

which is

So Jonghyun has also finished the study?

He smiled bitterly, he