“Of all the things I still remember. Summer's never looked the same. The years go by and time just seems to fly. But the memories remain.” — September by Daughtry

Yunho was lured by the amazing voice spilling from inside the chorale practice room. The voice was tender, but firm. It was beauty.

He felt like he was listening to a siren. It was Jaejoong singing a solo—the siren of the school. The newly elected president believed with all of his heart that he was lucky to be living in the same timeline as Jaejoong.

Goose pimples rose on Yunho’s skin. Rubbing his palm down his arms, Yunho shook his head and inhaled as one does during the cold weather, deep and lungful.

Yunho felt all the hair on his body standing up, wishing to perform the service his eyes were, to look at the person creating such magic.

Peeking inside the chorale members practice room, his eyes made a beeline for Jaejoong’s figure and smiled.

Standing near the outer wall, facing a sitting trio who had their back against the wall, the singer was frowning down at the white music sheet he was gripping with intensity, body relaxed as he sang.

Such talent. Jaejoong fascinated Yunho.

He wondered what it felt like to be blessed in such a natural way. No amount of hard work could give him such a voice—though it did help.

The practice room was lightly populated, being that it was lunch break. The few students left in the room fixated their round eyes on Jaejoong with identical expressions of wonder, lips slacked in pleasure.

Since the boys short conversation two days prior they’ve yet had the chance to talk. However, Yunho thought about the pretty male a lot; noticing Jaejoong more than he normally would. When he’d see Jaejoong around campus or when they’d meet on the field during marching drills Yunho would smile and wave, the singer would kindly return his smile, but that was the extent of their interactions.

The tanned, handsome teen found it a bit weird that they’ve never held a conversation in the six years they’ve been in the same secondary school, being they did partially run in the same circle.

Even though Jaejoong was extremely busy with his department’s demand of constant practice and other club activities, Jaejoong was still involved in many of the other extracurricular facets of the school. His involvement in the student government (SG), where he served his class —his same grade peers—and his success as a singer made him well known among the student populace.

Unfortunately, Jaejoong's SG duties had not converge with Yunho’s own duties as the prior vice president.

Yunho considered those opportunities as lost chances for them to get acquainted. Though, their chances to talk had been severely limited.

Yunho and Jaejoong had never been in the same homeroom since they entered their secondary school and had not attend the same primary school. Most life long friends formed in the formative years—which were mostly when they are in primary school.

The majority of children entered one of the state primary schools that correlated with the child’s aptitude exam scores in their respective department at the tender age of five and graduated at twelve. Parents would sometimes send their children to a separate pre-primary, which went from five to eight year old before they would be mandated to join a public state primary school.

Yunho had not initially taken noticed of Jaejoong because of his singing. His friend’s, Shim Changmin, remarked on the teen’s looks had been what first made him noticed the singer. Yunho soon thereafter fell in love with the doe eyed teen’s amazing vocals.

Even if Jaejoong was considered amiable and hardworking, the shrewd, cold perfection about him scared Yunho. Which was why the general always froze in his tracks whenever he mustered the courage to start a conversation with the redrawn teen; ironically, Jaejoong’s porcelain, reserved beauty matched his personality.

But he wanted to change that, and that’s why he finally talked to him two days ago. In the past months, since he saw Jaejoong's performances at Brother’s Lee’s birthday celebration, he had have an itch to get to know the cold beauty.

Better now than never.

Jaejoong abruptly stopped singing. Yunho wondered if he felt his presence. He didn’t appear to.

The fairy-like male tilted his head back and sporadically tapped his chin twice.

One of the trio near him, a male, opened his mouth and started talking. Jaejoong lowered his head in a slight arch toward toward him and nodded to what the nameless teen was saying. Jaejoong’s fellow chorale member’s lips soon came together and he stopped talking, he was rewarded with a gummy smile.

Jaejoong’s tender reaction made Yunho smile without his knowledge.

Yunho didn’t realized how creepy he appeared peering through the window, with a large, toothy smile on his face.

“Sees something you are interested in?” a husky feminine voice brushed against his ear and an overpowering artificial scent of strawberries filled his nose, making his head light at the intensity of the musk.

Jumping, Yunho flipped around and smiled at the much shorter, stocky female.

The first thing he noticed about her was the beautiful shape of her lustrous eyes. Long, healthy dark hair that was captured at the base of her nape framed her circular face, drawing attention to her puffy red cheeks and red cheshire smile.

“Hi,” Yunho muttered, ears becoming hot.

She smiled at him, her sharp brown eyes twinkling. “Hi, Yunho.”

She knew him but he didn’t know her.

He wondered how he could get out of this situation without appearing as a creep.

“Here to see someone?”

No.

Yunho didn’t know how he could tell her that he had been coming from the bathroom when he suddenly got sentimental over the fact that it was his last summer on campus and decided to wander around, wasting his lunch time. As he drifted around, he had heard wonderful singing and his feet had blindly took him in the direction of the chorale practice room and he had frozen at the window, staring at Jaejoong sing.

The way she was staring at him with her prepossessing eyes filled with expectations made Yunho unable to say the truth. Would she even believe him or think he was coming up with excuses to hide his real motive of spying on the object of his affection.

To her it was weird that he hadn’t made his presence known and joined his classmates. They would have welcomed him.

She flashed him a little grin that told him she was thinking outrageous things.

He almost shouted out at her that he wasn’t interested in anyone in the class—definitely not romantically.

Dating amongst teenagers wasn’t encouraged in Peyisivil because parents are required to choose their children’s marriage partner, and dating made the whole process much more difficult. However, it was permitted, because it was a known fact that teenagers would do it anyways.

The mindset applied to dating was also placed on . The monstrous difference between the two was that was not encouraged nor permitted. It was in fact illegal to e with anyone not lawfully recognized as your partner. The shame such activities brought to a family was more severe than the legal punishment. Peyisivil was a very socialist and conformist state. The opinion of neighbors and friends mattered greatly.

Biting and his bottom lip in nervousness, Yunho formed a broad smile and said what first comes to his mind in his answer to her question about being there to see someone. “Yeah. Yep. Singer Kim.” He said the name slowly, embarrassed.

Run. What a great opportunity he lost, he tsked, chagrined.

“Kim Jaejoong.” She arched a dark eyebrow, her interest piqued.

He nodded. “Yes! I...I was wondering if he wanted to eat outside.” His heart slammed against his ribcage.

Yunho looked inside the classroom. Jaejoong and his entourage had spied him. They openly stared at him, curious eyes unblinking.

Yunho raised his hands near his head and gave it a light shake, his smile painful.

Jaejoong gave him one of his reserved smiles and nodded in greeting.

Great. Now he did really look like a creep.

“It is beautiful outside,” he quickly added, looking back at the smirking female. She did not appear unkind.

The girl chuckled and passed by him carrying her bag full of snacks, the powerful strawberry musk slapping him. Looking behind, she waved to Yunho to come in.

Smiling awkwardly, he followed after her.

All eyes were glued on him. Other than Jaejoong, Yunho didn’t know any of them.

Yunho wasn’t sure if he could even call out to Jaejoong. They were no more than two strangers who went to the same school.

The teen stood with his music sheet in his relaxed arm, gazing questioningly at an awkward Yunho.

“Everyone, here’s your snacks.” The nameless girl raised the bag, giving it a slight jostle. Two students jolted up, jotted toward her and pawed through the bag. She laughed at their uncivilized behavior.

“Jaejoong, Yunho was wondering if you wanted to eat outside?”

Yunho winced. It did sound weird, he reasoned. They were not even friends.

He hoped he had not just destroyed his chances at befriending the dainty singer by scaring him away with his sudden appearance and outlandish preposition. He felt like a stalker.

“I would love to eat outside,” a tall, tan, muscular girl with perfectly, purposefully, tousled dark hair that sat on her waist said, standing up. All of her affection fixated on an uncomfortable Yunho.

“You are not Jae—”

“Great!” Yunho exclaimed, interrupting the put down that was being issued by the nameless girl that caught him lurking outside.

He rushed toward the tall girl who had just saved him from the exemplification of the uncomfortable situation he was in. His savior.

He flashed her a grateful smile. She returned it, charmed.

Jaejoong appeared a bit taken aback and overwhelmed. Yunho looked uncertainly him.

Jaejoong casted his dark eyes questioning eyes on Yunho, inhaled, and shrugged his lean shoulders, slowly saying, as if he were thinking his words over, “I guess. Okay.”

Yunho noticed how slim and delicate looking the singer was. Someone of Jaejoong’s looks was rare, especially for a male in this country.

Muscular strength was prioritized in all citizens. Beauty for both gender was strength and robust health. A tan skin indicated a love for outside and physical activities. The correlation was that most training took place in the open, under the sun.

The type of beauty Jaejoong possessed was an alluring, delicate, tender beauty. The type that demanded protection from the world. It was undesirable on both genders, though a fair amount of it was secretly welcomed on women.

“Okay, let’s go!” The girl who invited Yunho in cheered. “I am hungry and lunch is almost over.”

There was no protest. They filed out.

A pretty short brunette with too much hair, large eyes, and dainty everything, coupled with a willowy petite physique, stole Jaejoong’s attention for a few seconds as they walked down the quiet hall. She hooked her arm through his unresponsive arm, staring at him with moony eyes, unabashed. Talking a mile a second.

The nameless girl freed her from Jaejoong, calling her name insistently, “Hyein, Heyin. Hyein! Come here. Look at this.”

Her name was Hyein.

Girl with lots of hair follicles, Hyein, freed her prize with a sigh, flicked heavy wavy strands off her slim shoulder and allowed her friend to yanked her to her side.

Yunho wondered if she had neck issues. That was a lot of hair for such a frail girl.

Heyin reminded Yunho of a tree. But she was pretty. Extremely so. Her looks carried the similar exquisite feel as Jaejoong.

Yunho fell in step besides a quiet Jaejoong, taking the vacant spot Heyin emptied.

Lifting his arms and linking his fingers behind his head, eyes pressing on the back of Jaejoong’s friends, who walked next to each other, laughing while opening their plastic wrapped sweets, Yunho remarked, “You don't like being outside very much do you, singer Kim?”

The male flinched.

Over Jaejoong’s reaction, Yunho issued a swift apology. He had overstepped his boundaries. “I am sorry.”

“No. Don't.” Jaejoong scowled in the distance, keeping his eyes away from the teen next to him.

“You are bothered by what I said,” Yunho mumbled. He did not want to press for an explanation, but one would be appreciated. He wanted to correct his behavior to not repeat the same offense.

Jaejoong pouted in thought before he inhaled. “No. I am not. Truly.” He finally looked up at Yunho, cheeks the lightest shade of pink. “I do like being outside.” Jaejoong exhaled laboriously. “It is just that, I am just...naturally,” on his lips was the barest hint of a smile, “pale.” Jaejoong swung his arms around, talking with his hands as was his lifelong habit.

Yunho winced.

Jaejoong quickly added before Yunho could interrupt, “My whole family is like that.”

“I didn’t mean to tease you.” His voice was deep and rueful.

Yunho knew what pale skin was associated with in Peyisivil—laziness and being unpatriotic.

He realized his careless error and felt ashamed for what he thought Jaejoong must be thinking of his careless question.

He had been making conversation, trying to get to know Jaejoong, and trying to make the teen warmed up to him. He had not wanted to insult him. Great beginning to their acquaintanceship, Yunho thought cynically, wishing he never said anything.

Another failure, great!

He smiled up at Yunho, his eyebrows lifting in an amusing fashion. “I know. It is just an observation, right?”

“I didn’t mean it like that.” The muscular teen felt the need to explain himself further.

Jaejoong laughed at Yunho’s soulful expression. Shaking his head he said, “I know.”

Yunho clamped his soft, pink lips together, but his thick dark eyebrows drew close, showing his troubled feelings.

Jaejoong might not have known more than the rumors he’d heard of Yunho, but he could tell that no matter how sportive the general appeared. He was a sensitive compassionate being, and due to his caring nature would not want to intentional or unintentionally hurt anyone.

“I promise I did not take it as more than just an observation.”

When Yunho said nothing, his eyes still dipped in shamed, Jaejoong added in a much gentler, sincere tone. “It is okay—really. I promised.”

Yunho finally relented and nodded, his smile coruscated. It made Jaejoong’s knees weak. He had to look away to organized his thoughts.

How charming, Jaejoong thought, staring outside through the glass windows that made the upper half of the exterior hallway wall

They walked in silence for a bit before Jaejoong said, voice breaking in awkward places, “You wear glasses.”

The president touched the thick, black round frame that perched on his nose and pushed it up. “Yes. Only during lunch, sometimes.” He ended with a little laugh, “I am blind as a bat.”

Jaejoong frowned wistfully. “If you are blind as a bat, as you said, why don’t you—”

Yunho interjected. “I do wear contact lenses.” He laughed deeply now. “If I didn’t I wouldn’t be able to function during conditioning and drills.”

Jaejoong bobbed his head up and down, muttering, “Right. That makes sense.”

They shared an awkward laugh.

“Doesn’t it scare you when you put it on? Contact lenses always scares me.”

“They’re not so bad once you get used to them.” He flashed another winsome smile. “What about you? Perfect vision?”

“I supposed.”

“Lucky.” Yunho playfully pouted, morphing into a cute being.

His tone made Jaejoong chuckle.

The relaxed atmosphere surrounding them excited Yunho, and he rambled, taking Jaejoong’s kind smile of polite interest as a good sign. He didn’t want the prior silence to descent between them.

From then, during the rest of the week whenever they sighted each other they would share greetings and hold short conversations. Yunho would begin it and continue it with Jaejoong dropping little noncommittal comments throughout.

Jaejoong wasn’t much of a talker Yunho quickly picked up. He didn’t mind. As a talker it was nice to meet someone that was the opposite of him. Like how his friends Sungyeol and Myungsoo were. A nice balance of personalities.

They also began eating lunch together in one big gathering of their friends.

Writer's note: Hello guys. I am here with a quick request: with each update can I get at least 5 comments, please? It will really help me stay motivated and it would be really nice to know if people are reading and enjoying it as I update. Thank you